Polish and Baltic Jewels

For half a millennium, Kraków was the royal capital of Poland, and for centuries, the city walls have guarded its traditions and secrets. The morning sightseeing tour takes us to the Old Town with the St. Mary's Church, the Jagiellonian University, the Cloth Halls, Wawel Castle, and the Wawel Cathedral. The afternoon offers an optional excursion to the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine, an amazing labyrinth of tunnels going down as far as 327 meters.

Optional: 4-hour excursion to Wieliczka Salt Mine

The morning offers an optional visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum or a free morning to explore the city further on your own. In the early afternoon, we transfer to Kraków railway station and depart by train to Warsaw. Arrival at Warsaw railway station and transfer to Hotel Radisson Blu Sobieski**** or similar for check-in.

Optional: 5-hour excursion to Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum (incl. regular educational tour)

Warsaw is essentially a post-war city with a meticulously reconstructed Old Town. The morning sightseeing tour includes the Royal Route and the Old Town with the Royal Castle, St John’s Cathedral, the Old Town Market Square, and the Barbican. In the afternoon is offered an optional excursion to the Royal Lazienki Park with the Palace on the Water. The evening offers an optional Polish dinner at Restaurant Gospoda Kwiaty Polskie.

Optional

• 3-hour excursion to the Royal Lazienki Park and a visit to the Palace on the Water
• Polish dinner at Restaurant Gospoda Kwiaty Polskie

Today we continue through the well forested Eastern Poland to the Podlasie region and Bialowieza. The forest there represents the ancient forest that once covered all of Europe. We will visit Bialowieza National Park and its famous European Bison Show Reserve. After a light stroll along the nature trails of the forest, we continue to Bialystok, where we check in at Hotel Ibis Styles Bialystok*** or similar. In the late afternoon, we visit Bialystok and its landmark, Branicki Palace.

We depart from Bialystok, heading to Vilnius through attractive resort towns in Lithuania. We do a stop in Kaunas, the former capital of Lithuania, to admire the beautiful Old Town and the elegant white Baroque Town Hall before we arrive in the late afternoon in Vilnius. Check in at Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva **** or similar.

Vilnius is known for its more than 1.200 medieval buildings and 48 churches. The morning sightseeing tour includes a panoramic tour of the city and a walking tour of the Old Town with Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas Tower, Peter and Paul Church, St. Anne’s Church, Old University, and the Gates of Dawn.

The afternoon offers an optional excursion to Trakai, the medieval capital of Lithuania, with the well-preserved Trakai Castle, beautifully located on an island in Lake Galve. In the evening, enjoy an optional Lithuanian dinner at Restaurant Senoji Trobele.

Optional

• 3-hour excursion to Trakai and visit to Trakai Castle
• Lithuanian dinner at Restaurant Senoje Trobele

Heading for Riga, the first stop is the Hill of Crosses, one of the most holy sites of Catholic Lithuania. After crossing into Latvia, we soon reach the magnificent Rundale Palace, the former summer residence of the Duke of Courland. Following a guided tour of the palace, we travel through the rolling hills of Southern Latvia to reach Riga late afternoon, check in at Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija**** or similar.

Founded in 1201 by the German bishop Albert, Riga is the largest of the three Baltic capitals and boasts a real kaleidoscope of architectural styles. The walking tour of the Old Town includes Riga Castle, the Dome Cathedral, St. Peter's Church, the Swedish Gate, the Three Brothers, the Large and Small Guilds and the Freedom Monument.

The afternoon is reserved for an optional visit to Jurmala, the vibrant Latvian sea resort, famous for its wooden architecture and sandy beaches. The evening offers an optional organ concert at the Dome Cathedral.

Optional

• 4-hour excursion to Jurmala with City Museum
• Organ concert at the Dome Cathedral

After we get acquainted with Riga, we have the possibility of discovering medieval Latvia. The optional tour for this morning takes us to the stunning scenery of the Gauja National Park and the town of Sigulda. We listen to the medieval Latvian legend of the Rose of Turaida and see the ruins of the Episcopal Castle and of the Castle of the Knights of the Sword before we return to Riga. The afternoon offers an optional visit to the Ethnographic Open Air Museum, a spacious exposition of 18th-century country life. In the evening, enjoy an optional Latvian dinner at the stylish Restaurant Kalku Varti.

Optional

• 4-hour excursion to Gauja National Park
• 3-hour excursion to the Ethnographic Open Air Museum

The tour continues along the coastal highway to the Estonian summer resort of Parnu. We do a short tour of the resort before we continue through the North Estonian land of forests and arrive in Tallinn early afternoon, check in at the Hotel Radisson Blu Olympia**** or similar.

Tallinn is a charming blend of medieval tranquillity and modern urban life. The medieval Old Town is a busy place in the summer with its many shops, galleries, souvenir markets, outdoor cafés, and restaurants. The sightseeing tour takes us around the old medieval city walls and into the Old Town where we see Toompea Castle, Dome Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, medieval Old Town Hall, and Great Guild Hall. In the afternoon, an optional excursion is offered to Kadriorg Park and a visit to KUMU, the award-winning Estonian Art museum, with its collections of classic and contemporary fine art. The evening offers an optional medieval dinner at Restaurant Maikrahv.

Optional

• 3-hour excursion to Kadriorg Park and visit to KUMU
• Medieval dinner at Restaurant Maikrahv

End of your Poland & Baltic tour. Optional transfer to the airport.

** Extend your tour to Finland on our Helsinki & South Karelia