Self-drive tour
The Baltic Way
Program
DAY 1. ARRIVAL IN TALLINN
Welcome to Tallinn! Pick up your rental car at the Tallinn airport and check into the hotel.
DAY 2. DISCOVER TALLINN
On a guided walking tour of Tallinn you will explore a well-preserved medieval center known as the Old Town. You will visit many historic sites including Toompea Castle, a stately baroque castle which today houses the Parliament of Estonia, the 13th century Dome Church, the Russian Revival Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and many more.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 3. LAHEMAA NATIONAL PARK | TALLINN – SAGADI ( DRIVE ~85 KM, HIKE ~7 KM)
After breakfast, drive to a scenic coastline northeast of Tallinn. Lahemaa National Park is considered one of the last unspoiled regions of the Baltic coastline. You will go on a 7 km guided hiking tour starting from Sagadi to Kasmu Peninsula and back. On the Kasmu Peninsula you will find the biggest natural accumulation of rocks in Estonia. You will see the Kasmu village, one of the most beautiful seaside villages in Estonia. In the late afternoon, return back to Sagadi and stay overnight at Sagadi Manor hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 4. ALONG THE LAKE PEIPUS | SAGADI – TARTU ( DRIVE ~170 KM)
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, and afterwards drive along the shore of Lake Peipus, which is the fifth-largest lake in Europe. It is also the largest transboundary lake on the continent, as it shares borders with both, Estonia and Russia. The old traditions are still alive and honoured by the Old Believers living on the shore of Lake Peipus. At the Old Believers Museum, a tea ceremony is waiting for you. The ceremony will be led by an instructor wearing a headscarf required by local customs.
After, continue to Tartu, the second-largest city in Estonia. Go on a Tartu Old Town walking tour. Enjoy the historic streets, Town Hall Square with the statue of Kissing Students, St. John’s Church with its many terracotta sculptures, and Tartu University, which was founded in 1632.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 5. GAUJA NATIONAL PARK | TARTU – CESIS ( DRIVE ~175 KM)
In the morning, cross Estonian-Latvian boarder and stop in Cesis, a medieval gemstone and the third oldest town in Latvia. During the guided walking tour visit the charming ruins of the Medieval Castle, explore the history and feel the medieval spirit in a candle light.
Despite the wars, the Old Town has remained almost unchanged. On the tour you will see such highlights as the Roze Square, Princess’ House and St. John’s Church. Eight hundred years long history of Cesis is visible not only on the streets but also in Cesis castle complex.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 6. KAYAKING ON THE RIVER GAUJA | CESIS – RIGA ( DRIVE ~90 KM, KAYAK ~4 KM)
The morning begins with a drive to the River Gauja where you have to start a self-guided kayaking tour. On the 4 km long paddling distance you will see magnificent sandstone outcrops. In the afternoon, continue driving south to Riga.
Make a stop at the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, located in a lovely pine-tree forest next to the Juglas Lake. A meditative musical experience is waiting for you – ancient sounds of Latvian traditional string instrument “kokle”. Latvians have a saying that “kokle” is given to them by God. Relax and enjoy the ethno-music concert!
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 7. DISCOVER RIGA
Riga is the largest city in the Baltics. Take a guided walking tour to see the Art Nouveau most famous buildings on the streets of Alberta and Elizabeth, as well as the Old Town with Riga’s Castle and the Three Brothers houses, oldest dwellings in the city.
Make a visit to the Riga Central Market, one of the largest covered markets in Europe. Taste smoked meat, pickled vegetables, Latvian bread, seasonal treats, and more. The market opened in 1930, and it consists of five former Zeppelin airship hangars.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 8. LATVIA’S COAST | RIGA – JURMALA ( DRIVE ~40 KM, CYCLE ~12 KM)
Nearby Riga, the Latvia’s most famous resort town Jurmala stretches 30 km along the seaside. Take a break from the city on the sandy Jurmala beach. Enjoy a peaceful walk along the pine forest dunes without any rush. Do a self-guided bike tour and explore Jurmala. In the mid-19th-century holiday makers began escaping the city to relax in Jurmala, and it developed as a resort, often called the ‘’Northern Riviera”. You will cycle along a pine-covered dune, see the expressive wooden architecture, modern villas, and endless sandy beaches. Stop for a swim at one of the eleven established swimming places.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 9. THE MOST ROMANTIC TOWN IN LATVIA | JURMALA – KULDIGA (DRIV ~120 KM)
In the morning, embark on a picturesque drive on the rolling hills of Courland and stop in Kuldiga. Have a guided walking tour to see the romantic blend of architecture, small winding streets and channels. The heart of the town is Venta River and the Ventas Rumba, the widest waterfall in Europe. Discover this charming place at a slow pace. Free time in the afternoon.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 10. THE BALTIC SEA | KULDIGA – KLAIPEDA – NIDA (DRIVE ~190 KM)
In the morning, you will cross the Latvian and Lithuanian boarder and continue to Klaipeda. Join the guided walking tour in the port city. It begins in Klaipeda’s Old Town, known for its old cobblestone streets lined with medieval guild houses. You will visit such landmarks as the Theatre Square and the Ann from Tharau Fountain, a sculpture of a muse of the famous German poet Simon Dach who was born in Klaipeda.
Afterwards, take a ferry to the Curonian Spit, a long, thin sand spit that runs 100 km between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon. On this narrow strip of land you can find sleepy fishing villages, isolated pine forests, and endless sand dunes.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 11. THE CURONIAN SPIT (CYCLE ~60 KM)
In the morning you will do a self-guided bike tour from Nida to Joudkrante and back. On this route you will see several dunes and visit the Hill of Witches, located at the lagoon-side village of Juodkrante. Despite the spooky name, this landmark is actually a collection of wooden sculptures atop a forested sand dune. There are over 80 sculptures made by local artists that depict themes of paganism and Lithuanian folklore. After that, you will return back to Nida to stroll around the town, enjoy local fish restaurants, and try different kinds of smoked fishes.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 12. LITHUANIA’S SECOND CAPITAL | NIDA – KAUNAS ( DRIV ~270 KM)
In the morning, you will continue to Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. Upon arrival, a guided walking tour will take you around the Old Town and show you such landmarks as the Town Hall Square and the House of Perkunas, a gothic merchant house that dates back to the 15th century. You will also visit Kaunas Castle, a gothic fortress built on a hill overlooking the Nemunas River, dating back to the middle of the 14th century.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 13. ANCIENT LITHUANIA| KAUNAS – TRAKAI – VILNIUS (DRIVE ~110 KM)
After breakfast, drive from Kaunas to Trakai. Join a guided kayak tour on the Lake Galve. The tour will bring you around the medieval Trakai Castle, the landmark of the area. Afterwards you will visit this impressive gothic fortification, built in the second half of the 14th century out of red brick and stone. Next, continue to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 14. CITY TOUR OF VILNIUS
Spend the morning on a guided walking tour of the Old Town, the medieval heart of Vilnius. The highlight of Vilnius is the Cathedral Square. The Cathedral was consecrated in 1783. It is Lithuania’s premier Roman-Catholic church. Moreover, its mausoleum is the final resting place for some notable figures throughout the history, including grand dukes of Lithuania and even King Alexander of Poland.
On the tour you will see the Gediminas Tower, the 15th-century St. Anne’s Church, Vilnius University, the oldest university in the Baltics, the Gate of Dawn, and the city’s medieval defensive fortification, built around a chapel that remains a major catholic pilgrimage site in Lithuania. Free time in the evening.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 15. DEPARTURE FROM VILNIUS
Departure day, drop off the rental car at the Vilnius airport.
Tour map
Private tour price
In double occupancy:
- In 4-star hotels for two persons traveling in a VW Polo or similar rental car is 2050 EUR per person.
- In 3-star hotels for two persons traveling in a VW Polo or similar rental car is 1770 EUR per person.
- In 4-star hotels for four persons traveling VW Passat or similar rental car is 1650 EUR per person.
- In 3-star hotels for four persons traveling VW Passat or similar rental car is 1490 EUR per person person.
- In 4-star hotels for six persons traveling in a VW Multivan or similar rental car is 1320 EUR per person person .
- In 3-star hotels for six persons traveling in a VW Multivan or similar rental car is 1150 EUR per person.
Single room supplement – 570 EUR
Included
- 14 overnights per program in centrally located 3-star / 4-star hotels;
- Car rental for 15 days;
- Guided walking tours in Tallinn, Tartu, Cesis, Riga, Kuldiga, Klaipeda, Kaunas and Vilnius;
- Tea ceremony at Lake Peipus;
- Ethno-music concert in Latvian Open-Air Museum;
- Guided hiking tour in Lahemaa National Park;
- Guided kayaking tour in Trakai;
- Kayak rental in the Gauja National Park;
- Bicycle rental in Jurmala and Nida;
- Entrances in Cesis Castle, Kaunas Castle and Vilnius University.
How to dress
Please, dress accordingly to the weather forecast! Due to very changeable weather, layering is key to enjoying the hike, and rain protection is a must-have. Any comfortable shoes are good enough for this tour.
Physical rate from 1 to 10
4
Level of difficulty
The tour has easy biking and hiking trails with a few steep climbs. The terrain is mostly flat. The hiking tours include small footpaths through the woods, walking around the town, boardwalks and countryside roads. In the rivers and lakes, the current is slow and safe to kayak without any previous experience.
Season
From April to September.
Bookings
Bookings are on the request and should be made at least one week before the departure date. The itinerary can be modified according to the client’s wants and needs.
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