SPECIAL OFFER!!!

£100 discount per person on tour departing 27 July 2010.

11 days / 10 nights from £1,135 pp

The Baltic Capitals tour offers an outstanding opportunity to get acquainted with the rich history and amazing architecture of the Baltic region.  The tour features Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki and St. Petersburg.

Riga, founded in 1201, boasts a real kaleidoscope of architectural styles and has a vibrant atmosphere. Tallinn is a charming blend of medieval tranquility and modern urban life. The medieval Old Town is a busy place in the summer with its many shops, galleries, souvenir markets, outdoor cafés and restaurants. Helsinki is a lively city with an innovative culture, reflected in architecture, design and music. St. Petersburg is an amazing city. Its imperial palaces and museums enjoy worldwide fame, while the Neva River and the many canals have deservedly given the city the title “The Venice of the North”.

Price per person based on sharing a twin or double room is £1,135, single supplement is £380.

Package includes:

• Direct flight from London Gatwick to Riga on Air Baltic and return flight from St. Petersburg to London via Riga (1 hour connecting time in Riga) (we can arrange connecting flights from other airports upon request).
• Airport transfers in Riga and St. Petersburg
• 10 nights at centrally located 4 star hotels
• Breakfast at hotels
• Welcome meeting with champagne-cocktail or juice
• Entrances to St. Peter’s Church in Riga, medieval Old Town Hall in Tallinn, Church-in-the-Rock in Helsinki, Vyborg Castle and Peter-Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg
• English speaking guide on all tours
• Quality motor coaches throughout the itinerary
• Ferry crossing from Tallinn to Helsinki

Optional:

• 4-hour excursion to Gauja National Park: £40.00 pp
• Organ concert at Dome Catherdral; £28.00 pp
• 4-hour excursion to Jurmala: £32.00 pp
• Seafood dinner at Restaurant La Boheme in Riga: £36.00 pp
• 3-hour excursion to Kadriorg Park and Palace: £32.00 pp
• Medieval dinner at Restaurant Peppersack in Tallinn: £32.00 pp
• 3-hour excursion with waterbuses to Suonemlinna Fortress: £44.00 pp
• 3-hour visit at the Hermitage Art Museum: £36.00 pp
• Folklore show at Nikolsevsky Palace: £36.00 pp
• 4-hour excursion to Peterhof and visit to the Grand Palace: £56.00 pp
• 4-hour guided tour to Catherine's Palace: £45.00 pp
• Russian dinner at Restaurant Na Zdorovie: £48.00 pp
• Half board at hotels (10 x 3 course dinner with coffee/tea): £208.00

Baltic Capitals Tour - 2010 Guaranteed Departure Dates

Baltic Capitals Itinerary

DAY 1 (TUESDAY) Arrival in Riga, transfer to Hotel Reval Latvija**** or similar, check-in.  Welcome meeting at the hotel.  If you arrive after the welcome meeting, your tour information pack will be left at the hotel reception.

DAY 2 (WEDNESDAY) Before getting acquainted with Riga you’ll have the possibility of discovering medieval Latvia. The optional tour for this morning takes you to the stunning scenery of the Gauja National Park and the town of Sigulda. Learn about the medieval Latvian legend of the Rose of Turaida, and see Maja’s Tombstone, the ruins of the Episcopal Castle, the ruins of the castle of the Knights of the Sword and the mysterious Gutman Cave before returning to Riga.  The afternoon offers an optional tour to the Ethnographical Open Air Museum, a spacious exposition of 18th century country life.  In the evening there is an optional organ concert at the Dome Cathedral.

DAY 3 (THURSDAY) The walking tour of the Old Town includes Riga Castle, the Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, the Swedish Gate, the Three Brothers, the Large and Small Guilds and the Freedom Monument. The afternoon is reserved for an optional visit to the seaside resort town Jurmala, famous for its wooden architecture and sandy beaches. In the evening, enjoy an optional Latvian dinner at the stylish Restaurant La Boheme.

DAY 4 (FRIDAY) The tour continues along the costal highway to the Estonian summer resort of Parnu, with a short tour of the resort and a leisurely stroll along the beach. The balance of the day goes through the North Estonian land of forests to Tallinn, check-in at the Hotel Reval Olympia**** or similar.

DAY 5 (SATURDAY) The sightseeing tour takes you around the old medieval city walls and into the Old Town to Toompea Castle, the Dome Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and medieval Old Town Hall. In the afternoon an optional excursion is offered to Kadriorg Park, with an optional visit to Kadriorg Palace and its art collection.  The evening offers an optional genuine medieval dinner at the Restaurant Peppersack .

DAY 6 (SUNDAY) In the morning we take the hydrofoil from Tallinn to Helsinki and enjoy a refreshing tour through the Finnish archipelago before arriving in Helsinki, transfer to Hotel Sokos Vaakuna **** or similar, check-in. The balance of the day is reserved for exploring the Finnish capital individually.

DAY 7 (MONDAY) The sightseeing tour takes you around the harbours, up central Mannerheim Street and by the Parliament Building, the Finlandia Hall, and the Sibelius Monument and for a visit at the famous Church-in the-Rock. In the afternoon an optional excursion by waterbus to the historic Suomenlinna Fortress is offered.

DAY 8 (TUESDAY) Today we continue eastbound to St. Petersburg. Shortly after crossing the border into Russia we arrive in Vyborg, where we take time for a sightseeing tour and a visit to Vyborg Castle. In the late afternoon we arrive in St. Petersburg and check-in at the Hotel Sokos Olympic Garden **** or similar.

DAY 9 (WEDNESDAY) During the morning sightseeing tour, get acquainted with all the splendours of the city: the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Winter Palace, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Church of the Bleeding Saviour, the Nevsky Convent and much more. The afternoon offers an optional visit to the world-famous Hermitage Art Museum and in the evening an optional visit to the Nikolaevsky Palace for a Russian folklore show, Russian "champagne" and snacks.

DAY 10 (THURSDAY) An optional excursion in the morning offers a visit to Peterhof and the Grand Palace, Grand Cascade and Water Avenue and its wonderful parks. The afternoon is reserved for an optional guided tour to Catherine's Palace and the Amber Room, which mysteriously vanished during WWII.  In the evening enjoy an optional Russian dinner at Restaurant Na Zdoroviye.

DAY 11 (FRIDAY) Transfer to the airport.