Self-drive
Winter experience in Lithuania
Program
DAY 1. ARRIVAL IN VILNIUS
Welcome to Vilnius! Pick up your rental car at the Vilnius airport and check into the hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight: Vilnius at Hotel Vilnia**** or similar.
DAY 2. 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
Overnight: Vilnius at Hotel Vilnia**** or similar.
DAY 3. ANCIENT LITHUANIA | VILNIUS – TRAKAI – KAUNAS (DRIVE ~110 KM)
After breakfast, drive from Kaunas to Trakai. Join a guided snowshoeing tour. 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. You will continue to Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight: Kaunas in Best Western Santakos hotel****
DAY 4. EXPLORE KAUNAS OLD TOWN
In the morning join 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
Overnight: Kaunas in Best Western Santakos hotel****
DAY 5. AUKŠTAITIJA NATIONAL PARK | KAUNAS – MINDUNAI – PALŪŠE (DRIVE ~110 KM)
In the morning, drive to Aukštaitija National Park, which is the oldest national park and has preserved its pristine nature. Hundreds of lakes are covering its land. To see a magnificent view of the surroundings climb an observation tower in Mindunai. After, continue to Palūše. Before steering in your accommodation, stop at Palūše wooden church that is one of the oldest praying houses in Lithuania.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight: Palūše in Tiki Inn guest house or similar.
DAY 6. BIKE TOUR IN AUKŠTAITIJA NATIONAL PARK & TRADITIONAL SAUNA
In the morning you will join a guided fat – bike tour. A fat-bike allows you to get through otherwise impassable woodland areas, such as muddy off-road, iced and snowy hills, swampy terrain. On the tour you‘ll discover authentic cultural heritage sites, dense forests, and beautiful lakes. After the tour you will relax in the heat of the traditional sauna and taste some sauna-special tea, brewed with local herbs and enjoy your delicious hot lunch cooked over open fire.
Meals included: Breakfast, and lunch
Overnight: Palūše in Tiki Inn guest house or similar.
DAY 7.DEPARTURE FROM VILNIUS (DRIVE ~115 KM)
Drive back to Vilnius. On the departure day, drop off the rental car at the Vilnius airport.
Meals included: Breakfast
Tour map
Price in double occupancy
Two persons travelling is 910 EUR per person.
Included
- 4 overnights per program in centrally located 4-star hotels;
- 2 overnights in Palūše guest house;
- VW Polo car rental for 7 days;
- Walking tour in Vilnius, and Kaunas;
- Snowshoeing tour in Trakai;
- Fat-bike tour in Aukštaitija National Park;
- Entrances in Vilnius University and Kaunas Castle.
Not included
- Any meals or drinks not mentioned in program;
- Gratitudes.
How to dress
In winter, temperatures often drop well below zero degrees Celsius. Please, dress accordingly to the weather forecast! Due to very changeable weather, layering is the key to enjoying the tour. Any warm and comfortable shoes are good enough for this tour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who we worked for
Testimonials
Our guide Valdis Ceics was brilliant – sharing his local knowledge and fun facts, telling stories about the history of the Baltic States and how it affected the people. Not only did Valdis speak good English he also had to speak German. In fact on one occasion Valdis was only going to do the german tour, so several of us “jumped ship” and joined him.
June 6, 2019
Right from planning my trip through completion, Baltic Nature Tours team was a pleasure to work with. Ieva was always very responsive to my queries. Valdis was our tour guide and he was very good! He was very accomodating of the group’s preferences and when weather was dicey, he quickly helped pivot to alternatives. He had very good recommendations for things to do in free time as well as restaurant to try. The tours he led were very infortmative and always had a quirky fun edge. Certainly made my Baltics experience very memorable. I had a great experience and would certainly recommend them!
June 4, 2019
My wife and I had a wonderful time visiting Lithuania with the help of our guide Grazina. She was very knowledgeable about the places we visited, several of which were ‘off the beaten path’. Also, our local specialist Ieva arranged local guides for other places we visited such as the Open Air Museum of Lithuania, my grandfather’s village Zemaiciu Naumeistas, and the city of Kleipeda.
May 22 – May 30, 2019
My cousin and I had a great experience in Lithuania! Our tour guide Minda was fantastic and made the trip a special experience for us. We called him our Guardian Angel. As we drove or walked he gave us such great historical and cultural information just as we wanted. He felt like a friend or relative and was so comfortable to spend time with. We highly recommend him.
Leva did a great job helping us with our itinerary. I told her some places we wanted to go and the types of experiences we were looking for and she organized it perfectly for us. When I asked for some changes or soecial requirements like air conditioning she came through. Our only disappointment was not finding Kugelis! We found a dish that was very close though and enjoyed all of our meals. I will recommend Leva and Kimkimtravel to my fellow travelers!
Jun 5 – Jun 11, 2019
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