Baltic Experience

About this trip

Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.

1. 1
   Day 1 · HelsinkiHelsinki

   

   Arrive in Helsinki for a 6 pm welcome meeting. If you get in early, visit Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, Senate Square or catch a show at the National Theatre. Consider buying the Helsinki Card for transport and museum access. Optional group dinner afterwards to meet other travellers.

2. 2
   Day 2 · HelsinkiTallinn

   

   Ferry across the Gulf of Finland to Tallinn. Arrive mid-afternoon, check in and do a short orientation walk. The rest is yours to wander the medieval old town with its red roofs and pastel buildings, grab drinks on the main square or find dinner somewhere local.

3. 3
   Day 3 · TallinnTallinn

   Free day to explore Tallinn at your own pace. Check out the Old Town's gothic town hall, the 15th-century Raapteek pharmacy and St Olaf Church. Head to Upper Tallinn for views over the spires, see Toompea Castle and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, or relax at Pirita beach and Kadriorg Palace.

4. 4
   Day 4 · RigaRiga

   

   Bus to Riga, arriving mid-afternoon. The city's known for welcoming locals and striking art nouveau buildings. Afternoon is free to explore: hit the Latvian National Museum of Art, catch a show at the opera house, or grab drinks in the Old Town.

5. 5
   Day 5 · RigaRiga

   Travel by public transport to Sigulda and take the cable car across the river to the striking red-brick Turaida Castle, built from 1214. Join a guided tour through castle grounds with sculptures in evergreen woodland. Hike along the winding Gauja River with your leader through thick forest, then have the evening free.

6. 6
   Day 6 · RigaRiga

   Morning orientation tour of Riga covering Doma Cathedral, St Peter's Basilica, House of Blackheads, the Swedish Gate, Great Guild, Small Guild and Cat House. Rest of day free: visit the Museum of Occupation of Latvia, browse the Central Market Halls or try the bitter Riga Black Balsam.

7. 7
   Day 7 · Hill of CrossesKlaipeda

   Long bus journey into Lithuania with a stop at the iconic Hill of Crosses near Siauliai. Continue to Klaipeda, a former Prussian city of sculptures and jazz, gateway to the Curonian Spit. Check in and explore the waterfront and Old Town with its 18th-century wooden buildings.

8. 8
   Day 8 · Curonian Spit National ParkCuronian Spit

   

   Day trip to the UNESCO-listed Curonian Spit National Park, a sand dune peninsula formed 5000 years ago by winds and currents, separating the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. Explore the village of Nida and surrounding beaches. Legend says the girl giant Neringa poured sand to protect the bay.

9. 9
   Day 9 · IgnalinaAukstaitija National Park

   

   Travel by bus, train and car to Ignalina, then head to Aukstaitija National Park and the village of Ginuciai. Spend the day exploring the park with 126 lakes, waterways, hills and woods. Meet your host family tonight for a home-cooked dinner—you'll stay with them two nights.

10. 10
    Day 10 · Aukstaitija National ParkAukstaitija National Park

    Guided kayak through lakes and rivers past villages and forests to an ancient pagan site with a wishing tree and views over the landscape. Rest of day free: visit 14th-century villages with wooden houses, see the 19th-century Ginuciai Watermill, hike, fish, swim or ask your host family to fire up the sauna.

11. 11
    Day 11 · VilniusVilnius

    

    Local train to Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, shaped by Swedish, Polish, French and Russian occupation. Orientation walk covers Cathedral Square with its free-standing belfry and pedestrianised Pilies Gatve lined by baroque churches. Afternoon free: visit the KGB Museum, explore city gardens or rest up before your final dinner.

12. 12
    Day 12 · VilniusVilnius

    Trip ends today. No activities scheduled. Check out whenever you're ready and depart. Speak to your booking agent beforehand if you want to extend your stay in Vilnius.

What's included

• Guide: All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip. , EUROPEAN LEADERS: Intrepid trips in Europe are accompanied by one of our local European group leaders. ’Local’ in this context means a leader who is European or lives in Europe. We also aim to support local guides in the individual cities or locations we travel to. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend an optional local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.
• Meals: 11 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 2 dinners
• Activities: Tallinn - Leader led orientation walk Sigulda - Gauja River Cable Car Sigulda - Day Trip Sigulda - Turaida Castle Guided Tour Riga - Leader led orientation walk Siauliai - Hill of Crosses Curonian Spit - Full Day Trip to the National Park Curonian Spit - Dead Dunes visit Aukstaitija National Park - Guided Kayak Trip
• Transport: TRANSPORT IN EUROPE: Half the fun of travel is the travelling itself, that's why we like to travel the local way – whether that means mingling with commuters on a local train, watching the scenery roll by from the window of a long distance bus, arriving on a high speed train in the city centre of your next destination, or navigating each city's public transport system. In Europe, you are guaranteed to travel by genuine local public transport wherever possible, which puts you right in the centre of the action. Public bus, Ferry, Canoe, Private vehicle, Train, Tram, Cable car
• Accommodation: The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation. Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available., On this trip, we use a range of small, locally run hotels that reflect the character of the destinations we visit. In Northern Europe, air conditioning isn’t always common as buildings are designed to retain heat during long, colder seasons and summer temperatures are typically mild. As a result, some properties may not have Air conditioning, and rooms can feel warm during hotter periods. While windows can sometimes be opened, this may bring in street or city noise. Room sizes may also be more compact than you might be used to. If you’re travelling in summer, we recommend keeping this in mind to help you prepare for a comfortable stay. Hotel (9 nights), Homestay (2 nights)

How travellers rate it

Your free day in Helsinki

Landing early, staying on, or filling free time? The best-rated day experiences in Helsinki — you book on Viator (we may earn a commission).

5Young crowd

Helsinki to Tallinn and Back Ferry Ride

12hfrom £36

5Young crowd

Redrib Archipelago Experience

3hfrom £157

5Young crowd

Redrib Helsinki Experience 1

2hfrom £118

5Young crowd

Redrib Helsinki Experience 2

3hfrom £139

Common questions