THE BALTICS
A 9-day trip to the three Baltic states, visiting the capitals of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
About this tour:
All rates are per person based on double occupancy.
Dates: TBA
Price for travel agent (land only): $1,650 USD per person
For companion: $1,750 USD
Single supplement: $499 USD
E-mail info@internationaltravelexperts.com or call +1 914-484-3625 (cell) for details.
Your tour includes:
Tour highlights:
Itinerary:
Day 1 – Thursday. Riga
Arrive at Riga International Airport. Meet awaiting tour escort and motor coach and proceed to hotel. Overnight in Riga.
Day 2 – Friday. Riga – Vilnius
Check out from hotel in Riga. Two-hour excursion to Rundale Palace, one of two major baroque palaces built for the Dukes of Courland in what is now Latvia. The palace was built in two periods, from 1736-40 and 1764-68. It is situated at Pilsrundāle, 12 km west of Bauska. It was designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli as a summer residence of Ernst Johann von Biron, the Duke of Courland. Following Biron’s fall from grace, the palace stood empty until the 1760s, when Rastrelli returned to complete its interior. Johann Michael Graff produced lavish stucco decorations for the palace during this time.
Afternoon motor coach travel to Vilnius, capital of Lithuania. Overnight in Vilnius.
Day 3 – Saturday. Vilnius
Three-hour walking tour of Vilnius.
Vilnius Old Town is one of the largest surviving medieval towns in northern Europe. In 1994 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are 55 churches in Vilnius, many of them in the center. You will see Vilnius University, the President’s Palace, Gediminas castle, St. Anna Gothic-style church and the Uzupis artist district beyond the river Vilnia. Overnight in Vilnius.
Day 4 – Sunday. Vilnius – Riga
Check out. Excursion to the Hill of Crosses, a pilgrimage site about 12 km north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first crosses were placed on the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort after the 1831 Uprising. Over the centuries, giant crucifixes, carvings of Lithuanian patriots, statues of the Virgin Mary and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries have also been placed by Catholic pilgrims. The exact number of crosses is unknown, but estimates put it at about 55,000 in 1990 and 100,000 in 2006.
Motor coach, overnight in Riga.
Day 5 – Monday. Riga
Three-hour city tour of Riga, capital of Latvia.
The 19th-century Latvian National Opera House and unique House of the Blackheads, with fantastic ornaments reconstructed in the late 1990s. Also Riga Castle, founded in 1330, and Dome Cathedral, known for its size and large pipe organ; the defensive town walls, with Powder Tower and Swedish Gate; the Latvian Parliament; St. Peter’s Church (a symbol of Riga); the Freedom Monument. Overnight in Riga.
Day 6 – Tuesday. Sigulda – Tallinn
Excursion to Sigulda, a town in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, 53 km from Riga. Sigulda is on a picturesque stretch of the primeval Gauja River valley. Because of the reddish Devonian sandstone, which forms steep rocks and caves on both banks of the river, Sigulda has been called the “Switzerland of Vidzeme.”
After the restoration of Latvian independence in 1991, emphasis was placed on conserving Sigulda’s public monuments and parks and improving the tourist sector. A traditional Opera Festival takes place in an open-air music hall in the castle ruins each summer. A Town Festival is celebrated in May when cherry trees blossom, while Sigulda is known for the colors of its trees in autumn.
Continue to Tallinn, capital of Estonia. Overnight in Tallinn.
Day 7 – Wednesday. Tallinn
Guided tour through Tallinn’s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its medieval center, narrow cobbled streets, 14th-century churches and merchants’ homes. Brave the steep climb up to the observation deck in the 12th-century Oleviste Church for superb views. Overnight in Tallinn.
Day 8 – Thursday. Tallinn
Independent sightseeing, shopping and last-minute photo opportunities. Overnight in Tallinn.
Day 9 – Friday. Tallinn
Check out from hotel. Bid farewell to this elegant, exciting city. Transfer to airport.
A 9-day trip to discover the three Baltic states, visiting the capitals of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
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Georgia, The Baltics
GEORGIA
A 9-day trip to Georgia, the birthplace of wine.
About this tour:
All rates are per person based on double occupancy.
Dates: TBA
Price for travel agent (land only): $1,950 USD per person
For companion: $2,250 USD
Single supplement: $499 USD
E-mail info@internationaltravelexperts.com or call +1 914-484-3625 (cell) for details.
Your tour includes:
Tour highlights:
Itinerary:
Day 1 – Wednesday. Tbilisi
Arrival in Tbilisi international airport, transfer to hotel. Evening at leisure.
Day 2 – Thursday. Tbilisi
Tbilisi city tour – Old Town, sulphur bath neighborhood, Narikala fortress (4th century), Peace Bridge, Anchiskhati – oldest church in Tbilisi (6th century), Holy Trinity (main cathedral of Georgia), Freedom Square. Welcome dinner in traditional Georgian restaurant.
Day 3 – Friday. Tbilisi – Kakheti
Drive east to the wine region. Bodbe nunnery (4th-5th centuries), where enlightener of the nation St. Nino is buried. Visit to Sighnaghi and its small streets, beautiful houses and balconies. Tasting in local winery. Lunch, drive back to Tbilisi. Free evening.
Day 4 – Saturday. Tbilisi – Kazbegi
Drive to the north, the High Caucasus. See 14th-century castle and picturesque views, infamous Georgian military highway to Kazbegi. Overnight in Kazbegi, evening free.
Day 5 – Sunday. Kazbegi
Gergeti mount via 4x4 vehicles. The most famous scenery of Georgia. Church is 2,120 m above sea level, in the foothills of Kazbegi mount (5,047m). Drive to Darialy Gorge. Return to hotel, evening free.
Day 6 – Monday. Kazbegi – Uplistsikhe – Borjomi
Drive south to Uplistsikhe, antique cave city from third millennium B.C. Drive to resort town Borjomi, famous for its mineral springs. Overnight in Borjomi. Free evening.
Day 7 – Tuesday. Borjomi – Vardzia – Akhaltsikhe – Borjomi
Visit castle of Rabati in Akhaltsikhe. Visit Vardzia cave city from 12th century. Almost 3,000 caves on 13 levels. Cave complex was carved specially for military defense, later became a city with 50,000 population. Return to Borjomi. Tour famous park and taste mineral waters, time permitting.
Day 8 – Wednesday. Borjomi – Mtskheta – Tbilisi
Return to Tbilisi. En route visit old capital Mtskheta, two UNESCO sites Jvari (6th century) and Svetitskhoveli (11th century). Lunch at Tbilisi funicular, visit state museums. Free evening.
Day 9 – Thursday. Tbilisi
Check out. Transfer to airport.