Exploring Lahemaa, Gauja, and the Curonian Spit: A Cycling Adventure in the Baltic States

Travel from Tallinn, Estonia, in the north, through Latvia, and on to Lithuania in the south, enjoy a great variety of towns, villages, and landscapes, and get an excellent feel for the different characters of these distinctive countries. This trip is a half-guided tour, i.e., during the whole trip, except for Jurmala and the Curonian Spit, our driver with a minibus and bike trailer is with you, and you can take part in city tours (Tallinn, Riga) led by professional guides. Our driver will transport your luggage every day to the next hotel. If you have a breakdown, then our driver will take care of everything for you.

Highlights:
- Tallinn and Riga - with their old towns designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.
- The National Park Lahemaa - one of the last unspoiled regions of the Baltic coast,
- Otepää Lakeland - the so-called “Estonian Switzerland”
- The beautiful Gauja River valleys

Arrival / departure airports: Tallinn / Palanga (35 km from Klaipėda) or Vilnius (300 km from Klaipėda)

Arrival: Arrive in Tallinn (Estonia) by plane or ferry. There are ferries from Stockholm (Sweden) & Helsinki (Finland).
For more information about flights, see website: TALLINN airport

Departure: depart by plane from Palanga, Kaunas or Vilnius airport or by ferry from Klaipeda (DFDS ferries from Kiel, Germany & Karlshamn, Sweden; TT-Line ferries from Travemunde/Rostock, Germany & Trelleborg, Sweden).

For more information about flights, see websites:

KLAIPĖDA/ PALANGA (35 km/22 mi. away from Klaipėda)
VILNIUS airport (300 km/188 mi. away from Klaipeda)
KAUNAS airport (200 km/125 mi. away from Klaipeda)

Cycling conditions: This is a moderate cycling trip, with daily rides of 28–57 km (18–36 miles) on mostly low-traffic roads and bike paths, plus optional extra distance on several days. Terrain is generally flat to gently rolling, with a few steeper sections in areas like Otepää, the Gauja Valley, and the Curonian Spit. The route spans all three Baltic States, includes several longer minibus transfers, and features walking tours on cobbled streets in the capital's old towns.

View Full Itinerary

Itinerary

Day 1. Arrive in Tallinn, Estonia
Arrive in Tallinn. Individual transfer to the hotel (not included), where you get your tour maps with detailed program and route description. Check-in at the hotel.
6:00 pm (18:00), you can join a guided tour of Tallinn. Overnight in Tallinn: Hotel HESTIA ILMARINE**** or similar.

Day 2. Tallinn - National Park Lahemaa, Estonia (cycling ~51 km/32mi., by minibus ~100 km)
Meeting with your driver. After the bus transfer, you will begin your first bicycle trip through National Park Lahemaa, one of the last unspoiled regions on the Baltic coast. The National Park is a nature lover’s paradise. There are dense woods, marshes, lakes, and waterfalls to discover. If you prefer wildlife to landscape, you can see moose, wild boars, and over 220 bird species. Check-in at the hotel. Overnight: Sagadi; HOTEL: SAGADI*** B/-/-

Day 3. Along Lake Peipsi to Tartu, Estonia (cycling ~50 km/31 mi., by minibus ~160 km)
Morning transfer by bus to Mustvee where you’ll begin a pleasant bicycle trip along Peipsi Lake shore to Varnja. Peipsi is 4th largest lake in Europe, divided in two by the Russian border. En route, you’ll pass many fishing villages. You reach your hotel after a bus transfer to Tartu, a famous, historic university town (the university was founded in 1632). Check-in at the hotel.Overnight: Tartu; HOTEL: DORPAT*** or similar. B/-/-

Day 4. Through the „Estonian Switzerland“ to Sigulda, Latvia (cycling ~28 km/18 mi., by minibus ~235 km)
After a short bus transfer to Otepää, a beautiful place with many lakes, start cycling through the so-called “Estonian Switzerland” and appreciate your surroundings. Finish your cycling for the day in Sangaste, which is famous for its 19th-century romantic castle built in the style of Windsor Palace. Transfer to Latvia, where your destination is Sigulda, in the Gauja River Valley, the most popular resort in Latvia. En route, stop in Cesis, where you can visit the medieval old town. Check-in at the hotel.Overnight: Sigulda; HOTEL: SIGULDA*** or similar. B/-/-

Day 5. Gauja National Park – Riga, Latvia (cycling 40 km/25 mi., by minibus ~50 km)
Cycling through Gauja National Park en route, enjoy spectacular views of Gauja River valleys with the Gutmana Cave and ruins of 13thC Crusaders Castle in Sigulda and Turaida Castle. Finish the ride at the Baltic seacoast in Saulkrasti, where you may visit the Latvian bicycle museum. Afternoon transfer to Riga, the Latvian capital, where a guided tour of the charming Old Town awaits. After check-in at the hotel, explore the medieval Hanseatic town famous for its Art Nouveau buildings. Overnight: Riga; HOTEL: HESTIA JUGEND **** or similar. B/-/-

Day 6. Riga & Jurmala Seaside resort, Latvia (~35 km/22 mi., by train ~25 km)
Today, you are free to explore Riga on your own and take a cycle ride on a bicycle path to Jurmala, a renowned Latvian seaside resort well known for its long, white sand beaches, mineral waters, and mud-healing properties. We recommend you take the opportunity to bathe in the sea and try cycling along the beach – it's well worth it! In the evening, take a local train back to Riga (30 min; not included). Overnight: Riga; HOTEL: HESTIA JUGEND **** or similar. B/-/-

Day 7. Hill of Crosses & Lithuanian Seaside Cycle Route, Lithuania (cycling ~42 km/29 mi. or 32 km/20 miles by minibus ~290 km)
Transfer by minibus to Lithuanian Seaside. En route, stop at the Hill of Crosses, the unforgettable sight of thousands of crosses on two small hills. Begin your cycle ride to Klaipėda on a beautiful bicycle path along the Baltic Coast in the Seaside Regional Park. En route, pass Palanga, the well-known Lithuanian seaside resort. Enjoy a break here; perhaps visit the renowned Botanical Park, Amber Museum, and the 470m pier heading out into the Baltic Sea. Check-in at the hotel. Overnight: Klaipėda; HOTEL: OLD MILL*** or similar. B/-/-

Day 8. Curonian Spit & the Hill of Witches, Lithuania (~57 km/36 mi., by minibus or boat ~50 km)
After breakfast, you cross the lagoon by ferry (not included) and start cycling on an asphalt bike path along the Curonian Spit to Nida, the most beautiful resort in Lithuania, famous for its impressive dunes, the Amber Gallery, etc. En route, you can visit the Hill of Witches, which houses almost a hundred whimsical wooden sculptures about Lithuanian legends scattered along a forest path. Or, if you prefer, watch a colony of grey herons and cormorants, explore the “Dead” dunes on foot, swim in the Baltic Sea, or simply relax, & take in the sun on golden beaches. Take a boat (2 hours) or minibus transfer back to Klaipėda. Overnight: Klaipėda; HOTEL: OLD MILL*** or similar. B/-/-

Day 9. Klaipeda, Lithuania
Individual departure after breakfast. You can extend your stay in Lithuania; please ask for details. B/-/-

Price Includes:
8 nights in middle-range hotels
including all taxes(en suite rooms)
Breakfast daily on days 2-9
Transfers as per itinerary by air-conditioned minibus
Luggage transport as per itinerary
Guided 2-hour tours in Tallinn and Riga (any entrance fees are payable individually)
Individual information package (one per room): city guides; maps; programme and route description
Emergency contact numbers for our English or German-speaking representatives
GPS Tracks

Not Included:
flight tickets
drinks and meals not mentioned in the program
tips
personal expenses
arrival/departure transfers
insurance
bike rental
Entrance fees
train tickets from/to Jūrmala
ferry tickets in Klaipėda

Additional Services:
-Rental of trekking bicycle (VDV) with 24-speed Shimano derailleur gears & free-wheel
all supplied with a waterproof back pannier and handlebar bag with a plastic cover for GPS/smartphone (Ortlieb) and tachometer (1 x booking) – 110 EUR per person
-Rental of E-bike/Pedelec (VDV) with Bosch driving system,8-speed Shimano Nexus hub gears & free wheel,equipped with waterproof back pannier and handlebar bag with a plastic cover for GPS/smartphone (Ortlieb) – 249 EUR per person
-Rental of a helmet (please send your head size in centimetres or helmet size: S,M,L,XL) – 10 EUR per person
TRANSFERS (20% surcharge for late and early hours from 23:00-07:00):
-Arrival transfer by car for a party up to 3 people - 59 EUR per transfer
-Arrival transfer by minivan for a party up to 7 people - 69 EUR per transfer
Departure transfer by car (1-3 people) – 75 EUR per transfer (Palanga Airport) or 49 EUR per transfer (Klaipeda central ferry terminal)
Departure transfer by minivan (4-7 people) – 119 EUR per transfer (Palanga Airport) or 79 EUR per transfer (Klaipeda central ferry terminal)

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Cycling the Baltic States with National Parks of Lahemaa, Gauja and the Curonian Spit (Rated 4.71 / 5 Based on 254 Reviews.)

Tour difficulty A
B

No special experience is needed; everyone who is in condition to cope with long Saturday walks in the forest can also cope with these tours. As a rule, the trips are short and at a low altitude. Often, it is your choice to join or skip a day-tour. The routes follow a hilly terrain without steep ascents and descents. Normally we walk 3/5h a day.

Most of you, who are used to walking/cycling during a long weekend, will be in condition to cope with a tour of this level. You should be in a good health condition. We have successive days of longer and more difficult walking and days of lighter walking/cycling. Some parts of the day routes are done at a higher altitude. The paths are in good condition. We walk/cycle for 5/7h a day.

Group Size

Min. 2

Reservation System Code

LTCYCSELF