Russian Glories, Baltic Treasures

•   28 meals (13 breakfasts, 8 lunches & 7 dinners), service charges, gratuities to local guides, admission fees, taxes and porterage

Day 1: Arrive Vilnius
Your transfer is included from Vilnius Airport to the Radisson SAS Astorija Hotel in the heart of Vilnius' Old Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meet your Tauck Director and travel companions at tonight's welcome dinner.
Overnight: Radisson SAS Astorija Hotel, Vilnius, Lithuania
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Old Town Vilnius and the castle of Trakai
Take a walking tour of Old Town Vilnius to appreciate its remarkable Baroque architecture. See Cathedral Square and the Renaissance-style Gates of Dawn, built in the 16th century as part of the town’s fortifications; join us if you wish on a visit to Vilnius' KGB Museum. Wind your way along the Yellow Roads and go off-the-beaten path in Trakai, a picturesque town with a castle dating to the Middle Ages; return to Vilnius to explore as you please.
Overnight: Radisson SAS Astorija Hotel, Vilnius, Lithuania
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 3: Travel to Latvia via the Yellow Roads
Depart Vilnius and journey along the Yellow Roads through the pristine countryside of Lithuania; cross into Latvia and stop in seaside Jurmala on your way to the capital, Riga, an important trading center for Central and Eastern Europe from the 13th to the 15th centuries. Visit the city's opulent 19th-century Opera House, which was painstakingly rebuilt in the 1990s and is a source of great national pride for the Latvian people. Your home for the next two nights is located in the heart of the old city.
Overnight: Grand Palace Hotel, Riga, Latvia
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 4: Discover historic Riga
After a drive through Riga's New Town, a walking tour in Riga Market and along the cobbled streets of Old Town reveals buildings dating back 800 years. Check out the Art Nouveau architecture in the city, considered the best in Europe, and see Riga Castle, the Swedish Gate and the Three Brothers Medieval Dwelling House; this combination of period architecture has earned Riga's Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. For those who wish, join us to explore some of the somber reminders of the tragic years of the Holocaust at the Jewish Museum and old Jewish Cemetery (holidays permitting). Enjoy an à la carte dinner at the hotel tonight.
Overnight: Grand Palace Hotel, Riga, Latvia
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 5: Journey to Tallinn, capital of Estonia
Depart Latvia and cross into Estonia this morning, stopping in seaside Parnu for lunch. Continue on to today's final destination, the capital city of Tallinn, an outstanding example of a medieval Northern European trading city. Its remarkably well-preserved city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which you'll explore on a guided walking tour revealing Toompea Castle and the old Market Square. Overnight at your recently opened contemporary hotel, ideally located just minutes from Tallinn's Old Town. Enjoy dinner à la carte tonight at one of the city's most celebrated restaurants, the elegant Gloria.
Overnight: Swissôtel Tallinn, Estonia
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Cruise from Tallinn to Helsinki, Finland's capital
Board a high-speed ferry to cruise first class across the Gulf of Finland to Helsinki. Finland's capital city is an intriguing mix of parks, waterways, and various architectural styles, which you'll explore on a sightseeing tour. Visit the extraordinary Temppeliaukio (The Rock) Church, built into solid rock in the 1960s; see the Neo-Classical Senate Square, the green cupolas and white columns of Helsinki Cathedral, the colorful Market Square, the Sibelius Monument and Finlandia Hall. Enjoy dinner at your hotel, the Hotel Haven.
Overnight: Hotel Haven, Helsinki, Finland
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7: To Russia with speed – St. Petersburg by rail
From Helsinki, your Baltics and Russia tour continues to opulent St. Petersburg via an early morning train ride; the historic center Peter the Great's "Window to the West" is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Get aquainted with Russia's cultural capital on an orientation tour that includes a visit to the 19th-century Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood. Your home for the next four nights is itself a historic landmark – the celebrated Grand Hotel Europe on the famous Nevsky Prospekt.
Overnight: Grand Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg, Russia
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 8: A day around St. Petersburg and a night at the ballet
Begin today's discoveries with a visit to St. Petersburg's Grand Choral Synagogue (holidays permitting), then take an excursion to Petrodvorets, on the Gulf of Finland, for a tour of the Peterhof, the summer palace of Peter the Great. A hydrofoil whisks you back to the city in time for high tea at your hotel, followed by a glorious evening of Russian ballet (schedule subject to change).
Overnight: Grand Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg, Russia
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 9: More treasures of St. Petersburg and environs
Journey to Pushkin for a visit to the opulent Catherine Palace, expanded by Empress Catherine the Great in the mid-18th century, and its remarkably restored Amber Room. Back in St. Petersburg, take a guided tour of key landmarks featuring the imposing Peter and Paul Fortress, among the city's oldest structures, built in 1703. Inside the fortress, Peter and Paul Cathedral, with a tall golden spire, contains the tombs of the Russian czars, including the city's founder Peter the Great. Spend the rest of the day exploring more of St. Petersburg on your own.
Overnight: Grand Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg, Russia
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 10: The State Hermitage Museum and Tchaikovsky Night
Today, Tauck has arranged an early morning visit – when crowds are fewer – to The State Hermitage Museum, boasting one of the largest collections of art and artifacts in the world. Displays include prehistoric cultures, classical antiquities, and Western European art; you'll view celebrated ancient gold treasures on a special visit to the Gold Room. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure, then join us this evening for a sumptuous "Tchaikovsky Night" dinner at the L'Europe restaurant – accompanied by a 13-piece orchestra and a pair of ballet dancers from the Marinsky Theatre!
Overnight: Grand Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg, Russia
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 11: Fly to Moscow and visit Stalin’s bunker
Fly to Russia's capital, Moscow, for a three-night stay in this ancient city. Upon arrival, enjoy an exclusive visit to Joseph Stalin’s hidden World War II bunker deep beneath Moscow, which was closed to the public for decades. Your Tauck group has been granted access by special permission; check out the central command room and Stalin's personal effects in his private office, then contemplate your experience over lunch before exploring Red Square with a local guide. Spend the next three nights with views of the Kremlin, Red Square and iconic St. Basil's Cathedral from your room at the Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow – just one of many great reasons to take Tauck's Russia tour!
Overnight: Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow, Russia
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 12: Inside the legendary Kremlin
Today, you'll have a unique opportunity to meet a Kremlin insider from the Soviet era, who offers a lecture on Moscow's past, and how the city has adjusted to the 21st century – another exclusive you'll enjoy when you travel on Tauck's comprehensive Russia tour. Then take a guided tour inside the 64-acre Kremlin, the center of Russian power for centuries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Cathedral of the Archangel on Cathedral Square; the Armory Chambers, where you'll see the treasures of the Czars; and Assumption Cathedral. Dinner is à la carte tonight in a Moscow restaurant.
Overnight: Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow, Russia
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 13: From the Metro to the Tretyakov – Russian art & icons
Explore the Moscow Metro today; with stations built of wood, bronze, copper and marble and decorated with sculptures, reliefs and mosaics, it's as much underground art gallery as transportation system. Then visit the State Tretyakov Gallery/National Museum of Russian Fine Art, featuring 11th- to 20th-century paintings and sculptures by Russian artists, with a local guide. Cap Tauck's spectacular Baltics and Russia tour with a festive farewell reception and dinner this evening.
Overnight: Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow, Russia
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 14: Journey home
Tour ends: Moscow, Russia. Your memorable Baltics and Russia tour concludes today; a transfer is included from the Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow to Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo Airport.
Overnight: Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow, Russia
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 15: Journey home
Tour ends: Moscow, Russia. Your memorable Baltics and Russia travel experience concludes today; a transfer is included from the Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow to Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo Airport.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Don't miss our current specials: Tauck Tour Deals Traveling with a group of friends or family can add to the joy of any journey. Book a group of 10 on any Tauck land journey or cruise and the 11th guest travels FREE. Book a group of 8 on any Tauck Bridges family adventure and the 9th guest travels FREE Tauck Single Specials For those seeking singles tours, we are pleased to offer special values on select departures to our guests who choose to travel solo. You can travel with peace of mind, knowing that you are among like-minded travelers and will have all the day-to-day details handled for you! While everyone is welcome, on these select dates we offer special arrangements to those traveling solo at a reduced cost. Tauck Single Specials in North America Best of the Canadian Rockies Michigan's Lakes & Mackinac Island Charleston/Savannah Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia San Fransisco, Sonoma & Napa Valleys Tauck Single Specials in Europe A Week in Ireland A Week in Spain Mediterranean Discovery Istanbul and the Black Sea Treasure of the Mediterranean Cruising Mediterranean Shores The Blue Danube Holland Belgium in Spring Strasbourg to Prague Serenade The Rhine and Moselle Budapest to Amsterdam by Riverboat Budapest to the Black Sea Classic Italy Bellissima Northern Italy Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence and Rome A Week in Paris and Provence Tauck Singles Specials in Latin America Panama Canal & Costa Rica
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
8/11/2010 - 8/25/2010	$6,690
8/25/2010 - 9/8/2010	$6,690
9/8/2010 - 9/22/2010	$6,690
9/22/2010 - 10/6/2010	$6,690
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

Helsinki ~ Estonia ~ Latvia ~ Lithuania ~ The Kremlin ~ St. Petersburg ~ Moscow ~ Petrodvorets

Tauck Tour Deals

Tauck Single Specials

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