Lithuania, BALTIC BLUES TRAVEL Vilnuis

DAY 1 -  Vilnius 
Arrival to Vilnius. Transfer to your hotel Panorama*** or Conti****.
After visiting Vilnius and its surroundings many tourists fall in love with Vilnius, designating it as their favorite Baltic city. Vilnius's Old Town is one of the biggest in Eastern Europe. There are more than 1500 buildings from various epochs: the old town boasts the most wonderful architectural styles of Southern and Western Europe, Gothic and Renaissance, as well as the original "Lithuanian" Baroque, also called the last vivid flash of Baroque in Europe. 

Vilnius City Tour, the 3-hour introduction to the Vilnius's Old Town, where you can soak in the atmosphere of the city's history of the 16-19th cent., while walking along its narrow winding streets or visiting the most exiting architectural and historic monuments, such as Vilnius Cathedral erected on a historic site of pagan gods worship and where Vilnius was founded as far back as the 13th cent., a nearby Gediminas Castle rising above the city centre, a gem of the Lithuanian Gothic style - the 16th cent. St. Anne's Church, the Vilnius University, a famous centre of science and enlightenment since its very foundation in 1579, Vilnius Town Hall, Jewish Quarter and the Dawn Gate with a famous and miraculous icon of Virgin Mary.

DAY 2  - Vilnius - Trakai
A pleasant 4-hour-tour to Trakai (27 km from Vilnius), former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and a favored place for sightseeing outside of Vilnius. The Trakai Castle, situated on an island in the midst of Lake Galve, is the most famous and most photographed 15th cent. castle. Standing on an island in Lake Galve, the Castle now houses a museum focused on the history of the epoch of the Grand Duke Vytautas when the country borders spanned from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Enjoy a small town -Trakai, located on a 2-km-long peninsula, and dotted with quaint old wooden houses, mostly built by Karaites, a Judaist sect brought by Duke Vytautas from the Crimea and still living here.

Optional: visit to the Exhibition of Sacral Art of Lithuania featuring Lithuania's millennial history of Christian culture - paintings, sculpture, graphic, other works in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Neo-Classical styles, unique folk art works on religious themes. The treasures of the Vilnius Cathedral - a national relic lost for decades and found only in mid-1980s will be showcased at the centre of the exhibition for the first time.

 Dinner in a traditional Lithuanian restaurant in the heart of Old Vilnius.

 DAY 3 - Vilnius - /Kaunas/
Optional: A full day excursion to Kaunas, the second major city in Lithuania, known for its beautiful Old Town. The Old Town of Kaunas consists of the most important, ancient city architectural monuments: the 13th century Castle, the Old Town Hall, nicknamed the "White Swan", the Archicathedral Basilica, the Church of St. Francis Xavier and the Jesuit monastery, Perkunas House and Vytautas Church. The green and blooming pedestrian street Laisves Aleja is the main business and leisure area of Kaunas. The Art Gallery of M. K. Ciurlionis keeps is dedicated to the life and works of this renowned painter and composer.
 
This evening you may also wish to visit a concert, an opera or a ballet performance.

DAY 4 -  Vilnius
A day to explore the town independently: stroll along the narrow cobblestone streets of the Old Town, stop by for a cup of coffee in a cafés or a bar located in romantic courtyards, visit numerous souvenir shops to buy amber, linen, and locally made handicrafts, which are inexpensive and will be pleasant mementoes of a visit.
Transfer to the airport.

 
Itinerary includes:

- 3 overnights in 3-4-stars centrally located hotels in Vilnius;
- 3 Breakfasts;
- 1 Dinner;
- Transfers Airport-Hotel and Hotel-Airport;
- 2 guided excursions in Vilnius and Trakai;
- Entrance to the Vilnius University and Trakai castle.