Categories Escorted Tours Baltic Tours Summer Tours

This tour can be combined with Fabulous Scandinavia. See Fabulous Scandinavia tour, on day 12 you will continue the journey from Berlin to Copenhagen and connect with Fabulous Scandinavia starting on Thursdays and ending in Stockholm, total duration 21 days. The transportation between Berlin & Copenhagen will be by train or coach, to be confirmed on site.

Itinerary

Arrival at Helsinki Airport. You will be met by a Borealis Destination Management Representative, who will transfer you to your hotel. Upon check-in you will be given a welcome letter, in which you will find information about the time and place of the welcome meeting,as well as your Tour Director's name and contact number. A short welcome meeting will be held in the afternoon. The rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight at Scandic Simonkentta

Breakfast at the hotel. The day starts with a panoramic city tour of the capital of Finland, also known as The Daughter of the Baltic Sea. We'll visit the most beautiful sights of Helsinki, including the neoclassical Senate Square with the majestic Cathedral and the University, the colourful Market Square, the Kaivopuisto Park surrounded by diplomatic residences, the imposing statue of Marshall Mannerheim and the Parliament Building. We'll pass by the the Russian Orthodox Church Uspensky, the Sibelius Monument and the congress venue Finlandia Hall designed by the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. We'll also visit the interior of the Temppeliaukio Church (the church reserves the right to refuse visitors if ceremonies are being held), known as the Rock Church, since its unusual architecture involves a solid rock foundation. The tour ends at Tallink Silja pier, where we'll board the Helsinki-Tallinn ferry for an approx. 2-hour crossing to Estonia. Arrival in Tallinn and check-in at the hotel. The rest of the day is at your disposal.

Breakfast at the hotel. During the panoramic city tour in the morning you will discover the secrets of Tallinn's fairytale-like Old Town, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The walking part of the tour includes Toompea Hill, where you'll see the ancient Toompea Castle, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (built in 1900, during the period when Estonia was part of the Russian Empire) and the Cathedral of Saint Mary, also known as the Dome Church. We'll make a stop at one of the panoramic platforms to admire the wonderful view of the oldcentre's red roofs with the dark blue Tallinn Bay in the background. Then we'll continue to the lower part of the city, walking among beautiful historic buildings until we reach the Town Hall Square. Tallinn's Gothic-style Town Hall, built in the 15th century, is the oldest surviving town hall in the Baltic countries. Just a few steps away, you'll find the famous Town Hall Pharmacy, which has been operating in the same premises since early 15th century. The tour ends at your hotel. The afternoon and evening are at leisure

Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we depart by our private long distance coach and travel to Riga. On our way to the Latvian capital we'll make a shortstop in Pärnu, a relaxed summer holiday resort which is very popular with Estonian, Russian and Finnish families. Then, we head south along the Baltic coast until we cross the border with Latvia. Lunch break in the small town of Sigulda (lunch included). After lunch, photo time: we'll admire the ancient ruins of the Sigulda Castle before crossing the Gauja River and arriving in Turaida, where we'll see the recently reconstructed red-brick medieval castle.We'll reach Riga in the afternoon. Check-in at the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure

Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we'll start our panoramic tour of the fascinating Latvian capital, beautifully located on the banks of Daugava River. Riga, known as Paris of the North, became a prosperous city during the Hanseatic period. Nowadays it is the biggest city of the Baltic States; in some districts you can still feel its recent Soviet past. During the walking part of the tour we'll visit the Old Town, filled with charming colorful houses and narrow cobblestone streets. We'll make a stop at the delightful Town Hall Square to see the Roland Statue and the famous Blackheads House with its beautiful Dutch Renaissance façade. We'll pass by the 13th century Riga Cathedral (the largest church in Latvia) and the Riga Castle. No tour of Riga would be complete without visiting the famous Art Nouveau district dating from the early 20th century, boasting houses built in the elaborate Jugendstil style. Afternoon is at leisure to continue exploring this wonderful Baltic capital on your own

Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we depart towards Vilnius. In the morning we'll make a stop to visit the Rundale Palace, a delightful Baroque building which is one of Latvia's most cherished national treasures. The palace was built in the 18th century by Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the architect who designed the world-famous Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Lunch break in the historic town of Panevezys (lunch included). Continuation to Vilnius. The panoramic city tour of the Lithuanian capital will be the highlight of the day. We'll marvel at the charming old town and its amazing mixture of styles: Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance and Art Deco buildings will remind us of the city's glorious past. Vilnius University, founded in 1579, one of Eastern Europe's oldest universities.The Presidential Palace, the Gediminas Avenue and Gediminas Tower (both named after the Grand Duke of Lithuania) and the Gate of Dawn, famous for its chapel containing an image of the Virgin Mary, widely believed to have miraculous powers. Another unmissable sight is the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, known as pearl of the Lithuanian Baroque, decorated with 2000 white stucco figures. Check-in at the hotel and the rest of the day is at leisure.

Breakfast at the hotel.In the morning we depart to Warsaw, the capital of Poland. We'll be travelling through a tri-border area where Lithuania, Poland and Belarus meet. It is a fascinating multicultural region, in which people of different nationalities and faiths have always been neighbors and friends. Our journey will take us through dense pine forests and by glittering lakes. We'll pass by the popular summer resort of Augustów, a favorite holiday destination of many Polish families who come here to sail and fish in the lakes. Stop and free time for lunch in Białystok, the capital of Northeastern Poland. After lunch, we'll have a short stroll through the city to admire the graceful Branicki palace (a Baroque mansion built in the 17th century by a nobleman whose ambition was to become the king of Poland) and the main street, where Catholic and Orthodox churches coexist peacefully. Arrival in Warsaw, check-in at the hotel. Evening at leisure

Breakfast at the hotel.The day starts with a panoramic tour of Warsaw, the largest city in Eastern Europe. During the Second World War the Polish capital was almost completely destroyed by Nazi bombings raids. After the war, a meticulous 5-year reconstruction plan followed. Nowadays, Warsaw is the most modern and dynamic city of the region – a proud symbol of Polish freedom and resilience.The morning tour will take us along the elegant Royal Route: we'll see The Royal Łazienki Park (Royal Baths) with its famous Chopin Monument, the Baroque Holy Cross Church (an urn containing Chopin's heart is immured in one of its pillars) and the historic buildings of the Warsaw University, founded in 1816. We'll walk through the reconstructed Old Town, where we'll see the Royal Castle, St John's Cathedral and the colourful Market Square with the Mermaid of Warsaw – the symbol of the city. We'll pass by the famous present that Poland received from the Soviet Union in the communist period – the Palace of Culture and Science – and also by the area of the old Jewish Ghetto.The afternoon is free to explore the Polish capital at your own pace.

Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning we travel to Poznan, one of the oldest and largest Polish cities. Poznan is the capital of the historic Greater Poland region, commonly referred to as the birthplace of the Polish nation. The city is an important academic and commercial centre; the Poznan International Fair attracts thousands of visitors every year. Arrival in Poznan and free time for lunch. After lunch, we start the panoramic city tour. The most interesting landmarks of Poznan include the Old Market Square surrounded by elegant merchant houses, the lovely Renaissance Town Hall and the Cathedral Island (Ostrow Tumski) with the St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in Poland. The Cathedral Island is the place where the symbolic Baptism of Poland is believed to have taken place in the year 966. After the tour, check-in at the hotel. The afternoon is at leisure.

Breakfast at the hotel.In the morning we depart to Berlin. We'll enter Germany by crossing the Oder, the natural border between the 2 countries. Arrival in Berlin around noon, free time for lunch followed by a panoramic tour of the German capital. Berlin, founded in 1237, is cosmopolitan, vibrant and utterly fascinating. It is one of the biggest cities in the European Union. You can still see some remnants of the once 106 km (64 mile) long Berlin Wall, which divided Berlin and Europe in 2 parts. During the city tour you will be shown around the most famous sights of this awe-inspiring capital: the elegant boulevards of Kurfürstendamm and Unter den Linden (Under the Linden Trees), the Brandenburg Gate (powerful symbol of German unity), Alexander platz with its 368 m high TV Tower (the tallest structure in Germany), the exuberant Neo-Renaissance Berlin Cathedral (pearl of the Prussian era architecture) and the Reichstag building (renovated in the 1990s by Sir Norman Foster) with its spectacular glass dome. We'll also pass by Berlin's Museum Island - it houses 5 museums of international importance, the most famous of them being the Pergamon Museum, where you can see the splendid Ishtar Gate of Babylon (no entrances included). The afternoon is at disposal for personal activities.

Breakfast at the hotel. The day is at leisure to further explore the impressive German capital and its countless treasures.

OPTIONAL TOUR AT POTSDAM In the morning you'll have the possibility of joining an optional tour to Potsdam, a picturesque imperial city which served as a summer residence of the Prussian kings and the German Emperor. Potsdam is filled with elegant 18th and 19th century palaces and graceful gardens, carefully planned according to the ideas of The Age of Enlightenment. The city was designed to be a place whose inhabitants would live carefree lives surrounded by idyllic nature. Potsdam's best-known treasure is the Versailles-inspired Sans souci (without worries in French), which was the summer palace of Frederick the Great of Prussia. Other famous buildings include the lovely Baroque-style New Palace with its 200 richly decorated rooms, as well as Cecilienhof - the location of the 1945 Potsdam Conference which reshaped Germany and Europe. During this optional tour you'll also have time to stroll through the charming 18th century Dutch Quarter, known as Little Amsterdam. Return to your hotel in Berlin and afternoon at leisure.

After breakfast, you will be met by a driver who will transfer you to Berlin Airport for your flight home,

Please note! Regular Departure Transfer Services included in the program are only available for transfer to Berlin Airport and only on the official end date of the tour. The transfers are escorted by an English-speaking representative from Borealis Destination Management and are shared with other fellow passengers; therefore, minor waiting time at the airport may occur.

Notes