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Holidays

Baltic Trails Adventure

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia
4 reviews
Available Departures: Jul, Sep

9 days from

US$2,425

without flights
Walk & Trek
Guided Group
LEISURELY LEISURELY

Enjoy wonderful walks, colourful cities and national parks in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Trip Code: BSH
Holiday Grades
          

Our Holiday Grades Explained

To show the relative difficulty of our holidays, each trip is graded on a scale of 1 to 12, with 12 being the most challenging. Although we have tried to make our grading system as clear as possible, it cannot take into account your personal interests, abilities or experience. If you have any questions about the nature of a particular trip or its suitability for you, please read the 'Is this holiday for you?' section or contact us.

 1 - 3 LEISURELY
1 - 3 LEISURELY

Suitable for most people in good health, holidays at this grade include only limited amounts of activity.

View leisurely holidays
4 - 6 MODERATE
4 - 6 MODERATE

Suitable for reasonably fit individuals, such as weekend walkers and cyclists. There can be the occasional more difficult day.

View moderate holidays
7 - 9 CHALLENGING
7 - 9 CHALLENGING

Physically challenging holidays, where you need to be prepared before you go.

View challenging holidays
10 - 12 TOUGH
10 - 12 TOUGH

Our toughest holidays, involving many long days, often in isolated areas. A high level of fitness and previous wilderness and mountain experience is essential.

View Tough holidays

Baltic Trails Adventure

Highlights
  • Enjoy walking tours through the beautiful cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn

  • Hike amongst ancient forest and rich flora in Lahemaa National Park

  • Visit Trakai Castle and stroll through the colourful fishing village of Nida

  • Discover protected wetlands and beautiful bogs in a wonderful ecosystem

  • Walk over the dunes of the Curonian Spit and try your hand at Amber Hunting in the Baltic Sea.


At a Glance
  • Group Size 6 to 16
  • 7 days walking and sightseeing
  • Join In Vilnius / end Tallinn

Accommodation & Meals
  • 8 Breakfasts
  • 8 nights Hotel
Overview

The Baltic States are one of Europe’s best kept secrets filled with wonderful culture, fascinating history, beautiful architecture, charming cities, delicious food and captivating scenery. This historical region offers a kaleidoscope of colour, which is perfect for a walking and cultural holiday. Along with the medieval heart of Vilnius and labyrinth of cobbled streets in Tallinn, you’ll explore the Gothic Spires of Riga, the breath-taking dunes of the Curionian Spit and, if you decide to extend your trip, the laid back Finnish capital of Helsinki. A variety of lovely walks takes you over Estonia’s protected bogs, through ancient protected forest and over the mysterious Hill of Witches. Picturesque fishing villages, dramatic castles and magnificent palaces are a wonderful contrast to the Cormorant and Grey Heron colonies. From local food markets to meeting the local Karaimes with their mouth-watering pastries, this holiday will open your eyes to Baltic flavours.

Is this holiday for you?

This lovely holiday includes active walking tours in cities, a variety of easy walks and wonderful cultural highlights of the Baltic States. Walks are up to 3 hours on easy trails, forest paths and wooden walkways, with a relaxed and gentle pace. As the holiday covers the highlights of the three main Baltic States, there are some days with longer driving days. However we’ll be using comfortable …

This lovely holiday includes active walking tours in cities, a variety of easy walks and wonderful cultural highlights of the Baltic States. Walks are up to 3 hours on easy trails, forest paths and wooden walkways, with a relaxed and gentle pace. As the holiday covers the highlights of the three main Baltic States, there are some days with longer driving days. However we’ll be using comfortable transport and staying in pleasant hotels throughout the holiday.This holiday is perfect for regular walkers who are looking for a combination of easy walks, active sightseeing and some free time to explore cities at leisure.

Why KE?

Join KE the walking experts and explore the Baltic States on foot. See its beautiful capitals on walking tours, hike in national parks and eat where the locals eat. Walking, culture and food is KE’s recipe for that perfect adventure holiday.

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Itinerary

Meet at the group hotel in Vilnius. A single timed airport transfer is included. Described as the Baroque Beauty of the Baltics, Vilnius has the largest baroque style ancient town centre in Eastern Europe. The city is great for strolling through, and is dotted with cobbled streets which are home to galleries, beautiful Orthodox and Catholic churches and pavement cafes for people watching. Other highlights include the Road of Freedom, a 60m sculpture. The sculpture symbolises the 2 million people who, joined hands, stretching for over 600 kilometres to connect the three Baltic States striving for independence. For a bird's eye view of Vilnius, a 15 min walk from the centre takes you to the Three Crosses Monument which offers a panoramic view of the city. This evening we'll meet with the leader for a briefing before heading out for dinner in a local restaurant.

Accommodation

Hotel

This morning we will take a short transfer to Varnikai Bog, where we start our walk from the Varnikai Zoological Reserve. We walk through beautiful forests and meadows before opening to spectacular views over the Ilgelis Bog and lakes. Passing through old villages we approach Galve Lake where we will get our first views of Trakai Castle. Walking over the wooden walkways and bridges we we find ourselves in the cozy medieval town of Trakai, once the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. With its beautiful location and castle perched on an island, we'll walk along the lake shore and learn about the local Karaimes. A proud ethnic group, the Karaimes have preserved their ancient traditions since arriving in Trakai in the 14th Century. Known for speaking the ancient language of Turkic, they produce mouth-watering filled pastries called kybyn. This delicious empanada-style snack includes a wide range of fillings, perfect for an afternoon snack or early dinner. Here we'll have the opportunity to taste and buy some directly from the local community. After Trakai we head back to Vilnius for a final night in the city.

Accommodation

Hotel

Meals

B

Time

4 hrs walking

Reachied by short train ride, today we will explore a Regional Park within Vilinius' city boundaries. The pristine Pavilnai Regional Park is a protected area that includes the 65m high Puckoriai Rock exposure in the Vilnia River Valley. twenty thousand year old formations are visible from the lower side after an easy 1km hike. From here we can admire a wonderful panorama of Vilinius surroundings, the bends of the Vilinius River, Puckoriai Manor and the former cannon foundry. We then return to the city to visit Uzupis neighbourhood. Located within the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, Uzupis is one of the smallest republics in the world, covering less than 1 sq km. But don’t be fooled by its size - it boasts its own president, government, constitution and currency, and even has a navy consisting of three or four small boats (used mainly for ceremonial purposes). Until recently, it also had an army of around 10 men, but given the republic’s peace-loving attitude, it has been retired. After picking up our luggage from the hotel, we head to Vilinius Railway Station to take the train (3hr45) to Klaipeda.

Accommodation

Hotel

Meals

B

Time

3 hrs walking

Distance

12 KM

This morning we start early with a short bus ride to Juodkrante to walk in the mystic 'Hill of Witches'. The Hill of Witches is a unique open air museum of wooden sculptures, where devils, witches and other folklore heroes reign, opening the natural-mystical spirit of this place to visitors. After this we visit a superb Cormorant and Grey heron colony which is one of the biggest in Europe. After a short transfer we then hike from Nida Beach to Parnidis Dune, passing white sand beaches, blueberry-laden forests and Nida Lighthouse before reaching the charming town of Nida. If you have one meal on Curonian Spit, make it smoked fish with rye bread and an ice-cold beer. The region is famed across Lithuania for pike, eel, mackerel and other fish hot-smoked (often with fragrant juniper twigs) and served simply. Curonian Spit's restaurant scene places its emphasis on homespun Lithuanian dishes. Nida has the broadest spread of restaurants but you'll also be well fed in Juodkrante. Finally we visit the Grey Dunes Nagliai Reserve to walk a short trail (1.2km) through the sand dunes that lead us to Curonian Lagoon. before transferring by bus (30 minutes) back to Klaipeda and our hotel.

Accommodation

Hotel

Meals

B

Time

2 hrs walking

Distance

4 KM

Today our hike starts from Karkle where our route leads us through a diverse and beautiful area within the Baltic Seaside Regional park. One of the most remarkable sites of the route is Dutchman's Cap Cliff - a parabolic dune emerging 24.4m from the sea which is constantly being eroded by the sea. After the spectacular views of the cliff we continue walking on an ecologial "Litorina" nature trail, leading us through forest before again reaching the beach. Where we will see the WW2 fortifications 'Memel Nord' and a glacial boulder field, a remenant of the last ice age retreat from Lithuanian territory. After our walk we will meet a group of professional amber hunters who will lead us on an amber hunting workshop. We will learn about the origin and properties of amber and if you are brave enough, will have the chance to try your luck amber catching in the Baltic Sea! From here we take a 2hr15m transfer to The Hill of Crosses, one of the most extraordinary sites in Lithuania. The Hill of Crosses is one of the most extraordinary sites in Lithuania. The 14th century hill-fort is covered in more than 100.000 crosses that symbolise Lithuanian nationalism and beliefs. Some of the crosses are devotional, while others are memorials for many people deported to Siberia. They vary greatly in size: a few are finely carved folk-art masterpieces and some are accompanied by mournful statues of the Virgin Mary. This is definitely a place where you will learn and better understand the local community’s difficult past, learn of its unshakable faith, and feel hope for the future. From here it is a 2 hour transfer to Riga.

Accommodation

Hotel

Meals

B

Time

4 hrs walking

Distance

10 KM

Today we start with a drive to the Gauja National Park, the largest and oldest national park in Latvia. The park is known for its magnificent sandstone landscape and is dotted with cliffs and caves including Gutman's Cave of which we'll walk through. The cave is a protected geological sight which is the largest in the Baltics measuring 10 meters high, 12 m width and 19 m deep and considered the oldest tourist attraction in Latvia due to the visitor's inscriptions, signatures and carvings dating back to 1677. After Gutman's Cave we pay a visit to the atmospheric Turaida castle ruins before heading back to Riga for a walking tour. Walking around we'll visit the Old Town including Riga Castle, Cathedral, Saint Peter's Church, Swedish Gate, the Large and Small Guild House, Freedom Monument, plus the magical Three Brothers building. After the walking tour, the rest of the afternoon will be for you to explore Riga at leisure.

Accommodation

Hotel

Meals

B

Time

2 hrs walking

This morning we visit the medieval town of Cesis, dating back to the 14th century the defensive stone walls, old town hall all add to the characterisit medieval feel. We then take a relaxing walk on the Cirulisi Natura trails, meandering through forest, rivers and lake shores, admiring the beauty of the Gauja River. During the walk we will see many natural fascinations including the impressive Cirulisu Cliffs which beautifully reflect in the water of the oxbow lake. After our walk we transfer for 35 minutes to Valmiiera, where we the Valmiermuiza Craft Brewery to sample the local offerings. The beer is produced from the highest quality ingredients, following the principles of slow brewing. While visiting the factory, you will have a chance to find out how the rich history of the manor has influenced the production of the beer. During a 1.5 hour brewery visit you will witness how they brew fine beer from a combination of Valmiermuiza well water, delicious malt, aristocratic hops and natural yeast. We then transfer to Tartu by bus (2hrs).

Accommodation

Hotel

Meals

B

Time

2 hrs walking

Today is spent walking and exploring the rich forest, cascading waterfalls and protected bogs of Estonia. We start by heading to Jagala Waterfall, the largest natural waterfall in Estonia. At 8m high and more than 50m wide, this wonderful natural body of water is home to large trout and salmon. After Jagala we'll enter the Lahemaa National Park. Established in 1971 to protect the nature and culture of North Estonia, Lahemaa is one of the most important forest reserves in Europe. Here we walk along the Oandu Old Growth Forest Nature Trail (5km), home to ancient pines. We'll also look out for bark that has been scratched or eaten by wild boar, bear and elk. Next it's one of Estonia's most protected landscapes, the Viru Bog. This 6km loop introduces us to wonderful flora and fauna as we walk over wooden walkways and look over this incredible area from the observation tower. After a full day in the park we head back to Tallinn for our final night in the city.

Accommodation

Hotel

Meals

B

Time

4 hrs walking

After breakfast the morning is free for a final walk around Tallinn before the group transfer to the airport. From Tallinn it is possible to take the ferry to Helsinki, Finand on this holiday's extension to add a final country to your Baltics adventure!

Meals

B
Download Trip Notes
The Route
Airport Airport
Point Point
Direction Direction
Transfer
Boat

Essential Information

We've compiled some of our Frequently Asked Questions to help you learn more about this amazing trip.

  • A professional and qualified tour leader
  • Single timed airport transfers on arrival and departure
  • All accommodation as described
  • Meals as described in the Meal Plan
  • All road and ferry transport (including public transport) as required by the itinerary

The group will meet at the hotel in Vilinus.

A single timed transfer from Vilinus Airport to the first nights hotel is provided in the early evening of Day 1 of the Land Only itinerary.

On the last day of the Land Only itinerary, there will be a single transfer to Tallinn Airport (Estonia) for flights departing in the late afternoon.

Anyone may join the group transfers by prior arrangement. Travelling as a group or on public transport saves energy. If this is not practical, we can provide private transfers at an additional cost. Taxis are also available.

Hotel contact details and an emergency number will be provided with your booking confirmation.

Breakfasts are included in the holiday price. The area has a fantastic range of restaurants to suit all budgets and tastes. The cost of meals varies depending on location and courses, we suggest you allow 10 - 15 euro for a lunch and 25 - 30 euro for dinner.

Breakfasts are included and continental buffet-style with a choice of bread, cold meats, cheeses, eggs and jam. The food of the Baltics is influenced by Russia, Scandinavia and Germany.  Rye bread is very popular, and when made fresh, it’s pretty delicious. Estonian kiluvoileib, or sprat sandwich, consists of buttered rye bread, topped with Baltic herrings and egg and is very popular. Kartupeļu pankūkas (potato pancakes) are delicious and can be found in all Baltic countries. The calorie-rich cepelinai potato filled with meat, cheese or mushrooms are very good and popular. Dumplings are originally a Russian dish and popular in Estonia - where they’re known as pelmeenid, in Lithuania - where they’re called koldunai and in Latvia where they’re called pelmeni. Similar to ravioli, the dough is rolled thin and filled with minced meat or mushrooms. Served with broth, butter, or sour cream, they are quite addictive.

Beetroot soup is a vibrant pink soup and very popular in the Baltics. Made with beetroot, cucumber, buttermilk, sour cream, hard-boiled eggs and dill, it is refreshing packed with flavor. Pickles are on every menu, and not only cucumbers. Mushrooms, beans, cabbage, peppers, and beetroot are popular but you’ll also find pickled garlic, which is surprisingly delicious. Different herbs and spices are used so each one you try is a little bit different than the one before. Fried bread is not for watching the waistline, but it is a common snack in Lithuania and delicious. Pieces of rye bread are fried, rubbed with garlic, and topped with salt. Sometimes served with melted cheese or garlic aioli, it goes well with beer or cider and is impossible to eat just one piece! You’ll also find a variety of dishes containing beans, sauerkraut, potato salads, breaded pork, herrings, smoked fish and mouth-watering meat patties.

The group will be led by a professional and qualified tour leader.

Approximately 300 – 350 euro should be budgeted for miscellaneous expenses including the non-included meals, drinks and tips. With regard to meals, we suggest you allow 10 – 15 euro for a lunch and 25 – 30 euro for dinner. There are a number of excellent restaurants through the Baltic States and the leader will recommended ones that cater for a wide range of tastes and budgets. It is also good to remember that if you enjoy a number of courses plus wine for dinner, you’ll need to budget significantly more. The national currency of all four countries is the Euro. There are many ATMs in the cities and larger towns, plus on arrival at the airport. Credit and debit cards are accepted for payments in many shops and restaurants.

For this holiday you should take one piece of luggage and a daypack. Luggage with wheels is useful for this holiday. For international flights please check your baggage allowance with your airline.

For each holiday there is a minimum number of participants required to enable it to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to run'. You can check the trip status for each departure in the ‘Dates and Prices’ table. Other than in exceptional circumstances, we will not cancel a trip once it has achieved this guaranteed to run status so you are free to proceed with your international flight booking and other travel arrangements.

Baltic summers are warm with daytime temperatures ranging from around 20 to 30 degrees Centigrade. Evenings may be slightly cooler and although rain in unlikely, it is best to be prepared for all weathers. Because of the northern location, summer days will be lovely and long, with up to 17 hours of daylight in the summer.

As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's ‘Travel Aware campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that before travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCDO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips.

KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe.  Should the FCDO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation.  We receive regular updates directly from the FCDO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground.  If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office.

KE do not encourage the use of single use plastic items. We are ensuring that our agents all over the world are working together to reduce the problem and educate those around them. We are leading by example in our KE office by reducing our plastic use.

  • Baltic Capitals – Bradt Guides

  • The Merry Baker of Riga – Boris Zemtzov

  • To the Baltic with Bob – Griff Rhys Jones

  • A History of the Baltic States – Andres Kasecamp

Please try to keep the weight of your baggage to a minimum. See the ‘baggage allowance’ section for further details.

  • Lightweight walking shoes
  • Socks

  • Underwear

  • Walking / sightseeing trousers

  • Waterproof jacket

  • Waterproof trousers

  • Shorts, T-shirts and/or casual shirts

  • Lightweight fleece jacket or warm jumper

  • Sunhat

  • Sunglasses

  • Day pack min 15 litres

  • Sun protection (including for lips)

  • Water bottle 1 Litre

  • Washbag and toiletries

  • Antibacterial hand wash

  • Basic First Aid Kit including: Antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium) painkillers, plasters and blister treatment, Insect repellent (DEET), and re-hydration salts (Dioralite).

Optional Items 

  • Camera

  • Travel clothes

  • Small padlock to lock your luggage

Cotswold Outdoor Red PantonMany of the Equipment items listed above are available from Cotswold Outdoor - our 'Official Recommended Outdoor Retailer'. When you book a holiday with KE you will receive 12.5% discount voucher from Cotswold Outdoor and other retailers.
>> Find out more

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 from 4 reviews

A great experience travelling through the Baltic Countries ★★★★★

After a few false starts courtesy of Covid this was our first trip travelling with KE and we were extremely satisfied both with the content and delivery of the holiday. It always helps if the weather is kind and we generally enjoyed consistently warm days with clear blue skies which was a bonus in early September Secondly our guide Valdis, also leading his first KE journey was an absolute gem. He was fun, knowledgable about all the countries, their politics and history as well as highly competen t on the nature trails, city walking tours and individual sites. We were just a small number and he quickly became an integral part of the group adding additional activities during free times and recommending good places to eat often coming along with us. We couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the Baltic countries We felt the balance on our tour was exactly as expected and hoped for, with a good mix of city culture, nature trails, coast and visits to other sites of interest. The amount of walking was fine considering the trip covered quite a distance and thus time was limited for major hikes. The 12km bog / forest trail in Estonia was a particular highlight but if you want a proper hiking holiday look elsewhere Overall we can find little to fault with our experience and enjoyed travelling through the Baltic countries courtesy of KE. Highly recommended
By Barry from Southampton | 18 September 2022

Fantastic entry to group travel, and incredible Baltic States ★★★★★

I had only a vague idea what to expect when I arrived in Vilnius at the start of this 10-day Baltic States trip. One thing that didn’t surprise me was the severity that the Soviet era had had on the whole area. Having flown from Manchester very early on a Saturday morning, arriving at Latvia’s capital to be greeted by the synonymous television tower in the distance was reminiscent of watching the fall of the old Soviet empire in the ’80s & ’90s. A beautiful Vilnius greeted us for the first two nights: vibrant and “happening” what a stunning mixture of the old and communism-style architecture, mixed with a noticeable amount of space. A trip to the Curonian Spit and it’s vastness of properly high sand-dunes, along with views to neighbouring Russia (yup, there’s a conundrum...), and trees. After overnighting in Klaipeda, we headed north to Riga for a two night stay in a city centre hotel which made exploring the city and surrounding countryside very easy. Again the vibrancy of the architecture was seriously impressive, but the brutality of the old Soviet era had left its mark, although not necessarily in a bad way, more a reminder of recent history. A much needed day of travelling to Tallinn via Pärnu, the Estonian beach holiday destination, followed by three nights in an old hotel within the ancient city walls, saw us well and truly spoilt for a diverse mixture of architecture and things to see & do. One highlight - and definitely worth booking to do - was visiting the non-existent 23rd floor of the Hotel Viru, a hastily evacuated KGB listening post in 1991....this brought home to me how “close” we all were to such control. Follow this with a trip to the KGB interrogation cells, merely yards from our hotel. Onwards, via ferry, to Helsinki for our final day and the city tour went from amazing to incredible with each corner we turned. Our KE guide for the trip, Kristine, was very knowledgeable, and being a Lithuanian was able to help immerse us in the local cultures of the different countries. The walking we did was a perfect mix of urban, bog-type duck-boards, woodland and trail routes. Great trip and I’d recommend to anyone, especially those with a nose for modern history too. The diversity of the food was great: some of the local dishes definitely have an acquired taste!
By Harry from Whitehaven | 24 September 2019

Very easy walking trip through beautiful countries ★★★★

This was a decent trip. The Baltics are beautiful and all of the hotels except the one in Talinn were decent. The Tallinn hotel was horrible and I hope KE never uses it again. While the countries were beautiful and we got to see a lot of great sights, we all agreed that this should have been labeled a level 1, rather than level 2. A lot of the time KE counted as walking was really standing around in a city tour, with a total of about 1/4 of the amount of time walking as promised. This is much mo re of a sightseeing vacation than an exercise vacation. I recommend adding 1-2 days before the trip starts in Vilnius. We did that and covered a lot of interesting sights that the tour did not have time to include. I think the itinerary would be better if they did 2 nights in Klaeipida to give appropriate time for the Curonian spit (we were way too rushed through this amazing gem, but the nature hiking the two days we got out into national parks in Latvia and Estonia was superb, especially the Bog hiking day. Our guide was pleasant and tried really hard to make everyone comfortable. He missed one of the food stops because he didn't have the same itinerary as us, but otherwise, the trip was true to the itinerary. This is a good trip if you want to pack a lot of sights and cities into a 10 day trip, but not for you if you want to walk for 3-4 hours per day.
By Sara from Washington | 04 August 2019

KE Adventure reply

Thank you for your review. We are pleased that you enjoyed the Baltic states and that you thought this was a good trip. It is a new holiday for us and we are sure it will get even better as a result of your feedback and suggestions. The trip is designed to be an easy paced 'highlights' holiday with active city walking tours and some easy trail walks of maximum 3 hours. We are changing the hotel we use in Talinn.


A great introduction to the Baltic States but activity level quite low ★★★★

The Baltic Trails and Helsinki Adventure was a great introduction to the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Our Lithuanian guide was excellent and he brought the visit to life with his experience of growing up in Russian dominated Lithuania and living through the transition to a Western state. The trip was very well organised but I would point out three points for future travellers: 1) Our entire group of 11 felt that the amount of walking was much less than we expected by the itine rary and most of us would have preferred more walking. 2) The cost of dinner each evening was surprisingly high and we spent 70 to 100 Euros a night on dinner for two - much more than we expected. 3) The hotels were generally OK but quite basic. In particular, our hotel room in Tallinn was tiny and the breakfast was dreadful. The weather was hot in Tallinn and it was very difficult to cool the hotel room down. Open windows and curtains were not a pleasure as it was light by 4am. (The air-conditioned room in Helsinki, with curtains we could close, was a delight by comparison.) All-in-all a really good trip but more expensive than expected with a lower level of activity.
By Christopher from Hayling Island | 30 July 2019

KE Adventure reply

Thank you for your review and we are pleased you thought this was a really good trip. The holiday is one of our grade 2 trips, where the emphasis is on absorbing the cultural highlights of the Baltic States at a relaxed and gentle pace. Your spend of between 35 and 50 Euros per person on a 3 course dinner with wine is about right and in line with our guidance. We are sorry that this was unexpected. Following feedback from your group, we are now looking for an alternative hotel for the nights spent in Tallinn.


Traveller Reviews
4.5 out of 5 from 4 reviews

A great experience travelling through the Baltic Countries
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
After a few false starts courtesy of Covid this was our first trip travelling with KE and we were extremely satisfied both with the content and delivery of the holiday. It always helps if the weather is kind and we generally enjoyed consistently warm days with clear blue skies which was a bonus in early September Secondly our guide Valdis, also leading his first KE journey was an absolute gem. He was fun, knowledgable about all the countries, their politics and history as well as highly competen t on the nature trails, city walking tours and individual sites. We were just a small number and he quickly became an integral part of the group adding additional activities during free times and recommending good places to eat often coming along with us. We couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the Baltic countries We felt the balance on our tour was exactly as expected and hoped for, with a good mix of city culture, nature trails, coast and visits to other sites of interest. The amount of walking was fine considering the trip covered quite a distance and thus time was limited for major hikes. The 12km bog / forest trail in Estonia was a particular highlight but if you want a proper hiking holiday look elsewhere Overall we can find little to fault with our experience and enjoyed travelling through the Baltic countries courtesy of KE. Highly recommended
By Barry from Southampton | 18 September 2022

Fantastic entry to group travel, and incredible Baltic States
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I had only a vague idea what to expect when I arrived in Vilnius at the start of this 10-day Baltic States trip. One thing that didn’t surprise me was the severity that the Soviet era had had on the whole area. Having flown from Manchester very early on a Saturday morning, arriving at Latvia’s capital to be greeted by the synonymous television tower in the distance was reminiscent of watching the fall of the old Soviet empire in the ’80s & ’90s. A beautiful Vilnius greeted us for the first two nights: vibrant and “happening” what a stunning mixture of the old and communism-style architecture, mixed with a noticeable amount of space. A trip to the Curonian Spit and it’s vastness of properly high sand-dunes, along with views to neighbouring Russia (yup, there’s a conundrum...), and trees. After overnighting in Klaipeda, we headed north to Riga for a two night stay in a city centre hotel which made exploring the city and surrounding countryside very easy. Again the vibrancy of the architecture was seriously impressive, but the brutality of the old Soviet era had left its mark, although not necessarily in a bad way, more a reminder of recent history. A much needed day of travelling to Tallinn via Pärnu, the Estonian beach holiday destination, followed by three nights in an old hotel within the ancient city walls, saw us well and truly spoilt for a diverse mixture of architecture and things to see & do. One highlight - and definitely worth booking to do - was visiting the non-existent 23rd floor of the Hotel Viru, a hastily evacuated KGB listening post in 1991....this brought home to me how “close” we all were to such control. Follow this with a trip to the KGB interrogation cells, merely yards from our hotel. Onwards, via ferry, to Helsinki for our final day and the city tour went from amazing to incredible with each corner we turned. Our KE guide for the trip, Kristine, was very knowledgeable, and being a Lithuanian was able to help immerse us in the local cultures of the different countries. The walking we did was a perfect mix of urban, bog-type duck-boards, woodland and trail routes. Great trip and I’d recommend to anyone, especially those with a nose for modern history too. The diversity of the food was great: some of the local dishes definitely have an acquired taste!
By Harry from Whitehaven | 24 September 2019

Very easy walking trip through beautiful countries
★ ★ ★ ★
This was a decent trip. The Baltics are beautiful and all of the hotels except the one in Talinn were decent. The Tallinn hotel was horrible and I hope KE never uses it again. While the countries were beautiful and we got to see a lot of great sights, we all agreed that this should have been labeled a level 1, rather than level 2. A lot of the time KE counted as walking was really standing around in a city tour, with a total of about 1/4 of the amount of time walking as promised. This is much mo re of a sightseeing vacation than an exercise vacation. I recommend adding 1-2 days before the trip starts in Vilnius. We did that and covered a lot of interesting sights that the tour did not have time to include. I think the itinerary would be better if they did 2 nights in Klaeipida to give appropriate time for the Curonian spit (we were way too rushed through this amazing gem, but the nature hiking the two days we got out into national parks in Latvia and Estonia was superb, especially the Bog hiking day. Our guide was pleasant and tried really hard to make everyone comfortable. He missed one of the food stops because he didn't have the same itinerary as us, but otherwise, the trip was true to the itinerary. This is a good trip if you want to pack a lot of sights and cities into a 10 day trip, but not for you if you want to walk for 3-4 hours per day.
By Sara from Washington | 04 August 2019

KE Adventure reply

Thank you for your review. We are pleased that you enjoyed the Baltic states and that you thought this was a good trip. It is a new holiday for us and we are sure it will get even better as a result of your feedback and suggestions. The trip is designed to be an easy paced 'highlights' holiday with active city walking tours and some easy trail walks of maximum 3 hours. We are changing the hotel we use in Talinn.


A great introduction to the Baltic States but activity level quite low
★ ★ ★ ★
The Baltic Trails and Helsinki Adventure was a great introduction to the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Our Lithuanian guide was excellent and he brought the visit to life with his experience of growing up in Russian dominated Lithuania and living through the transition to a Western state. The trip was very well organised but I would point out three points for future travellers: 1) Our entire group of 11 felt that the amount of walking was much less than we expected by the itine rary and most of us would have preferred more walking. 2) The cost of dinner each evening was surprisingly high and we spent 70 to 100 Euros a night on dinner for two - much more than we expected. 3) The hotels were generally OK but quite basic. In particular, our hotel room in Tallinn was tiny and the breakfast was dreadful. The weather was hot in Tallinn and it was very difficult to cool the hotel room down. Open windows and curtains were not a pleasure as it was light by 4am. (The air-conditioned room in Helsinki, with curtains we could close, was a delight by comparison.) All-in-all a really good trip but more expensive than expected with a lower level of activity.
By Christopher from Hayling Island | 30 July 2019

KE Adventure reply

Thank you for your review and we are pleased you thought this was a really good trip. The holiday is one of our grade 2 trips, where the emphasis is on absorbing the cultural highlights of the Baltic States at a relaxed and gentle pace. Your spend of between 35 and 50 Euros per person on a 3 course dinner with wine is about right and in line with our guidance. We are sorry that this was unexpected. Following feedback from your group, we are now looking for an alternative hotel for the nights spent in Tallinn.


DATES & PRICES

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2025

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More Information

  • Baltic Trails Adventure
    Without Flights
  • Departure Reference: BSH /01/25/
  • This trip begins on Sat 19 Jul and ends on Sun 27 Jul
  • This departure is available to book. Secure your place today with a deposit of US$425
  • Single Supplement Price: US$535 - Includes all hotel nights
  • Download Trip Notes

More Information

  • Baltic Trails Adventure
    Without Flights
  • Departure Reference: BSH /02/25/
  • This trip begins on Sat 6 Sep and ends on Sun 14 Sep
  • This departure is available to book. Secure your place today with a deposit of US$425
  • Single Supplement Price: US$535 - Includes all hotel nights
  • Download Trip Notes

Land Only Information

The LAND ONLY dates and prices are for the itinerary joining at the hotel in Vilinus, Lithuania. A single timed transfer is included from Vilnius Airport. The holidays ends in Tallinn, Estonia, A single timed transfer on departure is included.

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BOOK WITH KE CONFIDENCE - No surcharge guarantee

The price of our holidays can change depending on a variety of factors but unlike some other tour operators, KE have undertaken to guarantee the Land Only price of your holiday will not change after you have booked. The price when you book is the price you will pay, whether you are booking for this year or the next. Book early to avoid any tour price increases, get the best flight prices and take advantage of our 'No Surcharge Guarantee'.

KE Adventure is a fully bonded tour operator. We hold an ATOL license (No: 2808) and are bonded with ABTA (Membership No: W4341)

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