Grand Baltic Explorer

Day 2 Helsinki - Tallinn

Discover Helsinki today with a full day of exploration. After you've enjoyed breakfast, join your Holiday Director on a stroll around the city's historical centre. Notable sights include Senate Square, the Presidential Palace, the Parliament building and Finlandia Hall, home to the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.
Dedicated to the famed composer, the Sibelius Monument is our next highlight, followed by the Temppeliaukio Church, carved into solid rock and crowned with a copper dome.
In the afternoon we'll take the ferry to Tallinn.

Day 3 Tallinn

Enjoy a walking tour of Tallinn this morning, which will introduce you to districts dating back to the Middle Ages. Together we'll walk along narrow streets lined by Gothic-style merchants' houses to discover Toompea Castle, Town Hall Square and the Russian orthodox Alexander Nevskij Cathedral.
In the afternoon, there is an optional tour of the grand Kadriorg Palace, a gift from Peter the Great to his wife Catherine I in the 1720s.

Day 4 Turaida Castle - Sigulda - Riga

The next leg of your journey takes you into Latvia, where you'll stay in Riga for two nights. Our drive here gives us the chance to enjoy further sightseeing, firstly with a stop at the reconstructed medieval Turaida Castle. Later, we can stretch our legs in the pretty town of Sigulda.

Day 5 Riga

Explore Riga today on a walking tour with a Local Guide. Your sightseeing will include the Dome Cathedral, Riga Castle and St Peter's Cathedral. The tour ends at the famous Riga central market where we'll stop at a fish bar and enjoy a buffet of local specialities. Latvia has a strong fishing tradition and fish dishes feature prominently in Latvian cuisine. If you feel brave you could even do as the locals do and try sprats on bread with a shot of vodka. There's an optional afternoon visit to the Latvian Ethnographic Open-air Museum on the banks of Lake Jugla. Its ancient buildings have been brought from all over the country and give a fascinating insight into Latvia's culture and traditions.

Day 6 Rundale Palace - Siauliai - Vilnius

We take to the road for a drive to Vilnius, where you stay for two nights. En route to Lithuania's capital we'll call at the pilgrimage site of the Hill of Crosses in Siauliai, as well as Rundale Palace. This masterpiece of Baroque architecture was created by Italian architect FB Rastrelli, who was responsible for many of St Petersburg's finest buildings, including the Winter Palace.

This evening, enjoy the atmosphere of a traditional restaurant and be entertained by a folk show performed by local musicians. In this restaurant, traditional dishes are prepared from the oldest recipes and corn bread is baked daily, a staple of Lithuanian cuisine that is not to be missed.

Day 7 Vilnius

After breakfast it's time to discover Vilnius with a guided tour of its UNESCO-listed Old Town, one of the largest surviving medieval towns in Europe. You'll see St Anna's Church, St Peter's and Paul's Church, the cathedral and the Gate of Dawn, one of nine defensive gates built in Vilnius between 1503 and 1522. Following the guided tour, the afternoon is yours to enjoy as you please, maybe to find a spot for lunch.

Day 8 Druskininkai - Grutas Park - Warsaw

Today's journey by road takes us to Warsaw in Poland. On the way we'll stop off to explore the spa town of Druskininkai, which boasts many mineral springs and mud baths. Close by, we'll also visit Grutas Park, an extraordinary collection of Soviet-era sculptures that escaped destruction when Lithuania gained its independence in 1990-91. Enjoy a traditional dinner at a restaurant in Warsaw.

Day 9 Warsaw

You'll discover the best of Warsaw as your Local Guide points out all the highlights on today's tour. There's Castle Square, which fronts the Royal Castle, Sigismund's Column – the city's most famous landmark, and St John's Cathedral. Together we'll stroll through the Market Square and stop to admire the Monument of Warsaw's Uprising.

Day 10 Warsaw - UK

You'll head to the airport today for your flight back to the UK.