Experience the highlights of Helsinki & the Baltics over 9 incredible days. Explore Northern Europe and all 3 Baltic capitals!
Experience this unforgettable, 9-day Highlights of Helsinki & The Baltics tour! Expat Explore’s Baltic tours visit all three Baltic capitals and Finland’s capital. Embark on guided tours of Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Experience Trakai Island Castle and the seaside towns of Pärnu and Saulkrasti. Uncover history, charming cities and more!
Hotel in Helsinki
Hotel in Vilnius
8 Nights, (3 & 4 star hotels)
8 Nights
(3 & 4 star hotels)
8 Breakfasts | 1 Lunch | 3 Dinners
8 Breakfasts
1 Lunch
3 Dinners
Air-conditioned coach
Air-conditioned coach
Fully-guided tour
Fully-guided tour
Hotel in Helsinki | 11:15 AM
Hotel in Vilnius | 10:00 AM
Arrive in Helsinki, the capital of Finland and meet up with your tour leader and fellow travellers at the hotel. Then, set off on a locally-guided walking and driving tour. Marvel at top sights including Senate Square, the Uspenski Cathedral, the Havis Amanda, Kauppatori Market and more! This evening, look forward to a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Visit Havis Amanda Fountain, neoclassical Senate Square, Helsinki Cathedral, Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral, and Kauppatori Market for Finnish crafts and souvenirs.
Visit Havis Amanda Fountain, neoclassical Senate Square, Helsinki Cathedral, Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral, and Kauppatori Market for Finnish crafts and souvenirs.
Hei Helsinki! Today offers a free day to discover this city which is consistently listed as one of the world’s happiest and most liveable. Join the Helsinki+ excursion to embark on a guided tour of Suomenlinna Fortress, explore the Helsinki City Museum and indulge in local delights at a famous café. Or, explore on your own - the choice is yours!
Enjoy a guided tour and picnic lunch on Suomenlinna island, explore Helsinki City Museum and indulge in a Finnish pastry and coffee at a famous café.
Enjoy a guided tour and picnic lunch on Suomenlinna island, explore Helsinki City Museum and indulge in a Finnish pastry and coffee at a famous café.
Our Baltic adventure begins today! Catch a ferry and sail across the Gulf of Finland towards Tallinn, the enchanting capital city of Estonia. Arrive in the afternoon and head to a historic restaurant in the Old Town for lunch. Wander Tallinn’s charming cobblestone streets and admire its medieval architecture while learning more about this fascinating city on a locally-guided tour.
Enjoy a comfortable cruise across the Gulf of Finland to Estonia. Take in the scenic views as the ferry makes its way to Tallinn.
Enjoy a comfortable cruise across the Gulf of Finland to Estonia. Take in the scenic views as the ferry makes its way to Tallinn.
Delight in a delicious local lunch at a historic restaurant in the heart of Tallinn’s Old Town Square.
Delight in a delicious local lunch at a historic restaurant in the heart of Tallinn’s Old Town Square.
Filled with medieval architecture, cobbled walkways and a vibrant culture, Tallinn is a photographer's dream. Highlights include St Olav's church and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
Filled with medieval architecture, cobbled walkways and a vibrant culture, Tallinn is a photographer's dream. Highlights include St Olav's church and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
After an introduction to the top attractions in Tallinn yesterday, take today as an opportunity to discover this enchanting city in-depth! Its compact size makes it easy to navigate and explore on foot. Be sure to visit the 12th-century St. Olaf‘s Church which has survived being struck by lightning about 10 times and burnt down three times!
Before crossing the border into Latvia, visit Pärnu. This seaside resort town is a popular summer spot for Estonians! Next stop is Saulkrasti, a picturesque Latvian coastal town. Later, arrive in Riga and pay your respects at the Brothers’ Cemetery. After checking into the hotel, visit Riga’s Old Town and admire the city’s Art Nouveau architecture on an orientation tour!
Enjoy a stop in the resort city of Pärnu, a seaside city overlooking Pärnu Bay which is beloved for its colourful houses and scenic beach.
Enjoy a stop in the resort city of Pärnu, a seaside city overlooking Pärnu Bay which is beloved for its colourful houses and scenic beach.
This Latvian seaside town is a great local spot to drink in the beauty of the Latvian coastline without the tourist crowds.
This Latvian seaside town is a great local spot to drink in the beauty of the Latvian coastline without the tourist crowds.
Also called the Brothers' Cemetery, this national monument commemorates 2,000+ Latvian soldiers who fought in World War I and the Latvian War of Independence.
Also called the Brothers' Cemetery, this national monument commemorates 2,000+ Latvian soldiers who fought in World War I and the Latvian War of Independence.
Admire Riga’s striking Art Nouveau architecture and top sights including the Riga Dom Cathedral and the House of the Black Heads on an orientation tour.
Admire Riga’s striking Art Nouveau architecture and top sights including the Riga Dom Cathedral and the House of the Black Heads on an orientation tour.
Enjoy a full free day to experience Riga! With over 800 years of history, Riga is sure to captivate with its architectural wonders and luscious greenery. Wander through the UNESCO-protected Old Town and let landmarks like the House of the Black Heads and the Riga Dom Cathedral take your breath away or indulge in local cuisine at the Central Market.
Crossing the border from Latvia into Lithuania, today’s first stop is the Hill of Crosses, an important religious site. Then, travel to Trakai, a quaint town home to the fairytale Trakai Island Castle! Later, travel to Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital. Admire the Vilnius Cathedral, Church of St Anne and Gediminas Tower on an orientation tour. Enjoy local cuisine at dinner tonight.
Pilgrims have been flocking to this religious sight for centuries and today there are 200,000+ crosses, carvings and shrines.
Pilgrims have been flocking to this religious sight for centuries and today there are 200,000+ crosses, carvings and shrines.
This breathtaking Gothic castle was built on an island in Lake Galve, surrounded by lush forest. Explore the castle or get lunch in the town.
This breathtaking Gothic castle was built on an island in Lake Galve, surrounded by lush forest. Explore the castle or get lunch in the town.
Embark on an orientation tour of Vilnius. Learn about the city's storied history, discover Cathedral Square and marvel at the Old Town’s, UNESCO-listed Baroque architecture.
Embark on an orientation tour of Vilnius. Learn about the city's storied history, discover Cathedral Square and marvel at the Old Town’s, UNESCO-listed Baroque architecture.
Labas rytas Vilnius! Lithuania’s turbulent past is reflected in its capital’s impressive street art and museums. However, Vilnius is also full of life and locals take any opportunity to celebrate the city’s freedom. Join the Vilnius+ optional excursion to tour a political-prison-turned-ultra-cool-event-space, explore the self-proclaimed republic of Užupis, visit an Amber Museum and enjoy a tasty local lunch.
Discover Vilnius on a tour of the quirky Užupis and historic Lukiškių Kalėjimas. Enjoy a visit to the Amber Museum and an included local lunch.
Discover Vilnius on a tour of the quirky Užupis and historic Lukiškių Kalėjimas. Enjoy a visit to the Amber Museum and an included local lunch.
After 9 days of discovering the top attractions in Helsinki and the many Baltic travel highlights, this unforgettable trip from Helsinki to Vilnius comes to an end this morning. Enjoy one final breakfast with your newfound travel buddies and be sure to swap contact details before going your separate ways. Wishing you a safe journey onwards!
Visit Havis Amanda Fountain, neoclassical Senate Square, Helsinki Cathedral, Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral, and Kauppatori Market for Finnish crafts and souvenirs.
Delight in a delicious local lunch at a historic restaurant in the heart of Tallinn’s Old Town Square.
Admire Riga’s striking Art Nouveau architecture and top sights including the Riga Dom Cathedral and the House of the Black Heads on an orientation tour.
This breathtaking Gothic castle was built on an island in Lake Galve, surrounded by lush forest. Explore the castle or get lunch in the town.
Pilgrims have been flocking to this religious sight for centuries and today there are 200,000+ crosses, carvings and shrines.
Travel on this part of the combo tour to experience 9 days in Finland & the Baltics.
You'll Love
Enhance your tour with these carefully selected optional experiences. Each one is designed to add depth and excitement to your journey, allowing you to customize your adventure according to your interests.
Enjoy a guided tour and picnic lunch on Suomenlinna island, explore Helsinki City Museum and indulge in a Finnish pastry and coffee at a famous café.
Discover Vilnius on a tour of the quirky Užupis and historic Lukiškių Kalėjimas. Enjoy a visit to the Amber Museum and an included local lunch.
If you are planning to travel a different year, please select here to view the relevant itinerary:
Price is based on a sharing twin room. Single room (optional).
Price is based on a sharing twin room. Single room (optional).
Price is based on a sharing twin room. Single room (optional).
We partner with a range of hand-picked hotels in each destination. The hotels listed below are those we stay at most frequently. However, you may stay at different hotels of a similar standard.
A confirmed list of hotels is emailed to all travellers prior to their tour departure. To extend your stay in Helsinki and Vilnius book pre and post-tour accommodation through our partner Booking.com.
Great tour leader Luke made this tour enjoyable, interesting and well run. Saw all the main sights and plenty of others. Value for money.
The Itinerary was great. I was a solo traveler in a tour with mostly couples. I felt alone at first, but people warmed up to me almost immediately. I liked all the destinations. ...
The. tour brought me so much happy memories and allowed me to see interesting places I never would see.The experiences and the knowledge shared made me a better person than yesterd...
Explore more with our diverse selection of tours, featuring similar adventures with unique destinations and unforgettable experiences.
For pre-departure and visa information, as well as frequently asked questions regarding preparing for and travelling on this tour, please visit our Help Centre.
No, you will need to make your own arrangements to get to the meeting destination for the first day of your tour. Make sure you keep departure times and possible delays in mind when booking flights. Please click here to visit Skyscanner - a useful tool for comparing prices from the vast majority of airlines.
When you book for more than one person, we will by default group you together in the same room(s), unless you request single supplements or specifically request us not to.
If there are unequal numbers (3, 5, 7 etc.) then the remaining traveller will be roomed with another passenger of the same gender. Please note that minors under the age of 18 cannot share with another traveller outside of your group's booking.
If you are making separate bookings and would like to share the same room(s), please send us an email with the booking references for each of the travellers and the details of your preferred rooming allocation.
Yes, and you are responsible for arranging your own insurance. Passengers and their personal property travel with Expat Explore solely at their own risk. A suitable insurance policy should provide adequate cover for medical expenses arising through illness or accident prior to or during the holiday, and loss of holiday monies through cancellation or curtailment of the holiday or other insurable reasons. Clients should ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities in their tour.
For a relatively small price, travel insurance provides you with the peace of mind so that you can enjoy your tour without any worries. To receive a quote from our preferred travel insurance partner please visit World Nomads*.
For more information on what to look for in a travel insurance policy, click here.
While Expat Explore cannot assist with booking pre or post-tour accommodation, we have partnered with Booking.com for affordable accommodation options prior to and after the tour.
If you would like to receive the hotel list in advance so that you can book accommodation at or nearby the start hotel, please request this by sending an email to info@expatexplore.com with your booking reference.
Expat Explore can provide travellers requiring visas with visa support documents on a request basis. Please note that you are required to pay for your tour in full in order to receive the documents. This is an embassy/consulate requirement by law. Once you have received confirmation that your booking has been paid in full, you can request your visa support documents by emailing info@expatexplore.com - please allow up to 10 working days to receive these documents.
All travellers are required to carry their own bags. Our walking tours can last up to 3 hours and certain places involve walking up and down stairs. We want you to enjoy your tour, so read through the itinerary thoroughly and make your own conclusions as to whether you feel that you are fit and healthy enough.
Our tours are not suitable for young children, so we set a minimum age limit of 10 years old. However, at the discretion of Expat Explore we may consider younger children on certain tours if they meet certain criteria and a request is received in writing via email for consideration. Expat Explore reserves the absolute right to accept or decline a booking at our discretion.
Your deposit secures your spot on tour and locks in the price you pay. Although the deposit you pay at the time of booking is non-refundable, you're protected by our 10-Day Money-Back Guarantee – a full refund if you cancel within 10 days of making your booking.
For more information, please refer to the 10-Day Money-Back Guarantee in our Terms & Conditions.
Before the tour starts, you will receive an email from us requesting your dietary requirements. There is always a vegetarian option available. We try as much as we can to offer you the traditional local cuisine.
No, you will need to make your own arrangements to get to the meeting point for the first day of your tour. We have partnered with Welcome Pickups to secure a hassle-free service. You will be met at the arrivals gate by your driver. Your driver will track your flight, so they'll wait for you even if it's delayed. Please click here to book an airport transfer.
This is up to you and will vary depending on how much you wish to spend on snacks, drinks, souvenirs etc. We do not include entrance fees to attractions and museums. We do, however, provide you with free time to see everything you want, and our tour leaders will have all the information on pricing and locations so you can manage your own budget. Please refer to your tours specific pre-departure information and optional excursions guide for further details.