Meet at the group hotel in Vilnius. A single timed airport transfer is included. Described as the Baroque Beauty of the Baltics, Vilnius has the largest baroque style ancient town centre in Eastern Europe. The city is great for strolling through, and is dotted with cobbled streets which are home to galleries, beautiful Orthodox and Catholic churches and pavement cafes for people watching. Other highlights include the Road of Freedom, a 60m sculpture. The sculpture symbolises the 2 million people who, joined hands, stretching for over 600 kilometres to connect the three Baltic States striving for independence. For a bird's eye view of Vilnius, a 15 min walk from the centre takes you to the Three Crosses Monument which offers a panoramic view of the city. This evening we'll meet with the leader for a briefing before heading out for dinner in a local restaurant.

This morning we will take a short transfer to Varnikai Bog, where we start our walk from the Varnikai Zoological Reserve. We walk through beautiful forests and meadows before opening to spectacular views over the Ilgelis Bog and lakes. Passing through old villages we approach Galve Lake where we will get our first views of Trakai Castle. Walking over the wooden walkways and bridges we we find ourselves in the cozy medieval town of Trakai, once the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. With its beautiful location and castle perched on an island, we'll walk along the lake shore and learn about the local Karaimes. A proud ethnic group, the Karaimes have preserved their ancient traditions since arriving in Trakai in the 14th Century. Known for speaking the ancient language of Turkic, they produce mouth-watering filled pastries called kybyn. This delicious empanada-style snack includes a wide range of fillings, perfect for an afternoon snack or early dinner. Here we'll have the opportunity to taste and buy some directly from the local community. After Trakai we head back to Vilnius for a final night in the city.

Reachied by short train ride, today we will explore a Regional Park within Vilinius' city boundaries. The pristine Pavilnai Regional Park is a protected area that includes the 65m high Puckoriai Rock exposure in the Vilnia River Valley. twenty thousand year old formations are visible from the lower side after an easy 1km hike. From here we can admire a wonderful panorama of Vilinius surroundings, the bends of the Vilinius River, Puckoriai Manor and the former cannon foundry. We then return to the city to visit Uzupis neighbourhood. Located within the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, Uzupis is one of the smallest republics in the world, covering less than 1 sq km. But don’t be fooled by its size - it boasts its own president, government, constitution and currency, and even has a navy consisting of three or four small boats (used mainly for ceremonial purposes). Until recently, it also had an army of around 10 men, but given the republic’s peace-loving attitude, it has been retired. After picking up our luggage from the hotel, we head to Vilinius Railway Station to take the train (3hr45) to Klaipeda.

This morning we start early with a short bus ride to Juodkrante to walk in the mystic 'Hill of Witches'. The Hill of Witches is a unique open air museum of wooden sculptures, where devils, witches and other folklore heroes reign, opening the natural-mystical spirit of this place to visitors. After this we visit a superb Cormorant and Grey heron colony which is one of the biggest in Europe. After a short transfer we then hike from Nida Beach to Parnidis Dune, passing white sand beaches, blueberry-laden forests and Nida Lighthouse before reaching the charming town of Nida. If you have one meal on Curonian Spit, make it smoked fish with rye bread and an ice-cold beer. The region is famed across Lithuania for pike, eel, mackerel and other fish hot-smoked (often with fragrant juniper twigs) and served simply. Curonian Spit's restaurant scene places its emphasis on homespun Lithuanian dishes. Nida has the broadest spread of restaurants but you'll also be well fed in Juodkrante. Finally we visit the Grey Dunes Nagliai Reserve to walk a short trail (1.2km) through the sand dunes that lead us to Curonian Lagoon. before transferring by bus (30 minutes) back to Klaipeda and our hotel.

Today our hike starts from Karkle where our route leads us through a diverse and beautiful area within the Baltic Seaside Regional park. One of the most remarkable sites of the route is Dutchman's Cap Cliff - a parabolic dune emerging 24.4m from the sea which is constantly being eroded by the sea. After the spectacular views of the cliff we continue walking on an ecologial "Litorina" nature trail, leading us through forest before again reaching the beach. Where we will see the WW2 fortifications 'Memel Nord' and a glacial boulder field, a remenant of the last ice age retreat from Lithuanian territory. After our walk we will meet a group of professional amber hunters who will lead us on an amber hunting workshop. We will learn about the origin and properties of amber and if you are brave enough, will have the chance to try your luck amber catching in the Baltic Sea! From here we take a 2hr15m transfer to The Hill of Crosses, one of the most extraordinary sites in Lithuania. The Hill of Crosses is one of the most extraordinary sites in Lithuania. The 14th century hill-fort is covered in more than 100.000 crosses that symbolise Lithuanian nationalism and beliefs. Some of the crosses are devotional, while others are memorials for many people deported to Siberia. They vary greatly in size: a few are finely carved folk-art masterpieces and some are accompanied by mournful statues of the Virgin Mary. This is definitely a place where you will learn and better understand the local community’s difficult past, learn of its unshakable faith, and feel hope for the future. From here it is a 2 hour transfer to Riga.

Today we start with a drive to the Gauja National Park, the largest and oldest national park in Latvia. The park is known for its magnificent sandstone landscape and is dotted with cliffs and caves including Gutman's Cave of which we'll walk through. The cave is a protected geological sight which is the largest in the Baltics measuring 10 meters high, 12 m width and 19 m deep and considered the oldest tourist attraction in Latvia due to the visitor's inscriptions, signatures and carvings dating back to 1677. After Gutman's Cave we pay a visit to the atmospheric Turaida castle ruins before heading back to Riga for a walking tour. Walking around we'll visit the Old Town including Riga Castle, Cathedral, Saint Peter's Church, Swedish Gate, the Large and Small Guild House, Freedom Monument, plus the magical Three Brothers building. After the walking tour, the rest of the afternoon will be for you to explore Riga at leisure.

This morning we visit the medieval town of Cesis, dating back to the 14th century the defensive stone walls, old town hall all add to the characterisit medieval feel. We then take a relaxing walk on the Cirulisi Natura trails, meandering through forest, rivers and lake shores, admiring the beauty of the Gauja River. During the walk we will see many natural fascinations including the impressive Cirulisu Cliffs which beautifully reflect in the water of the oxbow lake. After our walk we transfer for 35 minutes to Valmiiera, where we the Valmiermuiza Craft Brewery to sample the local offerings. The beer is produced from the highest quality ingredients, following the principles of slow brewing. While visiting the factory, you will have a chance to find out how the rich history of the manor has influenced the production of the beer. During a 1.5 hour brewery visit you will witness how they brew fine beer from a combination of Valmiermuiza well water, delicious malt, aristocratic hops and natural yeast. We then transfer to Tartu by bus (2hrs).

Today is spent walking and exploring the rich forest, cascading waterfalls and protected bogs of Estonia. We start by heading to Jagala Waterfall, the largest natural waterfall in Estonia. At 8m high and more than 50m wide, this wonderful natural body of water is home to large trout and salmon. After Jagala we'll enter the Lahemaa National Park. Established in 1971 to protect the nature and culture of North Estonia, Lahemaa is one of the most important forest reserves in Europe. Here we walk along the Oandu Old Growth Forest Nature Trail (5km), home to ancient pines. We'll also look out for bark that has been scratched or eaten by wild boar, bear and elk. Next it's one of Estonia's most protected landscapes, the Viru Bog. This 6km loop introduces us to wonderful flora and fauna as we walk over wooden walkways and look over this incredible area from the observation tower. After a full day in the park we head back to Tallinn for our final night in the city.

After breakfast the morning is free for a final walk around Tallinn before the group transfer to the airport. From Tallinn it is possible to take the ferry to Helsinki, Finand on this holiday's extension to add a final country to your Baltics adventure!