Updated Itinerary

A Typical Day

Below is our tentative daily schedule at a glance. All timings and distances are approximate. Our tour staff will make daily announcements with specifics and times during the trip. Note that our itinerary may shift due to the weather or to take advantage of unexpected opportunities. 

A typical day’s activities begin with a continental buffet breakfast and hot items available a la carte. (Please allow yourself extra time when ordering a la carte items). We then meet around 8:30 a.m. for a lecture or our day's excursion, armed with an extra layer (sweater or wrap), light rain jacket, sunscreen, sunglasses, water, hat, camera and our comfortable walking shoes. There will be coach travel, with up to 2 miles of walking at a slow pace and perhaps climbing stairs without handrails. After lunch, we are off again in the afternoon for an excursion before returning to our hotel. On arrival at our hotel, we have time to freshen up before dinner. While some dinners are on our own, group dinners are usually served around 7:00 p.m.

Meals included in the program are indicated next to the hotel name with the following designations:

B = Breakfast            L = Lunch                 D = Dinner               

Monday, June 2
Vilnius, Lithuania

3:00 p.m.     Check in time at the Grand Hotel Vilnius in the Heart of Old Town

4:00 p.m.     Enjoy an optional walking tour through the medieval district’s cobblestone alleys and lively Cathedral Square.

Have dinner at leisure before beginning group activities tomorrow.

GRAND HOTEL VILNIUS, CURIO COLLECTION BY HILTON

Tuesday, June 3
Vilnius

Morning:

Begin the day with a welcome orientation and our first lecture by Bert Patenaude, “'Look at the Map!' Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania since the Collapse of Communism.” Tour the Gothic corner of Vilnius including medieval churches and a city gate built in the sixteenth century. Enjoy a funicular ride to the top of Castle Hill, offering sweeping views of Vilnius, and visit the history museum in Gediminas Castle Tower.

Afternoon:

Dine on your own for lunch. After an afternoon at leisure, join fellow travelers for a welcome reception and dinner this evening.

GRAND HOTEL VILNIUS, CURIO COLLECTION BY HILTON (B, R, D)

Wednesday, June 4
Kaunas

Morning:

Head out this morning to Kaunas, the historical capital of Lithuania. Explore the nineteenth century fort that served as a prison after WWII.

Afternoon:

Have lunch together in Kaunas, then return to Vilnius this afternoon for a tour of the KGB Museum, a former KGB building showcasing artifacts from the Soviet occupation of Lithuania. Remain at the KGB Museum for our second lecture, “Kaliningrad: Russia’s Exclave on the Baltic,” before dinner on our own this evening.

GRAND HOTEL VILNIUS, CURIO COLLECTION BY HILTON (B, L)

Thursday, June 5
Trakai Historical National Park

Morning:
Depart for Trakai Historical National Park, stopping en route to visit the Paneriai Memorial. Upon arrival to the park, enjoy a scenic walk to Trakai Castle, a fourteenth-century fortress set on beautiful Lake Galvė. Tour the castle and have lunch at Apvalaus Stalo Klubas with incredible lake views.

Afternoon:
After lunch, take a private cruise on Lake Galvė. Experience the Karaite Ethnographic Museum, situated on a street dotted with picturesque wooden cottages. Return to Vilnius for a group dinner.

GRAND HOTEL VILNIUS, CURIO COLLECTION BY HILTON (B, L, D) - Please remember to settle any bills with the hotel this evening. 

Friday, June 6
Riga, Latvia

Morning:
Depart this morning for our drive to Riga, stopping along the way for a private tour and lunch at the Rundāle Palace, one of the most outstanding monuments of baroque and rococo architecture in Latvia.

Afternoon:
Continue to Riga and experience a short city orientation tour on the coach before free time this evening.

GRAND PALACE HOTEL RIGA (B, L)

Saturday, June 7
Riga

Morning:
Start the day with a morning lecture: “Yankee Doodle: America and the Fledgling Baltic States, 1918–1922.” Then, head out on a walking tour of Old Town Riga, or Vecrīga, with its historic wooden buildings and cobblestoned streets.

Afternoon:
Following lunch, enjoy a folkloric performance by a children’s dance troupe. Tour the modern Žanis Lipke Memorial, a memorial museum honoring where Žanis Lipke had arranged a shelter for rescued Jews during World War II. Explore the city at your leisure this afternoon and perhaps try a traditional Latvian restaurant for dinner.

GRAND PALACE HOTEL RIGA (B, L)

Sunday, June 8
Riga

Morning:
Take a guided tour of the Art Nouveau Museum, the only museum in the Baltic States dedicated to the art nouveau heritage.

Afternoon:
Tour the Riga Central Market – housed in five repurposed Zeppelin hangars from the 1930s – while sampling local foods for lunch. Then visit Tavi Draugi, “Your Friends,” a Latvian non-governmental organization that has become one of Latvia’s most active humanitarian aid groups. Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure and rejoin as a group for dinner with Valdis Birkavs, former Prime Minister of Latvia.

GRAND PALACE HOTEL RIGA (B, L, D) - Please remember to settle any bills with the hotel this evening.

Monday, June 9
Tallinn, Estonia

Morning:
Depart for Estonia’s capital, Tallinn. Stop in the seaside town of Pärnu for lunch at a unique art nouveau villa and the opportunity to walk along the shore.

Afternoon:

Continue to Tallinn and arrive at our luxurious hotel located in the heart of Tallinn’s Old Town. Enjoy an evening and dinner at leisure.

HOTEL TELEGRAAF, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION (B, L)

Tuesday, June 10
Tallinn

Morning:
Head out on a tour this morning of Tallinn’s Old Town, including Town Hall Square, Toompea Castle, and the Dominican Monastery. Take in art and architecture spanning hundreds of years before heading to lunch in a beautiful historic hall, followed by a concert of medieval music.

Afternoon:
Tour the Niguliste Museum to learn about Estonian ecclesiastical art. Walk through the park to Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom for a private tour. Hear from Liisi Esse, Stanford Library Curator for Estonian and Baltic Studies since 2013. Return to the hotel for dinner at leisure.

HOTEL TELEGRAAF, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION (B, L)

Wednesday, June 11
Tallinn

Morning:
Begin our day with Bert’s final lecture, “The Baltic Response to the War in Ukraine,” at the spectacular Kumu Museum. Take in the museum’s award-winning architecture and permanent collection of Estonian art following our lecture.

Afternoon:
After free time and lunch on our own at the Balti Jaam Market, take a guided walk through Telliskivi, known as Creative City, full of repurposed industrial buildings, art exhibitions, vintage shops, and a unique food market with over three hundred stalls. Spend an afternoon at leisure before our final evening together with a farewell reception and dinner.

HOTEL TELEGRAAF, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION (B, R, D)

Thursday, June 12
Tallinn / Home

Transfer to the airport for return flights home.

(B)