Hamilton & Chase Tours
Grand Baltics — 12 Days — Private Package 12-day Baltics tour: Three countries, three capitals, one unforgettable journey.

12-Day Private Package Journey

Grand Baltics — 12 Days

Three countries, three capitals, one unforgettable journey.

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided
From €5,490 per person 12 days / 11 nights
View Itinerary

Tour Overview

12 days across Baltics.

The Baltic States — Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia — are three countries that share a coastline, a complicated history, and an emerging place on Europe's cultural map, yet each has a character so distinct that crossing a border here feels like entering a different world. This twelve-day journey begins in Vilnius, the baroque heart of Lithuania, moves north through medieval castles, Art Nouveau capitals, wild coastlines, and raised bogs, and ends in Tallinn, where a medieval walled city coexists with one of the most digitally advanced societies on earth. Along the way: the Curonian Spit's shifting dunes, the Hill of Crosses, Riga's eight hundred Art Nouveau façades, Rundāle Palace, the Gauja Valley castles, Lahemaa's coastal manors, and Tartu's university quarter. Three UNESCO-listed Old Towns, three distinct cuisines, three national stories — connected in a single route that moves at the pace the region rewards.

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
Day 1
1

Day 1

Arrival in Vilnius

The baroque heart of the Baltics.

Arrive at Vilnius Airport and transfer to your hotel in the Old Town — the largest baroque centre in Eastern Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The afternoon is at leisure: Cathedral Square, the Gediminas Tower panorama, and the first walk through cobblestoned lanes lined with churches, courtyards, and cafés. Welcome dinner at a restaurant that works with Lithuanian seasons — beetroot, smoked eel, fermented mushrooms, rye bread, and the craft beers that are transforming Lithuania's drinking culture.

  • Private airport transfer
  • Cathedral Square and Gediminas Tower
  • First walk through baroque Vilnius
  • Welcome dinner with Lithuanian seasonal cuisine
Meals: Dinner Boutique hotel, Vilnius Old Town
Day 2 — Vilnius — Full Day
Day 2
2

Day 2

Vilnius — Full Day

Baroque masterpieces and a bohemian republic.

Full day with a private guide. Morning: the Gate of Dawn, the Church of St Peter and St Paul (two thousand stucco figures), the university quarter (founded 1579), and the Presidential Palace. Cross into Užupis — the self-declared republic of artists whose multilingual constitution is nailed to a wall. Afternoon: the former Jewish quarter and the sites that preserve the memory of a community that made Vilnius the 'Jerusalem of the North.' Evening at leisure.

  • Church of St Peter and St Paul — baroque masterpiece
  • Gate of Dawn and the miraculous icon
  • Vilnius University — 1579 courtyards and frescoes
  • Užupis Republic — bohemian quarter with its own constitution
Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Vilnius Old Town
Day 3 — Trakai & Kaunas
Day 3
3

Day 3

Trakai & Kaunas

An island castle and an interwar capital.

Drive to Trakai — the island castle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, set on Lake Galvė. When Lithuania controlled territory from the Baltic to the Black Sea, this was the seat of power. The Karaim community — Turkic warriors brought here in the 14th century — still lives in Trakai; lunch is their traditional kibinai pastries at a lakeside restaurant. Continue to Kaunas: Lithuania's second city, temporary capital between the wars, with the finest concentration of interwar architecture in the country — Art Deco, functionalism, and national romanticism along Laisvės Alėja, the longest pedestrian boulevard in Europe.

  • Trakai Island Castle on Lake Galvė
  • Kibinai lunch with the Karaim community
  • Kaunas interwar architecture
  • Laisvės Alėja — Europe's longest pedestrian street
Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Kaunas
Day 4 — Hill of Crosses & Crossing to Latvia
Day 4
4

Day 4

Hill of Crosses & Crossing to Latvia

200,000 crosses and a border crossing.

Drive north to the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai — one of the most extraordinary places in Europe. Over 200,000 crosses stand on a small mound, placed by pilgrims, patriots, and mourners over centuries. The Soviets bulldozed it three times; each time it returned. Pope John Paul II visited in 1993 and added his own. Continue north across the Lithuanian-Latvian border. The landscape shifts subtly — the forests thin, the farmland widens, and the road signs change language. Arrive in Riga in the late afternoon. First evening walk along the Daugava River and through the Old Town.

  • Hill of Crosses — 200,000+ crosses, bulldozed three times, always returned
  • Cross the Lithuania–Latvia border
  • Arrive in Riga — the largest city in the Baltics
  • Dinner in Riga Old Town
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Boutique hotel, Riga Old Town
Day 5 — Riga — Art Nouveau & Markets
Day 5
5

Day 5

Riga — Art Nouveau & Markets

Eisenstein's façades and five Zeppelin hangars.

A full day in Riga with a private architecture historian. Morning: the Art Nouveau quarter on Alberta iela and Elizabetes iela — over 800 Art Nouveau buildings, from Mikhail Eisenstein's flamboyant decorative façades to the geometric restraint of the Latvian national romantic school. No city in the world has a comparable concentration. Afternoon: Riga Central Market, housed in five repurposed Zeppelin hangars — each specialising in fish, meat, dairy, vegetables, or bread. One of the largest and most atmospheric markets in Europe. Evening at leisure to explore Riga's growing restaurant and bar scene.

  • Art Nouveau walking tour with an architecture historian
  • Alberta iela — Eisenstein's extraordinary façades
  • Riga Central Market — five Zeppelin hangars
  • 800+ Art Nouveau buildings in one city
Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Riga Old Town
Day 6 — Sigulda, Gauja Valley & Rundāle
Day 6
6

Day 6

Sigulda, Gauja Valley & Rundāle

Castles in the forest and the Versailles of the Baltics.

Morning drive to Sigulda and the Gauja National Park. Turaida Castle — the red-brick fortress built in 1214 — commands panoramic views over the forested river canyon. Walk to Gūtmanis Cave, the largest in the Baltics, with centuries of carved inscriptions. Cross the valley by cable car. Afternoon drive south to Rundāle Palace — Rastrelli's Baltic masterpiece, designed by the architect who went on to build the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. The formal French gardens and Gold Hall are among the finest baroque interiors in Northern Europe. Return to Riga.

  • Turaida Castle — 1214, red brick, valley panorama
  • Gūtmanis Cave — largest in the Baltics
  • Gauja Valley cable car crossing
  • Rundāle Palace — Rastrelli's baroque masterpiece
Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Riga Old Town
Day 7 — Riga to Tallinn
Day 7
7

Day 7

Riga to Tallinn

Across the border into Estonia.

Morning at leisure in Riga — a final walk through the Old Town, a last visit to the Central Market, or a coffee on Dome Square. Midday departure north along the Via Baltica. The drive to Tallinn takes approximately 4.5 hours through the Latvian and Estonian countryside — forests, farmland, and the occasional roadside stork nest. Optional stop in Pärnu — Estonia's summer capital, a pleasant seaside town with a sandy beach and Art Deco villas. Arrive in Tallinn in the evening. First walk through the medieval Old Town.

  • Final morning in Riga
  • Via Baltica north through Latvia and Estonia
  • Optional stop in Pärnu — Estonia's summer capital
  • Arrival in Tallinn's medieval Old Town
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Boutique hotel, Tallinn Old Town
Day 8 — Tallinn — Full Day
Day 8
8

Day 8

Tallinn — Full Day

Gothic spires, Kadriorg, and the creative quarter.

Full day with a private guide in Tallinn — one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. Morning: Toompea Hill with the Estonian Parliament, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Dome Church, and the viewpoints that reveal the red-tiled roofs and spires below. Descend through the medieval lanes to the Gothic Town Hall and the Town Hall Pharmacy (operating since 1422). Afternoon: Kadriorg — Peter the Great's baroque palace, now housing the KUMU art museum, the largest in the Baltics. End in Telliskivi Creative City — a converted industrial quarter of galleries, studios, and the weekend market.

  • Toompea Hill — Parliament, cathedrals, panoramic viewpoints
  • Gothic Town Hall and the 1422 pharmacy
  • Kadriorg Palace and KUMU art museum
  • Telliskivi Creative City
Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Tallinn Old Town
Day 9 — Lahemaa National Park
Day 9
9

Day 9

Lahemaa National Park

Coastal manors, bogs, and captain's villages.

Drive east to Lahemaa — Estonia's largest national park, a landscape of coastal peninsulas, restored manor houses, and vast raised bogs. Visit Palmse Manor — the finest Baltic German estate in Estonia, beautifully restored with its coach house, distillery, and formal gardens. Walk the Viru Bog trail — a boardwalk through a primordial landscape of moss, dark pools, and stunted pines. Visit the captain's villages of Käsmu and Altja along the coast, where wooden houses and stone fences preserve a pre-Soviet way of life. Return to Tallinn in the evening.

  • Palmse Manor — restored Baltic German estate
  • Viru Bog boardwalk — raised bog ecosystem
  • Käsmu captain's village on the coast
  • Lahemaa's coastal peninsulas and ancient forest
Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Tallinn Old Town
Day 10 — Tallinn — At Leisure
Day 10
10

Day 10

Tallinn — At Leisure

A day to explore on your own terms.

A free day in Tallinn to revisit favourite spots or explore new ones. Suggestions: the Seaplane Harbour maritime museum (one of Europe's best), the Kalamaja neighbourhood of wooden houses and artisan bakeries, the Balti Jaama market for food shopping, or a morning walk along the medieval walls. This is also the day for optional experiences: a Tallinn food tour, an Estonian cooking class, or a boat trip to one of the islands in Tallinn Bay. The day is deliberately unstructured — twelve days of travel benefits from a pause.

  • Seaplane Harbour maritime museum
  • Kalamaja neighbourhood and artisan bakeries
  • Medieval wall walk
  • Optional food tour or cooking class
Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Tallinn Old Town
Day 11 — Tartu
Day 11
11

Day 11

Tartu

Estonia's intellectual capital.

Drive south to Tartu — 2.5 hours through the Estonian lake district. Tartu is built around its university (founded 1632) and has the energy of a place where ideas have always mattered. Walk Town Hall Square, the neoclassical main building, and Toomemägi hill with its cathedral ruins and old observatory. The Estonian National Museum — a striking modern building on a former Soviet airfield — tells the story of the Estonian people across millennia. Explore Supilinn (Soup Town), a colourful neighbourhood of wooden houses named after vegetables. Farewell dinner celebrating all three Baltic cuisines.

  • University of Tartu — founded 1632
  • Estonian National Museum — former Soviet airfield
  • Toomemägi hill and cathedral ruins
  • Farewell dinner celebrating three Baltic cuisines
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Boutique hotel, Tartu
Day 12 — Departure
Day 12
12

Day 12

Departure

Three countries, one journey, homeward.

Final morning in Tartu — a last coffee, a walk by the Emajõgi River, or a browse through the university bookshops. Private transfer to Tallinn Airport (2.5 hours) or onward to your next destination. Twelve days, three countries, three UNESCO capitals, and a region that most travellers overlook — until they arrive.

  • Final morning in Tartu
  • Private transfer to Tallinn 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.

Boutique hotel, Vilnius

Vilnius

2 nights

Boutique hotel

Old Town

Walking distance to all baroque sites

Boutique hotel, Kaunas

Kaunas

1 night

Boutique hotel

Old Town

Near Laisvės Alėja

Boutique hotel, Riga

Riga

3 nights

Boutique hotel

Old Town

Walking distance to Art Nouveau quarter and Central Market

Boutique hotel, Tallinn

Tallinn

4 nights

Boutique hotel

Old Town

Inside the medieval walls

Boutique hotel, Tartu

Tartu

1 night

Boutique hotel

Town centre

Near the university and National Museum

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

  • 11 nights in boutique hotels and heritage guesthouses
  • All ground transfers between cities in private vehicle
  • Expert local guides in every major stop
  • Daily breakfast plus five regional dinners
  • All entrance fees, castle visits, palace tours, and national park permits
  • 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

  • This tour crosses two international borders (Lithuania–Latvia, Latvia–Estonia). All three countries are in the EU and Schengen zone — no border formalities for EU/Schengen passport holders.
  • Inter-city drives are 2–4.5 hours. All transfers are in a comfortable private vehicle with a professional driver.
  • Pack layers for the coast, even in summer. Baltic weather is changeable.
  • The tour runs south to north (Vilnius → Tallinn). A north-to-south version can be arranged on request.

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 baroque spires and the Neris valley.

€180 per person

Gauja bobsled ride

Summer run on the Olympic-grade Sigulda bobsled track.

€60 per person

Estonian smoke sauna

Traditional smoke sauna — a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage practice.

€65 per person

Tallinn food tour

Guided walk through the Old Town and Balti Jaama market with Estonian tastings.

€75 per person

Saaremaa day trip

Ferry to Estonia's largest island — Kuressaare Castle, windmills, and juniper fields.

€220 per person

"We came expecting three small countries. We left having experienced three completely different worlds. The Baltics are one of Europe's last great surprises."

Michael & Susan T.

Sydney, Australia · Grand Baltics — 12 Days

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

When is the best time to visit the Baltics?

May to September. June has the White Nights — near-endless daylight across all three countries. July and August are warmest. September brings autumn colour and fewer visitors.

Do I need a visa?

All three countries are EU and Schengen members. US, UK, Canadian, Australian, and EU citizens do not need a visa for stays under 90 days.

Private Package Journey

Grand Baltics — 12 Days

12 days / 11 nights

From €5,490

per person

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