September 2016
A trip to Russia, Belarus and the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania was a perfect extension to a trip to England to visit family and friends. Gill and I were keen to include travel to places that neither of us had been to before – and this certainly fitted the bill. It was a different sort of tour from those I have previously done, this time focusing on cities, history and culture rather than including nature and wildlife. The pace was described as ‘busy’ and ‘full on’, which was extremely accurate – but there was so much to see in such a short time. It was a wonderful introduction to this fascinating region and gave a great overview of all the key sights but if we’d had more time I would have preferred a longer tour to really get to know the countries and their people.
In posts over the next few weeks I will share my experiences and photos with you.
I travelled with Explore tours this time as they had the best itinerary and timing for us. From the Explore trip outine:
This is the perfect trip to introduce you to the legendary cities of the old Soviet Union. You’ll visit 5 fascinating countries and stay in 6 historic cities. Whilst in the Baltic’s you’ll have the chance to marvel at Tallinn’s Old Town, Riga’s Freedom Monument and Vilnius’s university. In Minsk you can stroll down Independence Avenue. Then in Moscow you’ll ride the metro to the Red Square and visit the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and Catherine’s Palace at Pushkin. This trip is a must for anyone looking to soak up the history and culture of Eastern Europe.
Tour Highlights:
- Distinguished cities – Experience Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, Minsk, Moscow and St Petersburg
- The Baltics – Discover the capital cities on foot and visit Trakai Castle and the Hill of Crosses
- Minsk – Explore Belarus’s lesser visited capital and see Mir Castle and Nesvizh Castle
- St Petersburg and Moscow – Visit the best known sites including the Kremlin, Hermitage and Catherine’s Palace
Here are a few photos to whet your appetite of what is to come:
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- Tallinn Old Town, Estonia
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- Tallinn Old Town, Estonia
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- Tallinn Old Town, Estonia
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- Riga, Latvia
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- Riga, Latvia
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- Art Nouveau, Riga, Latvia
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- Hill of Crosses, Lithuania
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- Trakai Castle, Lithuania
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- Amber Museum, Lithuania
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- Mir Castle, Belarus
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- War Museum, Minsk, Belarus
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- National Library, Minsk, Belarus
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- Moscow Kremlin, Russia
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- Moscow Underground, Russia
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- Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia
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- Peterhof, St Petersburg, Russia
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- The Hermitage, St Petersburg, Russia
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- Faberge Museum, St Petersburg, Russia
For this and other similar tours see:
Explore Europe with Intrepid Travel
(a range of different travel styles – see my post on travel styles)
Peregrine Adventures (Comfort tours)
Geckos Adventures (for 18 to 30s)
Note: After people telling me they had booked an Intrepid Tour on my recommendation, I now have affiliate links with the Intrepid Travel group of companies and may receive a commission if you book a tour online within a couple of months after clicking through to these sites. So if you are enjoying my tips and stories and finding them useful in choosing your own travel, please click on these links and help me to bring you more ☺.
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