Baltics: Walking Tours, Art, and Architecture

Arrive in Vilnius, Lithuania

Arrive in Vilnius, Lithuania (VNO) after 12:00 pm today. A group transfer from the airport to the hotel will be provided when most guests arrive (exact time to be determined). Private transfers at other times are available for purchase.

Enjoy a lively welcome dinner of traditional favorites at a local restaurant as you get to know our fellow travelers.

Dinner

Overnight: Artagonis Hotel

Explore Vilnius, Lithuania

Founded in 1323, Vilnius has withstood attacks by Crusaders, Crimean Tatars, Russians, Napoleon’s armies, Poles, and Germans. Despite this, structures in Gothic, baroque, Renaissance, and neo-classical styles still stand today.

The neo-classical Vilnius Cathedral hides a long history. In the 1960s, architects examining cracks discovered ancient crypts, foundations of earlier churches, and hidden church jewels from fleeing Russians in 1655.

Representing Gothic architecture’s pinnacle in Lithuania, St. Anne’s Church, built around 1500, displays 33 different kinds of brick and an elegant exterior. The interior, renovated several times, remains nearly unchanged for over five centuries.

Established in 1579, Vilnius University evolved into a significant scientific and cultural center. With diverse architectural styles spanning 400 years, it endured closure by Moscow from 1832 to 1917 and now enrolls over 14,000 students.

Enjoy a meal of traditional favorites at a local restaurant. After lunch, explore independently, and dinner will be on your own tonight.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Artagonis Hotel

Explore Trakai, Lithuania

Drive to the 14th-century town of Trakai, one of Lithuania’s early capitals, featuring two lakeside castles. The peninsula castle, destroyed in the 17th century, now remains in ruins. The restored island castle, constructed in Brick Gothic style on Lake Galve’s island, showcases the region’s historical charm.

Established in 1938, the Karaite Museum narrates Lithuania’s Crimean Karaites’ story. Brought by Vytautas the Great 600 years ago, they practice a unique form of Judaism. The museum preserves their heritage through artifacts, photos, books, costumes, textiles, and household items, reflecting the community’s rich culture.

Participate in a hands-on Karaite cooking class, learning to make kosher kybyn, a delicious Turkish-influenced pastry stuffed with minced meat, vegetables, or cheese. Enjoy the fruits of your labor afterward.

Visit the KGB Museum (Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights) in the former District Court Building’s basement on Lukiskiu Square. It holds historical significance as the site where many Lithuanians underwent interrogations before deportation to Siberia.

Head back to your hotel and explore the diverse dining choices in the area for your independent dinner tonight.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Artagonis Hotel

Heading to Riga, Latvia via Bauska

Following breakfast, begin your journey to Riga. Stop for lunch at a traditional specialties restaurant.

Mazā Muiža, or Little Manor, features historically accurate costumes showcasing changing fashions from the 18th and 19th centuries. Housed in a charming brick building, this collection provides an interactive, educational, and whimsically entertaining experience. Explore the “Magic Wardrobe” for photo opportunities in costumes and wigs.

The baroque Rundale Palace, designed by Rastrelli in the early 18th century, boasts about 40 rococo rooms open for inspection. Originally the home of the Duke of Courland, it underwent various ownerships and served different purposes before restoration work began in 1972.

Proceed to Riga and complete your hotel check-in. Take time to explore around your hotel and discover diverse dining choices in the area. Enjoy dinner at your leisure.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Neiburgs Hottel

Explore Riga, Latvia

Riga’s Historic Town Center, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997, has revived despite damages in both world wars and neglect during the Soviet period. Today, Riga stands as Latvia’s thriving center for arts, architecture, and nightlife. The tour includes highlights such as the University of Latvia, Dome Cathedral, spire on Gothic St. Peter’s Church, Great Guild Hall, Three Brothers (oldest stone residential building), and Riga Castle (partially closed to tourism, placed on World Monuments Watch List). Finally, visit the Dome Cathedral, the largest working church in the Baltics.

Enjoy lunch as a group at a traditional restaurant.

Explore the Riga National Opera House, affectionately known as the “White House,” symbolizing Latvia’s cultured European identity. Completed in 1863 and designed by German architect Ludwig Bonstedt, this neo-classical theater played a significant role in Riga’s opera history. Richard Wagner conducted the city’s opera company from 1837 to 1839. Enjoy a private tour of this historical Opera House.

Return to your hotel and enjoy dinner on your own tonight.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Neiburgs Hotel

Explore Riga, Latvia

After breakfast, continue your exploration of Riga on foot. A few blocks north of the city center, discover Riga’s famous Art Nouveau buildings, many designed by Mikhail Eisenstein, father of film director Sergei Eisenstein. This imaginative and decorative style, prominent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is characterized by beautifully adorned facades featuring sculpture, ironwork, and stylized motifs from nature. UNESCO recognizes Riga as having the finest collection of Art Nouveau architecture in Europe.

Visit Riga’s Central Market, occupying five massive pavilions originally built as zeppelin hangars in the 1920s. Converted into a 770,000-square-foot market, it is the largest in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage highlight. With around 3,000 vendors, the market offers locally sourced meals from various cuisines, attracting some 100,000 daily visitors.

Explore the work of acclaimed textile artist Laima Kaugure, known for her creative vision and technical skill. Her Studio Natural produces hand-crafted luxury linen woven in Latvia on traditional wooden looms. The limited quantities and artisanal techniques result in luxurious and unique creations with almost ethereal 3D-like fabric combinations.

Enjoy dinner as a group tonight.

Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Neiburgs Hotel

Heading to Tallinn, Estonia, via Cēsis 

Following breakfast, drive from Latvia to Estonia, making a stop at the lesser-visited charming town of Cēsis. Celebrating its 800th anniversary in 2006, this 13th-century town is one of Latvia’s oldest. Explore the medieval castle founded by the Knights of the Sword, a well-known sight in the area. The Old Town also hosts one of Latvia’s oldest breweries.

Immerse yourself in history at Cēsis Castle, a remarkably well-preserved fortress built in 1214 as the stronghold of the Knights of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword. Explore the surrounding workshops and gardens.

Leisurely stroll through the winding, cobblestone lanes of Cēsis Old Town, encountering impeccably preserved, vibrant buildings. While many medieval structures have vanished, the city’s layout remains intact. Admire the architectural wonders of City Hall, the Merchant House, and the Princess House, testaments to Cesis’ enduring allure.

Enjoy lunch as a group at a local restaurant.

Visit the Song Festival Grounds, where Estonians defied the Soviet Union in 1988, hosting an enormous international festival every five years. Estonia’s cultural identity is closely linked to music, with the oldest Estonian song type, the runic chant, dating back to the first millennium BC. The Song Festivals of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia were inscribed onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

Arrive at your hotel in Tallinn and enjoy dinner on your own tonight.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: My City Hotel

Explore Tallinn, Estonia

After breakfast, embark on a walking tour of Tallinn. Its Old Town stands as the best-preserved medieval town center in Eastern Europe, resilient against various invasions, and is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The winding cobbled streets, red roofs, and remaining turreted fortress wall add to its historical charm.

Toompea, the limestone hill at the center of Tallinn, rises nearly 90 feet higher than the rest of the city. At its highest point sits Toompea Castle, rebuilt by Catherine the Great over the remains of the 13th-century castle of the Knights of the Sword.

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on Toompea, designed in the Russian Revival style and completed in 1900, was commissioned by Czar Alexander III. Despite some Estonians wanting to demolish it after independence, the government opted to restore it instead.

Estonia’s oldest church, the Lutheran Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin, or the Dome Church, was built in 1223. Initially a Catholic church until 1561, it later served as a burial place for German and Swedish nobility. The church’s appearance today dates from the 17th century, rebuilt after a fire.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and spend the afternoon exploring independently. Dinner will be on your own tonight.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: My City Hotel

Explore Tallinn, Estonia

Drive to the largest maritime museum in the Baltics, housed in a 1916 concrete seaplane hangar where Charles Lindbergh once made a stop. Exhibits include a British-built submarine from the 1930s and a full-size replica of the WWI Short 184 seaplane.

Explore the oldest district in Tallinn, Kalamaja, on a food tour led by a local expert in Estonian cuisine. Stop at the open-air market to explain and sample offerings, concluding with a tasting of local fruit liquors in the Telliskivi Creative Hub, a 19th-century industrial complex now serving as a creative space for workshops, exhibitions, galleries, and restaurants.

Situated in a former Soviet-era railway factory complex, Telliskivi Creative City is a vibrant shopping, cultural, and entertainment hub with a hipster/bohemian feel. With over 200 fringe artist studios, it’s an excellent place to purchase locally made souvenirs and gifts. The area also offers restaurants, cafés, bars specializing in craft beers, and food trucks.

In the afternoon, enjoy time to explore independently.

Conclude your day with a farewell dinner with your group.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: My City Hotel

Depart Tallinn, Estonia

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Tallinn airport (TLL). The transfer to the airport will be provided when most guests depart (exact time to be determined). Private transfers at other times are available for purchase.

Breakfast

Please note: AdventureWomen will attempt to adhere to the itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, and cultural) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. AdventureWomen reserves the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participants.