10-Day Baltic Countries Tour from Vilnius with Hiking and Cycling

• Take the optional transfer from the airport to the hotel.

• Arrive in Vilnius, known for its more than 1.200 medieval buildings and 48 churches.

Check-in at Algirdas hotel or similar.

• Explore the city and stroll down the Old Town with the Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas Tower, Peter and Paul Church, St. Anna’s Church, Old University and the Gates of Dawn.

• Visit the Trakai Castle, located on an island in Lake Galve. Take a walk around the medieval castle museum with your local European guide and learn the history and culture of Lithuania and Karaims and Old Russian Believers.

• Enjoy the charming small town Trakai and paddle through serene landscapes, navigate around numerous islands on the lake and see the landmarks of Trakai such as Island Castle, Užutrakis Mansion or ruins of Peninsular Castle. 

• Start with a short drive (~40 km) from Vilnius to Kernave. 

• Explore an ancient oak forest and deep river valleys in Neris Regional Park. 

• Discover mysterious fort hills and traces of ancient settlements dating back to 9000 years BCE.

• Take a walk through Kernavė, and learn about the first medieval capital of Lithuania.

• Drive (~300) across Lithuania to the coastal city Klaipeda. It first became a part of Lithuania in 1923 and has a long history as a German town called Memel. 

• Visit the Old Town with its narrow cobblestone streets and old guild houses.

• Marvel at the Theatre Square and the Aennchen von Tharau.

Check-in to the Bohema Art Hotel or similar.

• Reach the Curonian Spit, a thin stretch of land between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon. 

• Cross the lagoon and take up a Curonian Spit biking tour. 

• See small fishing villages, pine forests and endless dunes. 

• Spend the rest of your day at the beach visiting fisherman’s settlements.

• Return to the hotel.

Cycling distance Klaipeda - Juodkrante (~60km) or Klaipeda – Nida (~100km)

• Continue to the Samogitia National Park in Lithuania, called "Žemaitija" (lowlands), to see the picturesque Lake Plateliai. Almost half of the park covers the forest, and lakes surround only 7%. It wouldn't be Lithuania without marshlands and swamps; Samogitia National Park is no exception. 

• Take a walk through the bog and climb a viewpoint. 

• Continue to Siauliai and Hill of Crosses, one of the holiest sites of Catholic Lithuania, where thousands of crosses are erected. 

• Head North to Latvia and reach Riga in the late afternoon. 

Check-in to hotel Garden Palace **** or similar.

• Take a walk through Riga's Old Town, including Riga Castle, the Dome Cathedral, St. Peter's Church, the Swedish Gate, the Three Brothers, the Large and Small Guilds and the Freedom Monument. Founded in 1201 by the German bishop Albert, Riga is the largest of the three Baltic capitals and boasts a real kaleidoscope of architectural styles.

• Take a local train from Riga to Majori and paddle in the vibrant seaside town Jurmala along a pine-covered dune. When in the mid-19th-century holidaymakers began escaping the city to relax in Jurmala, it developed as a resort, often called the "Ņorthern Riviera". 

• Sightsee the expressive wooden architecture, modern villas, and endless sandy beaches. 

• Stop for a swim at one of the 11 established swimming areas before boarding the train back to Riga.

• In the morning, start with a short drive to Gauja National Park, the largest and oldest national park in Latvia.

• Take the cable car to enjoy picturesque views over the Gauja Valley. Inspired by the beauty of the park, enjoy nature at your leisure. Or take an optional kayaking tour in the river Gauja to see the sandstone cliffs and outcrops.

• In the afternoon, continue to a small charming town Cēsis.

• Get acquainted with its old town and medieval castle on a walking tour.

• Late in the afternoon, enjoy local food and wine degustation from Lígatne winery and visit“Anfabrika” rocks and cellars; they are 17 m high, beautiful reddish cliffs. There are several rectangular holes in the foot – these were cellars abandoned a long time ago. (Optional)

Check-in at hotel Cēsis *** or similar.

• Continue from Cēsis to Estonia and drive to Soomaa National Park (~150 km), the wetlands of Estonia, where you stop by the historical Riisa Study Trail.

• Walk the great swamp on the wooden path (~5km).

• Head to Tallinn in the afternoon. Tallinn is a charming blend of medieval tranquillity and modern urban life.

• Walk around the old medieval city walls and into the Old Town where you see Toompea Castle, Dome Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, medieval Old Town Hall and Great Guild Hall.

Check-in at hotel Braavo Spa*** or similar

• Tour the amazing Lahemaa National Park to explore the Estonian countryside home to towering pine forests, picturesque coastline, and mysterious bogs. Go to a giant natural waterfall in Estonia with your guide.

• Visit the hidden old manor houses of Sagadi and the Forest Museum, where the role played by nature in local lives is displayed. 

• Next, visit the little coastal villages of Käsmu and Altja. 

• Hike through the Viru Bog on a 3.5 km wooden trail over the wetland. 

• Return to Tallinn.

• Take the optional transfer to the airport.