Discover the Baltics



This is my 8th Exodus trip since 2017. I appreciate the variety in the cultural tours, such as Discover the Baltics. Over the 12-day period, we visited all three capitals of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, explored historic towns (Tartu, Kaunas, Cesis, and Klaipeda), learned about architecture (Art Nouveau in Riga and Jarmala), trekked in national parks, visited famous churches, took a crash course on Soviet occupation at famous museums, and enjoyed free time to explore on our own. The pace is brisk. Be prepared to board your bus at 9 am each day to begin your tour. There are several long days on the bus as we typically visited two venues. I highly recommend this tour.

Exodus should replace two of the hotels used. They were poor. I did not like being assigned a tiny room with a twin bed.

My Top 12 Memories of the Baltic Republics

1. Meandering the cobblestone streets of Old Town Tallinn, Estonia
2. Foraging for berries in Tartu National Park
3. Riding a giant adult swing between Estonia and Latvia
4. Admiring the red roofed homes of historic Cesis
5. Roaming in the sculpture garden at Gauja National Park
6. Visiting the Art Nouveau Museum in Riga, Latvia
7. Admiring the colorful wooden houses in Jurmala, a 19th century seaside village
8. Learning the etiquette of “fan flirtation” at 18th-century Rundale Palace
9. Walking the trail of tears at the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania
10. Searching for seaside stones at the Curonian Spit, a Unesco World Heritage site between the Curonian Lagoon and Baltic Sea
11. Taking a boat ride on the lake in Trakai, the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
12. Discovering Vilnius’ old town with our Exodus Travel guide



A thorough and fast paced tour of the three Baltic countries, with a varied itinerary and lots of time in the wonderful cities. Excellent city tours throughout and a perfect guide. Loved it!



The real strength of this tour was the use of local guides who gave us their stories of life under Soviet occupation and family histories of displacement. Learning about the terrible war time history of the region was balanced by moments admiring beautiful buildings and lovely beaches and forests. There was enough free time to wander and visit a few museums - recommended the Maritime museum in Tallinn, The Occupation Museum (take a tour) and Art Nouveau Museum and Ghetto Museum in Riga. In Vilnius and Tallinn the KGB Museums. There were some long bus journeys, very flat landscape but plenty of coffee and toilet stops!



A thoroughly enjoyable, very varied and interesting holiday including the cities, countryside and seaside and an insight into the life and history of the people, a joy to see them flourishing in the freedom of independence.



A varied tour covering 3 countries, 3 capital cities, beaches, castles, country houses, cathedrals, countryside and national parks



An interesting and varied look around the Baltic countries.



A great trip, with a really good balance of sights for each of the three countries.



A busy but fascinating tour through three beautiful countries, providing a varied insight into the culture and history of the region.



A truly wonderful tour with a lovely group of like minded people led by an amazing guide.



This is an excellent trip overall with a few caveats along the way. It is certainly a great way to see the highlights of all three Baltic states, both in terms of the three capitals but also other highlights and interesting places. You will learn a huge amount about the history and culture! You will also do a lot of walking...



A very interesting trip that gave a good overview of the three Baltic States and didn't just concentrate on the three capital cities.



This was a fantastic trip! Each of the countries are unique and there is something to love about all of them. The trip itinerary is really well planned, and there is so much free time in the capitals that you can really feel comfortable just wandering around. I was lucky to be in a group with a really lovely and enthusiastic bunch of people, as well as all the memories, I even came home with a newfound enjoyment of castles.



This was my first experience using Exodus and I’m sure it won’t be my last. I had. A great time with a really wonderful group of people. Our guide, Andrius, was great with lots of great local knowledge and facts he was able to share.



An excellent, busy trip with sufficient free time to explore on our own and lots of variety between cities and countryside/seaside. I finally made it as I had booked this trip when Covid intervened and it had to be cancelled. I am so glad that I was now able to go.



As other reviewers have said, this is an excellent trip that not only travels to the three capitals but includes other interesting places, such as the university town of Tartu, the eerie Hill of Crosses and the wildness of the Curonian Spit. Each of the tour guides explained the history of each location in a succinct style and the contrast between the capitals. (Medieval Tallinn, Art Nouveau Riga and Baroque Vilnius.) We were fortunate to visit Riga at the time of their Midsummer Festival, which was an added bonus. Plus a Jazz Festival in Klaipeda.



As other reviewers have said, this is an excellent trip that not only travels to the three capitals but includes other interesting places, such as the university town of Tartu, the eerie Hill of Crosses and the wildness of the Curonian Spit. Each of the tour guides explained the history of each location in a succinct style and the contrast between the capitals. (Medieval Tallinn, Art Nouveau Riga and Baroque Vilnius.) We were fortunate to visit Riga at the time of their Midsummer Festival, which was an added bonus. Plus a Jazz Festival in Klaipeda.



Fantastic holiday! The group was great and fun despite the age gap. the tour leader Lukas was very knowledgeable, competent and fun!



Finally got to do this trip which was on my bucket list before the pandemic. It was certainly worth the wait and lived up to all my expectations. This is one of the best Exodus trips I have travelled on. I find ex-Soviet countries fascinating and we certainly got a good introduction to the histories of all 3 countries together with an insight into their views about the current situation. This was due to the generous ways in which both our guide Andrius and the local guides were prepared to share some of their experiences from less liberal times. It was all very thought provoking and led to some thoughtful discussion between fellow travellers. But on a lighter note - the itinerary was more varied than I was expecting. We saw capital cities, medieval streets, Art Nouveau architecture, crumbling and restored castles, fishermen's wooden cottages, Soviet elite holiday homes, a palace built in the time of the Tsars , a decommissioned nuclear bunker, museums, art galleries and some ex-KGB 'facilities'. Trips into the countryside were also included, we visited the sea in all 3 countries, some fantastic national parks and drove through wonderful forests. Even the weather was on our side - I could be forgiven for thinking the Baltics are countries where the spring sun creates beautiful dappled patterns whilst glinting through the fresh green forest foliage. It only rains when you are in the bus between destinations! However, there was also a heatwave in Southern Europe, so future travellers should not take too much notice of this comment.



This tour was so much more interesting than I’d expected it to be. Admittedly I knew virtually nothing about the histories of the three countries - other than the fact that they’d all been under Soviet rule - but I hadn’t expected them to be *so* different in terms of their culture, food, architecture, …. I loved the three capital cities - Tallinn’s old town, Riga’s architecture (especially its Art Nouveau buildings) and Vilnius’s university buildings - and also Tartu, Kaunas, Cesis, Jurmala and Klaipeda. I also loved the dunes of the Curonian Spit and walking the Hill of Witches. The Plokstine Cold War Museum visit was chilling (even though I can remember some of the events documented there) and I found visiting the occupation/KGB museums in Tallinn, Riga and especially Vilnius harrowing. Luckily there were much lighter times too: Rundale Palace (where we had a very amusing guide), the beautiful Pazaislis Monastery, the boat trip and walk around Trakai Castle, the amazing sculpture park and reconstruction of Turaida Castle (where I amazed myself by climbing the tower!), the concert in Riga Cathedral, …. So many happy memories of this trip!



I have just come back from a wonderful tour exploring these beautiful 3 countries. It was nice and relaxed with reasonable start times each day but still felt you utilised each day to explore. There was a good range of sights to see and you didn’t feel rushed at any. I came back feeling as though i had a really good insight into these beautiful countries. I felt safe as a lone female in all areas and saw no adverse affects due to the current situation in Russia/Ukraine. Our tour guide Simona was excellent & really went above & beyond what was expected, her knowledge throughout was phenomenal. The hotels were small & standard but brilliant locations. Breakfasts standards varied slightly in each but all had a very basic version of continental, a few you couldn’t get black/english tea in at all. The rooms in most were very small and i would say 100% not suitable as a room share option. Some beds there was no space or had fixed furniture so could not be separated into 2 singles. Disappointing when booking regional flights through Exodus you no longer get included transfers. Not worth the price or wait to pay exodus for them. I got 1 bus directly outside airport to a 1 min walk from hotel (you could see hotel from main bus station ) for €1.50, easy to get as stay on until last stop which was main station. My return flight i had to be at airport early hours so i got a bolt (local taxi) for €5.60 Overall this was a really lovely tour and i’m happy i’ve visited the 3 main Baltic countrys.



There is so much to see and experience on this trip. From the ancient historic castles and Old Towns, to the more recent era of Soviet and German Occupations, and finally to current times when we see modern vibrant cities and towns looking to the future with their own culture and traditions intact. There is a bit of everything in this trip - ancient and modern architecture, beaches, boat rides, museums, countryside, and great local cuisine.



3countries I never thought I would get to visit, but so glad I did. With our great guide Andrius and some witty, funny, knowledgable local guides , not only did I visit these countries but understood the history of the Baltic countries , their independence yet ease of interaction. The trip was full of surprises- a phone box turned into a church in Tallin, walking around the lovely university town of Tartu, paddling in the icy cold Baltic Sea in Jurmala, visiting an opulent Baroque palace, walking the sand Dunes at Nida, visiting an old soviet missile site was interesting and frightening at the same time particularly in May 22.Riga with the zeppelin hangar market places,baroque buildings -The hill of crosses, the wood carving at Nida-so many interesting things to see. Andrius with his great sense of humour looked after us all, chose fantastic eating places and kept us amused on the bus with interesting stories and jokes. A throughly enjoyable holiday and well managed-Go for it yourself



1st post pandemic trip, originally booked for 2020. A fantastic trip to get back travelling again. Great balance of scenery, history, culture and fun.

The itinerary is well planned snd we benefited from an experienced tour leader who really did ‘make’ this trip so fantastic. He worked around us, the places, and worked hill time making sure we all got what we wanted. No early starts for one😀

The special feature of these locations is their history of being ‘in the middle’ for centuries. Most recently the transition from Soviet rule to European independence. The signs of both are very evident. The icing on the cake got this trip was the tour leader Andrius being born and raised under the Soviets and now benefiting from the new freedoms. His experiences were very good to hear snd learn from



For the well season wanderer, a trip to Baltics is a time traveller's delight. From visiting medieval town (Tallin), 18th century chateau (Rundale), wonderful art nouveau buildings (Riga), dour grey soviet era (nuclear missile site) to an optimistic future (Vilnius). Our wonderful historian on this trip, Andrius, knew pre and post soviet rule and was very clear which path for the Baltic states he would choose



Group leader (Andrius) was perhaps the best part of the trip. He was born under Soviet rule and just as he entered university the Soviet Union dissolved and his country declared independence. His insights and knowledge of history and society were a real treat.



Our trip leader (Andrius) was perhaps the best part of the trip. He grew up under Soviet rule and went to university just as Lithuania gained independence. His insights and experiences plus knowledge of history and culture were a wonderful gift. He was always looking out for the group while attending to any special needs. Local guides were generally very good. This was our first trip with Exodus.

The trip was well paced with considerable walking. We had good hotels and restaurants. Weather was often cold and windy with some rain as one would expect for mid May in northern Europe. Spring was just arriving in Estonia and a month farther along by the time we got to Lithuania. Lots of flowers and 50 shades of green from the trees to the fields.



This was my first package tour and I'll admit the Baltics weren't my first choice - but I'm glad we took the leap! For anyone interested in history, this is a rich tour with lots of highlights. From a stop at a nuclear missile launch site, to an excellent seaside cafe that smokes fish on the premesis - every day was packed with interesting and surprising things that you'd never get to see otherwise. There's a fair bit of coach travel, unavoidable when you are doing three countries. And it's cold even in mid-May! Despite this, our spirits were kept high by our guide Andrius, who was utterly charming and patient throughout - ensuring we all got the most out of every moment, and entertaining us with many personal stories of Soviet times.



This is a well planned trip through the Baltics which explored Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Wonderful countries with lovely cities, fairy tale castles, grand houses and beautiful coastlines and forests.



The itinerary was excellent and when you throw in a great group of fellow travellers and a truly outstanding tour leader you have everything you need to enjoy the trip.



A fabulous trip through three countries. A good mix of city tours, castles, palaces and natural spaces.

Our tour leader, Andreas was very knowledgeable with a good sense of humour. He ensured good restaurants serving local cuisine were selected for those that wanted the group meal each night. He phoned ahead to inform restaurants of any dietary requirements.

A really great guy.

Our local guides for the city tours and places of interest were all real characters - very knowledgeable and approachable.

All in all a fabulous trip, well planned and well lead!



This was an excellent trip with excellent trip manager Jolita and good local guides. Very hectic on the go all the time. Covered a great deal of history and would recommend it highly.

One major problem the Hotels are not up to standard of the rest of the trip. Standard Double Rooms were very small and dark and bathrooms miniscule. An option to upgrade should be offered. We upgraded at one Hotel for 20 Euros per night and had a fantastic light and airy room with a balcony and large bathroom fully equiped . This would change the package for the better. One night is OK but 2 / 3 night stays is not on.



We really enjoyed our introduction to these three countries.



I generally go for a more active holiday but I enjoyed this cultural trip. The rest of the group were very pleasant and our guide (Megle) was very efficient and informative. There were complaints about hotels but I have to say I was perfectly happy with my accommodation. My one complaint would be the Monday spent in Riga (day 6) - the trip to the beach at Jurmala was nothing special, besides it was too cold to swim and you would have had to wade out about 2km to get water deep enough. The boat trip along the canal and river was no great shakes and the free afternoon in Riga was somewhat spoiled by all the attractions being closed (as they are every Monday). It was rather a waste of a day and would be better being omitted altogether - either spending it elsewhere (Klaipeda or Vilnius?) ar cutting the whole trip short by a day. That however is my only grouse and was overall very happy. Up to the usual Exodus standard.



Lovely people, good tour guide. A really good mix of places to go.



We thoroughly enjoyed our trip 'Discover the Baltics'. Our Exodus Guide was excellent and each of the specialist guides we had in the various cities and castles were also good. Transport was reliable and comfortable without being luxurious. We noted some members of our group were critical of some of the hotel accomodation, but most of the hotels offered an optional upgrade at very reasonable extra cost and we took advantage of this on one two occasions as my wife is a very light sleeper. We were also recommended some excellent restaurants for evening meals which took the risk out of looking for one ourselves. Lunch venues were organised by a guide in advance and were generally good value and carried the local foods and snacks. Overall we thought the trip was very good value for money and would recommend it to friends.



Well organised and varied tour with an excellent guide.

Unfortunately our hotel in Tallinn (Go Shnelli) was as good as on the train station platform. As there was no air conditioning we had to have the window open, so the noise and fumes were bad. Fine when the trains finished at 11:30.

The hotel in Riga (Konventa Seta) was very centrally located, which was good, but our room (005) was so dark, as the window faced an apartment block. OK, I suppose, if you’re out till really late at night.

Only one of the hotels used had coffee and tea facilities in the room.

Apart from this we thoroughly enjoyed the tour.



I really enjoyed the trip, but had problems hearing some of the guides as we were sometimes in crowded areas. It would be a good idea if we were furnished with audio aids so that we could look at what was being described rather than trying to catch up with the guide the whole time. This really spoilt a very good trip.



Well organised, our guide Migle was excellent with good knowledge and well motivated. Quite a busy schedule, some of the hotels were a bit quirky but that added to the appeal for me.



Loads of architecture to take in, and heaps of cultural things to learn about, being completely new to these countries I was fascinated by the history, and the differences between these three countries



This was a well-organised trip which gave a good overview of the three Baltic states. It was enhanced by nonstop hot sunny weather and a large but lovely group of mainly very experienced Exodus travellers. The cities were all very different, and the countryside and coastal visits all interesting.



This was a holiday with a good range of different experiences and a chance to visit three countries of which I did not have any prior knowledge .

The history and architecture of the countries was of particular interest.



This tour gave an overall look at the history, cities, castles and country areas of the 3 countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania



Great trip with a wide variety of destinations, history and architecture. Excellent food and tasty honey liquors!



This is a well designed trip giving an excellent overview of all three Baltic states. This not only included the capital cities but other towns and much countryside. We were given expert led tours of all the cities that we visited but time was then allowed for us to wander on our own to explore or revisit sites. But this is much more than just a city tour. We also visited numerous other sites, both natural and man made including museums that record the turbulent history of these countries. Highly recommended.



I enjoyed discovering an area of Europe I knew little about. Visiting many areas of all 3 countries. Guide well organized and itinerary good. Only problems were Tallin hotel (hot weather but no AC and some rooms no windows to open) and lunch dinner stops sometimes very slow service.

Hotels in good locations.



The Baltic countries are interesting and the old towns are charming. They have suffered a lot under various foreign rulers and are proud of their independence.



Really interesting trip made extra special by our guide Melia, whose knowledge was incredible. We were really lucky with the weather and had a really good group of people.The



A bit of a whirlwind tour although the three Baltic States relatively small, green and flat. I knew virtually nothing about them before I went but learned a lot out there. In particular their very complicated history - waves of invaders of whom the Soviet Union was the last one. There are ex-KGB premises which are now museums - very sobering to visit especially as people who were tortured there or sent to gulags still have family alive. Very sobering.



The tour was a good mix of cultural and natural sights. So as well as cities and towns there were visits to the coast. Much of the scenery was very attractive with a lot of forested areas

The number of places visited in a day and the amount of information imparted was sometimes a bit excessive. It was hard to absorb it all. There wasn't much free time in some venues except for Riga.



Excellent Baltic tour covering three countries and popping over to Bosnia for lunch.



The trip was very good. We had 11 in our group and were a mix of American, British, Australian and an Italian. Hotels were pleasant and transport was comfortable with pleasant bus drivers although some of the trips were long. There were enough stops along the way to keep things interesting. The major areas of the three countries were covered with a variety of cities, culture, nature and sea although the main focus was cultural even in the national parks. I would have preferred some walks on the many trails and boardwalks we were told about. The guided tours and time on our own was evenly divided. In Riga, there was plenty of time to see the Old Town, visit museums, relax in parks and cafes, and shop. In Tallinn and Vilnius, not so much. Overall, the trip was true to the itinerary.



This tour covered a lot of ground in a short time. We learned so much of the history of this area and its people. It was good to have mix of activities in the cities and country areas. We visited old castles and palaces, national parks, museums, cities and small towns. There was a very good balance of organized activities and time to explore on our own.



Nearly two weeks travelling through the Baltic countries, this tour was a nice mix of historic cities and national parks.



We arrived at the airport and Jolita the rep met us, but then we had to wait for the transport to come and collect us! She had to ring him to ask him where he was..... The first hotel was being renovated, the room was OKish, but I opened the window and being short couldn't manage to close it without standing on the chair in the room. The breakfast room was far to small for all the guests. All the other hotels were OK, except for the last one, bright lights, music and a bit too far out of town, the room was dull even with the light on, but it had no main light just side lights, and no carpet, it was OK to walk into town during the day but on an evening even though there were street lights it was dim.

This was a cultural trip, but towards the end I was a bit 'cultured' out. I also got bit/stung by either mosquitoes or horse flies, not nice.



This was a 12 day holiday covering three countries,Estonia,Latvia and Lithuania, so quite full on. Be prepared for living out of a suitcase as you stay in 7 different hotels. However it's worth it as you travel through these beautiful countries,full of character,history and amazing architecture. Tallinn for it's pretty cobbled streets, Riga for its fantastic Art Nouveau architecture and Vilnius for its quaint and Old Town. You need a good pair of walking shoes as you can do up to 3-4 hours wandering around cobbled streets,or through forests. I would so suggest you carry an umbrella as the weather can be quite changeable even in the summer months!



An introduction to the present day Baltic states and to their long and complex histories. Despite many wars and invasions much of their heritage survives for you to admire. They cherish their freedom - when you see the evidence of the Soviet occupation you can understand why! The tour covers a lot of ground but at a sensible pace leaving time for your own sightseeing.



An excellent trip.Most hotels of a very good standard. Very interesting sights. A few long drives but no early starts. Very relaxing and enjoyable. The trip gave an excellent insight into these Baltic States.



This was an interesting trip providing a good overview of the region with lots of variety.

I felt very safe walking around on my own and the people were very friendly and approachable.



Lots of cobbled streets, old buildings, churches, and palaces.



This was a fast paced tour of the three Baltic countries, starting off from Estonia and ending in Lithuania. All three were very interesting countries and much different than I had imagined.

Everything worked smoothly and there was never a dull moment.



A gentle introduction to three countries - Cities, National Parks and coastal areas. From old historic centres to an abandoned Nuclear missile complex. A constantly interesting trip but never too serious or flippant. The evidence of former Soviet occupation is still there but the old towns were very well preserved or restored and the people were very welcoming and proud of their Traditions.



A very interesting holiday seeing the 3 Baltic states and learning about their history and seeing towns and countryside. We also sampled local cuisine.



Three countries in twelve days gives you a taste of the culture and life across these Baltic States. The small changes as you move from one to the other are evident but also the sense of unity shared by these countries was evidwent.



The food is very pork and potatoes based but are very big potions. The weather was very changeable, with sunshine and showers in the same day.



Really nice mix of different experiences, ably led by our superb tour leader Jolita.



An enjoyable and informative trip. It was varied and there was a good balance between city, town and country. Each day had something of interest. The guides were excellent. The only real improvements I would suggest would be to lengthen the stay in Tallinn - a second day is definitely necessary - and to change the first hotel in Tallinn which was a disappointment. A little more walking in the National Parks would also be welcome.



A very enjoyable trip. Well organised, as usual with Exodus, well led, surprisingly hot weather (30+ degrees) and three very interesting counties. We visited several fascinating cities, and heard a lot about the dark days of soviet rule, the struggle for independence, and its eventual achievement in 1991.



The tour was very well organised. Our guide, Jolita was friendly, helpful and a fun person. It was an added bonus that the group was relatively small, 9people only. The transport minibus was comfortable and the drivers were excellent and helpful with the luggage. We enjoyed all the sites we visited and I would not recommend changing any of it. All accommodations were clean, comfortable and some really nice ones. I would definitely recommend this trip to others.



Excellent service: we have made several trips with Headwater over the years and have always been very pleased with their friendliness, expertise, efficiency and reliability. On this occasion, we asked for some add-on arrangements at the end of the trip, which were very quickly understood and responded to. Altogether, an enjoyable and confidence-inspiring booking experience!

Richard C, 10 May 2024



Great service, Toni has been looking after me and nothing is too much trouble for her

28 Feb 2024

1 Jan 1970