POLAND ~ LITHUANIA ~ LATVIA ~ ESTONIA ~ RUSSIA ~ BELARUS

Tour Pace -This tour moves at a reasonable pace with two-night stays in Warsaw, Tallinn and Vilnius, plus a couple of three-night stays in Moscow and St Petersburg. This allows ample time for in-depth exploration, as well as leisure time to shop, relax or indulge in optional excursions.

Fellow Passengers -This tour is a mecca for trend-setters who want to experience the flourishing Baltic region before it becomes all the rage. The ‘Iron Curtain’ may have vanished but Russia remains a major drawcard for visitors with its fascinating history and glorious architecture.

Notes
REF: E977. Prices are per person sharing a twin.

Insight's Airport Shuttle Service
Transfers operate on the days and at the times shown in the itinerary. Passengers arriving ourside these days and times have the option of either purchasing a transfer (see Conditions) or making their own way from/to the airport.

Additional visa requirements
Visas are required for most Eastern European countries and may be obtained by your Travel Agent. In many parts of Russia, clean small denomination US$ bills or Euro notes are the only accepted currency.

2009

Day 1 - DEPART USA

Overnight flight.

Day 2 - WARSAW AT LEISURE

Welcome to Poland! On arrival at Warsaw Airport, your airport shuttle service leaves for the tour hotel at 10:30, 12:30 & 15:30. Relax and settle in before enjoying a Welcome Drink with your fellow guests and Tour Director.
Hotel: Sheraton Warsaw.

Day 3 - WARSAW SIGHTSEEING

Join a local guide to take in the highlights of Warsaw, which was faithfully rebuilt after the devastation of World War Two. Pass the 'wedding cake' Palace of Culture and visit the Chopin Memorial in Lazienki Park. Now some time to reflect at the Memorial of the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto. Continue to the reconstructed Old Town and walk to the Market Square to watch a fascinating film about the reconstruction of the city. Then spend time at leisure. (BB)

Day 4 - WARSAW - VILNIUS

Pass lakeside Augustow and Suwalki on a scenic drive through Mazuria, a region richly endowed with a plethora of lakes and vast forests. Cross into Lithuania and continue to the capital city of Vilnius.
Hotel: Radisson Blu Astorija. (BB,D)

Day 5 - VILNIUS SIGHTSEEING

Sightseeing starts in the baroque church of St Peter and St Paul before moving on to see the neo-classical cathedral and joining a local guide for a leisurely walking tour of the Old Town. See the Jesuit University and the Gates of Dawn, and the former Soviet KGB headquarters, a reminder of grim and relatively recent events. Finally, enjoy a highlight visit to the picture-postcard castle of Trakai, the only island castle in all of Eastern Europe. (BB)

Day 6 - VILNIUS - RIGA

Head north to visit the unusual 'Votive Hill of Crosses' near Siauliai, the symbol of resistance against the Soviet occupation. Then it's on to the Latvian capital of Riga.
Hotel: Reval Elizabete. (BB,D)

Day 7 - RIGA - TALLINN

A tour of Riga's Old Town includes a visit to the Domkirk and shows you the city walls. See the House of the Three Brothers, the oldest in Latvia, as well as the nearby Swedish Gate and the castle of the Livonian Knights. Now drive along the shores of the Gulf of Riga and cross the Estonian border. Continue through Pärnu, famous for its mud baths, to reach Tallinn, hailed by travel aficionados as the 'New Prague'.
Hotel: Reval Olympia. (BB,D)

Day 8 - TALLINN SIGHTSEEING

Drift back through 800 years of history as you amble through the cobbled streets of the Old Town. Visit the market square with its old German Weighing House, Pharmacy and well preserved Town Hall. The energetic among the group can walk up Toompea Hill to the castle and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Don't forget to also visit Tallinn's shops for fine amber and silver jewellery. (BB)

Day 9 - TALLINN - ST PETERSBURG

Head east to the town of Narva, dominated by the mighty Hermannsburg fortress. The river Narva at this point forms the border with Russia, which you cross on your way to St Petersburg - a city of incomparable architectural, historic and artistic interest. Enjoy a champagne dinner in the evening.
Hotel: Park Inn Pribaltiskaya. (BB,D)

Day 10 - ST PETERSBURG SIGHTSEEING

On your sightseeing tour, see the fortress of St Peter and Paul, the gilded dome of St Isaac's Cathedral, and the cruiser, 'Aurora', now a memorial of the Russian Revolution. See the splendid Cathedral of Kazan, then tour one of the world's greatest museums, the spectacular Hermitage, housing a superb collection of priceless art. (BB)

Day 11 - ST PETERSBURG

See the memorial to WWII siege of Leningrad en route to visit the fabulous gardens and fountains of Peter the Great's summer residence at Petrodvorets. (BB)

Day 12 - ST PETERSBURG - MOSCOW

The day is at leisure to relax or shop along bustling Nevsky Prospekt. Lunch is included at a local restaurant, allowing time for last-minute sightseeing. Early evening, transfer to the station for a five-hour train journey to Moscow - a city which has captivated the imagination of travellers for centuries.
Hotel: Sovietsky. (BB,L)

Day 13 - MOSCOW SIGHTSEEING

A sightseeing tour takes in Red Square, seeing St Basil's Cathedral and Lenin's Tomb. Walk inside the walls of the Kremlin Fortress to visit one of the cathedrals before exploring the opulent Metro stations. There is free time afterwards to shop for souvenirs. (BB,D)

Day 14 - MOSCOW AT LEISURE

A full day is set aside for you to explore Moscow at your own pace. Visit the Gum department store or the Kremlin museum to gaze at the treasury of the Tsars. (BB)

Day 15 - MOSCOW - MINSK

Drive towards Smolensk and the Belarus border. Continue to Minsk, rebuilt in supreme Soviet style after the war. An orientation tour takes you along wide avenues and past gargantuan concrete buildings - a legacy of Minsk's Soviet past (Lenin still stands in front of the Government headquarters). Tonight enjoy a Highlight Dinner, complete with champagne and vodka.
Hotel: Minsk. (BB,L,HD)

Day 16 - MINSK - WARSAW

Head south-west to Brest, one of the USSR's 'Hero Cities' during World War Two. After lunch, cross the border to return to Warsaw.
Hotel: Sheraton Warsaw. (BB,L,D)

Day 17 - RETURN TO USA

Departure transfers arrive at Warsaw Airport at 07:30 & 10:00. (BB)