Self-drive tours

Along the Baltic National Parks - Latvia and Lithuania

Latvia, Lithuania (14 days)

General information:

• Route: Rīga – Koknese – Rēzekne – Daugavpils – Ignalina – Vilnius – Trakai – Druskininkai - Kaunas – Klaipēda – Nida - Liepāja – Ventspils – Kolka – Ķemeri – Rīga
  
• Individual
• Hire car
• Length of the route: ~ 1745 km
  
• 14 days

1st day / Arrival in Rīga

2nd day /Route: Riga - Kekava - Kegums - Koknese - Atasiene - Vilani - Rēzekne (~254km)

• 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

3rd day / Route: Rēzekne – Mākoņkalns – Andrupene – Daugavpils (130 km)

• 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.

4th day / Route: Daugavpils - Zarasai – Ignalina – Palūše – Ginučiai –Stripeikiai – Ignalina (~160 km)

• 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.

5th day / Route: Ignalina – Moletai – Vilnius (~233 km)

6th day / Route: Vilnius – Trakai (~28 km)

7th day / Route: Trakai – Merkinė – Marcinkonys – Druskininkai (~63 km)

• 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.

8th day / Route: Druskininkai – Kaunas

• Kaunas was a Lithuanian capital between wars (1920-40). The attractions include Town Hall at the Old Town, some churches as well as pedestrian Laisves Avenue with shops, cafes and restaurants. Here are also located the State Museum to the most prominent Lithuanian artist Mikolojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis.

Overnight at the hotel in Kaunas.

9th day / Route: Kaunas – Klaipėda – Nida (~267 km)

• Curonian Spit National Park is a sand-dune spit that separates  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.
• Several small ethnographic villages;
• Nida – pretty holiday resort where memorial house of writter Thomas Mann can be visited;
• impressive sand dunes;
• Sea Museum, Aquarium and Dolphinarium where dolphins performances takes place;
• Near Juodkrantė, bird lovers can observe the grey herons and large cormorants collony.

Overnight in Nida.

10th day / Route: Nida – Liepāja (~120 km)

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

•  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.

11th day / Route: Liepāja – Ventpils (~124 km)

• 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.

12th day / Route: Ventspils – Kolka – Ģipka (~102 km)

• 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.

13th day / Route: Ģipka – Ragaciems – Ķemeri – Rīga (~138 km)

• The Ķemeri National Park  mostly 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

14th day /Riga

Rate per person in a double room: from 485 EUR*

Services included in the package price:

• 13 overnights with breakfast in hotels and guesthouses with shower and WC;
  
• Maps and detailed description of the itinerary.

Extra costs not included in the package price:

• Rental car
  
• Single supplement per person during the whole tour (13 nights): from 215 EUR
• Transfer to/ from Riga International Airport: from 15 EUR one way (1-3 persons)
• Other meals than breakfast
• Ferry tickets to Curonian Spit (Klaipeda - Smiltyne)
  
• Tickets, degustations  and entrances to the attractions and sites
  
• Additional night in hotel in Riga: from 60 EUR (double room with breakfast)