Walk Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Our tour of the Baltics starts in the capital of Estonia, Tallinn. The city itself is something of fairytale wonder, perched on a hill overlooking the sea and with a charming medieval old town that's earned itself UNESCO World Heritage status. For those arriving in time today, our tour leader will meet you in the hotel reception at 7pm for a welcome meeting followed by the option to go for dinner. There are no activities planned today, so you“re free to arrive at any time. If you” d like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive into Tallinn Airport (TLL), around a 20-minute drive from our hotel. If you miss the meeting, our tour leader will catch you up ASAP. Tallinn is a walkable city so if your flight arrives earlier, you might like to stretch your legs and explore. Take a stroll down the cobbled streets that lead to the bustling town square and marvel at the 14th-century town hall.

This morning, we'll start with a short walking tour of Tallinn's enchanting Old Town. Walking through the cobbled streets, the colourful houses show off influence from the German, Scandinavian and Russian periods of Tallinn's history, we'll pass by them and wander towards the old merchants' quarter and the busy town square. Afterwards, we'll travel east to Estonia's largest national park, Lahemaa National Park. As well as its abundant nature, the park also celebrates Estonia's culture heritage and is home to ancient fishing villages and 17th-century manor houses. Today, we'll walk the Beaver Trail, discovering the diversity of plant and animal life and looking out for beaver dams along the Altja River Valley. If we're lucky, we might see the beavers themselves. Our walk ends in the 400-year-old fishing village of Altja. On trips departing from July onwards, we've the opportunity after lunch to learn to bog walk in traditional shoes. Similar in construction to snowshoes, these strap onto your walking bootshoes and the frame prevents the wearer from sinking into boggy terrain. Unfortunately this activity isn't available between April and June due to bird nesting season. Tonight, we'll spend the night in the national park in a beautifully converted distillery. Today's Beaver Trail walk covers 4 kilometres/2.5 miles and is expected to take around 2 hours along gently undulating forest tracks. The afternoon bog walk covers 6 kilometres and is expected to take around 3 hours.

Today, we'll cross the border into Latvia and drive to Cesis in the Gauja National Park, a four hour drive away. En route we may break the journey at the small town of Viljandi. Gauja National Park is the biggest in the country and has been given the nickname the Latvian Switzerland thanks to its rolling hills. Within the park, you can find the valleys of the Gauja River as well as over 500 historical sites including forts, castles, and windmills. The medieval town of Cesis is over 800 years old and its 13th-century castle was the main stronghold of the Livonian knights who ruled Latvia and Estonia during medieval times. This afternoon, we'll take a forested nature trail through the park to the banks of the Gauja River, finishing by Eagle's Cliff from where there's a beautiful views. The 3 kilometre/1.8 mile walk should take around 45 minutes and the terrain is slightly hilly and forested. There are some sections of wooden steps, not always well maintained, where care should be taken.

This morning, we'll drive to Sigulda to walk another nature trail through the forests and river valleys of the Gauja National Park. Our route will take us past the ruins of the Livonian medieval fortress and the neo-gothic castle ending at the 13th-century Turaida Castle. Along the way, we'll take a ride in a cable car to get a view of the forest from above. In the afternoon, we'll journey on into Latvia to its capital, Riga. On arrival, we'll take a walking tour to get acquainted with the city. Riga is a very walkable destination, with most of its must-sees in one area - we'll take advantage of this and tick off the Freedom Monument, Gunpowder Tower, Saint Jacob's Church and the cathedral along the way. Today's walk covers 8 kilometres/5 miles and should take around 3.5 hours. The terrain is undulating and forested.

This morning, we'll drive west to Kemeri National Park, which was founded in 1977 to preserve the local wetlands, coastal lakes, and dunes. We'll take a walk along the raised boardwalk above the wetlands, discovering the distinctive mosses, bog pine trees and small pools and lakes. We'll then return to the seaside and spa resort of Jurmala for lunch. Jurmala has drawn tourists for years thanks to its curative mineral waters and therapeutic mud. After lunch, we'll continue south and cross the border into Lithuania. We'll continue for around six hours to Klaipeda before taking a ferry to Nida on the Curonian Spit, our base for the next two nights. Today's walk covers 4 kilometres/2.5 miles and is expected to take around 1.5 hours. The terrain is flat.

Today we'll begin to explore the wild landscapes of the Curonian Spit. The Curonian Spit National Park is a 98-kilometre-long sand dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. Chains of sand dunes up to 60 metres high, breaking waves, pine forests and old Curnonian houses all make up this UNESCO Heritage Site. We'll take an 11 kilometre/6.8 mile walk through the varying landscapes of the national park. Our walk is expected to take around 3.5 hours and the terrain is mainly flat and sandy with some forested areas.

We have a long journey ahead of us today, around six hours, to Trakai, the former home of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Located on a peninsula in Lake Galve, Trakai is famous for its 15th-century castle, which sits on its own island. We'll stretch our legs with a scenic walk around the town and the castle. After our castle visit, we'll make the short journey onwards to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. On arrival, we'll take a short walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town, taking in the ancient university, the cathedral, and St. Anne's Church. Today's walk covers 4 kilometres and is expected to take around 2 hours. The terrain is mostly flat with forested trails in some parts.

Our tour of the Baltic capitals ends at our hotel in Vilnius. There are no activities planned today, so you\ re free to depart at any time. If your flight leaves later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you\ d like a hotel transfer, you'll need to depart from Vilnius International Airport (VNO), around a ten-minute drive from the hotel.