Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn

Traveler photos

Route Map

Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.

• ★★★★★ Karen Gail Lewis 2 months ago

  Baltic capitals

  Biking through these three countries - all so very different -- was special. The views, the historical information, the Old Towns -- a great trip.

• ★★★★★ Karen Gail Lewis 3 months ago

  Baltic capitals

  Great trip. Learned so much about a part of the world that we Westerners know so little about. Guides were very knowledgeable. Best, of course, was the biking, especially along the Baltic (and even biking on the sand on one beach.

• ★★★★★ John Matthew Schley 4 months ago

  Fun and intellectually stimulating

  Great bike trails. Great group of people to travel with. Really excellent guide. Searching out restaurants you can find excellent food. Dinners provide by tour were mediocre at best.

• ★★★★★ Robert Civiak 5 months ago

  Baltic

  Trip was to the Baltic countries for biking and walking tours. I went on the trip.

• ★★★★★ Michael Drake 5 months ago

  Baltic immersion!

  What a fun way to experience the Baltics! We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, getting a taste of each country and its capital. We normally do self guided tours, but in this case, the guided option was the way to go. Not only did we get non biking guided walking tours of each capital, the bike guides were always there to fill in the history and background of sites and scenes along the way. They were very, very well informed and helpful. There are a LOT of bus transfer segments on this ride, but being able to bike ride the 'gem' segments, and have a bit more time (due to the bus) to enjoy the towns and cities, was a good trade off. The quality and proximity to town of the hotels exceeded our expectations. We gave ourselves an extra day at the end to really experience Tallinn. Another could have been made good use of. Our day in Riga there was the option to ride out to the beach, or just keep walking the town after our tour guide was finished with us. There is so much there, we elected to just spend the day exploring the town (no regrets). If there was any downside to this trip, it was the group size was a bit large. Again, perhaps because we normally do self guided we were sensitive to that. Although we did enjoy the diverse company (NZ, Australian, Canadian, Irish, US), the bigger group did make getting going and stopping, and riding, a bit more of a herding cats feel at times.

  What was the date of your tour?

  July 2023

  How many tours have you completed?

  5 for one of us 7 for the other

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 4/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ Lindsey Parkinson 5 months ago

  Fun for everyone!

  My brother and I chose this tour as away to meet in the middle between our travel styles - backcountry adventures and city explorations - without needing to stress about planning. We both had a great time! The tour stopped at well known highlights and less well known gems, all the guides were kind and incredibly knowledgeable. If another family member wanted to do it, I would happily join them for another round :).

  What was the date of your tour?

  July 2023

  How many tours have you completed?

  3

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ Robert Civiak 5 months ago

  I enjoyed it

  Good trip with excellent guides. The trip is a combination of walking tours of historic cities and biking on paths and quiet road, mostly near the sea near the sea.

• ★★★★★ Mariag July 17, 2019

  much more than I expected

  The tour was the perfect way to get to know both the landscape and the history/culture of the baltic republics

  What was the date of your tour?

  June 29 to July 9

  How many tours have you completed?

  2

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 4/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ Kirk June 6, 2019

  Fantastic tour, exceeded all expectations

  The Baltic Capitals Tour is ideal for getting to know all three countries. Our guide brought history to life, making the stories of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia exciting and fun. The pace was leisurely enough to allow for great sightseeing, and the biking was delightful. An amazing and unforgettable experience.

  What was the date of your tour?

  May 19, 2019

  How many tours have you completed?

  3

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ Yeow September 16, 2018

  What was the date of your tour?

  2 september 2018

  How many tours have you completed?

  2

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat easier

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 3/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ Baltic biker September 15, 2018

  What was the date of your tour?

  August-September 2018

  How many tours have you completed?

  2

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 1/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 3/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ Lynn September 9, 2018

  Fascinating history and culture in this area

  It was very interesting to see the three Baltic capitals, but the long distances between them requires too much time spent on the bus. Riders considering this tour should look carefully at details regarding biking distances and bus transfer distances.

  What was the date of your tour?

  August 28, 2018

  How many tours have you completed?

  6

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists

  Do you recommend this tour?

  No

  • 5/5 Value
  • 3/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 3/5 Hotels or boat
  • 4/5 Scenery
  • 1/5 Ease of navigation
  • 1/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 3/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ Anneohio June 21, 2018

  Absolutely fantastic

  We were unfamiliar with the Baltic states but wanted to visit and learn about them and bike. This trip exceeded all expectations! Our guide was informative, showed us many places while biking (as well as in the capital cities) and he was a whole lot of fun, drawing the group together. The biking routes are ideal....along the shoreline, through forests, often arriving at a castle or spectacular view. The hotels were excellent/great breakfasts and well located in towns. The schedule of trip was calibrated nicely to have a longer stay in Riga midway on the trip (a chance to do laundry, take a rest day--if desired, and sightsee....OR ride)
  We rode at a good pace...everyone could keep up (one woman had a e-bike) and the distances worked well each day. I loved the two longer days on the bike because of the scenery, but on "travel" days we also had really nice rides through interesting landscape (after all, we also saw and learned about three countries)

  One of the very best trips we've taken (and we've taken many).

  What was the date of your tour?

  May 27

  How many tours have you completed?

  8

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ Chelle October 11, 2017

  Our guide was excellent. The trip was as advertised, and very enjoyable. I think we should have spent an extra day in Tallinn and one less day in the previous location. The stairs in the Riga hotel were difficult for some people.

  What was the date of your tour?

  3/9/2017

  How many tours have you completed?

  1

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 4/5 Value
  • 3/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 4/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ Ronb September 25, 2017

  Good value for money way to see the Baltic countries with great guide.

  Our guide Romas was excellent. Lots of stories about where we visited. Most hotels very good with useful location. Easy riding. Bus always available if somebody wanted to rest. Great way to see Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Riga hotel not up to the standard of the others though it had perfect location.

  What was the date of your tour?

  27th Aug 2017

  How many tours have you completed?

  10

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Much easier

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 4/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 3/5 Scenery
  • 3/5 Ease of navigation
  • 1/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ jjgomez0371 June 15, 2017

  Exceeded Expectation!!!

  First time on a bike tour. So happy I chose the Baltic Capitals. Tour had a great mixture of cycling and sightseeing at various locations. The capitals are absolutely breathtaking...fairy-tale castles, lovely cobblestone streets.

  The countryside during the cycling was absolutely gorgeous. The bus support was fantastic. If for some reason you couldn't cycle or something happened to the bicycle, the bus was there to take care of everything.

  The hotels were very nice with very good breakfasts. The included meals were very good too. I was really surprised.

  All in all and fantastic experience. The best part was meeting and sharing experiences with my fellow cyclists.

  What was the date of your tour?

  May 28

  How many tours have you completed?

  First one

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat easier

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 4/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ eboneo June 14, 2017

  Great first trip by bike

  Perfect way no know this great contries!! The hotels, bike paths, guides, all was perfect!! The perfect tour for your first trip by bike in europe.

  What was the date of your tour?

  May 28th, 2017

  How many tours have you completed?

  one

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat easier

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  First-time bike tourists

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ MarcieB September 14, 2016

  Cycling and Coach Travel through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia

  Our tour consisted of 25 cyclists and 2 guides plus coach driver (1 English-speaking guide and 1 German-speaking guide). Over a period of 11 days and 10 nights our group experienced a series of amazing adventures that included walking tours of each capital (Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn), biking through rolling hills en route to Kaunas, cruising along the Curonian Spit National Park (where we visited the bird observatory at Vente Horn to experience the release of an Eurasian Sparrow hawk) and a catered meal of delicious pancakes (sweet and savory) by a local farm family. Before arrival in Riga, Latvia, we stopped at the very moving Hill of Crosses where thousands of believers have planted crosses to profess their varied faiths. Day 6 offered a) either a day of riding on the beach or b) touring around Riga. We elected to ride to Jurmala where we were actually able to cycle on the beach for what seemed a very long time (picture endless white sand beaches). Thanks to the Cycling Club of Perth, Australia, there were coffee/tea breaks that broke up the intense cycling. I say intense, because for a recreational cyclist, the pacing felt like I was pedaling hard and fast to keep up with the group. About 4 members of our group had E-bikes and, in retrospect, I would have opted for one as well. The cycling through National Parks was particularly beautiful and the trails varied from packed gravel to rocky causeways. The only busy day of riding with traffic came on a Friday when we cycled through Gauja National Park in the Gauja River valley. Our time on the island of Haapsalu was very relaxing and the ferry ride to Hiiumaa Island was a nice respite before tackling the 55 km of island riding to view some outstanding lighthouses. Our farewell dinner at the Hotel was filled with heartfelt toasts and praise for our guides and bus driver. There were several opportunities to experience the local culture (Amber Museum in Palanga, castles, botanical gardens, resorts and even a family wool factory).

  What was the date of your tour?

  August 28, 2016

  How many tours have you completed?

  Seven

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 3/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ nunn August 28, 2016

  Glad we went

  We vacillated on taking this tour because of age and stamina. We called Biketour and asked about the tour. They said we could do it. The cycling is not difficult/technical, it is the pace that was difficult. We had to cover 800+ miles between cycling and bus in 9 days. There is a time-line that had to be kept to get us to the each destination. It was not a leisurely pace for us. One of us could not have done the tour if it were not for the guide suggesting to get an e-bike. It saved the trip. The Baltic tour company did a great job with logistics and getting us through the Baltics and the guides were awesome. We enjoyed meeting and making new friends on the tour. It was our first guided tour and took some adjusting on our part. We enjoyed the trip.

  What was the date of your tour?

  7/31/16

  How many tours have you completed?

  10

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 3/5 Value
  • 3/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 4/5 Scenery
  • 3/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ quin101 July 18, 2016

  Beautiful area but hectic pace

  We did experience the Baltic Countries and we went to places we never would have seen. But, there are issues about the tour, that others should be aware of, the cycling was much faster then we thought, often cycling on roads, busy roads,it was not a relaxed pace, one guide for 15 riders, people often got lost/left behind. We never arrived to the hotel until at least 8pm No free time, no time to shop, take pictures. We feel the guide was unorganized, no care for the slower riders. When we booked this tour it was rated as a 1 in difficulty. This is too low for the terrain and pace that we encountered.
  That said we are still glad we did the tour as we did see beautiful and interesting places. I hope the company makes some changes to the tour to make it more enjoyable to all.

  What was the date of your tour?

  June 19

  How many tours have you completed?

  3

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers

  Do you recommend this tour?

  No

  • 4/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 3/5 Hotels or boat
  • 4/5 Scenery
  • 3/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 1/5 Local tour company services
  • 2/5 Route selection
  • 1/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ JEAN1999 July 16, 2016

  Unforgettable Experience

  Tour did not meet my expectations.
  The pace was actually 12 to 15 mph and not 8 -9 mph as advertised, we always seemed to be late; and the only time that could be made up was during the riding. I would not describe the pace as casual. Unless you were a strong rider or had an e-bike, we felt we could not stop for pictures for the fear of getting lost. One rider dropped a bottle at the start of the ride and by the time it was put away, she could not see anyone up the road and did not know which way to go, so she decided to get on the sag wagon. On-going bicycle problems which should have been resolved the first day. Riders kept getting 'lost' due to inadequate group management which caused delays. Some riders kept having problems with their bikes, brakes improperly adjusted, loose handlebars (to store the bikes in the trailer, handlebars are loosened), group start riding despite not everyone being ready. Riders brought much more luggage than is recommended and there was inadequate space on the bus for all the luggage which ended up in aisle. Every seat on the bus was occupied; back row of bus has inadequate viewing and cannot hear instructions, sight descriptions over the speakers. One bus driver had unhealthy health habits, such as directly drinking from the 5 liter jugs used to fill up rider water bottles; he was always the first off and last one on despite record temperatures (one time after everyone got on-board, he went for a smoke with bus off); the other two drivers kept bus comfortable at all times and never got lost using their Garmin. Five nights were in hotels without AC, which is generally not a problem except that we had near record temperatures of 32 deg C on those days. Even though riding miles on the beach is considered 'fun', most of us did not consider it safe having to dodge bathers and children (it was record heat and the beach was very crowded). Your suggested tipping is ridiculous; seasoned Europeans riders within our group recommended a maximum of 20 Euros per person for the entire trip (bus driver was tipped separately). We had 15 riders, two guides would have been helpful to avoid losing riders along the way. I had never been on a multi-day bike tour, but others in the group had been on several and they did not think this tour met expectations.
  Now the positives. The bus broke down on the worst possible day but we were able to proceed after a 6 hour delay for a new bus to arrive (this was handled well). The tour guide was very knowledgeable and had lots of information to share.
  I will post more details on TripAdvisor

  What was the date of your tour?

  06/19/2016

  How many tours have you completed?

  First multi-day tour

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Do you recommend this tour?

  No

  • BikeTours.com staff reply from Lindsay Nash July 17, 2016

    Dear Jean,
    I know we've already been in touch with others in your party regarding your feedback on this tour but I just want to reiterate our apologies for your experience. We've taken this feedback to the operator so they'll know about it as well. In the past, we've only received very positive feedback and we're sorry this wasn't your experience.

  • 3/5 Value
  • 3/5 Included meals
  • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 2/5 Hotels or boat
  • 4/5 Scenery
  • 1/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
  • 2/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ Ronald June 15, 2016

  Endless amazing surprises.

  Marvellous cities,beautiful uncrowded countryside,and endless Baltic beaches - a great backdrop for a wonderful tour through centuries of tumultuous history brought into focus by our two fantastic Lithuanian guides. This is what great travel is all about. Ron Orieux. Vancouver.

  What was the date of your tour?

  May 30 2016

  How many tours have you completed?

  2

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 3/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)