Bike Estonia’s cities and countryside in 6 days
Self-drive tour

Bike Estonia’s cities and countryside in 6 days

  • Estonia
  • April - September
  • 6 days / 5 nights

Program

1. DAY: ARRIVAL IN TALLINN – WALKING TOUR OF THE OLD TOWN AND BIKE TO KADRIORG

Welcome to the Baltics and the Estonian capital of Tallinn! Estonia is known for its incredible natural scenery that includes rocky beaches, remote islands, protected wetlands, and forests with beech, spruce, and pine trees. In total, about 50% of Estonia is covered in forest and about 18% of the land is protected in the form of national parks. Upon arrival, you’ll check into your hotel and take a walking tour of Tallinn. Despite being the country’s most populous city, it has a well-preserved medieval center known as Old Town. You’ll visit many historic sites including Toompea Castle, a stately Baroque castle now home to Estonia’s parliament; the 13th century Dome Church and the Russian Revival Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

In the late afternoon, you’ll do a bike tour of Kadriorg Park and visit the 18th-century palace built by Peter the Great. You can stop at the Kumu art museum, which is the largest and most impressive exhibition venue in Estonia. The evening is yours to roam Tallinn at your leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast

Overnight: Tallinn

 

2. DAY: LAHEMAA NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast, you’ll drive to Estonia’s scenic coastline northeast of Tallinn. Upon arrival, your guide will present you with your bike and ensure you have all the gear needed for the day’s ride. The first leg of the ride will be through Lahemaa National Park, which lies along the country’s northern coast and is considered one of the last unspoiled regions of the Baltic coast. You’ll cycle through a unique bog landscape filled with lakes, streams, and boardwalks. You’ll also visit old forests and historic manors. Along the way, there will be opportunities to view an abundance of wildlife, particularly several species of birds. In the late afternoon, you’ll end your trip in the small town of Vihula, where you can visit the 16th-century Vihula Manor. Take some time to settle into your accommodation and rest your legs before heading out for dinner.

Cycling Route: About 40 miles (60 km)

Meals included:

Breakfast Overnight: Vihula Manor in Lahemaa National Park

 

3.DAY: ALONG THE LAKE PEIPUS

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, and afterward, you’ll drive to the town of Mustvee, the starting point for today’s ride. This pleasant route follows along the shores of Lake Peipus, which is the fifth-largest lake in Europe. It’s also the largest transboundary lake on the continent, as it shares borders with both Estonia and Russia. You’ll cycle along a designated path from Alatskivi to the small village of Varnja, which is home to under 200 people. The ride passes by marshy wetlands, rural fields, small towns and forests, and long stretches of lakeshore beaches. After, continue to Tartu, Estonia’s second-largest city.

After settling into your accommodation, take some time to enjoy on a Tartu walking tour it’s young, bohemian atmosphere, as it’s famous for being a city of students and artists. Stroll its historic streets, starting in Town Hall Square with a visit to the statue of Kissing Students. Nearby you’ll find St. John’s Church with its many terracotta sculptures, plus Tartu University, which was founded in 1632. Enjoy dinner at one of its hip eateries near the university.

Cycling Route: About 40 miles (60 km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Overnight: Tartu

4.DAY: SAAREMAA ISLAND

Wake up early for a scenic ferry ride to, Saaremaa Island, Estonia’s largest island. With little traffic and flat roads, Saaremaa provides the perfect rural setting for cycling. It’s also a great place to get an idea of what life was like throughout Estonia before mass development, as Saaremaa maintains its calm atmosphere and simple way of living. You’ll start your ride from Saaremaa’s biggest city Kuressaare. You will cycle along scenic roads, following the coastline of the Baltic Sea while you enjoy views of forests, rocky beaches, dramatic sea cliffs, and the famous lighthouse on Sõrve Peninsula. Return to Kuressaare.

Cycling Route: About 35 miles (50 km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Overnight: Kuressaare

5.DAY: HAAPSALU & THE NOAROOTSI PENINSULA

After a leisurely breakfast, you’ll have more time to explore the city of Kuressaare. Visit the castle museum, take a walk around the park surrounding the fortress, and/or enjoy one last moment on the shores of Saaremaa Island.

Afterward, you’ll head back to Tallinn via the ferry and a drive to the town Haapsalu on the way. Your final ride of the trip is on the scenic Noarootsi Peninsula guided bike tour. You’ll pass gorgeous Estonian countryside, with goats grazing in the fields and old farmhouses in the distance, plus ride along a beautiful coastline full of sandy beaches and thick forests. In the late afternoon, you’ll return to Tallinn.

Cycling Route: About 28 miles (45 km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Overnight: Tallinn

6.DAY: DEPART FROM TALLINN

Departure day, transfer to the airport.

Highlights

  • Tallinn’s medieval old town;
  • Lahemaa National Park coastal nature and historical manors;
  • Along Lake Peipus the fifth-largest lake in Europe;
  • Saaremaa Island’s rocky beaches and dramatic sea cliffs;
  • The scenic Noarootsi Peninsula cycling roads.
Foto gallery
Package price per person
  • EUR 809 (double occupancy)
  • EUR 400 (single supplement)
Included
  • 2 nights in Tallinn hotel Snelli***, 1 night in Lahemaa National park hotel Vihula manor****, 1 night in Tartu hotel Dorpat***, 1 night in Kuressaare hotel Grand Rose Spa****;
  • Welcome package with itinerary, map and attraction description;
  • Touring bicycles;
  • Car rental with bicycle holders for 6 days;
  • Guided walking tour of Tallinn and Tartu;
  • Guided bike tours of Noarootsi Peninsula;
  • Self-guided bike tour maps (gpx files) and descriptions of the routes: Tallinn – Kadriorg park, Lahemaa National park, along the Peipsi Lake and Saaremaa Island from Kuressaare via Sõrve Peninsula.
*Note

Starting from/to Tallinn airport, day 1. – 6. a VW Polo or a similar car

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What travelers say about us

EXCELLENT
36 reviews on
SisterBliss66
SisterBliss66
2024-11-02
Great day out - lovely walk in Gauja - Līgatne trail - in the crisp autumn air followed by the paper mill. Then on to Sigulda Castle and Gutman Cave. Valdis was very knowledgeable and we had some interesting conversations about the places visited, history, culture and lots more besides. Friendly guy, fluent in English. It was awesome getting out of Riga to see more of the country.
Jane Bower
Jane Bower
2024-09-30
My partner and I (69 and 75) are just back from a 17 day self-drive tour put together with the help of Valdis from Baltic Nature Travel. It was an absolutely delightful and fascinating experience. We asked for quirky or unusual accommodation and a mix of hotels and self-catering - great fun. We went at our own pace and chose what to see. Everything was beautifully organised - a couple of small hitches were dealt with straight away on the phone. We are well-travelled but didn't know these stunning countries at all. Our overall impression is CLEAN and GREEN. Thank you, thank you for such a unique and special holiday.
Andrew Golding
Andrew Golding
2024-09-16
First Class Personal Tour of the Baltic Republics organised by Valdis: a bespoke, friendly, intelligent, safe and varied introduction to this wonderful part of the world. Wholly recommended.
David Morris
David Morris
2024-09-10
Excellent booking experience - very easy and all the information we needed. Hire car arrived at the hotel as arranged and the handover was excellent. All the hotels that were booked for us were great and the itinerary was really wide-ranging and interesting. Estonia people were almost always friendly and helpful, and the restaurant food was great. Would definitely recommend Baltic Nature Travel and Estonia as a destination
Karen Green
Karen Green
2024-07-23
Valdis, the owner of Baltic Nature Travel, is a terrific tour organizer. His advance communication and arrangements were unfailingly responsive, prompt and helpful. On the trip, we had different guides as well as drivers in the different cities (Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn.) In each case, they were well-informed and on time at the meeting point. We never needed to worry or contact the guide (though we were provided with their information.) Every hotel Valdis chose for us was of a very good standard, well-run, clean, exceptionally well located, and with wonderful breakfasts. The restaurants he recommended were also excellent – we learned to just go where he suggested! The tour was an exceptionally good value. In sum, we couldn’t have been more pleased. Our trip was wonderful and we left wanting to see more of the Baltics' beauty. If we do go again, we would unquestionably work with Valdis. In the meantime, we will recommend him to all of our friends.
Lucía Gómez
Lucía Gómez
2024-07-17
Fantastic Self-Guided Hiking Experience! We recently completed a self-guided hike in Gauja National Park, which was wonderful. The trails were serene, and we rarely encountered other hikers. The provided materials and app were excellent and highly accurate. The hotels, luggage transfer, and overall transportation arrangements were flawless. Highly recommend this experience!
Paul Green
Paul Green
2024-07-12
Anna Brish was a fantastic tour guide for understanding Jewish history and culture in Vilnius. She was friendly, deeply knowledgeable, eager to answer our questions and accommodate our specific interests. Anna does other tours and we would take any of them, she’s amazing!
James Cornez
James Cornez
2024-07-11
Myself and my best friend came across this company whilst researching options to travel in Latvia and we are very pleased we did. Valdis was very amenable during the planning process by arranging video calls with both of us so we could better understand what was on offer for us to do. He compiled an 8 day itinerary for us that did not disappoint starting in Riga for 2 days. We paid for an optional 3hr walking tour which was very worthwhile to see the main sites of the city. Janis took us on the tour who is a great guy that gives you plenty of interesting information, ready to answer any questions regarding Latvian history/culture. We chose the self driving option to see as much of Latvia as possible which I would definitely recommend if you want to have more than just a city break. It took us to varied places ranging from the heavily forested and pretty areas of Sigulda (where we did a fun kayaking tour on the Gauja river) and Cesis to the pleasant coastal cities of Liepaja and Ventspills. Overall, definitely the company to approach if you want to authentically explore Latvia!
Esther A
Esther A
2024-06-21
Valdis and his team helped us to organise a guided 16 day trip across Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki. We had a very enjoyable experience! Coming from Singapore and not knowing Valdis beforehand, we were initially worried about language and logistical challenges. All these were unfounded as Valdis and his guides were not only knowledgeable but also responsive, helpful and flexible. We had some minor hiccups during the trip but Valdis was able to resolve them very promptly. I would highly recommend engaging Valdis for your next trip!
Annette Ihrman
Annette Ihrman
2024-06-16
The tour was very versatile and a good addition to our trip to Riga. We can recommend it!

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Baltic Nature Travel
Baltic Nature Travel