How far apart are the stops?

Vilnius to Trakai is 30 minutes. Trakai to Kaunas is 1.5 hours. Kaunas to Klaipėda is 3 hours. All transfers are in a private vehicle with your driver.

Can this tour be combined with Latvia or Estonia?

Yes — our Grand Baltics 12-day itinerary covers all three countries, or we can extend this tour with a few days in Riga or Tallinn.

5-Day Private Package Journey

Essence of Lithuania — 5 Days

Baroque Vilnius, the Curonian Spit, and the heart of the Baltics.

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided

From €2,490 per person 5 days / 4 nights

View Itinerary

Tour Overview

5 days across Baltics.

Lithuania is the southernmost and largest of the three Baltic States, and the one that surprises visitors most. Vilnius Old Town is the largest baroque centre in Eastern Europe — a UNESCO World Heritage Site of over 1,500 buildings in an area small enough to walk in an afternoon. Trakai, the medieval island castle on Lake Galvė, was the seat of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania when it stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Kaunas preserves Lithuania's interwar identity: an architectural laboratory of functionalism, Art Deco, and national romanticism built when it served as the temporary capital. The Curonian Spit — a 98-kilometre sand peninsula shared with Russia — is one of the most extraordinary natural landscapes in Northern Europe, with dunes that shift and bury entire villages. This five-day private journey connects these four corners of Lithuania at a pace that lets you absorb what you are seeing.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1

Arrival in Vilnius

The baroque heart of the Baltics.

Vilnius announces itself quietly — a city of church spires, red-tiled roofs, and narrow cobblestoned streets that open without warning into hidden courtyards. Your private driver meets you at Vilnius Airport and transfers you to your hotel in the Old Town. The afternoon is yours to explore on foot: the Cathedral Square with its neoclassical cathedral and separate bell tower, the Gediminas Tower on the hill above (the remnant of the Upper Castle that once commanded the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia rivers), and the network of lanes around Pilies Street where the baroque architecture is at its most concentrated. Welcome dinner at a restaurant that takes modern Lithuanian cuisine seriously — the beetroot, smoked meats, fermented vegetables, and rye bread that form the backbone of a food tradition older than most in Europe.

Private airport transfer
Cathedral Square and the Gediminas Tower panorama
First walk through baroque Vilnius Old Town
Welcome dinner featuring modern Lithuanian cuisine

Meals: Dinner Boutique hotel, Vilnius Old Town

Day 2

Vilnius Old Town & Užupis

Baroque churches, amber workshops, and a self-declared republic.

A full day with a private guide in Vilnius. The morning covers the baroque masterpieces: the Church of St Peter and St Paul with its two thousand stucco figures, the Gate of Dawn with its miraculous icon, and the network of churches and monasteries that earned Vilnius its UNESCO inscription. The University of Vilnius — founded 1579 — occupies an entire quarter of courtyards and arcaded galleries. After lunch, cross the bridge into Užupis — the bohemian quarter that declared independence on April Fools' Day 1997 and has its own constitution, posted on a wall in dozens of languages. The afternoon continues through the Jewish heritage sites: the former ghetto, the memorial at Paneriai, and the stories of a community that made Vilnius the 'Jerusalem of the North' before the war.

Church of St Peter and St Paul — 2,000 stucco sculptures
Gate of Dawn and the miraculous icon
Vilnius University courtyards — founded 1579
Užupis Republic — the bohemian quarter with its own constitution

Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Vilnius Old Town

Day 3

Trakai & Kaunas

An island castle and an interwar capital.

Drive west to Trakai — the medieval island castle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, set on Lake Galvė and reached by a wooden footbridge. The castle was built in the 14th century when Lithuania was the largest country in Europe, and has been meticulously restored. The Karaim community — descendants of Turkic warriors brought here by Grand Duke Vytautas in the 14th century — still lives in Trakai; lunch is kibinai, their traditional filled pastries, at a lakeside restaurant. Continue to Kaunas in the afternoon. Lithuania's second city served as the temporary capital between the wars, and the result is an extraordinary concentration of interwar architecture: functionalism, Art Deco, and Lithuanian national romanticism in a city that feels nothing like Vilnius. Walk through the Old Town, visit the Ninth Fort memorial, and settle into your hotel.

Trakai Island Castle on Lake Galvė
Kibinai tasting with the Karaim community
Kaunas interwar architecture — Art Deco and functionalism
Ninth Fort memorial

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Boutique hotel, Kaunas

Day 4

Curonian Spit

Dunes, fishermen's cottages, and the edge of the Baltic.

Drive west to Klaipėda — Lithuania's only seaport — and take the short ferry crossing to the Curonian Spit, one of Northern Europe's most remarkable natural formations. This 98-kilometre sand peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: a fragile ribbon of dunes, pine forests, and traditional fishing villages between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. Visit the Dead Dunes trail near Nagliai — a boardwalk path through the shifting white sand dunes that reach 60 metres high. Continue to Nida, the largest village on the Lithuanian side, where Thomas Mann spent his summers and where the traditional wooden fishermen's houses are painted in the Curonian palette of blue, brown, and red. The Parnidis Dune above Nida offers a panorama across the lagoon to the Russian side. Dinner of smoked fish and local beer in Nida.

Ferry crossing to the Curonian Spit
Dead Dunes trail — 60-metre sand dunes
Nida fishing village and Thomas Mann's summer house
Parnidis Dune panorama over the lagoon

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Heritage guesthouse, Curonian Spit

Day 5

Departure

Morning on the Spit, then homeward.

A final morning on the Curonian Spit — an early walk along the lagoon shore or through the pine forest before the day warms. Ferry back to Klaipėda and private transfer to Vilnius Airport (or Klaipėda can serve as your departure point if continuing onward). The journey from the Spit to Vilnius takes approximately four hours through the Lithuanian countryside — forests, farmland, and the occasional village church spire above the treeline.

Morning walk on the Curonian Spit
Private transfer to departure airport

Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

Vilnius

2 nights

Boutique hotel

Old Town

Walking distance to all major baroque sites and restaurants

Kaunas

1 night

Boutique hotel

Old Town / Laisvės Alėja

Steps from the interwar architecture quarter

Curonian Spit

1 night

Heritage guesthouse

Nida

Traditional wooden house in the fishing village

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

4 nights in boutique hotels and heritage guesthouses
All ground transfers in private vehicle
Expert local guides in Vilnius, Kaunas, and the Curonian Spit
Daily breakfast plus two dinners featuring Lithuanian cuisine
All entrance fees and museum passes
Klaipėda–Curonian Spit ferry crossings
24/7 local support contact

Not Included

International flights
Travel insurance
Meals not specified in the itinerary
Optional add-ons and personal expenses
Gratuities for guides and drivers

Good to Know

The Curonian Spit is a protected UNESCO site — visitor numbers may be limited in peak season. We book permits in advance.
Weather on the Spit can change quickly. Pack layers and waterproofs even in summer.
Vilnius Old Town is compact and best explored on foot. Comfortable walking shoes are essential.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Hot air balloon over Vilnius

Sunrise flight over the Old Town spires and the Neris river valley.

€180 per person

Lithuanian cooking class

Hands-on session preparing cepelinai, šaltibarščiai, and traditional rye bread.

€95 per person

Amber workshop visit

Visit a master amber craftsman in Nida and learn to identify Baltic amber.

€45 per person

"Lithuania was the biggest surprise of our European travels. The baroque churches, the Curonian Spit dunes, the food — we had no idea."

Sarah & James P.

London, UK · Essence of Lithuania — 5 Days

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

What is the best time to visit Lithuania?

May to September offers the warmest weather and longest days. June and July are ideal for the Curonian Spit, with warm sea temperatures and up to 18 hours of daylight.

Is Lithuania suitable for families?

Absolutely. Trakai Castle, the Curonian Spit dunes, and the Vilnius walking tours are all family-friendly. We adjust the pace and add age-appropriate activities.

Private Package Journey