New Year in the Baltic States

Arrival in Vilnius, optional transfer to Hotel Artis Centrum**** or similar, check-in, welcome meeting.

Vilnius is known for its more than 1.200 medieval buildings and 48 churches. The morning sightseeing tour includes walking tour of the Old Town with Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas Tower, 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 folklore dinner at Restaurant Belmontas.

Heading for Riga, the first stop is the Hills 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.

Riga, founded in 1201 by the German bishop Albert, is the largest of the three Baltic capitals and boasts a real kaleidoscope of architectural styles and by the end of December the whole city is preparing for a vibrant New Year celebration. The sightseeing tour of the Old Town includes a walking tour in the Old Town including Riga Castle, the Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, the Swedish Gate, the Three Brothers, the Large and Small Guilds and the Freedom Monument. In the afternoon we propose an optional tour to Riga Art Nouveaux district and the visit of the Art Nouveau museum. In the evening we enjoy an up-scale and entertaining and fabulous New Year Gala.

Morning at leisure. In the late afternoon we offer optional excursion to the Lido Recreational Centre, a large restaurant and entertainment centre located in the largest blockhouse in Europe and surrounded by a lot of winter attractions. We enjoy a traditional self-service Latvian dinner before going back to the hotel.

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 L’Ermitage**** 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 visit to KUMU, the award-winning new Estonian art museum, with its collections of classic and contemporary fine art. The evening offers an optional medieval dinner at Restaurant Maikrahv.

Optional transfer to airport