Cycling Holiday To Lithuania, Latvia And Estonia

Arrive in Vilnius and check into hotel, our base for two nights. Vilnius is known for the beautiful late-Baroque architecture of its well preserved old town, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. It has a strong historical Jewish influence and Napoleon named it "the Jerusalem of the North" as he was passing through in 1812. In the year 2009, Vilnius was the European Capital of Culture, together with the Austrian city of Linz.

Overnight Standard Hotel

This morning we drive 28 kilometres from Vilnius to Trakai Historical National Park. Outside the capital we find a peaceful land of forests, lakes, rivers and farmsteads. Our first stop is at the Užutrakis Manor House, built 1897-1902 by count Józef Tyszkiewicz. When the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in 1940, Užutrakis manor was nationalized and after the war the manor became a sanatorium for soviet security officers. Here we prepare our bikes and get comfortable on a short cycle around the park before continuing 10km to Trakai town around the shores of the lake along a mixture of quiet back roads and dedicated cycle paths. Trakai was an important seat of power in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the 14th and 15th centuries, ruling an empire that stretched all the way down to the Black Sea. We will pedal around Trakai visiting the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Island Castle - a Lithuanian “must see” and the peninsular Trakai Castle ruins. There are many cafés and restaurants to choose from for a lunch break. After visiting the principal sites and having lunch (not included) we cycle back to Uzutrakis Manor House then take the bus back to Vilnius. The route today goes along asphalt roads with light traffic and some biking paths.

Today we cycle approximately 25 km.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we see more of Lithuania's countryside with a 4 to 5 hour drive towards the Baltic Sea to Kintai village where we have lunch before getting our bikes ready. After lunch we cycle for about 10 km on the flat and beside the Curonian Lagoon, along a quiet paved road to Vente Cape. Vente Cape is a small peninsula on the eastern side of Curonian Lagoon. More than 50000 visitors come each year in order to get acquainted with one of the most important spots for bird migration in the region. We make a visit to Ventes Ragas and 19th century lighthouse and the Ornithological Station where the migration patterns of many bird species are tracked and recorded. Huge nets are used to catch the birds they tag. We then cycle back the same 10 km route to Kintai village. From here we join a forest bike track and continue 14km through the fishing villages of Priekule, Surmai to Dreverna where the group ride finishes and we rejoin our vehicle for the transfer to Klaipeda. Klaipeda is the third biggest city in Lithuania, an important port and Lithuania's chief gateway to the Baltic Sea. It has a long history from a tribal fishing village and later arrival of German Crusaders who seized this land and built their castle here in 1252, later known as Memel.There is the option to continue from Dreverna by bike to the hotel in Klaipeda if you prefer.

Today we cycle approximately 34 km, with a further optional 20 km available.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we take a short ride by bus to the harbour and take the 5 minute ferry ride to the Curonian Spit National Park then drive for about 1 hour to Nida. We get on our bikes here and explore the village. Nida is a charming fishing village with a number of well-preserved old wooden fisherman's houses and with only approximately 1650 inhabitants is the largest on the Curonian Spit. A peaceful and relaxing atmosphere pervades throughout the Curonian Spit. Here we can visit the amber gallery, Thomas Mann house, the highest dune for views over the surrounding landscape and giant sundial, Panirdzio and the old town. We continue by bike through the forested Curonian Spit national park (UNESCO World Heritage Site) on asphalt dedicated bike paths mostly on the flat. We will cycle alongside giant sand dunes, hundred year-old pine forests and hill pine trees, white sand beaches; learn about its unique culture and architecture and you may like to try some of the typical local smoked fish. We leave the bikes for a short walk along a wooden path to the Dead Dunes beyond Pervalka where a panoramic view of both the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon opens up. We can see a colony of grey herons and cormorants and the Hill of Witches in Juodkrante. After relaxing in Juodkrante you have the choice to take the bus to our hotel or cycle the remaining 12 km from Juodkrante to Smiltyne then take the ferry back to Klaipeda harbour, ending with a final 2 to 4 km to the hotel.

Today we cycle approximately 36 km, with a further optional 22 km available.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

After a short transfer from our hotel in Klaipėda we cycle along the coastline on a dedicated and paved cycle route through the Giruliai Forest to the popular summer resort of Palanga. Along the way we visit the Seaside Regional Park including the Dutchmen’s cap – a 24-metre-high cliff, the fishing village of Karklė, Plazė Lake and the former lifeguard station in Nemirseta. After lunch we continue to Palanga Botanical Park and the biggest Amber Museum in the Baltics, J. Basanavičius Pedestrian Street and a pier heading 470 hundred metres into the sea in Palanga. Palanga's population swells enormously in the summer months as it is the premier beach destination in Lithuania and boasts a beautiful sweeping beach. From Palanga we continue cycling a further 15 km on cycle paths and finish in Sventoji town before we take the bus to Riga. Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia and infact the largest city of the Baltic states. It boasts superb architecture spanning over six centuries and has an impressive collection of beautifully decorated Art Nouveau buildings.

Today we cycle 41 km along asphalt roads and cycle paths.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we cycle to Jūrmala, one of the largest resort towns in the Baltics with 32 km of white sandy beach fringed by pine forests. The area is known for the interesting architecture of its old wooden summer cottages and more recently built villas. Jūrmala's reputation as a spa destination began in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Wealthy landowners began the tradition of relaxing at the seaside, and Russian army officers came here to rest after the Napoleonic Wars, returning later with their families. The peak of the Jūrmala area's development was the opening of the Riga - Tukums railway in 1877 (which still passes through Jūrmala) that gave a great boost to the numbers of visitors, and thus a boost to the development of the town as a resort. Jūrmala also gained a reputation as a health spa. The sea breeze, pine aroma, mineral springs and sandy beach encouraged many sanatoriums to develop within the city. We start on our bikes with an exploration of the town itself and its interesting buildings, before heading down towards the Bulluciems Peninsula and back. We then cycle along the beach for about 17 km, picking the hardest sand right on the shoreline of the Baltic Sea that is perfect for cycling. You can have drink, ice cream and swim stops along the way. We meet our bus at a beach café rendezvous point before we drive back to Riga and have free time to explore the city.

Today the total cycling distance is 31 km, just over half of which is on the beach. 

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we drive to Lahemaa National Park, Estonia's first and largest national park. The park is an interesting mix of coastal bluffs, dense forest, 7000 year old bogs, 18th century manor houses, fishing villages and numerous lakes and rivers. The rocky coastline is strewn with erratic boulders, some very large, that were carried here by glaciers thousands of years ago. Most of the cycle routes are on well paved roads that have little traffic. Once we arrive we check into our hotel then head out on our bikes on a circular route to explore the park.

Today we cycle 35 km on quiet roads.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we continue to explore the vast natural beauty of Lahemaa National Park by bike. Established in 1971, it was the first national park in Estonia and two-thirds of the land is covered by forest. There are four large peninsulas in Lahemaa and one of them constitutes the northernmost point of continental Estonia. The park is home to moose, boars, brown bears, lynxes, foxes, beavers, the Ural Owl and Black Woodpecker. We plan to cycle another circular route before rejoining our bus. On our way out of the park we will stop to explore Viru Bog, an ancient swampy wetland that can be entered on foot along specially laid wooden walkways. When we have finished in the park we drive to Tallinn. Todays cycle route is planned first thing in the morning so we can check into our hotel in Tallinn in time to enjoy a free afternoon in this wonderful city.

Today we cycle 24 km on quiet roads.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

The tour ends in Tallinn this morning after breakfast.

Included meals: Breakfast