12-days (incl. arrival and departure) motorcycle tour around the Baltic States – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Tour starts and ends in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Total distance about 3000 km, mostly on paved roads.
Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn and other sightseeings of the region: Curonian spit, Cold War museum, Livonian Swiss, island of Saaremaa.
Tourists are provided with Suzuki DL650 V-strom L2, Honda XL700VA Transalp or Kawasaki 650 Versys motorbikes.
Riders on their own bikes are welcome, please ask for special conditions.
3-4* hotels and village guesthouses.
The tour is led by Dmitri Rittschik, English/German speaking experienced tour giude, motorcycle traveler and specialist on region’s history and culture.
Price of the tour – from 2150 EUR. Minimum number of the guests – 4. With less guests tour starts against surcharge.
This tour is traditionally starts in August and ends in September: we meet autumn on the road.
3000 km of history and tradition in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia!
Day 1, Saturday
Arrival, transfer from the airport to a 4* hotel in center of Vilnius. Acquaintance with guide and fellows moto-tourists.
Day 2, Sunday
Short tour around Vilnius. Highlights: Trakai castle, river driven ferry across Neris, city tour in Old City of Vilnius. Same accommodation, 150 km/100 mi.
Day 3, Monday
Ride from Vilnius to the Western Lithuania. Highlights: Old city of Kaunas, Valley of castles along the Neman river. Finish near Šilutė. 350 km/220 mi.
Day 4, Tuesday
Riding around Western Lithuania. Highlights: Klaipeda, fishermens' village Mingė, Ventės lighthouse, and Cold War museum. 280 km/170 mi. Same accommodation.
Day 5, Wednesday
A long ride along the sea shore. Highlights: Ventspils, Kolka Rags, Jurmala. Finish in Sigulda. 550 km/350 mi.
Day 6, Thursday
Rest day in Sigulda. Highlights: three castles of medieval Segewold, bobsleigh track, Gutman's cave. Same accommodation.
Day 7, Friday
Ride from Latvia to Estonia. Highlights: Cesis, capital of Livonian knights, bordertown Valga, Jägala waterfall. Finish in Tallinn, 400 km/250 mi.
Day 8, Saturday
Ride to the Estonian islands. Highlight: bishop's castle in Haapsalu, ferry to the island of Saaremaa, etnografic museum in Koguva. Finish in Kuressaare, 300 km /190 mi.
Day 9, Sunday
Exploring Saaremaa. Lighthouse of Sääre, Windmills' Museum, Meteorite Crater, miles of winding roads. Same accommodation. 250 km/150 mi.
Day 10, Monday
Ride from the islands to Riga, capital of Latvia. Highlights: Estonian coastal province, Old Riga's road, City tour in the Old City of Riga. Finish in Riga, 380 km/240 mi.
Day 11, Tuesday
Ride from Riga to Vilnius. Highlights: Motormuseum, winding roads of Lithuanian province, Berschinka, the rally special stage. Finish in Vilnius, 350 km/220 mi.
Day 12, Wednesday
Departure.
The Baltic States consist of three countries of Europe – Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia and are often regarded geografically, historically and culturally as one region. They were once part of the Soviet Union, but they were among the first to break away in 1990—91.
Geographically, the three Baltic States have much in common. Forests and lakes cover a vast amount of the countryside; there are 2,800 lakes in Lithuania alone, many of them glacial. This landscape defines the roads of the region: winding, going up and down in hilly areas and straight to the horizon in the lowlands closer to the sea.
The region is very historical, with ancient castles and hill forts, some dating back to the 1200s. Region was a scenery of long confrontation between local people and the Teutonic Knights in medieval ages and between western and eastern European empires in the 16-20 centuries. The culture of the region combines local traditions with Polish, Russian, German and Scandinavian influences.
All three Baltic States are members of European Union (since 2004) and Schengen area (since 2007).
Lithuania
Area: 65 km2 (25 sq mi)
Population: 3.000.000 (84% Lithuanians, 6,6% Poles, 5% Russians, 4,4% others)
Capital: Vilnius (known since 1323)
Official language: Lithuanian
Religion: Roman Catholic, Orthodox
Currency: EUR
Time zone: UTC +2 (in summer +3)
Climate: temperate mild, ranging between maritime and continental, average July temperature 16 °C (61 °F).
Latvia
Area: 64,5 km2 (25 sq mi)
Population: 2.200.000 (62% Latvians, 27% Russians, 11% others)
Capital: Riga (known since 1201)
Official language: Latvian
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Orthodox
Currency: EUR
Time zone: UTC +2 (in summer +3)
Climate: temperate mild, ranging between maritime and continental, average July temperature 20 °C (68 °F).
Estonia
Area: 45 km2 (17,5 sq mi)
Population: 1.300.000 (69% Estonians, 25% Russians, 6% others)
Capital: Tallinn (known since 1147)
Official language: Estonian
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran, Orthodox
Currency: EUR
Time zone: UTC +2 (in summer +3)
Climate: temperate mild, ranging between maritime and continental, average July temperature 16,3 °C (61,3 °F) on the Baltic islands to 18,1 °C (64,6 °F) inland.
| 1 person, 1 motorbike, single accommodation | – 2390 Euro |
| 2 persons, 1 motorbike, double accommodation | – 3190 Euro |
| 1 person, 1 motorbike, double accommodation | – 2150 Euro |
| Additional side panniers | – 60 Euro |
| Additional side bags | – 40 Euro |
If there are less then 4 guests, tour can start. With 3 guests, surcharge 100 €/person.
When coming on Your own motorbike, please ask for special price.
To secure the participation 30% advance payment at least 60 days before the tour starts is required.
Due payment 15 days before the tours starts.
Cancellation fees: 60-30 days 200 €, 30-15 days 350 €, less than 15 days 30% of the tour price.
Refundable deposit for the motorbikes is to be paid on receiving the motorbike.
Deposit 500 € for the motorcycle, refundable if motorcycle returned without damages caused by accident or carelessness of the rider.
Airport transfer.
10 days of rental of a Suzuki DL650 V-Strom L2 / Honda XL 700V Transalp / Kawasaki 650 Versys motorbike.
Motorbike insurance according to the European Union regulation.
11 nights at 3-4* hotels and “village tourism” guesthouses, single accommodation as standard.
11 breakfasts.
2 dinners incl. soft drinks on days 3 and 4
Guidance and support during the whole tour (English and/or German).
Ferry fees.
Museum entrance tickets, eco-taxes, parking fees.
Foto/Video made by the guide during the tour.
Rain suit.
Tickets to and from Vilnius, Lithuania.
Fuel.
Lunches on the way, dinners (if not mentioned. We will recommend restaurants with national and European cuisine).
Tips.
Traveller’s Medical insurance.
Souvenirs etc.
We provide our guests with motorbikes Suzuki DL650 V-Strom, Honda XL700 V Transalp and Kawasaki 650 Versys. Friendly and easy to manage, these motorbikes have economical engines with high torque, excellent wind protection, and comfortable seats and are fit for a long-distance ride. Motorbikes are equipped with top-cases. Further luggage possibilities are for surcharge, please contact us in advance.
(Colour and equipment of the motorbikes may differ from those on pictures!)
Day 1, Saturday
Arrival, transfer from the airport to a 4* hotel in center of Vilnius. Aquaintance with guide and fellows moto-tourists, walk through Vilnius' Old town.
Day 2, Sunday
After the breakfast and short briefing we will go on a small tour around Vilnius. We will visit the medieval Trakai castle, once the residence of mighty Lithuanian dukes, the ancient capital of Lithuania Kernavė, and cross the Neris river on the ferry driven by the river itself. After lunch – city tour in Old Vilnius. Accommodation in the same hotel.
Day 3, Monday
The route of the second day's travel leads us to the West, to the shore of the Baltic sea. We will ride a winding road between hills and lakes, reach Kaunas, and after lunch we continue on the road in the valley of Neman.
In the evening we will reach the guesthouse of Arūnas the Hunter. National Lithuanian cuisine and homemade wine from the neighboring winery will be a nice accent of this day.
Day 4, Tuesday
This day start with a ride to the Ventės Cap, where a magnificуnt view on the Curonian spit, one of the most impressive natural sites in the world, opens. Centuries of common efforts of the wind, the stream of the Neman and the people living here resulted in a very special landscape combining woods, sand dunes and water, not to mention the endless sky above. On our way we visit a village named Mingė, where the main street is the river and the main vehicle is a boat. After that we arrive in Klaipeda and have lunch in the Old town. After thet we will ride to the forests, hiding the Soviet nuclear missile base. A former one, now converted to a unique Cold War museum. Finally, we return to our guesthouse.
Day 5, Wednesday
We will spend the whole day on the road. We start heading north along the seashore and reach Liepaja, the second biggest seaport in Latvija. After a coffee break, we will continue along the seashore to the Kolka cape, turn east and a scenic road will bring us to a famous sea resort Jurmala. We pass Riga, the capital of Latvia, crossing the Daugava river along a famous cable-stayed bridge, and end our day in a guesthouse near medieval Sigulda, in a small town which stands on the hills above the Gauja river. Accomodation in a 3* hotel.
Day 6, Thursday
Today we explore area of Sigulda, which is called "Livonian Switzerland" for it high hills and deep valleys. Our transport will be electrical tram, which will take us to many interesting sites of the area. Sigulda was founded at the beginning of the 13th century by Livonian knights. Now Sigulda is famous for its winter-sports center, especially bobsleigh. Latvian bobsleigh teams training here win high places at every winter Olympics. We will also visit the Turaida castle founded by Livonian Order, then a sand cave, where the walls are covered with inscriptions; the oldest of them dates back to the 17th century (the date is written, you’ll have to find it yourself, no prompting!) We will also hear a local tragic love story of Turaida Rose, a young beauty that was killed in this cave in 1620. Accommodation in the same hotel.
Day 7, Friday
We leave Sigulda early in the morning and proceed to the North, making a short stop in Cesis to see the castle founded in 1208, which served as a residence of the Livonian Order's Master for about 300 years; then we pass Valga/Valka, a small town divided by the border into Latvian and Estonian parts (imagine, how it looked like before Schengen!) and University town of Tartu, second largest in Estonia. Finally, we arrive at our hotel in Tallinn, check in in the 3* hotel in Tallinn's old town. Then we will take a walk in the medieval Old city and climb the tower of St. Olaf's church, once the highest building in the world.
Day 8, Saturday
We start the engines and hit the road to the Estonian islands. On the way we will visit the medieval castle of Haapsalu. The ferry will take us to the island of Muhu with its famous ethnographical museum. Then we ride across a dam to Saaremaa and reach Kuressaare, “the capital" of the island area of Estonia. Accomodation in a 4* hotel.
Day 9, Sunday
Saaremaa is the biggest one of three big Estonian islands (there are another 1421 smaller ones). Its landscape still shows the signs of the times when pagan tribes of Livs and Ests fought against the Livonian knights in an attempt to keep their freedom, land and religion. That’s why the medieval churches of Saaremaa often look like small castles rather than houses of prayer. Another attraction here is the beautiful and diverse nature of the island. Picturesque landscapes will follow us everywhere we go. Of course, such sightseeings as a meteorite crater and windmills' museum are visited on this day.
Traditionally on this day the group is seeking a message, which was left on the island by the previous group. Guests get a map and a encoded description of the place where the message is hidden and go without a guide. The group meets the guide after the message was found and leaves its own message to the next group.
Day 10, Monday
We leave Saaremaa and go to Riga. In Pärnu we have lunch and start moving south along the scenic Via Baltica – one of the main European routes connecting Warsaw in the Southwest to Helsinki in the Northeast. Riding takes about 6 hours, so in the afternoon we’ll have already reached Riga. The biggest city of the Baltic States, the capital of modern Latvia, a free, bohemian and artistic city during the Soviet rule, the most developing city of Russian Empire, the capital of the lands which belonged to Livonian Brothers of the Sword in the Middle Ages, it combines a medieval old town, endless Art Nouveau blocks and a modern city of wide avenues, skyscrapers and shopping malls.
Day 11, Tuesday
The last day of our tour we will start with visit to Riga's Motormuseum, famous for its unique collection of cars and motorcycles. Then we will continue to Vilnius, using local roads with little traffic. Another accent of the day: we will ride the famous "Berzhinka", the road which was used as rally special stage. Accommodation in a 4* hotel in the center of Vilnius.
Day 12, Wednesday
Departure. Depending upon the departure time we can organize some sightseeing activities in Vilnius and around.
This tour is not a sport event. We do nothing what goes beyond the rules of the road. All roads we go are paved, exception – several short sections of gravel roads, which we pass carefully on low speed (totally about 15 km during the whole tour). Cruising speed is about 90-110 km/h, going down to 60-80 km/h on local winding roads. Average day distance is about 200-350 km (exception Day 5, distance about 550 km, can be shortened on the request of the group). Rainy weather and side wind is possible.
We suggest bringing your riding clothes, which you are used to (helmet is mandatory). Shoes has to be suitable for walking short distances and climbing the staircases. Take a sweater and a light jacket, since it can be rather cold in the evenings.
Life and traveling in Baltic states are rather safe, but still it doesn’t mean that You can leave Your purse on the table in restaurant or helmet on the tank of Your bike. Traffic is well-ordered and even unhurried. Road pavement is mostly of good quality. Credit cards are accepted practically everywhere, but keeping some amount of cash is always recommended.
To enter Lithuania, Latvia or Estonia EU citizens and citizens of most European countries require only ID-card. US and Canadian citizens require a valid passport.
