Visit the Three Baltic Capitals

You arrive in Vilnius, we meet you at the airport and take you to your 4 Star Hotel in the city center.

We will commence our tour of Vilnius from the city’s cradle – Gediminas Castle Hill and remnants of the upper castle. From here, we’ll continue to Cathedral Square for its Neo-Classical Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Ladislaus. 

Then, we’ll whisk out through the narrow street to another square for the Presidential Palace and Old Vilnius University, founded in 1579. We’ll walk along the medieval Castle Street in the heart of the Old Town. One of the most breathtaking sights in the area is the “Gothic Triangle,” which includes a magnificent St. Anne’s church.

We will drive out to see the pearl of Baroque architecture in Vilnius – St. Peter and Paul’s Church – which contains more than 2000 statues and bas-reliefs. We’ll follow with some of Vilnius’ Jewish history, such as the unique Vilnius Synagogue, which was built in 1903, remarkable for its Moorish- Romanesque style. 

Then we’ll walk in the medieval Jewish Quarter of Vilnius, also known as Lithuanian Jerusalem. We’ll pay a visit to the Benedictine convent, where we’ll learn of the savior of 12 Jewish souls by Lithuanian Righteous Among the Nations.

For lunch, we’ll walk up to the City Hall Square, and afterward, see the gorgeous Gate of Dawn.

 This golden Chapel and City Gate contains a famous icon of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy, believed to have miraculous powers. We’ll continue our sightseeing adventures by bus, to the Parliament building and the story of the “Last Revolution,” Gediminas Avenue, a former KGB Building, Constitution Street, and new Vilnius.

We’ll depart Vilnius for a tour of Trakai, the land of lakes and forests. Once the capital and residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, the 14th-century insular castle now houses an intriguing museum. Here you’ll learn of the Karaites, an ethnic minority, brought to Lithuania by Grand Duke  Vytautas from the Crimea 600 years ago, and visit a unique Karaite cemetery.

We’ll drive to Kaunas, the second-largest city in the country. Kaunas’ Old Town is postcard-perfect, with its Catholic churches, narrow streets and cobbled squares, cozy cafes, and art galleries. Continue walking along the main pedestrian street, Laisves Aleja, which looks much the same as it did before the war. We’ll stop at the Art Gallery of M. K. Ciurlionis, the most famous Lithuanian painter and composer.

En route stop at the Hill of Crosses in Siauliai, with over 100.000 crosses – a symbol of Lithuanians’ resistance against foreign rule.

We will arrive in Riga late afternoon.

We’ll kick off our first day in Riga with a city tour of Old Town. First, a visit to the Dome Cathedral built in 1211 and its extraordinary organ and its 6,781 pipes. Next, we’ll check out the Great and Small Guilds’ houses and learn about Riga’s economic history, the Swedish Gate, and Beer-brewers’ street, the legends of Cats’ House. 

We’ll see the Three Brothers, an architectural complex of three houses built over different centuries, the House of the Blackheads, a single merchants’ guild, St. Peter‘s church and its tower. Riga is famous for the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture that stands out on its streets. Visit the biggest market in the Baltics, located in 5 huge hangers used for construction Zeppelin airships.

We’ll visit Sigulda, a peaceful natural area with ancient castles, historic caves, and spring water. So-called the “Switzerland of Latvia,” Sigulda lies on the riverside of the Gauja river. We’ll tour the romantic ruins of Sigulda Castle, visit the legends of the Gutman caves, and wander the Turaida Castle museum and a beautiful stone art park.

It’s time for the third part of our Baltic States Tour–Estonia. We drive along the Baltic Sea coast northward to Tallinn. On the way, we’ll stop at Parnu, a resort area and cradle of Estonian independence. Arrival to Tallinn

Today we’ll immerse ourselves into Tallinn, taking in the Old Town, 15th-century Town Hall, and fortifications with 27 iconic towers. We’ll pay a visit to Toompea Castle, the seat of the government, as well as Tallinn Protestant Cathedral, for panoramic views over the old city. Next, a tour of the Dominican Monastery, Alexander Nevski Orthodox Church, Kiek in de Kok defensive tower, Kadriorg Park and Palace, the Rusalka Monument and Pirita Olympic village. We’ll top it all off with “Rocca al Mare” open-air ethnographic museum.

Morning transfer to the airport for your return flight, or we can continue on an extension to St. Petersburg, to Helsinki or Stockholm by ferry.