POLISH AND BALTIC JEWELS - 13 DAYS
Krakow - Warsaw - Olsztyn - Vilnus - Riga - Tallinn

ITINERARY & PRICES

Day 1 (Tuesday): Arrival Krakow
Arrival in Krakow, optional transfer to Hotel Golden Tulip Krakow City Center or similar, check-in, welcome meeting.

Day 2 (Wednesday): Krakow
For half a millennium Krakow was the royal capital of Poland and for centuries the city walls have guarded its traditions and secrets. The day starts with a walking tour of the Old Town with the St. Mary’s Church, the Jagiellonian University, the Cloth Halls and Wawel with the Wawel Castle and the Wawel Cathedral. The afternoon offers an optional excursion to the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine, an amazing labyrinth of tunnels going down as far as 327 meters. The evening offers an optional Polish dinner at Restaurant Hawelka.

Day 3 (Thursday): Krakow - Warsaw
The morning offers optional visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum or free morning to explore further city on your own. In early after transfer to Krakow railway station and departure by train to Warsaw. Arrival to Warsaw railway station and transfer to Hotel Radisson Blu Sobieski or similar for check in.

Day 4 (Friday): Warsaw
Warsaw is essentially a post-war city with a meticulously reconstructed Old Town. The morning sightseeing tour includes the Royal Route and the Old Town with the Royal Castle, St John’s Cathedral, the Old Town Market Square and the Barbican. In the afternoon s offered an optional excursion to the Royal Lazienki Park with the Palace on the Water. The evening offers an optional Polish dinner at Restaurant Gospoda Kwiaty Polskie.

Day 5 (Saturday): Warsaw - Bialystok
Today we continue through the well forested Eastern Poland to Podlasie region and Bialowieza. The forest there represents the ancient forest that once covered all Europe. We will visit Bialowieza National Park and its famous European Bison Show Reserve. After light stroll along nature trails of the forest, we continue to Biaylistok where we check in at Hotel Ibis Styles Bialystok or similar. In the late afternoon we visit Bialystok and its landmark Branicki Palace.

Day 6 (Sunday): Bialystok - Vilnius
We depart from Bialystok heading to Vilnius through attractive resort towns into Lithuania. We do a stop in Kaunas, the former capital of Lithuania, to admire the beautiful Old Town and the elegant white Baroque Town Hall before we arrive in the late afternoon to Vilnius. Check in at Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva or similar.

Day 7 (Monday): Vilnius
Vilnius is known for its more than 1.200 medieval buildings and 48 churches. The morning sightseeing tour includes a panoramic tour of the city and a walking tour of the Old Town with Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas Tower, Peter and Paul Church, St. Anne’s Church, Old University and the Gates of Dawn. The afternoon offers an optional excursion to Trakai, the medieval capital of Lithuania, with the well preserved Trakai Castle, beautifully located on an island in Lake Galve. In the evening enjoy an optional Lithuanian dinner at Restaurant Senoji Trobele.

Day 8 (Tuesday): Vilnius - Riga
Heading for Riga, the first stop is the Hill of Crosses, one of the most holy sites of Catholic Lithuania. After crossing into Latvia we soon reach the magnificent Rundale Palace, the former summer residence of the Duke of Courland. Following a guided tour of the palace we travel through the rolling hills of Southern Latvia to reach Riga late afternoon, check-in at Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija**** or similar.

Day 9 (Wednesday): Riga
Founded in 1201 by the German bishop Albert, Riga is the largest of the three Baltic capitals and boasts a real kaleidoscope of architectural styles. The walking tour of the morning takes to Art Nouveaux district and Old Town including Riga Castle, the Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, the Swedish Gate, the Three Brothers, the Large and Small Guilds and the Freedom Monument. The afternoon is reserved for an optional visit to Jurmala, the vibrant Latvian sea resort, famous for its wooden architecture and sandy beaches. The evening offers an optional organ concert at the Dome Cathedral.

Day 10 (Thursday): Riga
After we got acquainted with Riga, we have the possibility of discovering medieval Latvia. The optional tour for this morning takes us to the stunning scenery of the Gauja National Park and the town of Sigulda. We listen to the medieval Latvian legend of the Rose of Turaida and see the ruins of the Episcopal Castle and of the Castle of the Knights of the Sword before we return to Riga. The afternoon offers an optional visit to the Ethnographical Open Air Museum, a spacious exposition of 18th century country life. In the evening enjoy an optional Latvian dinner at the stylish Restaurant Kalku Varti.

Day 11 (Friday): Riga - Tallinn
The tour continues along the coastal highway to the Estonian summer resort of Parnu. We do a short tour of the resort before we continue through the North Estonian land of forests and arrive in Tallinn early afternoon, check-in at the Hotel Radisson Blu Olympia.

Day 12 (Saturday): Tallinn
Tallinn is a charming blend of medieval tranquillity and modern urban life. The medieval Old Town is a busy place in the summer with its many shops, galleries, souvenir markets, outdoor cafés and restaurants. The sightseeing tour takes us around the old medieval city walls and into the Old Town where we see Toompea Castle, Dome Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, medieval Old Town Hall and Great Guild Hall. In the afternoon an optional excursion is offered to Kadriorg Park and visit to KUMU, the award-winning new Estonian Art museum, with its collections of classic and contemporary fine art. The evening offers an optional medieval dinner at Restaurant Maikrahv.

Day 13 (Sunday): Tallinn Departure
Optional transfer to the airport. 

Single room supplement is extra & available upon request. Please contact us for Single travel alone and Single room supplement.

INCLUSIONS
• 12 overnights at centrally located 3-4 star hotels
• 12 x buffet breakfast
• Welcome meeting with champagne-cocktail or juice
• Personalized welcome package
• Entrances to Wawel Castle in Krakow, Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa, St. John’s Cathedral in Warsaw, Bialowieski National Park, Peter and Paul Church in Vilnius, Rundale Palace and medieval Great Guild Hall in Tallinn
• Service of English and German speaking tour escort on all tours
• Service of Italian and Spanish speaking tour escort on all tours
• Service of 1st class motor coaches or 1st class vans throughout the itinerary
• Portage at hotels

Optional:
• Transfer airport to Hotel Golden Tulip Krakow City Center: $70 per person for private car (1-3 persons)
• 4-hour excursion to Wieliczka Salt Mine: $83 per person
• 5-hour excursion to Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum (incl. regular educational tour): [available only with pre-bookings] $102 per person
• 3-hour excursion to the Royal Lazienki Park and visit to Palace on the Water: $57 per person
• Polish dinner at Restaurant Gospoda Kwiaty Polskie: $57 per person
• 3-hour excursion to Trakai and visit to Trakai Castle: $57 per person
• Lithuanian dinner at Restaurant Senoji Trobele: $102 per person
• 4-hour excursion to Gauja National Park: $76 per person
• 3-hour excursion to the Ethnographical Open Air Museum: $57 per person
• Organ concert at the Dome Cathedral: $45 per person
• 4-hour excursion to Jurmala: $51 per person
• 3-hour excursion to Kadriorg Park and visit to KUMU: $57 per person
• Medieval dinner at Restaurant Maikrahv: $64 per person
• Transfer Hotel Radisson Blu Olympia to airport: $ 70 per person for private car (1-3 persons)
• Half board at hotels (12 x 3 course dinner with coffee/tea): $588 per person

EXCLUSIONS
·         Any Visa fee
·         Any airfare
·         Any airport tax.
·         Any expenses of personal nature like tips, porterages at the stations, laundry, beverages, telephone calls etc.
·         Any expenses caused by factors beyond our control like flight cancellation, road blocks, vehicle malfunction etc.
·         Any medical or evacuation insurance
·         Additional costs due to flight cancellation, road blocks etc.