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Baltics: the Curonian Spit, the Coast and Tartu

12 days from Vilnius to Tallinn: Trakai and Kaunas, two nights in Nida on the Curonian Spit, the Hill of Crosses, Riga, the Gauja valley and Cēsis, Tartu and Lahemaa National Park.

12 days · Vilnius to Tallinn · up to 12 guests

The facts

At a glance

Length
12 days, 11 nights
Start and end
Vilnius to Tallinn
Group size
7 to 12 guests
Activity level

Easy

Town walks of 4 to 6 km a day on cobbles, with stairs in castle towers and a climb up the Parnidis Dune on wooden steps and soft sand; the Viru Bog boardwalk is about 3.5 km. Every walk can be shortened, and you can sit out any part.

Meals included
11 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 2 dinners
Room of your own
+ CAD 950 (estimated price)
Season
Late spring to early autumn

Highlights

Why this trip

  • The Parnidis Dune at 8:30 am, before the day-trip buses, with the lagoon on one side and the Baltic on the other
  • Two nights in Nida on the Curonian Spit instead of a rushed day trip from Klaipėda
  • Trakai Island Castle at its 10 am opening, then kibinai for lunch
  • The modernist New Town of Kaunas, Lithuania's interwar capital
  • The Hill of Crosses, and Riga's Central Market in its zeppelin hangars
  • A lantern climb in Cēsis castle after the Gauja valley and Turaida
  • Tartu's university quarter, and the Viru Bog boardwalk in Lahemaa on the way to Tallinn
  • Old Towns in Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn at 9 am with licensed local guides

What makes this trip different

  • Free time is part of the plan

    Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.

  • Solo without the penalty

    A room of your own is + CAD 950 (estimated price).

Day by day

Itinerary

LITHUANIALATVIAESTONIABaltic SeaGulf of RigaGulf of FinlandCuronian Lagoon1234567VilniusDays 1 to 3TrakaiDay 3KaunasDays 3 to 4KlaipėdaDays 4 and 6JuodkrantėDay 4NidaDays 4 to 6Hill of CrossesDay 6RigaDays 6 to 8SiguldaDay 8CēsisDays 8 to 9TartuDays 9 to 10LahemaaDay 10TallinnDays 10 to 12

Tap any stop on the map to open that day

Arrive in Vilnius

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

  • Dinner
  • Stay in Vilnius
  • Drive about 15 min

Fly into Vilnius Airport (VNO), about 7 km south of the centre. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall at any time of day and takes you to your hotel, a short walk from the Old Town. If you land early, the streets around Pilies gatve and Cathedral Square are an easy first walk, and most museums stay open until about 6 pm.

Evening

In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the twelve days ahead: how the drives are paced, what to pack for the dunes of the Curonian Spit, and where the free afternoons fall. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner of Lithuanian dishes at a restaurant in the Old Town, with cold beetroot soup in summer, potato dumplings and local beer or kvass. Plan to land by about 4 pm to join the briefing; later arrivals are met all the same and your guide catches you up at breakfast.

Included

  • Pick-up at Vilnius Airport (VNO)
  • Welcome briefing with your guide
  • Welcome dinner in the Old Town

Free time: Free until the evening briefing

  1. Vilnius2 nights
  2. Kaunas1 night
  3. Nida2 nights
  4. Riga2 nights
  5. Cēsis1 night
  6. Tartu1 night
  7. Tallinn2 nights
  • Overnight stop
  • Day trip
  • By boat or train
Print itinerary

Wildlife and weather: From May to September days run from about 15 to 23 degrees, with sunset after 10 pm around Midsummer. July and August are the warmest and busiest months on the Curonian Spit; May, June and September are quieter. The sea is cool for swimming except in high summer. On the spit, look for grey herons and cormorants at Juodkrantė and elk in the forest at dawn.

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Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.

Before you book

Right for you?

Good for you if you want

  • Travellers who have seen, or want more than, the three capitals
  • Dunes, forest and coast mixed with Old Towns
  • A steady pace with free time in every base
  • First-time visitors who want the drives and the bags handled

Not for you if you want

  • Beach holidays: the Baltic is cool and the coast is windy
  • Travellers who want a single base and day trips
  • Step-free access: cobbles, tower stairs and sand are part of most days
  • Nightlife-led trips

Book flights after we confirm your seat.

11 nights

Where you'll stay

Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.

  • Vilnius2 nights
  • Kaunas1 night
  • Nida2 nights
  • Riga2 nights
  • Cēsis1 night
  • Tartu1 night
  • Tallinn2 nights

One price

What's in the price

Included

Accommodation

  • 11 nights: 2 in Vilnius, 1 in Kaunas, 2 in Nida on the Curonian Spit, 2 in Riga, 1 in Cēsis, 1 in Tartu, 2 in Tallinn
  • Central hotels of at least 3-star-plus standard, named when we confirm your dates
  • Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement

Transport

  • Pick-up at Vilnius Airport (VNO) on day 1 and drop-off at Tallinn Airport (TLL) on day 12
  • Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the whole trip
  • The vehicle ferry between Klaipėda and the Curonian Spit, both ways, and the Neringa entry fee

Your guide

  • A See Sight Tours guide with the group for all 12 days
  • Licensed local guides for the Old Town walks in Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn

Activities

  • Vilnius: guided Old Town walk, the Gate of Dawn, the university courtyards, Užupis
  • Trakai Island Castle
  • Kaunas: Old Town and the modernist New Town
  • Klaipėda Old Town
  • Curonian Spit: the Hill of Witches, the Parnidis Dune, the Grey Dunes, the Ethnographic Fisherman's Homestead and the Thomas Mann house in Nida
  • The Hill of Crosses
  • Riga: guided Old Town walk, St Peter's Church tower, the Central Market, Alberta iela and the Riga Art Nouveau Centre
  • Sigulda: Turaida Museum Reserve and Gutmanis Cave
  • Cēsis Medieval Castle
  • Tartu: Town Hall Square and Toome Hill
  • Lahemaa National Park: Palmse Manor, Altja, Käsmu and the Viru Bog boardwalk
  • Tallinn: guided Old Town walk, Toompea and the viewing platforms

Meals

  • 11 breakfasts
  • 8 sit-down lunches: Trakai, Klaipėda, Nida, near Šiauliai, Riga Central Market, Sigulda, Tartu and Lahemaa
  • 2 dinners: welcome dinner in Vilnius and farewell dinner in Tallinn

Not included

  • International flights to Vilnius and from Tallinn
  • Travel insurance
  • Any Schengen travel authorisation fee, such as ETIAS once it starts
  • Lunches and dinners not listed above
  • Drinks
  • Tips
  • Optional activities, such as the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, bike hire in Nida, a Riga canal boat or the Estonian National Museum
  • Extra nights before or after the trip
  • Personal expenses

Extras

Room of your own
CAD 950 (estimated price)

When you can go

Dates and prices

Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.

Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.

Before you book

Booking terms

Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.

Business addresses

See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584

Guest reviews

What guests say

Reviews from guests on our day tours.

Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
google

5/5

Parminder did a great job guiding us around, giving us tips & teaching us the history of the falls. A great experience!

Jane
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

Good views of the surrounding area of Halifax in a comfortable minivan

Susan
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

June was brilliant- made good contact beforehand and really attentive and knowledgeable. Made me feel like I was special- something only experience can do. Thank you June.

Tom L
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Our host was very knowledgeable, friendly and even provided some humor.

MandL83
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Peter was a very good guide, giving us insight into the various parts of the Park, including parking lot congestion details, trail and viewing location suggestions.

Darren O
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Excellent morning spent with my guide Nancy. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip

4.7/5 from 38,601 guest reviews

Good to know

Questions

What does the price include?

Eleven nights in central hotels, 11 breakfasts, 8 sit-down lunches, a welcome and a farewell dinner, airport transfers at both ends, our own vehicle and driver, the Curonian Spit ferry and entry fee, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, local guides in the three capitals, and every visit in the day plan, from Trakai Castle to Palmse Manor.

How big is the group?

The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so everyone hears the guide on the dunes and fits around one table at lunch. We do not merge groups to fill a coach.

Who leads the trip?

A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all 12 days and handles the drives, hotels and timings. Licensed local guides join us for the Old Town walks in Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, as those cities expect.

How fit do I need to be?

Easy to moderate. Expect 4 to 6 km on foot most days, on cobbles and some tower stairs, plus the wooden steps and soft sand of the Parnidis Dune and the 3.5 km Viru Bog boardwalk. Every walk can be shortened, and you can sit any part out.

I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?

A room of your own costs a supplement of about CAD 950 for the trip, about 20 percent of the price, and it is shown before you book. If you would rather share a twin room, say so when you request: we will tell you whether a roommate can be matched before any payment.

Why stay two nights in Nida instead of Klaipėda?

Most tours visit the Curonian Spit on a day trip from Klaipėda, arriving at the dunes with the buses. Sleeping in Nida puts us on the Parnidis Dune at 8:30 am, gives a full day on the spit without rushing back, and leaves the evening light on the lagoon for you.

How long are the drives?

Most days have 1.5 to 3.75 hours of driving in short stretches. Day 6, Nida to Riga via the Hill of Crosses, is the longest at about 4.75 hours plus any ferry wait, as the spit and the crossing add an hour; we split it into three stretches with a long stop and lunch. Cēsis and Tartu are one-night stops between short drives.

When is the best time to go?

May to September. June and July bring the longest days, with sunset after 10 pm; July and August are the warmest and busiest on the coast; May, June and September are quieter in Nida. Midsummer, 23 and 24 June, is a holiday and some museums close.

Do I need a visa for Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia?

Not for Canadian or US citizens on a short stay: all three are in the Schengen area. The EU is bringing in an Entry/Exit System and an ETIAS travel authorisation; check the current rules before you fly. There are no border checks between the three countries.

How does booking work?

Choose a date and send a request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. We then send the hotel names, the final price and the booking terms for you to accept.

Can we travel privately or on our own dates?

Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us for a quote: we can book the same hotels, ferry and local guides.

How is this different from your Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius trip?

The 9-day capitals trip covers the three capitals with Pärnu, Jūrmala and Rundāle. This 12-day trip adds Kaunas, two nights on the Curonian Spit, the Hill of Crosses, the Gauja valley, Cēsis and Tartu, and runs the other way, from Vilnius to Tallinn.

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