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  • BALTIC STATES
  • POLAND
  • CENTRAL ASIA - SILK ROAD
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Polish and Baltic Jewels

Tour Itinerary

Arrival in Krakow, optional transfer to Hotel Golden Tulip Krakow City Center**** or similar, check-in, welcome meeting.

  • Hotel Golden Tulip Krakow City Center
  • Transfers

For half a millennium Krakow was the royal capital of Poland and for centuries the city walls have guarded its traditions and secrets. The day starts with a walking tour of the Old Town with the St. Mary’s Church, the Jagiellonian University, the Cloth Halls and Wawel with the Wawel Castle and the Wawel Cathedral. The afternoon offers an optional excursion to the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine, an amazing labyrinth of tunnels going down as far as 327 meters.

  • Breakfast
  • Hotel Golden Tulip Krakow City Center
  • Excursion to Wieliczka Salt Mine,Polish cuisine dinner at "Hawelka" restaurant

The morning offers optional visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum or free morning to explore further city on your own. In early after transfer to Krakow railway station and departure by train to Warsaw. Arrival to Warsaw railway station and transfer to Hotel Radisson Blu Sobieski**** or similar for check in.

  • Breakfast
  • Hotel Radisson Blu Sobieski
  • Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum

Warsaw is essentially a post-war city with a meticulously reconstructed Old Town. The morning sightseeing tour includes the Royal Route and the Old Town with the Royal Castle, St John’s Cathedral, the Old Town Market Square and the Barbican. In the afternoon is offered an optional excursion to the Royal Lazienki Park with the Palace on the Water. The evening offers an optional Polish dinner at Restaurant Gospoda Kwiaty Polskie.

  • Breakfast
  • Hotel Radisson Blu Sobieski
  • Excursion to Royal Lazienki Park with Palace on the Water, Polish dinner at the restaurant Gospoda Kwiaty Polskie.

Today we continue through the well forested Eastern Poland to Podlasie region and Bialowieza. The forest there represents the ancient forest that once covered all Europe. We will visit Bialowieza National Park and its famous European Bison Show Reserve. After light stroll along nature trails of the forest, we continue to Biaylistok where we check in at Hotel Ibis Styles Bialystok*** or similar. In the late afternoon we visit Bialystok and its landmark Branicki Palace.

  • Breakfast
  • Hotel Ibis Styles Bialystok
  • Transfers

We depart from Bialystok heading to Vilnius through attractive resort towns into Lithuania. We do a stop in Kaunas, the former capital of Lithuania, to admire the beautiful Old Town and the elegant white Baroque Town Hall before we arrive in the late afternoon to Vilnius. Check in at Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva **** or similar.

  • Breakfast
  • Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva
  • Transfers

Vilnius is known for its more than 1.200 medieval buildings and 48 churches. The morning sightseeing tour includes a panoramic tour of the city and a walking tour of the Old Town with Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas Tower, Peter and Paul Church, St. Anne’s Church, Old University and the Gates of Dawn. The afternoon offers an optional excursion to Trakai, the medieval capital of Lithuania, with the well preserved Trakai Castle, beautifully located on an island in Lake Galve. In the evening enjoy an optional Lithuanian dinner at Restaurant Senoji Trobele.

  • Breakfast
  • Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva
  • Trakai Castle on Lake Galve, Lithuanian cuisine dinner at Restaurant Senoji Trobele.

Heading for Riga, the first stop is the Hill of Crosses, one of the most holy sites of Catholic Lithuania. After crossing into Latvia we soon reach the magnificent Rundale Palace, the former summer residence of the Duke of Courland. Following a guided tour of the palace we travel through the rolling hills of Southern Latvia to reach Riga late afternoon, check-in at Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija**** or similar.

  • Breakfast
  • Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija
  • Transfers

Founded in 1201 by the German bishop Albert, Riga is the largest of the three Baltic capitals and boasts a real kaleidoscope of architectural styles. The walking tour of the morning takes to Art Nouveaux district and Old Town including 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 Jurmala, the vibrant Latvian sea resort, famous for its wooden architecture and sandy beaches. The evening offers an optional organ concert at the Dome Cathedral.

  • Breakfast
  • Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija
  • Afternoon visit to Jurmala, concert at the Dome Cathedral

After we got acquainted with Riga, we have the possibility of discovering medieval Latvia. The optional tour for this morning takes us to the stunning scenery of the Gauja National Park and the town of Sigulda. We listen to the medieval Latvian legend of the Rose of Turaida and see the ruins of the Episcopal Castle and of the Castle of the Knights of the Sword before we return to Riga. The afternoon offers an optional visit to the Ethnographical Open Air Museum, a spacious exposition of 18th century country life.

  • Breakfast, dinner
  • Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija
  • Tour to the Gauja National Park, Ethnography Open-Air Museum of Latvia, Latvian Cuisine dinner

The tour continues along the coastal highway to the Estonian summer resort of Parnu. We do a short tour of the resort before we continue through the North Estonian land of forests and arrive in Tallinn early afternoon, check-in at the Hotel Radisson Blu Olympia**** or similar.

  • Breakfast
  • Hotel Radisson Blu Olympia
  • Transfers

Tallinn is a charming blend of medieval tranquillity 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. The sightseeing tour takes us around the old medieval city walls and into the Old Town where we see Toompea Castle, Dome Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, medieval Old Town Hall and Great Guild Hall. In the afternoon an optional excursion is offered to Kadriorg Park and visit to KUMU, the award-winning new Estonian Art museum, with its collections of classic and contemporary fine art. The evening offers an optional medieval dinner at Restaurant Maikrahv.

  • Breakfast
  • Hotel Radisson Blu Olympia
  • Excursion to Kadriorg Park and KUMU museum, Medieval dinner at the restaurant "Maikrahv"

Optional transfer to the airport.

  • Breakfast
  • Hotel Radisson Blu Olympia
  • Transfers

Customer reviews

Marlin Kipp 22 June 2019
I really enjoyed this Polish Dream Tour (May 31-June 16, 2019) for the inclusion of major cities (Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw & Krakow), as well as seeing the country from the north (Gdansk) to the south (Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains). The sites visited, and an absolutely first-class guide (Krzysztof Kisielnicki), gave a window into the complex history of Poland that I appreciated very much. I enjoyed the free time to explore on my own when our stay was 2-3 nights; our guide was a great source of suggestions. The bus tours in the cities were kept to a minimum - the walking tours with our guide and/or local guides were excellent and much preferred. I enjoyed all our hotel accommodations - locations were great and breakfasts very good; and the included dinners were delicious (it was especially nice that on most arrival days, group dinner was served). I appreciated the inclusion of music (Chopin concert in Warsaw; short organ concert in Oliwa; and folk music in Zakopane). I enjoyed our visit to the Lavender Field farm , giving us the chance to be in the country with enthusiastic hosts that are working to preserve elements of Poland's history. Skansen, raft ride, Malbork, Wolf's Lair, Wieliczka Salt Mines, horse carriage ride in Zakopane - the wide range of ways to experience aspects of Poland were well thought out on this tour. Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau is so important, and I was glad it was on the tour; unfortunately the sheer crowds flowing through the exhibits rather prevent one actually having time to just be there unhurried. What immediately followed, though was also important: a visit to Wadowice - the home town and church of Pope Paul John II, where we could sit in the beauty and peace of that church after seeing the horrors of Auschwitz. Hiking in the rugged Tatra mountains in Zakopane was superb. The rest stops on the longer bus rides were suitably spaced.
I was repeatedly impressed throughout Poland seeing how determined the Polish people have been to restore a country damaged so badly in WW II to its heritage, and move forward.
Suggestions:
I would have loved to hear the organ at Sw. Lipka;
I thought our time in Poznan was too short - would have preferred to stay overnight there rather than Torun;
The vineyard /wine tasting visit was a little disappointing in that we didn't get to see the monastery and wine-making facilities - just a brief walk in the vineyard and wine-tasting.
Angela Belly 31 July 2018
Many thanks to Dora who arranged this fabulous trip for us. The group appeared to be acceptable size - 27 people which was very good.the sights we visited were well chosen and we learned a lot about the countries.The local tour operators were taking good care of us but we knew that Nordic Saga is keeping an eye on our tour and checking if we are happy. Thank you Dora for all your attention and efficiency. Best regards,

Angela Belly
J & B Goldstein 31 July 2018
We liked everything on this tour. It was just what we expected. Thank you for amazing time! Nothing to complain about. Many thanks to our guide Janis, who was fantastic!
Best regards form J & B Goldstein
Angela Belly 31 July 2018
Many thanks to Dora who arranged this fabulous trip for us. The group appeared to be acceptable size - 27 people which was very good.the sights we visited were well chosen and we learned a lot about the countries.The local tour operators were taking good care of us but we knew that Nordic Saga is keeping an eye on our tour and checking if we are happy. Thank you Dora for all your attention and efficiency. Best regards,

Angela Belly
Paulina and Joe 28 February 2018
We have chosen a tour Polish and Baltic Jewels as it covered main cities in Poland and nearly all of the Baltic countries. My husband and I are interested in the history of these countries and wanted personally experience them and were not disappointed. The tour was very well organized, the itinerary well chosen. The service was excellent everywhere. We loved the architecture of the cities and the atmosphere of the old towns. The guides were very knowledgeable and friendly . The last but not the least, we brought home a few very nice and original souvenirs from Estonia, Lithuania and Poland. This was a trip to be long remembered.
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