Cycle the Baltics

11 Days Starting in Tallinn and ending in Vilnius

Visiting: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

Tour operator:

Exodus Adventure Travels

Tour code:

MVB

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

5 - 16

Physical rating:

Easy & Moderate

Age range:

16-99

Special diets catered:

Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements

Tour operated in:

English

Activities:

Cycling

From: $2895 $2316 Operator discount: -$579 -20%

NB: Prices correct on 21-Nov-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

Experience the beauty of the Baltics by bike, where protected landscapes and breath-taking coastlines offer idyllic cycling trails. Guided by an expert tour leader, we mainly take quiet backroads, national park trails and coastal cycle tracks with vehicle support throughout. Off the saddle, we learn about the complicated history and different cultures of the three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – visiting all three capital cities and interacting with the friendly local people.

Highlights

  • Discover the beauty of the Baltics by bike: wild national parks, scenic coasts and culture-rich capitals

  • Explore the nature-rich Lahemaa National Park on a scenic cycle

  • Ride through the ‘Estonian Switzerland’, known for its picturesque hills and pine forests

  • Unwrap the history of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with the help of our expert tour leader

  • Dive into the local culture by touring all three capital cities: Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius

  • Visit the magical fairytale island castle of Trakai

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Start Tallinn; Transfer To Hotel

The adventure begins in Tallinn, a historical city with many sites to explore. If you have time after your arrival, we recommend strolling through the streets of the Old Town to Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square), which is surrounded by elaborate merchant houses and is the perfect setting to enjoy a coffee.



Upon arriving at the hotel, head to reception to check in and receive your meeting instructions.



Accommodation: Go Hotel Shnelli (or similar)

Day 2 : Explore Tallinn; Transfer To Lahemaa National Park For A Scenic Ride

Meals Included: Breakfast

This morning there is free time to further explore the Estonian capital (timings will be confirmed by the guide in the welcome briefing). In the afternoon, we drive out of the city (approximately one hour) to Lahemaa National Park for our first ride. The park, one of the last unspoilt regions on the Baltic Coast, covers more than 270sqmi (700sqkm). Here you will cycle through thick woods, and past marshes and lakes. Also keep your eyes peeled for moose and wild boar, although they’re difficult to spot, and more than 220 bird species.



Accommodation: Hotel Wesenbergh (or similar)

Day 3 : Full Day Riding Through Lahemaa National Park

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today we have a full day to explore the largest national park in Estonia and one of the biggest in Europe. We will take a bus to Vihula manor, then we cycle through the 400-year-old fisherman’s village of Altja, the popular seaside resort of Vosu and Kasmu village which is home to a fisherman’s museum before we reach Sagadi. From there we take a bus back to our hotel.



Accommodation: Hotel Wesenbergh (or similar)

Day 4 : Transfer To Peipsi And Cycle Along The Lake Shore; Transfer To Tartu

Meals Included: Breakfast

We start the day with a bus transfer to the shore of Peipsi Lake (approximately 90 minutes), then start cycling from the 17th-century fisherman’s village of Mustvee. From here, we pass through ancient towns and churches. Following an old Russian tradition, villages in Peipsi only have one street. Because of this, the shore of Peipsi Lake is one long street with lots of small settlements dotted along it. We continue cycling into Varnja and then transfer to Tartu (approximately 30 minutes).



Accommodation: Tartu Hotel (or similar)

Day 5 : Cycle Through 'Estonian Switzerland' To Otepaa; Transfer To Riga

Meals Included: Breakfast

After breakfast, we have a 25mi (40km) transfer to Otepaa. This area is known as the Estonian Switzerland because of its stunning scenery and pine forests. As you might expect, there are a few hills on today’s ride, though nothing too challenging with the gradient not passing seven percent. Once over the hills, we cycle through beautiful forest and meadows and past Lake Puhajarve on our way to Sangaste town. We will visit the park We then continue cycling to Valga city, and from here we transfer by bus to Riga (approximately 2hr 30min), our base for the next two nights.



Accommodation: Rixwell Old Riga Palace (or similar)

Day 6 : Cycle To Jurmala; Transfer To Riga For The Night

Meals Included: Breakfast

Our journey today will start in bustling Riga, the capital of Latvia. The city has a Medieval old town with wooden buildings and art nouveau architecture. We then follow cycle paths to the beautiful town of Jurmala, which has more incredible wooden buildings and 19th-century Russian villas. Jurmala is also one of the largest seaside resorts in Latvia – it has a 21mi (33km) stretch of white sandy beach for us to explore on our bikes. There will be plenty of time to swim in the sea before we transfer back to Riga for the night.



Accommodation: Rixwell Old Riga Palace (or similar)

Day 7 : Transfer To Sventoji; Cycle To Klaipeda

Meals Included: Breakfast

After breakfast, we leave Latvia and transfer directly to Lithuania (approximately four hours). We begin our ride in Sventoji on a beautiful cycle route to Klaipeda, which lies along the Baltic Coast. On the way, we pass Palanga, a traditional bucket and spade seaside town with a long sandy stretch. It's a fun place for a wander and sea dip, and one of the most favoured seaside towns among Lithuanians. There are numerous cafes where we can lunch and enjoy the atmosphere before we set off for our final destination of Klaipeda, our base for two nights.



Accommodation: Green Park Hotel Klaipeda (or similar)

Day 8 : Transfer To Curonian Spit National Park; Explore By Bike

Meals Included: Breakfast

We transfer to the resort town of Nida (approximately 90 minutes including the ferry ride), which is known as a hub for artists. From here, we explore the 61mi (98km) long Curonian Spit. The high dunes (up to 197ft/60m) running along the spit have encouraged the local people to refer to the area as the Lithuanian Sahara. During our ride, we will stop in Juodkrante and admire the bizarre wooden carvings on what is known as Witch Hill. The sculpture park was started in 1979 and now has more than 70 carvings representing characters from Lithuanian folklore. We then continue along the spit with the Baltic Sea extending far into the distance. We finish the ride at the ferry port, and from here we take the ferry across the lagoon then transfer back to the hotel in Klaipeda for the night.



Accommodation: Green Park Hotel Klaipeda (or similar)

Day 9 : Transfer To Zapyskis; Explore Kaunas; End The Ride In Pažaislis; Transfer To Vilnius

Meals Included: Breakfast

We start the day with a bus transfer (approximately 2hr 30min) to Zapyskis, a centuries-old small town in the Kaunas district. Here we jump on our bikes and cycle past old villages, beaches and the Nemunas, the largest river in the country. Halfway through our ride, we stop to explore Kaunas city, a European Capital of Culture in 2022. Our end point is Pažaislis Monastery, where a 17th-century baroque church dominates the grounds. After, we’ll transfer to Vilnius by bus (approximately 1hr 30min).



Accommodation: Comfort Hotel (or similar)

Day 10 : Transfer To Trakai; Cycle Around Town And Visit Trakai Castle; Return To Vilnius

Meals Included: Breakfast

After breakfast, we transfer by bus to Senieji (Old) Trakai. From here, we have a picturesque ride to Galve Lake (with possibility to have a lakeside picnic and a swim in the lake). Here sits Trakai Castle, as if floating on its own island in the lake – it’s a truly magical place. After we explore the area and visit the castle, we continue our ride to Užutrakis Manor Park while enjoying the scenery. Here we finish our cycling for today and transfer back to Vilnius for the night.



Accommodation: Comfort Hotel (or similar)

Day 11 : End Vilnius

Meals Included: Breakfast

We have a free morning in Vilnius before the trip ends. If you’d like to spend a bit longer in this special city, perhaps exploring the Unesco-recognised old town, then you can speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.

What's Included

  • All breakfasts

  • All accommodation

  • Local bike hire

  • All transport and listed activities

  • Free group arrival and departure transfers available

  • Tour leader throughout

What's Not Included

  • Travel insurance

  • Single accommodation (available on request)

  • Visas or vaccinations

  • E-bike hire

Accommodation

On this trip, we stay in two- and three-star hotels, ideally located for our cycling adventures. Below are the properties we typically use.



Tallinn: Go Shnelli Hotel (night 1)







We begin our adventure by staying near the medieval old town of Tallinn and Balti Jaam Market. When you’re not out exploring, the first-floor hotel restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows with views over both and serves breakfast plus an à la carte dinner menu.



Rakvere, near Lahemaa National Park: Hotel Wesenbergh (nights 2-3)







A stay at Hotel Wesenbergh provides easy access to our rides in Lahemaa National Park. However, we’re also in the centre of Rakvere, while the hotel has a bistro dishing out traditional Estonian cuisine (Monday to Friday).



Tartu: Hotel Tartu (night 4)







In the city centre, Hotel Tartu is within walking distance of the old town and the Vanemuine Theatre (the oldest theatre in Estonia). There’s also a 70-seat cafe on the ground floor plus a sauna centre (additional cost) with Finnish and steam saunas. If you plan on using the sauna centre, you need to bring flip flops (or purchase them from the hotel for €3).



Riga: Rixwell Old Riga Palace Hotel (nights 5-6)







Occupying an art nouveau building in Riga Old Town, this 116-room hotel is our home for two nights in the capital of Latvia. When you want to relax, there’s a bar and a small gym with fitness machines.



Klaipeda: Green Park Hotel (nights 7-8)







In the port city of Klaipeda, we stay at the Green Park Hotel, which is ideally located for our ferry ride. The rooms are relatively basic and there’s a bar for post-exploration drinks.



Vilnius: Comfort Hotel LT – Rock’n’Roll Vilnius (nights 9-10)







With an industrial style and music theme, our Vilnius hotel has plenty of personality. The 80 rooms are all air conditioned with underfloor heating in the bathroom, plus the Mellow restaurant serves a menu packed with local produce. Other nice additions are a free-to-use gym and a lobby shop selling beers, snacks, sandwiches and more.



Worth knowing



If you opt for the single supplement, please note that in some hotels, this may mean having a room with a single bed.

Food

All breakfasts included.



Breakfast: Taken in the hotels. In most places, these will be buffet style and will offer plenty of choice including cold meat, cheese, eggs, bread, jams and juice.

Lunches: On many of the days due to our remote rides there will be the option to buy a picnic from the hotel or get supplies on the way – we can then choose a spot on our ride to stop for a break. This means we can be flexible and choose the best views for lunch. On some days, there will be opportunities to buy lunch in cafes in the towns that we go through such as Palanga.

Dinners: Cuisine in this area is often centred around pork, veal, fish, potatoes, sauerkraut and soups such as borsch (beetroot soup with meat; in Lithuania this is served cold). In Trakai, kibinai are popular, these are large savoury baked pastries traditionally filled with lamb or beef.

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Check out our Q&As

  • Are children permitted to take part in the tour?

    Minimum 16 years age people can go on this tour.

  • Is there a supplement for solo travellers?

    If you would like to be paired with a tour member of the same gender, there is no additional charge. A single supplement can be requested if you would like your own room.

  • Do you require a visa for this holiday?

    UK passport holders do not need visas for this trip. Other nationalities should check with the relevant embassies.

  • Are flights included in this tour?

    International flights are not included with this tour.

  • Who is Exodus Travels?

    At Exodus Travels, we've been exploring the world for nearly 50 years. From Walking and Trekking, Cultural and Cycling, Responsible Wildlife, to Polar and our new Premium Adventures, we are proud to offer award-winning small group and self-guided tours to 100+ countries worldwide.

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?

    2-3-star hotels

  • Are vaccinations required for this tour?

    No vaccinations are obligatory.

  • What is the maximum group size?

    16

  • Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?

    We are happy to assist with pre and post tour accommodation. Please enquire for detailed information.

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Exodus has been trading since 1974

  • What documents will I receive before I travel?

    Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.

Reviews from travellers on this tour

Baltic Cycle Tour

I did the first one back around 2002. It was fantastic. I had a great time. I shared my accom with a Scot from Glasgow, who was an interesting character, I'll leave it at that. We started in Vilnius and ended in Tallinn. By the look of the 2016 course guide it looks similar to 2002, just in reverse. There were only 5 of us, including Paulius our local leader from Klaepedia. The scenery was great. Lots of stone cottages, stone walls and roosting storks on farmhouse chimneys. The pace was nice and easy, no big hills to negotiate although a few long gradual climbs, that got the cardio system pumping. Back then you needed a separate visa to enter Latvia, but not the other 2 countries. This may have changed, if not don't think you can wing it at the border. It cost me a lost day in Vilnius, Lithuania while I negotiated with the Latvian embassy to get a visa after paying "an emergency process fee" in USD to the official who finally issued my visa.

Cycling the Baltic States

A really outstanding Exodus cycle trip, aided by the most marvellous European summer. Great group of fellow cyclists, excellent choice of hotels and really beautiful forest cycleways. Tour leader Lina and driver Andre added significantly to the overall experience. We have been on a few Exodus trips and as always we were very well looked after. The cycling was fairly straight forward and relatively easy.

Cycling and sightseeing in the Baltics

A very well organised and interesting trip, combining exercise and sightseeing in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Our guide Vaida was calm, helpful, knowledgable, kind and fun - an ideal cycling guide. The trip gave 4 nights in Estonia, 2 in Latvia and 4 in Lithuania, with a combination of cycling, learning about the cities we visited, and socialising with the group. The cycling was straightforward, mostly flat riding in forests or by the sea, sometimes with a headwind. It was mostly cool which is good for cycling. The group were of mixed ability, so some went ahead whilst others went more slowly to enjoy the views. It was good to visit this area of Europe to get to know more about it. Breakfasts were substantial, and I have developed a love of herring - though this is not necessary!

Cycle the Baltics

A fascinating glimpse into the history and culture of these countries. The cycling is leisurely with frequent stops and comfort breaks. The scenery is varied with forest, coast, beach and countryside. The towns and cities visited have fabulous architecture and superb restaurants. We were lucky enough to have perfect weather for the whole trip and to experience the Jazz and Blues festival at Klepida, not to mention the best tour leader ever.

Enjoyable trip cycling through the Baltics

Overall this was a very enjoyable trip, visiting the Baltic capitals and countryside, learning about the history of the countries and enjoying some very good local food. It is a relatively flat route through the countries on some very good quality cycle paths and roads (compared to the pot holes in the UK) and the distances are not too challenging.

Cycle the Baltics

It was a fantastic trip, every day was a new adventure. The cycling was varied, and there was a lot of custom made cycle paths, e.g. on the Coronian Spit which consisted of just miles of cycle paths. The hotels were great, the best being the one in the National Park called Palmse Manor, with a stunning lake. The Hotel Braavo in Tallin was probably one not to return to, as they were obviously doing some refurbishments and it was a bit like a "work in progress".

A great 'sightseeing by bike' tour to three countries!

The Baltic countries are really interesting and so this trip is much more than the cycling - it was a cultural trip with bikes! We learnt a lot about the similarities and differences between the three countries, their history and their experience over the last hundred years. We also enjoyed some really nice food and drink and some good socialising - we had a really nice group. The cycling was pretty easy if you're reasonably fit - the routes aren't that hilly and quite a bit is through pine forest rather than open road. Several of us had e-bikes to take the strain on the longer days. The hotels were all pretty good.

Cycle the Baltics, August 2016

A very enjoyable trip with great weather - we had sunshine every day. The cycling (for a reasonably fit non-cyclist) was manageable and we arrived in towns and cities in time to see some/most of the major sites.

An amazing holiday

A great way to see all three Baltic Countries with really pretty reasonably easy cycling.

Almost excellent trip

I have just finished the wonderful Exodus cycle trip crossing the three Baltic Countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. First rate trip made extra special by our wonderful guide Lina Duseviciene who shared with us her family´s history and their and her own experience of the Soviet era. This brought us closer to the people of these countries while we cycled through the beautiful forest and scenery. Not to forget our driver Edvardus who entertained us with music while driving between locations. I would like to mention that the hotel we stayed in in Tallin had a really bad or no air-conditioning.

Read all 96 reviews

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  • Transfer as credit to Future Tours

    Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.

  • Low Deposit

    Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.

    Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

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