BALTIC CAPITALS
Indicative itinerary subject to change until departure date
DAY 1 – VILNIUS
Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.
DAY 2 – VILNIUS
Breakfast. Panoramic tour of the city. In the 14th century, it was declared the capital of the Lithuanian state by Grand Duke Gediminas. Its old town is one of the largest in Eastern Europe, with a perfect combination of different architectural styles, from Gothic to post-modern. The visit includes the churches of St. Anne and St. Peter and Paul, the cathedral, the courtyard of the former Vilnius University (entrance included), the tower of Gediminas Castle, the “Gate of Dawn” and the Amber Gallery. In the afternoon, an optional visit to Trakai, the country's former capital, which preserves a castle on an island in the middle of Lake Galve. Return to Vilnius. Accommodation.
DAY 3 – VILNIUS / KAUNAS / RIGA
Breakfast. Departure for Kaunas for a panoramic tour of the city. In the old town there are many architectural monuments: the medieval castle from the 13th century, the old town hall, the cathedral, the church of St. Francis Xavier and the Jesuit monastery, the church of Perkunas and the church of Vytautas. Lunch. Continue to the Hill of Crosses, a sanctuary for many Catholics where pilgrims have placed their crosses and rosaries since the 14th century as a sign of religious and national identity. Arrival in Riga. Accommodation.
DAY 4 – RIGA
Breakfast. In the morning, visit Riga's central market, located in a former hangar where German zeppelins were stored during the USSR era. Then a panoramic tour of the city. Situated on the banks of the River Daugava, it is the largest of the three Baltic capitals. Its foundation in 1201 made it an important commercial center in the 13th century, as a city belonging to the German Hansa. It stands out for the beauty of its historic center, whose buildings reflect all the architectural styles: Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Art Nouveau. Finally, a visit inside Riga Cathedral (entrance included). In the afternoon, an optional visit to Jürmala, a coastal town famous for its wide sandy beaches lined with dense pine trees and more than 3,500 traditional wooden mansions. Return to the hotel. Accommodation.
DAY 5 – RIGA / SIGULDA / TURAIDA / GUTMANIS / PÄRNU / TALLINN
Breakfast. Departure for Sigulda. Visit to Gauja National Park and the ruins of Turaida Castle, the best preserved castle in Latvia, located in the region known as “Latvian Switzerland”. Visit to Sigulda's local history museum, Turaida's tomb, Gutmann's cave and the Daina sculpture park, dedicated to Latvian folklore. Lunch. Departure for Pärnu, Estonia's summer capital, with a panoramic tour of the city with its Hanseatic past and Estonia's main tourist center. Arrival in Tallinn. Accommodation.
DAY 6 – TALLINN
Breakfast. In the morning, a panoramic tour of the city. The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the famous “Long Hermann” and “Fat Margarete” towers, as well as Town Hall Square and the churches of St. Olaf and St. Nicholas. In the afternoon, you can optionally visit the “Rocca al Mare” open-air ethnographic museum (not included). Situated by the coast in a forest, it is a magnificent recreation of the rural life of the Estonian people in the 18th and 19th centuries. Accommodation.
DAY 7 – TALLINN
Breakfast. Day at leisure. Optionally (not included), you can visit nearby Helsinki after a two-hour ferry ride. Arrival and panoramic tour of the city: the large market square, the elegant Esplanadi boulevard, the stone church (Temppeliaukio), the Lutheran cathedral, etc. At the agreed time, transfer to the port. Arrival in Tallinn and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.
DAY 8 – TALLINN
Breakfast. At a time to be arranged locally, transfer to the airport.
