Long-lasting Evasion from the Baltic Countries

BENEFITS OF OUR SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL

• Small group of up to 12 travelers: everyone receives personal attention
• Experienced tour leader: local, certified, and highly knowledgeable.
• Extraordinary itinerary designed by locals: reduces the impact of mass tourism.
• A real treat for food lovers: authentic meals, tastings, market visits, dinners, and local drinks.
• Nature experience: 24 hours in Gauja National Park in Latvia.
• Eco-friendly, diverse trip focused on public transport: 6 trains, minibus, boat, bus, tram.
• Immersion in local life and encounters: national wine tasting, walking‑stick workshop, folklore.
• Carbon‑neutral, environmentally respectful trip: 12–36 trees planted to offset the impact.
• Tap water is drinkable throughout the trip: each traveler receives a BPA‑free reusable water bottle.
• Balanced pace with many affordable, original, and authentic optional activities.

Departures 2026:

• June 07 to June 14
• July 09 to July 26
• August 16 to August 23

Itinerary

DAY 1 | TALLINN – FIRST DISCOVERY. WELCOME TO THE BALTIC STATES!

Optional – private transfer from the airport or ferry terminal to the hotel by car, with meet‑and‑greet service in the arrivals hall by our driver.

It is also possible to reach the city by bus or tram.

START OF YOUR JOURNEY. Check‑in and free time for a first discovery of the Estonian capital, depending on your flight or ferry schedule.

Many cultures have shaped the beauty and charm of Tallinn. The Estonian capital, perched on the shores of the Baltic Sea, is a true crossroads between East and West. Its historic centre, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, enchants visitors with its cobbled streets, medieval towers and colourful façades. Yet Tallinn is far from being defined by its past alone: it harmoniously blends its rich Hanseatic heritage with a vibrant contemporary spirit, featuring a creative district, a world‑renowned digital scene, and a Nordic atmosphere open to modernity.

Overnight in Tallinn, in a centrally located 3‑star hotel: Go Hotel Shnelli or similar.

DAY 2 | MEDIEVAL AND VIBRANT TALLINN (9:00–12:00, 3 hours on foot)

Meet your tour leader.

Discover the Upper Town, dominated by Toompea Fortress, which houses the Estonian Parliament, the Orthodox cathedral, and elegant historic residences. Visit the Dome Church, known for its collection of coats of arms and tombstones. As you head up to higher ground, enjoy the stunning views from the Patkuli and Kohtu viewing platforms. Among other panoramas, you will have an exceptional view of the city walls surrounding the Lower Town. Stroll along the medieval ramparts, then continue with a visit of the Lower Town, which has preserved its medieval spirit since the 13th century. Explore the Town Hall Square, bordered by splendid medieval buildings and wealthy Hanseatic merchants’ houses — a testament to the city’s prosperity and the trading power of the era. Visit St Catherine’s Passage, home to Estonian artisan guilds.

Late afternoon free for your own discoveries — take a stroll through Old Tallinn.

OPTION: Afternoon of Curiosities — 3 hours with a guide : Visit the food market in the traditional wooden district, the industrial quarter of the former brick factory now transformed into creative and playful spaces, and Noblessner Port with its distinctive architecture.
Tour the Maritime Museum, located in the historic Seaplane Harbour, including access to the submarine, followed by a cocktail break.

Friendly evening in a typical restaurant: welcome dinner with wine/beer.

Overnight in Tallinn, central 3‑star hotel: Go Hotel Shnelli or similar.

DAY 3 | TRAIN JOURNEY THROUGH THE BOREAL FORESTS (9:00–19:00, 2 hours walking)

After breakfast, head to Tallinn railway station to begin your train journey. First, take the Estonian train crossing the entire country through northern landscapes of boreal forests, spruces and birches. Then continue aboard the Latvian train, which carries you from the border to Sigulda, a small wellness town facing Gauja National Park.

Upon arrival, transfer and check‑in at your hotel located in the heart of this green town, perched above the Gauja Valley. Enjoy a guided walk including a visit to the impressive ruins of the former Livonian Sword-Brothers’ Castle, offering magnificent views over the Gauja Valley — the birthplace of the national park. The neo‑Gothic residence of Count Kropotkin reveals curious interiors. Here, take part in a walking‑stick decoration workshop.

In the 19th century, travel guides already recommended buying a walking stick from the boys of Sigulda, carved from hazel or sea buckthorn and bent by hand. With the rise of tourism and summer stays in the early 20th century, demand boomed and stick‑making became an important source of income for local farmers. Men cut, shaped, and polished the sticks, while women and adolescents decorated and varnished them, answering the taste of elegant visitors who loved colourful canes. After the Second World War, the tradition evolved: artisans added Latvian motifs — suns, waves or Sigulda‑specific symbols — using pyrography. Passed down through generations, this craft still thrives today, allowing visitors to leave with an emblematic souvenir of the valley: a Sigulda walking stick.

Suggestion: the hotel’s small pool and sauna offer a pleasant moment of relaxation.

Dinner and overnight in a centrally located 3‑star hotel: Hotel Sigulda or similar.

DAY 4 | ADVENTURE IN THE NATIONAL PARK (10:00–18:00, 3 hours walking)

Begin the day with a visit to the Turaida Estate — a former feudal domain comprising a manor house, a beautifully maintained park, one of the oldest wooden churches in the country, a sculpture garden, and the red‑brick ruins of the episcopal castle.

Your hike through the Gauja Valley, 85 meters deep, offers an excellent opportunity to stretch your legs: the trail leads you through a charming natural area dotted with centuries‑old trees and sandstone caves.

In Krimulda, visit the bucolic manor built in 1822. Enjoy a rustic countryside lunch followed by a tour of the manor’s winery, famous for its long tradition of berry and fruit wines — with tasting included.

The adventure ends with a splendid cable‑car ride across the valley.

Head to Sigulda train station to take the local train to Riga (1 hour). You may even have the chance to travel on a nostalgic DR1 train, a model built in Riga during the 1970s–80s.

Welcome to Riga: check‑in at your central hotel. Capital of Latvia and the largest metropolis of the Baltic States, Riga has nearly 800,000 inhabitants. Founded in 1201, it preserves a medieval Old Town listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an elegant ring of gardens and boulevards, a picturesque canal, and the celebrated Art Nouveau district.

Evening with dinner and folk dances in a traditional tavern.

Overnight in Riga, centrally located 3‑star hotel: Opera Hotel or similar.

DAY 5 | RIGA, ELEGANT METROPOLIS OF THE BALTIC STATES: HANSEATIC HERITAGE, ART NOUVEAU & LOCAL LIFE (4h walk, 09:00–14:00)

Enjoy a walking tour of the Old Town, discovering its essential highlights:
the House of the Blackheads, the Castle, the Three Brothers, the Freedom Monument, the National Opera, the former city walls, the churches of St Peter, St James and St John, and the Dome Cathedral.

Continue with the exploration of the Art Nouveau district. This architectural style is dominant in Riga, with more than 800 impressive façades. Your guided visit includes a walk through the neighbourhood as well as a visit to the Art Nouveau Museum, which preserves interiors, objects and furniture from Riga’s iconic style. Lunch in a local restaurant during the tour.

Next, discover Riga Central Market, housed inside five former Zeppelin airship hangars. This site, like Riga’s Old Town, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. The hangars, dating from 1930, are each dedicated to a specialty: butcher’s hall, vegetables, etc. A great opportunity to taste local specialties!

Afternoon free for your own discoveries.

Overnight in Riga, centrally located 3‑star hotel: Opera Hotel or similar.

DAY 6 | FREE DAY IN RIGA OR OPTIONAL ESCAPE TO KEMERI NATIONAL PARK

Enjoy a free day to deepen your personal exploration of Riga: visit the Anatomy Museum or the Railway Museum, wander through the characteristic districts of Āgenskalns, Grīziņkalns and Mežaparks, learn about the country’s recent past at the Museum of the Occupations, or take the train to the seaside!

OPTION: Join the optional escape to the magnificent Ķemeri National Park by local electric train — admire the charming architecture of the small stations every few minutes.
Take a hike along the Great Bog Boardwalk to understand the complex ecosystem of the region and observe its flora and fauna. The historic Kemeri resort reveals old bathhouses and spa buildings. Lunch in a local restaurant, then return to Riga.

In the early evening, head to the station to take the only direct train to Vilnius (4‑hour journey). This peaceful ride across the plains gives you a glimpse of life in the countryside outside the major cities. The railway line passes near the symbolic Hill of Crosses.

On arrival in Vilnius, transfer to your hotel in the Old Town. Dinner at the hotel restaurant or in the neighbourhood.

Many cultures have contributed to the beauty and charm of this city founded in 1323 — notably Lithuanians, Poles, Jews and Russians. The easternmost Western European capital, Vilnius offers a cosmopolitan atmosphere in its baroque Old Town, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Overnight in Vilnius, centrally located 3/4‑star hotel: Hotel Conti or similar.

DAY 7 | VILNIUS, BAROQUE PEARL, AND TRAKAI, THE VILLAGE ON THE WATER (60 km + 5 hours walking, 09:00–18:00)

Discover the highlights of Vilnius on a walking tour: the Gate of Dawn with the remains of the city walls and the famous Chapel of Mercy, a sacred site for Catholic pilgrims and believers. The upper part of the city reveals magnificent churches, among which the most interesting are the Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church of St. Casimir, and St. Theresa’s Church. Stroll through Town Hall Square, home to former merchants’ guild houses, while the adjacent Jewish quarter reflects the very rich history of the Jewish community in Vilnius, which made up nearly half of the city’s population before World War II.

Visit Vilnius University: admire the famous fresco of the Four Seasons in magical realism style and wander through its historic 16th-century courtyards. One of the courtyards reveals St. John’s

Church, with its beautiful Baroque organ and its 67-metre bell tower, offering panoramic views over the UNESCO-listed Old Town with its red-tiled roofs.

And of course, visit St. Anne’s Church, built in red brick and considered a masterpiece of Northern Gothic architecture, as well as the Cathedral of St. Stanislaus and St. Ladislaus, known for the Chapel of St. Casimir.

Lunch is included in an inclusive and social restaurant in the Old Town (similar to a “Café Joyeux” concept).

OPTION: Depart for Trakai, the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, located 27 kilometres from Vilnius by train (Škoda double-decker electric train), in a national park dotted with 15 lakes formed during the glacial period. It is a picturesque village inhabited by the Eastern minority of the Karaims; only about 60 descendants still live in the village today, but they have successfully preserved their culture, maintaining their own temple, a school, and their gastronomic traditions.

Visit the historic district with its small wooden houses, then board a sailboat for a cruise on the lake around the famous red-brick island castle. Free time to enjoy a pleasant walk along the lakeshore.

Return to Vilnius in the early evening.

Farewell dinner with drinks in a restaurant in the Old Town.

Overnight in Vilnius, in a 3/4-star hotel in the city centre: Hotel Conti or similar.

DAY 8 | LAST DAY IN THE BALTIC STATES

Depending on your flight schedule, free morning/afternoon. Then, own transfer to Tallinn International.