Three Baltic States Cycling Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Vilnius
You will arrive in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania for more than 600 years, and check into your hotel, where your maps, programme and route notes are waiting.

Day 2: Vilnius – Trakai – Kaunas (25 km; ~115 km by minibus)
The morning begins with a guided walking tour of Vilnius's baroque old town. In the afternoon you transfer to Trakai, former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, where a 14th-century Gothic castle rises from Lake Galvė. Your first ride crosses gentle green hills before a transfer to Kaunas.

Day 3: Kaunas – Zapyškis – Klaipėda (40 km; ~230 km by minibus)
You will ride through the forest parks of Kaunas on a cycle trail along the Nemunas River, with time to explore the old town. The ride ends in Zapyškis, where a small 14th-century Gothic church stands alone by the river. A transfer then takes you to Klaipėda on the Baltic coast for two nights.

Day 4: Curonian Spit National Park (57 km; ~50 km by boat or minibus)
The longest ride takes you south along the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage strip of dunes, pine forest and amber beaches between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon. You will follow the Seaside Cycle Route to Nida, one of Lithuania's most beautiful resorts, and return to Klaipėda by speedboat or minibus.

Day 5: Klaipėda – Palanga – Hill of Crosses – Riga (36 km; ~290 km by minibus)
You will ride north through the Seaside Regional Park to Palanga, with its Botanical Park, Amber Museum and 470-metre pier. On the afternoon transfer to Riga you stop at the Hill of Crosses, where thousands of crosses cover two small hills. Two nights in Riga follow.

Day 6: Riga and Jūrmala (30 km; ~25 km by train)
A guided walking tour of Riga's Hanseatic, Art Nouveau old town opens the day. In the afternoon you can follow a bike path to the white beaches of Jūrmala and take the local train back to Riga in the evening (ticket not included).

Day 7: Riga – Baltic coast – Pärnu (65 km; ~115 km by minibus)
A morning transfer brings you to the Estonian border. From there you will cycle along the Baltic coast past quiet coves, sandy beaches and reed-fringed wetlands full of birdlife. The ride ends in Pärnu, the summer capital of Estonia.

Day 8: Pärnu – Saaremaa Island (50 km; ~130 km by minibus, 6 km by ferry)
A transfer and ferry crossing take you to Saaremaa, Estonia's largest island, where old rural Estonia lives on. Flat, nearly empty roads lead past the iconic Angla windmills and the Kaali meteorite crater, one of the country's rarest natural sights, to Kuressaare, the island capital, for two nights by the sea.

Day 9: Saaremaa Island (56 km; ~50 km by minibus)
A full day riding across Saaremaa's wild landscapes to the Sõrve Peninsula and its lighthouse at the island's southern tip. Back in Kuressaare, you can visit the 13th-century episcopal castle, one of the best preserved in the Baltics.

Day 10: Saaremaa – Keila-Joa – Tallinn (41 km; ~200 km by minibus, 6 km by ferry)
A morning ferry and transfer return you to the mainland. You will cycle along the Baltic coast past the Keila-Joa waterfall and the Türisalu cliffs and ride into Tallinn, where a guided walking tour of the medieval old town completes the day.

Day 11: Lahemaa National Park (51 km; ~100 km by minibus)
After a short transfer you will ride a loop through Lahemaa National Park, one of the last unspoiled stretches of the Baltic coast. Dense woods, marshes, lakes and waterfalls line the way, and moose, wild boar and more than 220 bird species live here. The night is spent at a manor guesthouse in Palmse.

Day 12: Lake Peipsi – Tartu (50 km; ~160 km by minibus)
A morning transfer takes you to Mustvee, where you will cycle along the shore of Lake Peipsi, Europe's fourth-largest lake, divided by the Russian border. Old fishing villages line the road as far as Varnja. A short transfer then brings you to Tartu, Estonia's historic university town.

Day 13: Otepää – Sangaste – Sigulda (28 km; ~235 km by minibus)
After a short transfer to Otepää, you will ride through the lakes and hills known as "Estonian Switzerland" to Sangaste, famous for its 19th-century castle modelled on Windsor. The afternoon transfer crosses into Latvia, with a stop in the medieval old town of Cēsis, before reaching Sigulda.

Day 14: Gauja National Park – Saulkrasti – Riga (40 km; ~50 km by minibus)
You will cycle through Gauja National Park, with views over the river valley, the Gūtmanis Cave, the ruins of Sigulda's 13th-century Crusader castle and Turaida Castle. The ride ends on the Baltic coast at Saulkrasti, home to the Latvian bicycle museum, before an afternoon transfer back to Riga.

Day 15: Departure from Riga
Your tour ends after breakfast. You can extend your stay in Latvia.

Good to know
A driver with a minibus and bike trailer travels with you on every day except the Curonian Spit and Jūrmala, moves your luggage and helps with breakdowns. Guided two-hour walking tours are included in Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn (entrance fees extra), as are the speedboat or minibus back from Nida and the return ferry to Saaremaa. Train tickets and the ferry in Klaipėda are not included.