No 50050
Self drive tour
Self drive tour Individual Latvia, Lithuania

Along the Baltic National Parks - Latvia and Lithuania

Day 1 Arrival in Rīga

Arrival at Rīga International airport. Free time to explore Rīga. Places of particular interest are the medieval Old Town and the Art Nouveau district included into UNESCO World's Heritage list. Also the Central Market, one of the largest in Europe is worth a visit to see the local products.



Accommodation at hotel in Rīga.


Day 2 Riga - Kekava - Kegums - Koknese - Atasiene - Vilani - Rēzekne

Breakfast.
The route goes along the right bank of the Daugava river providing some fine views and then crosses the river at Kegums HES.
Sites and attractions en route:



  • Picturesque Koknese Castle Ruins and park;

  • Skriveri Dendrology Park with 372 foreign trees and shrubs;

  • Teici Nature Reserve is the largest untouched raised and moss bog in the Baltic. In the middle of the bog there is a unique islet Siksala where Old believers seeked refuge in 17th century. There still has remained four active households. (Excursions to the Teici should be pre-booked and available from 1.06-31.10.)

  • Vilani Catholic Church and Bernadine monastery


If interested in birdwatching then detour to the Nagli fishing ponds by the lake Lubana would be beneficial. The ponds are one of the richest and most diverse site of the nesting and resting waterbirds. There are several birdwatching towers and Tirumnieki raised swamp trail.

Overnight at the guesthouse near Rezekne.

Distance driving 254 km

Day 3 Rēzekne – Mākoņkalns – Andrupene – Daugavpils

Breakfast.
Latgale region is Latvia' s “land of lakes” and there is  Rāzna National Park.
Sites and attractions en route:



  • lake Rāzna is the second largest in Latvia.

  • typical landscapes of ancient hillocks and a unique cultural environment.

  • Mākoņkalns Hill, which offers a lovely view of Lake Rāzna

  • Latgale  famous pottery workshops

  • typical regional meals can be tasted at Andrupene farm

  • Aglona Basilica – the piligrimage place.


Overnight at the guesthouse near Daugavpils.

Distance driving 130 km

Day 4 Daugavpils - Zarasai – Ignalina – Palūše – Ginučiai – Stripeikiai – Ignalina

Breakfast.
Latvian/Lithuanian border crossing at Smelyne.
Sites and attractions en route:



  • Augštaitija National Park. Around 70% of the park comprises of forest. Most of it is pine, about 200 years old. There are 126 interconnected lakes and several ethnographic villages. Several mounds where was settlements in 9-11th centuries. 

  • The oldest wooden church at  Paluše from 18th century;

  • Ginučiai village and its watermill with preserved original mechanisms;

  • Ancient Beekeeping Museum at  Stripeikiai;


Guided birdwatching and other wildlife excursions within the park are available upon request.


Overnight at the guest house in Ignalina.

Distance driving 160 km

Day 5 Ignalina – Moletai – Vilnius

Breakfast. 



Vilnius city tour. Vilnius Old Town, the Gediminas tower, Presidential Palace, St. Anne’s Church, Sts. Peter & Paul's Church, The KGB museum, The Gates of Dawn, The Bernardine Gardens, the Castle Hill, the Hill of Three Crosses, Gediminas avenue. 



Overnight in a hotel in Vilnius.

Distance driving 233 km

Day 6 Vilnius – Trakai

Breakfast.




  • Trakai Historical National Park preserves mainly monumental part of Trakai;

  • The Trakai Island Castle in the Trakai Historical National Park;

  • Karaites' cultural heritage museum (ethnic group of Turkish speaking Crimean Tatars which settled here in 14th - 15thcentur



Overnight in a guesthouse or a hotel in Trakai.

Distance driving 28 km

Day 7 Trakai – Merkinė – Marcinkonys – Druskininkai

Breakfast.
Sites and attractions en route:



  • Dzukija National Park include several well preserved traditional farmsteads and villages worthwile a visit. The park's is a good place where to experience Lithuanian crafts and traditions.

  • Visitor Centre located at Marcinkonys.

  • Ancient  Castle Hill at  Merkinė provides fine views at the rivers Merkys and Nemuna.

  • Druskininkai is Lithuanian  historic health and spa resort

  • Grutos Park where exhibition was based on the Soviet time monuments demolished during 1989-91 restoration of independence.


Overnight in Druskininkai.

Distance driving 63 km

Day 8 Druskininkai – Kaunas

Breakfast.



Kaunas city tour. Old Town Kaunas, the Ninth Fort, Laisvesaleja (Liberty Boulevard), the Kaunas castle, Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul. The house of Chigune Sugihara, the Japanese consul, who resided in Kaunas in 1939 - 1940 and rescued Jewish people from persecutions by granting them visas.



Overnight in a hotel in Kaunas.

 

Distance driving 137 km

Day 9 Kaunas – Klaipėda – Nida

Breakfast.



Klaipeda, a harbour city. Ferry to peninsula (15min) to Curonian Spit National Park, a sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. This is the only place in the Baltic States where there is such a vast territory of open-air sand dunes which still change the local terrain very actively because of the wind.



Sites to visit: ethnographic villages, Nida holiday resort, impressive sand dunes. Near Juodkrantė, bird lovers can observe the colony of grey herons and large cormorants. Juodkrante also has unique forest sound observation sites “Sound catchers” in an old forest.



Overnight at Nida.

Distance driving 267 km

Day 10 Nida – Klaipeda -Lithuania/Latvia border – Pape Nature Park - Liepāja

Breakfast.

Sites and attractions en route:




  • Vienkiemis recreation complex with a cafe, pub, restaurant offering traditional Lithuanian food. Exposition of historical working tools.

  • Palanga is a  busy beach resort with an excellent and very informative Amber Museum;



Cross Latvian/Lithuanian border.




  • The House of Tradition Zvanītāji. The wooden building was erected in the late 19th century and features a museum demonstrating the way people lived more than 100 years ago.  Exhibits include household objects, the Rucava folk costume, socks and decorated mittens. Tasting traditional Latvian food;

  • The Pape Nature Park - a coastal lagoon lake and a wet high peat bog with transitional bogs, sand beaches and walking dunes, coastal forests, flood-plain meadows;

  • Liepaja is a lively town with distinctive cultural and military history.  The places of interest include old town, promenade with cafes and restaurants and  nice beach, naval forts and Military prison;

  • Liepāja Craft Centre. Watching various craftspeople at work: amber jewellers, weavers, etc.



Overnight in a hotel in Liepāja.

Distance driving 160 km

Day 11 Liepāja – Ventpils

Breakfast.
Sites and attractions en route:



  • distinctive Jurkalne steep coast makes a nice stop;

  • Ventspils is one of the best maintained towns in Latvia. Places of interest includes: Old Town with Livonian Order Castle, promanade, market place, ancient crafts house, breakwater as well as Blue Flag beach.


Overnight in Ventspils.

Distance driving 124 km

Day 12 Ventspils – Kolka – Ģipka

Breakfast.
Sites and attractions en route:



  • Slīteres National Park is as an open-air museum which shows the historical development of the Baltic Sea. Nowadays evidence of geological events is seen in the Blue Hills of Slītere, which stand 20 to 30 metres high above what was the shore of the Baltic lake of ice 10,000 years ago.

  • Cape Kolka where the waters of Baltic Sea meet with the Gulf of Riga;

  • Traditional Livs' villages along the coast and tasting of smoked fish. Livs are one of the smallest ethnic groups in Europe;

  • several nature trails and Slitere lighthouse which provides fantastic panoramic view.


Guided wildlife (birds, mammals, insects) tours can be pre-arranged.

Overnight near Ģipka or Roja.

Distance driving 102 km

Day 13 Ģipka – Ragaciems – Ķemeri – Rīga

Breakfast.

Sites and attractions en route:




  • The Ķemeri National Park. The bog landscape can be enjoyed walking through the bog on wooden trail (2-4km, 1-2h walking). It involves wetlands – the shallow shores of the Bay of Rīga, an overgrown seaside lake, vast swamps, damp forests and fens, and flood-land meadows. The massive swamps are important, too, in the flow of sulphuric waters and medicinal mud.

  • Lake Sloka walking trail,  Kanieris Castle Mound trail and birdwatching tower

  • Historic centre of Kemeri health resort

  • Jurmala, the most popular holiday and spa resort of Latvia



Overnight in Rīga.

Distance driving 138 km

Day 14 Riga

Breakfast.
Departure.