| 16 Days ~ Poland
~ Lithuania ~ Latvia ~ Estonia ~ Russia ~ Belarus
Tour
Pace
This tour moves at a leisurely pace with two
night stays in Warsaw, Tallinn and Vilnius, plus three night stays in the
major cities of Moscow & St Petersburg, allowing ample time for in-depth
exploration, or to indulge in the selection of optional excursions.
DAY 1 – THU –
WARSAW AT LEISURE
Welcome to Warsaw! On
arrival, there are complimentary transfers to the tour hotel, where you
can relax and settle in before enjoying a Welcome Drink. Hotel: Marriott.
DAY 2 – FRI –
WARSAW SIGHTSEEING
Join a guided tour to
take in the highlights of Warsaw, which was faithfully rebuilt after the
devastation of World War Two. Pass the ‘wedding cake’ Palace of
Culture and the Chopin Memorial in Lazienki Park, before stopping at the
imposing Ghetto Memorial and continuing to the reconstructed Old Town.
Walk to the Market Square to watch a fascinating film about the
reconstruction of the city. Then spend time at leisure. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 3 – SAT –
WARSAW – VILNIUS
Pass lakeside Augustow
and Suwalki on a scenic drive through Mazuria, a region of lakes and vast
forests. Cross into Lithuania and continue to the capital city of Vilnius.
Hotel: Artis. (Buffet breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 4 – SUN –
VILNIUS SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing starts in the
baroque church of St Peter and St Paul before moving on to see the
neo-classical cathedral and joining a local guide for a leisurely walking
tour of the Old Town. See the Jesuit University and the Gates of Dawn, and
the former Soviet KGB headquarters, a reminder of grim and relatively recent
events. Finally, enjoy a highlight visit to the island castle of Trakai. (Buffet
breakfast)
DAY 5 – MON –
VILNIUS – RIGA
Head north to visit the
‘Votive Hill of Crosses’ near Siauliai, the symbol of resistance against
the Soviet occupation. Then it’s on to Riga in Latvia. Hotel: Islande (Buffet
breakfast, Dinner))
DAY 6 – TUE –
RIGA – TALLINN
A tour of Riga’s Old
Town includes a visit to the Domkirk and shows you the city walls. See the
House of the Three Brothers, the oldest in Latvia, as well as the nearby
Swedish Gate and the castle of the Livonian Knights. Now drive along the
shores of the Gulf of Riga and cross the Estonian border. Continue through Pärnu,
famous for its mud baths, to reach Tallinn. Hotel: Best Western Tallink. (Buffet
breakfast, Dinner))
DAY 7 – WED –
TALLINN SIGHTSEEING
Tour the Old Town,
including the market square with its old German Weighing House, Pharmacy and
Town Hall. The energetic among the group can walk up Toompea Hill to the
castle and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Don’t forget to also visit
Tallinn’s shops for fine amber and silver jewellery. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 8 – THU – ST
PETERSBURG
Head east to the town of
Narva, dominated by the mighty Hermannsburg fortress. The river Narva at
this point forms the border with Russia, which you cross on your way to St
Petersburg – a city of architectural, historic and artistic interest.
Hotel: Pribaltiskaya. (Buffet breakfast,
dinner)
DAY 9 – FRI – ST
PETERSBURG SIGHTSEEING
On a sightseeing tour,
see the fortress of St Peter and Paul, St Isaac’s Cathedral and the
cruiser, ‘Aurora’. See the splendid cathedral of Kazan, then tour one
of the world’s greatest museums, the spectacular Hermitage. Enjoy a
champagne dinner in the evening. (Buffet
breakfast)
DAY 10 – SAT – ST
PETERSBURG
See the memorial to World
War Two’s siege of Leningrad en route to visit the fabulous gardens and
fountains of Peter the Great’s summer residence at Petrodvorets.
(Buffet breakfast)
DAY 11 – SUN –
ST PETERSBURG – MOSCOW
The day is at leisure
to relax or shop along bustling Nevsky Prospekt. Lunch is included at a
local restaurant, allowing time for last-minute sightseeing. Early
evening, transfer to the station for a five-hour train journey to Moscow -
a city which has captivated the imagination of travellers for centuries.
Hotel: Sovietsky. (Buffet breakfast, Lunch)
DAY 12 – MON –
MOSCOW SIGHTSEEING
A sightseeing tour takes
in Red Square, seeing St Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin’s Tomb. Walk inside
the walls of the Kremlin Fortress to visit one of the cathedrals before
exploring the Metro stations. There is free time afterwards to shop for
souvenirs. (Buffet breakfast, dinner)
DAY 13 – TUE –
MOSCOW AT LEISURE
A full day is set aside
for you to explore Moscow at your own pace. Visit the Gum department store
or the Kremlin museum to gaze at the treasury of the Tsars.
(Buffet breakfast)
DAY 14 – WED –
MOSCOW – MINSK
Drive towards Smolensk
and the Belarus border. Continue to Minsk, rebuilt in supreme Soviet style
after the war. An orientation tour takes you along wide avenues and past
gargantuan concrete buildings – a legacy of Minsk’s Soviet past (Lenin
still stands in front of the Government headquarters). Tonight enjoy a
Highlight Dinner, complete with champagne and vodka. Hotel: Planeta. (Buffet
breakfast, Lunch, Specialty Highlight Dinner)
DAY 15 – THU –
MINSK– WARSAW
Head south-west to Brest,
one of the USSR’s ‘Hero Cities’ during World War Two. After lunch,
cross the border to return to Warsaw. Hotel: Hilton. (Buffet breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner)
DAY 16 – FRI –
WARSAW
Our tour ends today with
a transfer to the airport. (Buffet breakfast)
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