Baltic Adventure tour from/to Vilnius
Vilnius - Nida - Klaipeda - Riga - Tallinn - Vilnius
June - September 2012, 16 days / 15 nights

Day 1
Arrival in Vilnius, optional transfer to Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva****, check in, 19.00 welcome meeting at hotel lobby.

Day 2
Breakfast. 09.00 – 13.00 Vilnius city tour. Vilnius is known for its more than 1.200 medieval buildings and 48 churches. The morning sightseeing tour includes a panoramic tour of the city and a walking tour of the Old Town with Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas Tower, Peter and Paul Church, St. Anna’s Church, Old University and the Gates of Dawn. After the tour we continue to Trakai, the medieval capital of Lithuania and we visit the well preserved Trakai Castle, beautifully located on an island in Lake Galve. 15.00 departure to Klaipeda The balance of the day is spent en route to Klaipeda, where we arrive late afternoon. 18.30 check-in at Hotel Radisson Blu Klaipeda****.

Day 3
Breakfast. 09.00 departure from Klaipeda. Today we continue to the Curonian Spit, a thin, 100 km stretch of land between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon with small fishing villages, pine forests and endless sand dunes. The first stop is at the Hill of Witches in Joudkrante. After that we continue to Nida where we visit the High Dunes, Thomas Mann’s Summer House and get acquainted with the charming resort town. 14.00 check-in at Hotel Nidos Smilte***.

Day 4 – Day 9
Stay in Nida

Day 10
Breakfast. Around 15.30 transfer Nida – Klaipeda and check in at Hotel Radisson Blu Klaipeda****, 19:00 optional dinner at Restaurant Luja.

Day 11
Breakfast. 09.00 – 10.30 Klaipeda city tour. Klaipeda first became a part of Lithuania in 1923 and had a long history as a German town called Memel. A short sightseeing tour takes us to the Old Town with its narrow, cobblestone streets and old guild houses and we visit the Theatre Square and the Aennchen von Tharau Fountain. We now continue to the Samogitia National Park, where we embark on a walking tour around the picturesque Lake Plateliai. After that we continue to Siauliai and Cross Hills, one of the holiest sites of Catholic Lithuania. We head north into Latvia and reach Riga in the afternoon. 17.30 check-in at Radisson Blu Latvija****. The evening offers an optional organ concert at the Dome Cathedral at 19.00.

Day 12
Breakfast. 09.00 – 13.00 Riga city tour. Riga founded in 1201 by the German bishop Albert is the largest of the 3 Baltic capitals and boasts a true kaleidoscope of various architectural styles. The walking tour of the Old Town includes Riga Castle, Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, Swedish Gates, Three Brothers, Large and Small Guild House and the Freedom Monument. 14.00 – 17.00 optional visit to Jurmala, the vibrant Latvian sea resort, famous for its wooden architecture and sandy beaches. 20.00 optional Latvian dinner at the stylish Restaurant La Boheme.

Day 13
Breakfast. 08.00 Transfer to Tallinn. The tour continues along the coastal highway to the Estonian summer resort of Parnu. We do a short tour of the resort and a leisurely walk on the beach. The balance of the day goes through North Estonian land of forest to Tallinn, 14.00 check-in at Hotel Radisson Blu Olympia****. 15.00 – 19.00 Tallinn city tour. Tallinn is a charming blend of medieval tranquility and modern urban life. The medieval Old Town is a busy place in the summer with its many shops, galleries, souvenir markets, outdoor cafés and restaurants. The sightseeing tour takes us around the old medieval city walls and into the Old Town where we see Toompea Castle, the Dome Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and medieval Old Town Hall, 20.00 optional dinner at Resaurant Peppersack.

Day 14
Breakfast. 09.00 departure from Tallinn. After breakfast we drive to the Lahemaa National Park, where we visit the Manor House in Palmse. 12.30 We continue to Tartu, the university town, where Estonia gained its statehood. We see the charming Old Town and the University founded in 1632. 16.00 from Tartu we drive onwards into Latvia to Cesis, a Hanseatic city with winding streets, castle ruins and beautiful gardens. 18.30 check-in at Hotel Kolonna Cesis***.

Day 15
Breakfast. 09.00 departure from Cesis. Today we drive through the Gauja National Park to Sigulda, a popular holiday resort. We see the ruins of the Episcopal Castle and the ruins of the Castle of the Knights of the Sword before we drive around Riga to hit the highway down to Vilnius. En route we reach the magnificent Rundale Palace, the former summer residence of the Duke of Courland. Following a guided tour 14.30 – 15.30 of the palace we travel through Lithuania to reach Vilnius late afternoon. 19.00 check in at Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva****.

Day 16
Breakfast, optional transfer to Vilnius airport.

Package prices per person:
EUR 1095.00 (double occupancy)
EUR 500.00 (single supplement)

Including:

• 15 overnights at centrally located 3-4 star hotels
• 15 x buffet breakfast
• Welcome meeting with champagne-cocktail or juice
• Personalised welcome package
• Entrances to Palmse Manor House, Rundale Palace, Old University in Vilnius, Thomas Mann’s Summerhouse in Nida, and St. Peter’s Church in Riga
• Service of English and German speaking tour escort on all tours (no tour escort Day 06-12 in Nida)
• Service of 1st class motor coaches or 1st class minivans throughout the itinerary
• Ferry tickets Klaipeda – Smiltyne – Klaipeda and ecological fees for the Curonian Spit
• Portage at hotels
• Service and VAT

Optional:

• Transfer airport to Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva: EUR 35.00 for private car (1-3 persons), EUR 55.00 for private minivan (4-7 persons)
• Lithuanian dinner at Restaurant Luja: EUR 35.00 pp
• Organ concert at the Dome Cathedral: EUR 35.00 pp
• 4-hour excursion to Jurmala: EUR 40.00 pp
• Latvian dinner at Restaurant La Boheme: EUR 40.00 pp
• Medieval dinner at Restaurant Peppersack: EUR 40.00 pp
• Transfer Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva to airport:EUR 35.00 for private car (1-3 persons), EUR 55.00 for private minivan (4-7 persons)
• Half board at hotels (15 x 3 course dinner with coffee/tea): EUR 340.00 pp