Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Baltics: Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius
9 days from Tallinn to Vilnius: three nights in Tallinn with Lahemaa National Park, Pärnu on the way south, three nights in Riga with Jūrmala and Rundāle Palace, and two in Vilnius ending at Trakai Castle.
9 days · Tallinn to Vilnius · up to 12 guests
Trakai Island Castle on Lake Galvė, Lithuania, the last morning of the trip Photo: Leszek Kozlowski, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Front_facade_of_the_Trakai_Island_Castle,_2009.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Tallinn to Vilnius
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Guided walks of 2 to 3 hours a day on cobbles and some steep lanes in the three Old Towns, about 3.5 km on a flat wooden boardwalk across the Viru Bog (you can turn back at the first viewing point), beach and village walks in Pärnu and Jūrmala, and stairs inside Rundāle Palace and Trakai Castle. St Peter's tower in Riga has a lift. Any walk can be shortened or sat out.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 680 (estimated price)
- Season
- Late spring to early autumn
Highlights
Why this trip
- Tallinn's Old Town at 9 am with a local guide, up to the Toompea viewing platforms before the cruise crowds
- The Viru Bog boardwalk, Palmse Manor and the fishing village of Altja in Lahemaa National Park
- Pärnu's beach and a stop on the Gulf of Riga shore at Kabli on the drive south
- Riga's Old Town, lunch in the Zeppelin-hangar Central Market and the Art Nouveau facades of Alberta iela
- The train to Jūrmala for the beach and the wooden villas of Dzintari
- Rundāle Palace at opening, Rastrelli's Baroque palace with its French garden
- Vilnius from the Gate of Dawn to Užupis, then Trakai's island castle and kibinai on the last morning
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 680 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Tallinn
Tallinn Airport to your hotel by the Old Town
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Tallinn
Fly into Tallinn Airport (TLL), only about 4 km from the city centre. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall at whatever time you land and takes you to your hotel by the Old Town.
Evening
Pick-up runs all day; to be in time for the evening briefing, land by about 4 pm, and we confirm the briefing time with your final itinerary. If you arrive early, drop your bags and wander inside the medieval walls, where much of the circuit of towers and gates still stands and the lanes have kept their street plan since the Middle Ages. The Old Town has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1997. In the evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the nine days ahead: how the three capitals are paced, which mornings start early and why, and what the two longer drives look like. Then we walk together to a welcome dinner of Estonian food: dark rye bread, smoked fish, and whatever the season brings. In June the sky barely darkens, so the walk back feels like early evening.
Included
- Pick-up at Tallinn Airport (TLL)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Tallinn Old Town
Tallinn on foot: Toompea, then the lower town
- Breakfast
- Stay in Tallinn
Morning
We start at 9 am with a licensed local guide, before the cruise-ship passengers who fill Toompea from mid-morning in summer. First we climb to Toompea, the limestone hill where the bishops and the nobility lived, past the onion domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, completed in 1900, and the pink Baroque front of the parliament building. From the Kohtuotsa and Patkuli viewing platforms you look over red roofs and spires to the harbour. Then we go down Pikk jalg, the steep 'long leg' lane, into the lower town of merchants and guilds: Town Hall Square and its Gothic Town Hall, the old Town Hall Pharmacy, the Holy Spirit Church and the guild halls on Pikk street.
Afternoon
The walk ends around 12:30, and lunch and the afternoon are yours. Your guide can point you to Kadriorg Park and the palace built for Peter the Great, to the old factory buildings of the Telliskivi Creative City, or to the Seaplane Harbour maritime museum.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Guided walk of Tallinn Old Town with a licensed local guide
- Toompea, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Kohtuotsa and Patkuli viewing platforms
- Town Hall Square and the lower town
Optional experiences
- St Olaf's Church tower (open in the warmer months)
- Kadriorg Palace art museum
- Tallinn TV Tower
Easier option: Toompea is uphill on cobbles; you can take a taxi up and join the group at the top, or leave the walk at Town Hall Square.
More active option: Climb the narrow stairs of St Olaf's Church tower for the highest view over the Old Town, when it is open.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 km on foot over 3 hours, on cobbles with a steep section up and down Toompea.
Lahemaa National Park
Tallinn to the Viru Bog, Palmse Manor and Altja, then back to Tallinn
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Tallinn
- Drive about 3 h
Lahemaa, about an hour east of Tallinn, was founded in 1971 as the first national park in the Soviet Union and is Estonia's largest: pine forest, raised bogs, granite boulders left by the ice, and a coast of capes and fishing villages. We leave at 8:30 to reach the Viru Bog before the tour buses.
Morning
A wooden boardwalk of about 3.5 km crosses the bog between dark pools and stunted pines to a viewing tower, and in the morning it is quiet enough to hear the birds. Next is Palmse Manor, a Baltic German manor house with its park, ponds and outbuildings, restored as a museum of manor life.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at a village tavern near the coast. In the afternoon we walk around Altja, a fishing village of wooden net sheds and farmhouses, and along a shore scattered with boulders, with time for a swim on a warm day.
Evening
We are back in Tallinn by about 5 pm, and the evening is free.
Included
- Viru Bog boardwalk and viewing tower
- Palmse Manor entry
- Altja fishing village and the Lahemaa coast
- Sit-down lunch in Lahemaa
Easier option: Walk the boardwalk only as far as the first viewing point and turn back; your driver waits at the car park.
More active option: Walk the whole boardwalk of about 3.5 km and climb the viewing tower.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 3.5 km on a flat boardwalk, then short village and shore walks. Bring insect repellent from June to August.
Pärnu and the coast road to Riga
Tallinn to Pärnu, then Kabli on the Gulf of Riga and on to Riga
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Riga
- Drive about 4.5 h
This is one of the two longer drives, about 310 km and a little over four hours on the road, which we break into three stretches of two hours or less. We leave Tallinn at 9 am and drive south through farmland and forest to Pärnu, Estonia's summer resort on the Gulf of Riga.
Afternoon
A short walk takes in Rüütli street, the 17th-century Tallinn Gate, the wide sandy beach and the Art Nouveau Ammende Villa of 1905, and lunch is a sit-down meal in town. After lunch we follow the Via Baltica down the coast and stop at Kabli, a village by the sea with reed beds and a bird-ringing station that is busy during the autumn migration, to stretch our legs on the shore. There are no checks at the border into Latvia. The road then runs south near the coast through Salacgrīva and Saulkrasti, and we reach Riga at about 5 pm.
Evening
Your hotel is a short walk from the Old Town, and the evening is free.
Included
- Walk in Pärnu: Rüütli street, the Tallinn Gate, the beach and the Ammende Villa
- Sit-down lunch in Pärnu
- Stop on the Gulf of Riga shore at Kabli
Free time: Evening free in Riga
Activity: About 4.25 hours of driving in three stretches: Tallinn to Pärnu about 1.75 hours, Pärnu to Kabli about 30 minutes, Kabli to Riga about 2 hours, with stops of about 2 hours in Pärnu and 30 minutes at Kabli.
Riga Old Town and Art Nouveau
Riga on foot: the Old Town, the Central Market and the quiet centre
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Riga
Riga's historic centre has been on the UNESCO list since 1997 for two things: the medieval Old Town and the ring of Art Nouveau streets built around it. We start at 9 am with a licensed local guide: the Dome Cathedral, the Three Brothers, the oldest houses in the city, the Swedish Gate in the old wall, and the House of the Blackheads on Town Hall Square, rebuilt in the 1990s after wartime destruction. Then the lift up the tower of St Peter's Church for the view over the roofs and the river Daugava.
Afternoon
Lunch is at the Central Market, set in five former Zeppelin hangars, where your guide orders a spread of smoked fish, rye bread, pickles and Latvian soups to share. In the afternoon we walk past the Freedom Monument to the quiet centre: Alberta iela, where the facades by Mikhail Eisenstein are covered in masks, faces and sphinxes, and the Riga Art Nouveau Centre, a restored apartment from the early 1900s.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Guided walk of Riga Old Town with a licensed local guide
- St Peter's Church tower by lift
- Lunch at the Riga Central Market
- Alberta iela and the Riga Art Nouveau Centre (closed Mondays; see the note below)
Optional experiences
- Riga canal and river boat
- Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
Easier option: Skip the afternoon walk to Alberta iela and rest at the hotel; it is about 20 minutes on foot from the market.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 5 km on foot over the day, mostly flat, with a lift up St Peter's tower. The Riga Art Nouveau Centre is closed on Mondays: if day 5 falls on a Monday, we walk Alberta iela as planned and visit the Centre on the afternoon of day 6, after the train back from Jūrmala.
Jūrmala by train
Riga to Jūrmala by train and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Riga
- By train
Jūrmala, Riga's seaside town, is a string of resort villages along a sandy strip between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe river.
Morning
After breakfast we take the commuter train from Riga Central Station, about half an hour, crossing the Daugava and the Lielupe on the way to Majori. We walk Jomas iela, the pedestrian street, then out through the pine dunes to the beach of pale, fine sand that runs for kilometres in both directions. From there we go on foot through the streets of Majori and Dzintari, lined with wooden summer villas from around 1900, many with carved verandas, towers and lace-like trim.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal near the beach. We are back in Riga by train at about 2:30 pm, and the rest of the day is free: a boat on the city canal, the Latvian National Museum of Art, the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, or simply a long coffee. In July and August the beach is lively; in May and September it is quiet.
Included
- Return train from Riga to Jūrmala
- Walk on Jomas iela, the beach and the wooden villas of Majori and Dzintari
- Sit-down lunch in Jūrmala
Easier option: Stay on the beach or at a café on Jomas iela while the group walks to Dzintari; we meet again for lunch.
More active option: Stay on in Jūrmala for a swim in the afternoon and take a later train back on your own; your guide gives you the ticket and times.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 5 km of easy walking on streets and sand.
Rundāle Palace and on to Vilnius
Riga to Rundāle Palace, then through Panevėžys to Vilnius
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Vilnius
- Drive about 4.5 h
Afternoon
Today's drive is about 330 km and a little over four hours, broken into two stretches by the palace and lunch. We leave Riga at 8:30 and cross the flat farmland of Zemgale, about an hour and a quarter, to Rundāle Palace, built from 1736 for Ernst Johann von Biron, Duke of Courland, to designs by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the architect of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. We arrive as it opens and walk the state rooms: the Gold Hall, the White Hall with its stucco ceiling, and the Duke's apartments. Then we go out into the French formal garden with its clipped hedges and large rose garden. Lunch is a sit-down meal near the palace. After lunch it is about three hours to Vilnius on the main road through Panevėžys, with a coffee stop on the way; the Lithuanian border has no checks.
Evening
We reach Vilnius at about 5 pm, and your guide takes an evening stroll with anyone who wants one from the hotel to Cathedral Square.
Included
- Rundāle Palace state rooms and the French garden, entry included
- Sit-down lunch at Rundāle
- Evening orientation walk in Vilnius
Easier option: Skip the garden walk and sit on a terrace by the palace until lunch.
Free time: Evening free after the orientation walk
Activity: About 4.25 hours of driving in two stretches: about 1.25 hours from Riga to Rundāle, then about 3 hours to Vilnius with a coffee stop halfway; about 2 km on foot in the palace and garden, with stairs.
Vilnius Old Town and Užupis
Vilnius on foot: the Gate of Dawn to Cathedral Square and Užupis
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Vilnius
Vilnius's Old Town, on the UNESCO list since 1994, is a web of Baroque churches, courtyards and crooked lanes.
Morning
We start at 9 am with a licensed local guide at the Gate of Dawn, the only gate of the old city walls still standing, where a chapel above the arch holds a revered painting of the Virgin Mary. Down Pilies street we reach Vilnius University, founded in 1579, and walk through its arcaded courtyards to the Church of St John. Then comes Cathedral Square, with the white cathedral and its bell tower, and Gediminas Tower on the hill above; its paths have been closed for slope repairs in recent years, so we confirm access. We cross the little Vilnia river into Užupis, the artists' quarter that declared itself a republic on 1 April 1997 and displays its constitution on a wall in dozens of languages.
Afternoon
The walk ends at lunchtime, and the afternoon is free: the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights in the former KGB building, the stucco interior of the Church of St Peter and St Paul or the Bernardine Garden by the river Vilnia.
Evening
In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Guided walk of Vilnius Old Town with a licensed local guide
- The Gate of Dawn chapel
- Vilnius University's historic courtyards, entry included
- Cathedral Square and Užupis
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights
- Gediminas Tower, if the hill is open on your dates
Easier option: Leave the walk after the university and rest before the afternoon; the hotel is a few minutes away.
More active option: Walk up Three Crosses Hill for the view over the Old Town roofs, or through the Bernardine Garden on the way back.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 4 km on foot over 3 hours, on cobbles with gentle hills.
Trakai Castle and home
Vilnius to Trakai, then Vilnius Airport
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
Check out after breakfast and drive about 30 km west to Trakai, a former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, where a red-brick castle stands on an island in Lake Galvė. It was built in the late 14th and early 15th centuries and rebuilt from ruins in the 20th. We cross the wooden footbridge as the castle museum opens at 10 am and walk the courtyards, the ducal palace and the exhibits on the Grand Duchy before the coaches arrive. Then a short boat ride on the lake, from May to September and weather permitting, and a walk past the wooden houses of the Karaim, a Turkic-speaking community brought here from Crimea at the end of the 14th century.
Afternoon
Lunch is kibinai, their baked pastries filled with meat or vegetables. From Trakai it is about 40 minutes to Vilnius Airport (VNO), where we arrive at about 2:30 pm. Book a flight from Vilnius leaving after about 5 pm. Your guide sees you to the terminal and checks your flight before saying goodbye.
Included
- Trakai Island Castle entry
- Boat ride on Lake Galvė (May to September, weather permitting)
- Kibinai lunch in Trakai
- Drop-off at Vilnius Airport (VNO)
Easier option: If your flight leaves before about 5 pm, we take you from the hotel straight to the airport instead of Trakai.
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 5 pm to see Trakai. About 1.5 km on foot, with stairs in the castle.
- Tallinn3 nights
- Riga3 nights
- Vilnius2 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Summer days are long (around 18 hours of daylight in Tallinn in late June) and mild, rarely hot; showers come at any time. May and September are cooler and quieter, with fewer cruise passengers in Tallinn. Autumn brings bird migration along the Gulf of Riga coast at Kabli.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want all three Baltic capitals without carrying bags through bus stations
- A mix of guided mornings and free afternoons in each city
- History, architecture and food more than nightlife
- Solo travellers who want company and a fair single price
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: the Old Towns are cobbled and Toompea is steep
- A beach holiday; Pärnu and Jūrmala are half-day visits
- Travellers who want Kaunas, the Hill of Crosses or the Curonian Spit, which this route does not reach
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Tallinn3 nights
- Riga3 nights
- Vilnius2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 3 in Tallinn, 3 in Riga, 2 in Vilnius
- Central hotels of at least 3-star-plus standard, within about 10 minutes' walk of each Old Town, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Tallinn Airport (TLL) on day 1 and drop-off at Vilnius Airport (VNO) on day 9
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver from Tallinn to Vilnius, including the Lahemaa, Pärnu, Rundāle and Trakai days
- Return train from Riga to Jūrmala
- Boat ride on Lake Galvė at Trakai (May to September)
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for all 9 days
- Licensed local guides for the Old Town walks in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius
Activities
- Tallinn: guided Old Town walk, Toompea and the viewing platforms
- Lahemaa National Park: the Viru Bog boardwalk, Palmse Manor, Altja fishing village
- Pärnu: guided walk, and a stop on the Gulf of Riga shore at Kabli
- Riga: guided Old Town walk, St Peter's Church tower, the Central Market, the Riga Art Nouveau Centre and Alberta iela
- Jūrmala: the beach and the wooden villas of Majori and Dzintari
- Rundāle Palace and its French garden
- Vilnius: guided Old Town walk, the Gate of Dawn, Vilnius University's courtyards, Cathedral Square, Užupis
- Trakai Island Castle
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 6 sit-down lunches: Lahemaa, Pärnu, Riga Central Market, Jūrmala, Rundāle and Trakai
- 2 dinners: welcome dinner in Tallinn and farewell dinner in Vilnius
Not included
- International flights to Tallinn and from Vilnius
- 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 St Olaf's tower, the Tallinn TV Tower, a Riga canal boat or the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights
- Extra nights before or after the trip
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 680 (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+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Eight nights in central hotels, 8 breakfasts, 6 sit-down lunches and 2 dinners, airport transfers at both ends, our own vehicle and driver from Tallinn to Vilnius, the train to Jūrmala, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, licensed local guides in each Old Town, and every visit in the day plan, including Lahemaa, Rundāle Palace and Trakai Castle.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests and is never merged with another group, so everyone can hear the guide in narrow Old Town lanes and fit around one table at lunch.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all nine days, from the airport in Tallinn to the airport in Vilnius. Licensed local guides join for the Old Town walks in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius, as each city expects. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Easy. Expect 2 to 3 hours on foot most days, on cobbles, with one steep climb up Toompea in Tallinn and stairs in Rundāle Palace and Trakai Castle. The Viru Bog boardwalk is flat, and you can turn back at the first viewing point. You can sit out any walk.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 680 more, shown up front with no surprises at checkout. If you would rather share, ask when you request to book and we will try to pair you with another solo traveller of the same gender; if we cannot, you pay the shared price.
When is the best time to go?
May to September. June and July bring the longest days, with around 18 hours of daylight at midsummer, and warm enough weather for a swim at Pärnu or Jūrmala. May and September are cooler and quieter, with fewer cruise passengers in Tallinn. Showers come in any month.
How does booking work?
Pick your start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 3,385 per person sharing a room, with taxes; the private trip starts from CAD 6,095.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes 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 from the dates section and we will quote hotels, transfers and local guides for you.
Do I need a visa for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania?
Canadian and US passport holders do not need a visa for short stays in the Schengen area, which includes all three countries. The EU's Entry/Exit System takes your fingerprints and photo on arrival, and the ETIAS travel authorisation is due to start later. We confirm the rules for your dates.
How long are the drives, and do we use public buses?
No public buses: our own vehicle and driver take you door to door. The two longer days, Tallinn to Riga and Riga to Vilnius, are each a little over four hours of driving, broken by Pärnu and Kabli on one and Rundāle Palace on the other. The Jūrmala day uses the local train.
Do we see the Hill of Crosses or Kaunas?
Not on this route. The Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai and Kaunas each add an hour or more of driving to the Riga to Vilnius day, which already includes Rundāle Palace. On a private trip we can add either, or an extra night, and quote the cost when you ask; it is not in the price shown.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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