Two-week Baltic itinerary: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania day by day

Two weeks is the right amount of time for all three Baltic states. It is enough to spend meaningful time in each capital, add a regional excursion in each country, and travel at a pace that lets you absorb rather than just tick off. This itinerary runs north to south: Tallinn, Estonia to Vilnius, Lithuania. It is designed for independent travellers but works equally well as the basis for a private guided journey, which is how most of our guests use it.

The routing avoids backtracking and ends in Vilnius, Lithuania, which has the best flight connections to southern and western Europe. If you prefer to start in Vilnius and end in Tallinn, simply reverse the order.

Day 1-3: Tallinn, Estonia

Fly into Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport, which has direct connections from London, Helsinki, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and most major European hubs. Take the number 2 tram from the airport to the city centre -- 10 minutes, 2 euros. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is your base for the first three days.

Day 1: arrive and settle. Walk up to Toompea Hill in the late afternoon for the view over the Lower Town's red rooftops and spires. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Toompea Castle are on the hill. Have dinner at one of the restaurants around Town Hall Square -- Rataskaevu 16 is a reliable choice for Estonian cuisine.

Day 2: explore the Lower Town thoroughly. Pikk Street runs north from Town Hall Square past the House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads to the Fat Margaret tower. The medieval walls still have intact sections with towers you can climb (5 euros each). The Viru Gate is the photogenic eastern entrance to the Old Town. In the afternoon, take a taxi or bus to Kadriorg -- 2 kilometres east of the Old Town -- for the baroque palace, KUMU Art Museum, and the gardens around the pond.

Day 3: Tallinn beyond the Old Town. Telliskivi Creative City, a former industrial complex turned arts and food district, is 20 minutes on foot from the Old Town. The Balti Jaam market next door has the best food hall in the city. In the afternoon, visit the wooden villa district of Kalamaja and walk to the Patarei sea fortress on the waterfront.

Day 4: Lahemaa National Park, Estonia

Rent a car for today or join a day tour from Tallinn. Lahemaa National Park is 70 kilometres east of Tallinn -- about an hour's drive. The park covers 725 square kilometres of coastal forest, bogs, manor houses, and fishing villages. The manor house at Palmse is the most visited: fully restored, with formal gardens, a distillery, and a good cafe. From Palmse, drive 12 kilometres to Altja, a small fishing village with original 18th-century fishermen's houses. Walk to the Oandu primeval forest section for old-growth trees and a well-marked 4.7-kilometre loop. Return to Tallinn in the evening. If you have the car, staying the night in the park at Sagadi Manor (guesthouse on-site) saves time the next morning.

Day 5: Parnu, Estonia

Drive or take the bus south from Tallinn to Parnu, Estonia's main beach town, 130 kilometres south on the E67. The Lux Express bus takes about 2 hours and costs around 9 euros. Parnu has a wide, well-maintained beach facing west -- good evening light -- backed by pine trees and wooden villa architecture. The Old Town is compact: the Red Tower, Elizabeth Church, and the Lydia Koidula Museum are all within walking distance of each other. The mud-bath spa tradition here goes back to the 19th century; a treatment session at one of the established spa hotels costs 30 to 50 euros. Stay overnight in Parnu.

Day 6: Riga, Latvia

Cross the border into Latvia. From Parnu, the Lux Express bus to Riga takes about 2 hours 30 minutes and costs 10 to 18 euros. Alternatively, if you have a car, the drive is roughly 200 kilometres via the E67. Arrive in Riga, Latvia's capital, by midday. Check in and spend the afternoon exploring the Old Town: Dome Cathedral and its cloister, the Three Brothers houses (three adjacent medieval structures, each from a different century), and the corner of Kalku and Tirgonju streets where the old city opens onto a square. Walk south to the Central Market -- five zeppelin hangars repurposed as a covered market -- for the best food and produce stalls in the city. The market stalls sell fresh fish, bread, mushrooms, berries, and hot food at low prices. Have dinner in the Quiet Centre.

Day 7: Riga Art Nouveau district and Jurmala

Start the morning in Riga's Art Nouveau district. Alberta Street and the surrounding blocks contain the highest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in Europe -- over 800 buildings. The Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation has a good overview of the city's development. In the early afternoon, take the commuter train to Jurmala, Latvia's beach resort strip 25 kilometres west of Riga (trains run every 30 minutes, 1.50 euros). The wooden villa architecture here -- ornate 19th-century summer houses, now mostly hotels and guesthouses -- is distinctive. Walk the beach at Majori or Dzintari, swim if the weather allows, and return to Riga for a late dinner.

Day 8: Sigulda and the Gauja Valley, Latvia

Take the train from Riga to Sigulda, Latvia -- 50 kilometres northeast, 1 hour, 2.50 euros. Sigulda is the gateway to Gauja National Park, where sandstone cliffs, dense forest, and the Gauja River create an unexpectedly dramatic landscape for this flat region. Visit Turaida Castle (10 euros), a restored 13th-century red-brick fortress with views over the valley from the round tower. Walk down to the Gauja River, cross it, and explore the ruins of the Sigulda Medieval Castle and the New Sigulda Castle (the latter is now a hotel). The cable car across the valley is the only one in the Baltics and costs 7 euros return. Return to Riga in the evening, or continue directly toward the Lithuanian border the next morning if you are on a tight schedule.

Day 9: Vilnius, Lithuania (arrival)

Travel from Riga, Latvia to Vilnius, Lithuania. The Lux Express bus takes about 4 hours and costs 12 to 22 euros. Afternoon arrival. Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, is a baroque city in a valley -- the Old Town spreads up a series of hills along the Neris and Vilnia rivers. Check into your accommodation in the Old Town. Spend the evening on Pilies Street and around the Cathedral Square. Have dinner somewhere in the Old Town -- the restaurant scene in Vilnius is genuinely good and more affordable than Tallinn or Riga.

Day 10: Vilnius Old Town and Uzupis

A full day in Vilnius, Lithuania. The Old Town is the largest surviving baroque old town in northern Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk the full extent: Gediminas Tower and Upper Castle for the panoramic view, the Church of St Anne (a Gothic masterpiece in red brick), the Church of St Peter and St Paul (extraordinary interior with 2,000 white stucco figures), and the Gates of Dawn chapel. In the afternoon, cross the bridge into Uzupis -- a bohemian neighbourhood that declared itself an independent republic in 1997. The Uzupis Constitution is posted on plaques in dozens of languages on a wall near the main square. It is part joke, part genuine civic philosophy, and worth reading in full.

Day 11: Trakai Castle, Lithuania

Take the bus from Vilnius Bus Station to Trakai, Lithuania -- 28 kilometres west, 40 minutes, 2 euros. Trakai Island Castle sits on an island in Lake Galve, connected to the shore by a wooden footbridge. The red-brick castle dates from the 14th century and has been extensively restored. The interior houses a decent history museum. Walk the lakeshore path for views of the castle from different angles. Trakai is also the home of Lithuania's small Karaim community, whose traditional dish -- kibinai, crescent-shaped pastries filled with meat -- is sold at several restaurants along the main street. Return to Vilnius in the afternoon. The evening is a good time to visit the Hales covered market near Uzupis for street food and local produce.

Day 12: Kaunas, Lithuania

Take the bus from Vilnius Bus Station to Kaunas, Lithuania -- 100 kilometres west, about 1 hour 30 minutes, 5 euros. Kaunas was Lithuania's temporary capital between the wars when Vilnius was under Polish control, and the interwar architecture -- Bauhaus-influenced, geometric, with wide boulevards -- gives the city a distinctive character. Walk Laisves Aleja (Liberty Avenue), the 1.7-kilometre pedestrian street lined with cafes and modernist buildings. Visit the Ninth Fort, a stark and well-curated memorial to the Holocaust victims murdered here. The Old Town, at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers, is smaller and quieter than Vilnius. Return to Vilnius in the evening, or stay the night in Kaunas and fly home from Kaunas Airport if convenient.

Day 13: Hill of Crosses and back to Vilnius

This day requires a car or an organised day tour, as the Hill of Crosses near Siauliai, Lithuania is not well served by public transport from Vilnius. The hill is 220 kilometres north of Vilnius, about 2 hours 30 minutes by car. The site -- a mound covered with hundreds of thousands of crosses, rosaries, and carvings -- is one of the most unusual and moving places in the Baltics. The tradition began in the 19th century; the Soviets bulldozed it multiple times, and local people rebuilt it each time. Pope John Paul II visited in 1993, and the Vatican has officially recognised the site as a place of Christian pilgrimage. Allow an hour. Return to Vilnius in the afternoon. This is also a good day to collect your thoughts and do any last shopping before flying home.

Day 14: Vilnius and departure

Vilnius Airport, Lithuania is compact and easy. Uber and Bolt run to the airport; taxis from the Old Town cost about 10 euros. The city centre is 7 kilometres from the airport and the airport bus (number 1 or 2) costs 1 euro. Use the morning for any remaining sights -- the Palace of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania reconstruction, the Bernardine Garden, or the Mickiewicz Memorial Museum -- before heading to the airport.

Practical notes for the route

All three countries use the euro and are in the Schengen Area. No border checks between any of the three countries. Bolt and Uber work in all three capitals. Wi-Fi is fast and widely available. SIM cards are inexpensive at any phone shop. The Lux Express app is the most convenient way to book intercity buses. For car hire across borders, confirm one-way drop policies with the rental company in advance.