Is the Hill of Crosses worth the detour?

Unquestionably. It is one of the most powerful and moving places in Europe — the kind of site that stays with you long after you leave.

How is the food in Lithuania?

Increasingly excellent. Lithuanian cuisine is rooted in forest, field, and sea — smoked fish, fermented vegetables, wild mushrooms, dark bread, and a growing craft beer scene.

7-Day Private Package Journey

Lithuania — Coast & Culture — 7 Days

From baroque churches to Baltic amber beaches.

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided

From €3,290 per person 7 days / 6 nights

View Itinerary

Tour Overview

7 days across Baltics.

This seven-day journey covers Lithuania from end to end — from the baroque splendour of Vilnius to the amber coast of the Curonian Spit, with the interwar architecture of Kaunas, the pilgrimage site of the Hill of Crosses, and the port city of Klaipėda along the way. Lithuania was the last country in Europe to accept Christianity, and the traces of its pagan past are everywhere: in the carved wooden crosses that stand at crossroads, in the midsummer festivals still celebrated on the solstice, and in a food tradition rooted in the forest, the field, and the Baltic Sea. This is the fuller picture of a country that most travellers see only as a stopover, and we build the route to move at the pace Lithuania 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

Baroque spires and cobblestoned lanes.

Arrive at Vilnius Airport and transfer privately to your hotel in the Old Town. The remainder of the day is at leisure to begin absorbing the city — Cathedral Square, the view from Gediminas Tower, and the first walk through the baroque quarter. Welcome dinner at a restaurant that builds its menu around Lithuanian seasonal produce: smoked eel, beetroot, fermented mushrooms, and rye.

Private airport transfer
Cathedral Square and Gediminas Tower
First walk through Vilnius Old Town
Welcome dinner with Lithuanian seasonal cuisine

Meals: Dinner Boutique hotel, Vilnius Old Town

Day 2

Vilnius — Full Day

The Jerusalem of the North.

A full day with a private guide covering Vilnius in depth. Morning: the Gate of Dawn, the Church of St Peter and St Paul with its two thousand stucco figures, the university quarter founded in 1579, and the Presidential Palace. Cross into Užupis — the self-declared republic of artists and bohemians. Afternoon: the former Jewish quarter and the sites that tell the story of a community that made Vilnius the intellectual capital of European Jewry before the war. The Paneriai memorial outside the city is an optional but powerful addition. Evening at leisure.

Gate of Dawn and the miraculous icon
Church of St Peter and St Paul — baroque masterpiece
Vilnius University — courtyards and frescoed halls
Užupis Republic and its multilingual constitution

Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Vilnius Old Town

Day 3

Trakai & Kaunas

An island castle and a city of interwar ambition.

Drive to Trakai — the island castle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, reached by footbridge across Lake Galvė. The Karaim community still lives here; lunch is their traditional kibinai. Continue to Kaunas in the afternoon. Lithuania's second city was the temporary capital between the wars, and the result is a quarter of extraordinary interwar architecture: Art Deco, functionalism, and Lithuanian national romanticism. Walk Laisvės Alėja — the longest pedestrian boulevard in Europe — and visit the Devil's Museum, one of the most eccentric collections anywhere.

Trakai Island Castle on Lake Galvė
Kibinai lunch with the Karaim community
Kaunas interwar architecture quarter
Laisvės Alėja — Europe's longest pedestrian street

Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Kaunas

Day 4

Hill of Crosses & Klaipėda

A place of pilgrimage and a Baltic port.

Drive north to the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai — one of the most extraordinary sites in Europe. Over 200,000 crosses of every size stand on this small mound, placed by pilgrims, patriots, and mourners over centuries. The Soviets bulldozed the hill three times; each time it returned. Pope John Paul II visited in 1993 and left his own cross. Continue to Klaipėda — Lithuania's only seaport, where the old town preserves half-timbered German architecture from its centuries as Memel. Dinner of smoked fish at a harbour restaurant.

Hill of Crosses — over 200,000 crosses on a single mound
Klaipėda Old Town — half-timbered Prussian architecture
Harbour-side dinner with Baltic smoked fish

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Boutique hotel, Klaipėda Old Town

Day 5

Curonian Spit — North

Dunes, pine forests, and the edge of the Baltic.

Ferry from Klaipėda to the Curonian Spit — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Northern Europe's most extraordinary landscapes. This 98-kilometre sand peninsula separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. Begin at Juodkrantė with its Witches' Hill — a forest sculpture trail carved from oak. Continue south through the pine forests to the Grey Dunes viewpoint. Afternoon in Nida — the largest village on the Lithuanian side, with its painted wooden fishermen's houses and the Thomas Mann Memorial Museum in the house where the writer spent three summers in the early 1930s.

Ferry crossing to the Curonian Spit
Witches' Hill wooden sculpture trail
Grey Dunes viewpoint over the lagoon
Nida fishing village and Thomas Mann house

Meals: Breakfast Heritage guesthouse, Nida

Day 6

Curonian Spit — South

The Parnidis Dune and a farewell to the Baltic.

A full day on the Spit. Morning hike up the Parnidis Dune — 52 metres above sea level with panoramic views across the lagoon to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The sundial at the summit was designed by a Lithuanian architect and marks the border between worlds. The Dead Dunes trail near Nagliai takes you through the most dramatic section of shifting white sand. Afternoon at leisure: swim in the Baltic (bracing but beautiful), cycle the spit's dedicated path, or browse the amber workshops in Nida. Farewell dinner of locally smoked fish, dark bread, and Lithuanian craft beer.

Parnidis Dune — panorama over the lagoon and Russia
Dead Dunes trail through shifting white sand
Baltic Sea swim or cycling on the Spit
Farewell dinner with smoked fish and craft beer

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Heritage guesthouse, Nida

Day 7

Departure

Ferry, coast, and homeward.

Morning ferry back to Klaipėda. Private transfer to Vilnius Airport (approximately four hours) or to the Latvian border if continuing to Riga. The drive crosses the Lithuanian heartland — forests, farmland, rivers, and the occasional hilltop church.

Morning ferry from the Curonian Spit
Private transfer to departure point

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 baroque sites and restaurants

Kaunas

1 night

Boutique hotel

Old Town

Steps from Laisvės Alėja and the interwar quarter

Klaipėda

1 night

Boutique hotel

Old Town

Harbour-side, near the Curonian Spit ferry

Nida (Curonian Spit)

2 nights

Heritage guesthouse

Village centre

Traditional wooden house near the lagoon shore

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

6 nights in boutique hotels and heritage guesthouses
All ground transfers in private vehicle
Klaipėda–Curonian Spit ferry crossings
Private guides throughout
Daily breakfast plus three regional dinners
All entrance fees, castle visits, and museum passes
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 with limited visitor capacity in peak season. We secure permits in advance.
The Hill of Crosses is an active pilgrimage site — visitors are welcome but should be respectful.
Pack layers and waterproofs for the coast, even in summer.

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 valley.

€180 per person

Farm-to-table dinner in Dzūkija

Evening at a working farm in Lithuania's mushroom-foraging heartland.

€120 per person

Curonian Spit cycling

Full-day bike hire on the Spit's dedicated coastal path.

€35 per person

"The Hill of Crosses moved us to tears. The Curonian Spit took our breath away. Lithuania is extraordinary and almost nobody knows it."

Mark & Linda H.

Melbourne, Australia · Lithuania — Coast & Culture — 7 Days

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

What is the best time to visit Lithuania?

May to September. June and July offer the warmest weather on the Curonian Spit, with long daylight hours and comfortable Baltic Sea temperatures.

Can I extend this tour into Latvia or Estonia?

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

Private Package Journey

Lithuania — Coast & Culture — 7 Days

7 days / 6 nights

From €3,290

per person

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Available Mon–Fri 9am–6pm CET.
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