Please note: A visa is required for U.S. and Canadian passport holders to enter Russia.

The capital cities of the Baltic states are some of Europe’s best-kept secrets. Start your journey in Vilnius, Lithuania, a multicultural city whose historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue on to Riga, Latvia, where you’ll find medieval treasures alongside modern skyscrapers. Then, visit the lovingly preserved landmarks of Tallinn, Estonia before exploring St. Petersburg, the city of the czars and Russia’s “window on the west.”

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Overnight Flight

Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Vilnius, Lithuania aboard an internationally recognized airline.

Day 2 - Vilnius

Welcome to Lithuania! A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport and escorts you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to begin acquainting yourself with Vilnius. At an included dinner this evening, meet your fellow travelers.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 - Vilnius

Embark on a guided tour of the Lithuanian capital today. You’ll visit Vilnius’ Old Town including Gediminas Castle, Vilnius Cathedral, St. Anne’s Church, Vilnius University and the ancient Gate of Dawn, home to a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn. This afternoon is free to explore at your leisure. Consider joining an optional excursion to Trakai Island Castle, set in the middle of a lake a short distance from downtown Vilnius.
Included meals: breakfast

$55 USD

Trakai Island Castle Discover Trakai Island Castle, located in the middle of Lake Galve, on this excursion. The red-brick castle has defended the western approaches to Vilnius since 1409. The castle fell into disrepair in the 17th century but has been lovingly restored, and today, it serves as both a cultural landmark and a scenic weekend escape for residents of Vilnius.

Day 4 - Riga

This morning, depart Vilnius for Riga, stopping en route in Kaunas for a visit to Rundale Palace, the largest baroque castle in the Baltics. After settling in to your hotel in Riga, join your fellow travelers at tonight’s included dinner.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrance: Rundale Palace

Day 5 - Riga

On today’s guided tour, discover the monuments and character of Riga, once the headquarters of the Livonian Order and now the center of Latvian politics and culture. The city is divided into the Vecriga (Old Town) and the New Town. Walk through Vecriga and take in sights like St. Peter’s Church and Riga Castle, which dates back to the 14th century. Then head to the New Town for a look at the Freedom Monument, erected in 1935. The rest of the afternoon is free to continue exploring on your own.
Included meals: breakfast

Day 6 - Riga

Spend a full free day in Riga. You might wish to join our special optional excursion highlighting Riga’s huge variety of stunning architecture. An expert local guide takes you for a walking tour that spans from the Art Nouveau period to the later Russian influences. Along the way, your guide offers fun lectures and discussions about Eastern Europe’s art and architectural history. For those not going on the excursion, spend a free day in Riga. Options include the markets and shops of the New Town, the Jewish quarter of Maskavas and the fascinating Riga Motor Museum. This evening, opt for an evening of culture on our Dinner & Performance excursion. Depending when you travel, this may include an opera, ballet or a classical music performance.
Included meals: breakfast

$39 USD

Riga Walking Tour This tour, directed by an expert local guide, takes you through three generations of Riga’s history, art and architecture. Begin with a stroll through the Old Town, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Riga was a major center of the Hanseatic League from the 13th to 15th centuries, and the buildings here—from palaces to castles—reflect medieval Hansa architecture. Then move on to the surrounding suburbs, or New Town, for a look at the Russian period and, finally, the stunning Art Nouveau period, as demonstrated by styling of the Riga Law School and the Swedish School of Economics.

$99 USD

Dinner & Performance in Riga In the late 18th century, traveling performance troupes from all over Europe came to Riga. Tonight, you'll discover a slice of old Riga at a fine arts performance. Following the performance, you'll enjoy a dinner of Latvian nouvelle cuisine. Please note: This optional excursion requires advance reservations and must be booked 20 days prior to departure. This optional excursion is not available on all departures.

Day 7 - Tallinn

This morning, motor through the countryside on your way to Tallinn, Estonia’s historic capital. En route, stop in the resort town of Pärnu. Continue on to Tallinn. The city’s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dates back to the 12th century and is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. Enjoy free time before an included dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 8 - Tallinn

Meet your expert local guide this morning for a  tour of Tallinn by motorcoach and on foot. Pass through the ancient stone gates of the Old Town and into a world of cobblestone streets, Gothic cathedrals and town squares. You’ll see Toomkirik Cathedral, a Lutheran church founded in the 13th century. Also view Toompea Castle, where the Estonian parliament meets, and Town Hall Square. Then visit Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a 19th-century Russian Orthodox church with a beautiful mosaic interior, and the Estonian Art Museum, housed in an 18th-century noble’s house. The rest of your afternoon is free to explore the city on your own. We suggest walking through the streets of the Old Town or taking a trip to Kadriorg Park, built for Peter the Great. Later, opt to join tonight’s succulent Seafood Dinner in Tallinn.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Alexander Nevsky Catherdral

$79 USD

Seafood Dinner in Tallinn Tallinn has always had a strong connection to the sea, and the fish of the Baltic Sea have found their way into Estonian recipes for centuries. Tonight, you'll enjoy a taste of that heritage at a seafood dinner overlooking the Bay of Tallinn. Try some smoked plaice for an authentic taste of Estonia.

Day 9 - St. Petersburg

Today you’ll transfer to St. Petersburg, Peter the Great’s stunning “Window on the West.”
Included meals: breakfast

Day 10 - St. Petersburg

This morning, meet your local guide for an extensive tour of St. Petersburg. You’ll see Palace Square, one of Europe’s great meeting places, which saw victory over Napoleon in 1812 and all-night vigils for democracy in the 1980s. Also view the Winter Palace, St. Peter and Paul Fortress and the Nevsky Prospekt, a tree-lined boulevard that resembles Paris’ Champs-Élysées. The highlight of this morning’s tour might be St. Isaac’s Cathedral, commissioned as a labor of love by Czar Nicholas I. The cathedral is crowned by an impressive dome made of imported Finnish granite and gilded with 220 pounds of gold leaf. Later this afternoon, you’ll enjoy an included entrance to the famed Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage features more than 3 million pieces of art and sculpture ranging from ancient Greece to Renaissance Italy and modern times. Highlights include works by Leonardo and Caravaggio, as well as priceless jewelry in Catherine the Great’s Treasure Gallery. Your tour director will advise you on how best to tackle this giant attraction—a map and guidebook are essential to navigating this enormous museum.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Hermitage Museum

Day 11 - St. Petersburg

Join an optional excursion to nearby Peterhof, also known as Peter’s Palace, a stunning ensemble of palaces, dining halls and summer homes that rivals Versailles. View fountains, gardens and art galleries—most of which were completely restored after Soviet and Nazi bombings during World War II. Alternatively, spend a free day in St. Petersburg however you wish. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

$99 USD

Peterhof Journey to the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland to visit Peterhof, Peter the Great’s summer residence. On a guided tour, you'll explore the opulent palaces and gardens of Peterhof and learn how this former retreat of the czars has changed throughout Russian history.

Day 12 - St. Petersburg

A Go Ahead representative escorts you to the airport for departure.
Included meals: breakfast
(Please note that in the event of early morning departures, breakfast may not be offered.)