Gems of Lithuania
Self Drive Tour in 12 Days
you have optional choice to add extra options like rental car and many different guided tours.
Overnight in 3/4* Hotels. Hotel information will be provided after booking is confirmed.
Car rental is optional choice which you can add to your booking above. Pick up your car on your arrival at the airport. Including unlimited mileage, Collision Damage Waiver (deductible: €300- €1300.00), Theft Protection, Airport surcharge, Third Party Liability, Road tax, Fuel policy is Full to full). HERE you can choose your Cr.
Guided Tours: HERE you can choose different options of guided tours. Please mind that guided tours that are offered are walking tours, vehicle might be needed in some options. Most of tours are available in English and German languages, other languages are available on request.
Day 1
Arrival to Vilnius. If you chose car rental pick up your car from our pick up location. Check in your hotel and enjoy Vilnius!
Vilnius
Is capital of Lithuania and the largest city in the country. The founder of Vilnius is considered to be the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas who first mentioned name of Vilnius in the written chronicles in his letter to the towns of Western Europe in 1323. Vilnius was centre of the largest country in Europe in 14th – 15th centuries but today it has about 580 thousand inhabitants and one of the largest old towns in Eastern Europe that covers 360 hectares. Green parks and urban heritage are combined into unforgettable mix that so many visitors enjoy. Because of this unique mix of architecture and landscape it was included into UNESCO World Heritage List. One of the largest medieval old towns in Northern Europe, and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vilnius Old Town is full of beautiful buildings, eclectic shops, picturesque churches and elegant palaces.
Day 2
Vilnius – Trakai – Kernavė – Ukmergė – Taujėnai – Anykščiai
Spend night in hotel in Anykščiai with SPA facilities
(155 km)
Trakai
The capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Visit the 15th century Insular Trakai Castle housing an exhibition on prehistoric findings and the 17-18th century applied art, the way of life of the Lithuanian Grand Dukes, and the Karaites, brought to Lithuania from the Crimea.
Kernavė
Kernavė is a small town located on the right bank of the Neris River, 35 km from Vilnius, and in the past it was one of the first centers of the Lithuanian state (13th century). The legendary Pajauta Valley and its five mounds guard the remains of the last European pagan capital.
Ukmergė
one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. According to a legend, in the forests of these places once lived a beautiful virgin, which people called Vilkmerge (wolf girl). She saved Tautvilas, the son of Duke Dausprungas, from the wolves. Soon he built a castle by the river Sventoji and named it Vilkmerge, which later became Ukmerge. Here you will find a cozy old town and the panorama of the city which is perfectly seen from the old fire tower.
Taujėnai
Visit the manor of Taujėnai with its English style park.
Anykščiai
Anykščiai (population 12 000) lies on the Šventoji river, the longest river to both start and end in Lithuania. Despite not having magnificent buildings (other than the imposing gothic revival Saint Matthew church of 1909 with its tallest-in-Lithuania 79 m twin towers) the town has quite many interesting places.
Puntukas stone, the second largest stone in Lithuania according to its size (after Barstyčiai Stone) . It is covered by indentations reminding of the flight across the Atlantic Ocean by pilots S. Darius and S. Girėnas, the first Lithuanians to complete this mission (and worldwide air mail pioneers). The bas-relief was made in secret by Bronius Pundzius in 1943 as Lithuania was occupied by the Nazi Germany at the time.
The Treetops walking path. Located in the famous Anykščiai Pinewood is the only treetop path in the Eastern Europe. The path is in the level of the tree crowns and it lasts for 300 meters, evenly going up to 21 meters high. The 13 stops in the real spaces will help you to get to know and experience the variety of Lithuanian forests, to know and understand the importance of the Anykščiai Pinewood plants around the area. On the 14th stop, which is on the highest point on the tower (the height of the tower is 34 meters), the breath-taking view of the Šventoji river curves opens up, and the tower tops of the St. Matthew’s church.
Day 3
Anykščiai – Rokiškis – Ilzenbergas manor – Biržai – Šiauliai
(261 km.)
Spend night in hotel in Šiauliai
Rokiškis
Rokiškis (pop. 15 000) is among the most appealing towns of northeastern Lithuania (Aukštaitija). It is centered around a very large rectangular main Nepriklausomybės (Independence) square. The square connects the Saint Matthew church (a neo-gothic masterpiece) on its western side to an extensive 18th century Tyzenhauzai family manor in the east.
Ilzenberg Manor. In 1515, nobleman Berndt von Kerssenbrock established Ilzenberg Manor on top of a hill in the historical Selonian lands of Rokiškis with a spectacular landscape including two lakes: Ilgis and Apvalasas. The manor on the hill was given the German name Ilsen Berg, which means Ilzė’s mountain.
Ilzenberg Manor was affected by the war between Sweden and Russia that began in 1655. This is evidenced by the fact that the manor contained three 17th century cannons, which were donated to the Kaunas Military Museum by the owner of the Ilzenberg Manor, Livija Emilija Dimšaitė in 1926. Replicas of them are located in the manor park.
Ilzenberg Manor park-museum could be called the Nordic Arcadia. This name has been used for centuries for romantic parks: a nostalgic landscape and idyllic country untouched by the faults of civilisation, where a person blends with nature. Here, 9 different emotional spaces are created using architectural and natural elements.
Biržai
This town (pop. 15 000) far in the northeastern Lithuanian outback is known for its 17th-century castle. The main building surrounded by fortifications forms the most impressive surviving military structure of this era in Lithuania. Biržai Castle is a Dutch-style fortress with bastions built by the Duke Radvila family and used to defend Lithuania’s northern borders in the 17th-18th centuries. Today, it houses Jurgis Bielinis Public Library of Biržai and Biržai Regional Museum Sėla. Besides the palace, two gunpowder buildings, and a bridge have so far been restored.
Šiauliai
Šiauliai (pop. 100 693) is a city in northern Lithuania. Šiauliai is also called the city of the Sun. Šiauliai dates back to the Battle of the Sun that took place on September 22, 1236.
Day 4
Šiauliai – The Hill of Crosses – Telšiai – The Cold War exposition – Kretinga – Palanga
(181 km)
Spend night in hotel in Palanga
The Hill of Crosses
The Hill of Crosses is a unique sacral place, amazing and the only one of its size and history in the world.Nowhere else in the world you will find such a place – where so many crosses are brought by people on the hill, embraced by legends, and fables. Currently, the hill has over 100 thousand crosses dug in the ground, large and small, and a huge number of holy statues and paintings with rosaries on them. Tourists who come to this place say that the hill attracts them with its tranquillity, spirituality, and the authentic and sacred presence. The cross making craft is one of the most unique Lithuanian crafts, included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Traditional Lithuanian crosses are unique masterpieces of architecture, blacksmith, sculpture and painting.
Telšiai
Telšiai (pop. 30.5 thousand) is the capital of the Žemaitija (Samogitia) ethnographic region. The city has grown on seven hills by Lake Mastis. The first mention of Telšiai in the historical sources appeared in 1450. At the end of the 18th century the town was granted the Magdeburg rights and shortly afterward became the cultural and political centre of Žemaitija.
The Cold War exposition. Plokštinė nuclear missile launch site was the top secret Soviet structure where 4 medium range missiles were housed. These missiles, together with the nearby terrestrial platforms of analogue missile launching, had created a common Soviet nuclear armament group in Lithuania, which was able to destroy all the Europe. After 12 years of operation the site was shut down and later abandoned. Now this unusual place is open for visitors.
Kretinga
Kretinga, a little town (pop. 19 000), has a special charm. It is known for its Count’s mansion and the winter gardens, Franciscan monastery, and the 16th century church.
Tiškevičiai manor with Winter garden. the Kretinga Museum, which was found in the former Kretinga estate of Count Tiškevičius is absolutely different one. It is not related with history, it is related with the botany. The most impressing Winter Garden in Lithuania is located in the same Kretinga Museum complex. Visitors of the Winter Garden can get acquainted with more than 500 species of plants (3800 units) that were brought from various corners of the Planet.
The Japanese garden. The idea of the Japanese garden was chosen in order to reveal the mightiness of stones and the strength of the area. People of Samogitia are the last pagans in Europe. Shinto (“road of Gods”) is the most popular religion in Japan, so close to paganism, its object of worship is kami – nature and its objects (trees, mountains, stones, springs) or other phenomena.
Palanga
Palanga (pop. 16 000) is the country’s largest seaside resort town with nickname “Summer capital”. Visitors are able to have a great rest on marvelous white sand beaches or to relax in the city where many entertainments are available.
Palanga Amber Museum is established in the estate of count Feliksas Tiškevičius in beautiful surroundings by botanical gardens. The exposition of amber includes more than 4500 exhibits, what is more, visitors are able to get aquainted with the the formation, processing, practical application, and morphological variations of amber. The estate, designed by German architect Franc Schwechten (1841-1924), was built in 1897.
Day 5
Full day relax in Palanga resort. Spend night in hotel in Palanga
Day 6
Palanga – Klaipeda – The Curonian Spit
(80 km)
Klaipėda
Klaipėda city (pop. 158 900) is the northernmost ice-free port in the Baltics and the only one in Lithuania. Built and developed by German Teutonic knights this city is a part of Lithuania only since 1923 when Germany lost World War 1. Klaipėda has been an important commercial centre since ancient times; as early as the 13th century. Having crossed the Baltic Sea, merchants from the northern and southern countries frequented it. Because of its old architecture, the seaport is closer to the northern countries. Some of the buildings that have survived in the cosy Old Town have a pronounced Fachwerk style. Modern elements can also be traced.
The Curonian Spit
Is a 98 km long, thin, curved sand-dunespit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast. Its southern portion lies within Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia and it’s northern within southwestern Lithuania. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by the two countries. Since 2000, the Curonian Spit has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List under cultural criteria “V” (an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture […], or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change).
Nida(German: Nidden)
Is an upmarket holiday resort town famous for its sea-shore and sand dunes. The town is located on the Curonian Spit between the Curonian Lagoon (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Baltic Sea. Nida is the westernmost point of Lithuania and the Baltic States. First mentioned by Teutonic Order in macher colony documents in 1429 and 1497, the settlement was originally 5 km south of today’s position. Continuously threatened by sand drifts, the village was moved away from the dune to today’s position in the 1730s.
Spend night in hotel Curonian spit.
Day 7
Full day relax in Curonian spit - Klaipeda.
(50 km.)
Spend night in hotel in Klaipeda
Day 8
Klaipėda – Scenic Panemune road – Kaunas
(238 km)
Spent night in hotel in Kaunas
Scenic Panemunė road Which traces Nemunas river valley at its northern bank is famous for its castles and manors that can be visited en-route. These buildings were used as opulent residences rather than defensive structures but their impressive towers and strong walls may be deceptive.
Panemunė Castle today it is the most authentically preserved 17th-18th century residential castle in Lithuania. The castle, adorned with defensive installations and surrounded by what appears at first glance to be a protective series of bodies of water, was nevertheless not intended as a defensive fortress. It is a typical renaissance feudal castle of the early 17th century, designated not only for representation, but also to protect its inhabitants from the military conflicts that resulted from feuds erupting between noblemen, as well as to commemorate its owner’s ambitions and his desire to emphasize his independence.
Raudonė Castle Was build in the last quarter of XVI century by forest owner and trader Kirspin Kirschenstein. The castle was renovated many times in XVII-XIX centuries. The present appearance of the castle is from the reconstruction carried out in the mid XIX century. The castle is now turned into a primary school. During the tourist season visitors are allowed to the castle tower, from which extends a beautiful view of the surroundings.
Kaunas
Is the second largest city in Lithuania, first mentioned in an old manuscript of 1361. It is situated in the valley of two longest rivers of Lithuania: Nemunas and Neris. The town itself became an example of a confluence of people and cultures, an attractive blend of architecture and nature. The town has seen many ups and downs, but has stayed the source of forces for resistance, the guard of national identity, and has once actually been the temporary capital of Lithuania.
Day 9
Kaunas – Birštonas
Enjoy city of Kaunas and Birštonas resort. Spend night in hotel with Spa facilities in Birštonas.
(50 km)
Birštonas
The history of one of the oldest balneology resorts in Lithuania - Birštonas has been recorded from the Middle Ages. The resort town is surrounded by the scenery environs approached by a great many special roads and paths for pedestrians and cyclists, riders and horse-drawn carriages.
The lovers of water entertainments are offered to rent a canoe at the Sport Centre and try the bends of the Nemunas. Impressive panoramas of nature open from the high banks of the Nemunas and hill-forts.
The Bird Watching Site is established in the area of the Nemunas islands.
Day 10
Birštonas – Dzūkija National park – Druskininkai
Spend night in hotel with Spa facilities in Druskininkai
(90 km)
Dzūkija National park
Dzukija National Park located in Southern part of Lithuania, famous for wild forests, mushrooms and berries, authentic villages and friendliness of local people. Zackagiris (Zacka Forest) nature path winds through a picturesque area embracing ethnographic villages that have been declared ethno cultural reserves, landscape reserves, wind-swept sand dunes, the Skroblus Reserve in the conservation zone of the park and Cepkeliai Marsh, the largest wildlife sanctuary in Lithuania. The National Park is also distinctive for its rich cultural heritage, namely, its Dzūkai villages, which have preserved their traditional architectural features as well as the local residents’ unique way of life.
Druskininkai is the southernmost town of Lithuania. It is the oldest and the biggest resort of the country famous for its salty springs and mild and warm microclimate. City is surrounded by pine forests, majestic Nemunas River, lakes, playful Ratnyčios creek. It is full of squares and parks, Druskonis Lake is located in the centre of Druskininkai. In 1794, by the decree of Stanisław II August Poniatowski, Druskininkai was declared a therapeutic area. This is when a more thorough research of the healing resources was initiated. From as early as the beginning of the 19th century mineral water and mud baths were unofficially operating in Druskininkai. Today the mineral water and therapeutic mud, which has made this resort famous for hundreds of years, are combined with modern technologies.
Nowadays the resort is famous for its old traditions of sanatorium treatment, amazing nature and rapidly developing tourism services infrastructure. It is an international resort of active recreation and therapy
Day 11
Full day relax in Druskininkai. Spend night in hotel with Spa facilities in Druskininkai
Day 12
Druskininkai – Vilnius
(130 km)
Departure
Vilnius, Lithuania
- Departure Time
Optional
- Included
11 Nights 3/4* Hotel (shared twin room)
Breakfast x 11
Optional: Modern car/minivan rent with air conditioning
Optional: Experienced local guides during activities and excursions
Professional Customer Support During Your Travel
Customized itinerary
Full itinerary and map before start of travel
- International Flights
- Fuel and Parking fees
- Curion Spit Eco tax and ferry
- Any Private Expenses
- Insurance