Baltic Christmas Markets: Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn

Arrive in Vilnius

Vilnius Airport (VNO) to your hotel in or near the Old Town

• Repas du soir
• Nuit : Vilnius

Soir

In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the seven days: which days are long road days, how much daylight to expect, what to pack for streets that can be icy and temperatures that may stay below freezing. We then walk to a welcome dinner of Lithuanian dishes nearby, perhaps potato dumplings called cepelinai or a bowl of beetroot soup. Tomorrow starts with Trakai, so tonight is for resting after the journey.

Compris

• Pick-up at Vilnius Airport (VNO), proposed
• Welcome briefing with your guide
• Welcome dinner

Trakai castle and Vilnius Old Town

Vilnius: Trakai Island Castle, then the Old Town, Cathedral Square and Užupis

• Petit-déjeuner
• Nuit : Vilnius

Matin

We plan to drive out to Trakai in the morning, about half an hour from Vilnius by road (an estimate), to see the red-brick island castle on Lake Galvė. The museum's page still carries a Dukes Palace renovation notice with no completion date, and its hours differ by month: Tuesday to Sunday in November, Wednesday to Sunday from December, with no year stated. The visit date is the departure date plus one day, so we check the castle's access for that actual date before offering any interior, and walk the lakeshore if it is closed. Back in Vilnius we walk the Old Town with a guide: the cathedral, the university courtyards and the lanes toward Užupis, the small district that declared itself a republic.

Après-midi

Late afternoon is free for the Cathedral Square market, whose crowds and stalls we cannot predict. Whether the lake is frozen, or any snow lies on the castle, cannot be promised.

Compris

• Trakai Island Castle visit, subject to opening days and ticketing
• Vilnius Old Town walk with your guide

Activités en option

• Hot chocolate or mulled wine at the market; the Gediminas Tower climb if conditions allow (the museum lists daily 10:00 to 20:00, with different holiday hours)

Hill of Crosses on the road to Riga

Vilnius to Riga by road, with a stop at the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
• Nuit : Riga

Matin

We leave Vilnius in the morning and drive north across Lithuania to the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai, a pilgrimage site where visitors have planted many thousands of crosses. The local tourism office says it can be visited at any time; in winter the paths can be frozen and slippery, so boots with grip matter.

Après-midi

We stop here for about an hour, then have a lunch break before crossing into Latvia. Latvia is also in the Schengen Area, so we do not expect a routine border stop, though checks can be reintroduced temporarily, so carry your passport. The sun sets in mid-afternoon at this time of year, so expect to reach Riga in the dark and check in.

Soir

The evening is free; the Old Town lights and the market are a short walk from most central hotels, though we do not name hotels yet. Drive times are estimates to be confirmed with the supplier.

Compris

• Hill of Crosses stop
• Lunch on the road

Riga Old Town and the Christmas market

Riga: Old Town walk, Dome Square and the House of the Blackheads

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du soir
• Nuit : Riga

Après-midi

The Riga Christmas Market is listed from 27 November with hours that differ by weekday, so lunch and afternoon browsing are yours and we check the listing for your day. We suggest trying grey peas with bacon and, as an optional extra for adults, a taste of Black Balsam, the dark herbal liqueur, at a venue to be chosen.

Soir

In the evening we share a dinner of Latvian dishes in the Old Town, then the night is free. Church opening times are rechecked before departure.

Compris

• Riga Old Town guided walk
• Dinner in the Old Town

Activités en option

• Black Balsam tasting, adults only, venue and cost not included
• A museum visit in the free afternoon

Pärnu and on to Tallinn

Riga to Tallinn by road via Pärnu

• Petit-déjeuner
• Nuit : Tallinn

Après-midi

In summer it is a beach resort; in late November and December we make no promise about what will be open or how busy it is, so we plan a short walk, a coffee stop and a free lunch instead of a full programme, and we do not promise any particular weather.

Soir

We then continue to Tallinn, arriving in the afternoon or at dusk, in time to check in and walk to Town Hall Square, where the Christmas Market is listed to be open from 20 November. The tree and the stalls are lit after dark, so we plan the first look in the early evening. Dinner tonight is free. Winter ice or fog could slow the road; the guide decides on the day whether to shorten the Pärnu stop.

Compris

• Pärnu walk and coffee stop
• Town Hall Square first look

Tallinn medieval walls and market

Tallinn: Old Town, Toompea hill and the medieval town walls

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du soir
• Nuit : Tallinn

Matin

The guided morning covers Toompea hill with its viewing platforms, the lanes of the lower Old Town and the medieval town wall. The Hellemann Tower wall walkway is listed Monday and Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 17:00, from 15 October to 15 April, so it is closed on Tuesdays, and the climb is by steep stairs without handrails; the listing carries no year, so we recheck it for your date and do not promise access.

Après-midi

After a free lunch at the market or a café, the afternoon is open for the Town Hall Square market, handicraft stalls and mulled wine.

Soir

Tonight we share a farewell dinner of Estonian dishes in the Old Town. Lahemaa National Park is not part of this plan. Whether Tallinn has snow, a bright sky or fog on your date cannot be promised.

Compris

• Tallinn Old Town walk with your guide, with the wall walkway where open
• Farewell dinner

Departure from Tallinn

Hotel to Tallinn Airport (TLL)

• Petit-déjeuner

Matin

After breakfast we transfer you to Tallinn Airport (TLL), which is close to the centre, for your onward journey; we confirm the transfer time with the supplier. Please book flights with this in mind: we do not set a default flight deadline, and an early departure may mean skipping breakfast. If you have time before a later flight, you could take one last walk through the Old Town or a final market stall if time allows; luggage storage at the hotel is not assumed and must be asked about. The trip ends at the airport.

Soir

If you wish to stay longer in Tallinn, or continue to Helsinki by sea, tell us before booking so we can price an extra night, which is not included. Nothing is promised about the weather on the departure morning.

Compris

• Transfer to Tallinn Airport (TLL), proposed