Baltic Highlights New Year Tour in 7 nights/8 days December - January
December 28th: Arrival Vilnius
Arrival in Vilnius, optional transfer to Hotel Artis Centrum**** or similar, check-in, welcome meeting.
December 29th: Vilnius
Vilnius is known for its more than 1.200 medieval buildings and 48 churches. The morning walking tour of the Old Town includes 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.
December 30th: Vilnius-Riga
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.
December 31st: Riga
Riga, founded in 1201 by the German bishop Albert, is the largest of the three Baltic capitals and boasts a real kaleidoscope of architectural stylesand by the end of December the whole city is preparing for a vibrant New Year celebration. The walking tour of the Old Town includes 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 offer optional tour to Riga Art Nouveaux district and tour along Riga Boulevard circle. The tour ends with warm-up Riga black balsam drink at a central cafe. In the evening we enjoy an up-scale and entertaining Fabulous New Year Gala.
January 1st: Riga
Today we offer an optional guided shopping tour that will take us to interior decoration and design stores, art galleries and fashion boutiques in the Old Town with the main focus on local brands and artists. En route we enjoy a warm cup of coffee with Latvian Christmas pastry in a cosy café. Inthe evening we offer excursion to the Lido Recreational Centre, a large restaurant and entertainment centre located in the largest block house in Europe and surrounded by a lot of winter attractions. We enjoy a traditional Latvian meal before going back to the hotel.
January 2nd: Riga-Tallinn
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.
January 3rd: Tallinn
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 manyshops, galleries, souvenir markets, outdoor cafés and restaurants. The walking tour takes us around the old medieval city walls and into the OldTown where we see Toompea Castle, Dome Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, medieval Old Town Hall and Great Guild Hall. In the afternoonan optional excursion is offered to Kadriorg Park and visit to KUMU, the award-winning new Estonian art museum, with its collections of classicand contemporary fine art. The evening offers an optional medieval dinner at Restaurant Maikrahv.
January 4th: Tallinn Departure
Optional transfer to the airport.