Warsaw, The Baltic & Russia - 14 days land only

This 14-day leisurely vacation includes Poland, the Baltic States and the best of Russia. Start in Warsaw, Poland, and hear about the tormented, often tragic history of this important gateway between East and West from a Local Guide. Five days are dedicated to the Baltic States, three small countries which quite recently regained their independence. Stay two nights in Vilnius, Lithuania, and in Riga, Latvia, and one in Tallinn, Estonia; and enjoy guided sightseeing in these cities. Visit magnificent Catherine Palace and continue to St. Petersburg for your three-night stay with an included highlight visit to the Hermitage Museum. Via Novgorod, finish with two nights in Moscow, where sightseeing includes Red Square, the Kremlin, and the Armory Museum.

Day 1
Arrival in Warsaw, Poland. Time to rest or to explore Poland's most dynamic cosmopolitan city before you meet your Tour Director and traveling companions at 6 p.m. for a welcome dinner. (D)
Day 2
Warsaw. Hear about the tormented, often tragic history of this important gateway between East and West from your Local Guide. Visit the medieval STARE MIASTO (Old Quarter) with its market square and the 14th-century CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN, a masterpiece of postwar reconstruction. Sightseeing also features the “wedding cake” Palace of Culture and Science, neoclassical Layienki Palace, and the Marszalkowska residential development. In the HISTORICAL MUSEUM watch a moving film showing the city before and after wartime destruction. Afternoon at leisure. Why not join an optional Polish dinner and folklore show tonight? (BB)
Day 3
Warsaw-Vilnius, Lithuania. The next four days are dedicated to the Baltic States, three small countries which quite recently regained their independence. Each has its own language and distinct culture. Today travel to Lithuania, the largest and southernmost of the three. Late afternoon arrival in the capital, Vilnius, once the splendid center of the mighty Grand Duchy of Lithuania. (BB,D)
Day 4
Vilnius. Vilnius' picturesque historic nucleus is clustered around the remains of a castle built by Prince Gediminas in 1323. Your Local Guide will accompany you on a walk from Kutuzov Square through narrow winding lanes to the OLD UNIVERSITY, founded by Jesuits in 1569. The rest of the day is at leisure, you may wish to join an exciting optional excursion. (FB)
Day 5
Vilnius-Riga, Latvia. Enjoy a scenic drive from the River Neris through a landscape alternating dark forests, swamps, fertile black earth fields, and lush pastures. Stop at the memorial site Hill of Crosses on your way to the Baltic port of Riga, the Latvian capital. (FB,D)
Day 6
Riga. All day in the Latvian capital. Sightseeing with a Local Guide features the historic center on the right bank of the Daugava River, and a visit to the Lutheran DOMA CATHEDRAL with its colorful stained-glass panels and amazing 7,000- pipe organ. Afternoon and evening at leisure with lots of things to do. Optional excursions are available. (FB)
Day 7
Riga-Tallinn Estonia. Trace the coastline of the Gulf of Riga past the Estonianhealth resort of Pärnu, a site inhabited since the early Stone Age, on your way to Tallinn, capital of the smallest of the Baltic States. This afternoon, sightseeing with a Local Guide features the Hanseatic Old Town, with its 15th-century Lühike Jalg Gate, and visits to the TOWN HALL and the onion-domed ALEXANDER NEVSKY CATHEDRAL. (FB,D)
Day 8
Tallinn-St. Petersburg, Russia. Cross the river at the historic town of Narva, and enter Russia. Then continue to St. Petersburg where you will stay for the next three nights. (FB,D)
Day 9
St. Petersburg. Few cities in the world match the grace of St. Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great. Construction began in 1703, and the city eventually spread over 100 islands linked by 700 bridges. It suffered severe damage during the revolution of 1917 and later during World War II. Your Local Guide will show you how the city has been restored to its former splendor. Drive along elegant Nevsky Prospect, then admire ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL with its gilded dome and marble columns. Highlight today is a visit to magnificent CATHERINE PALACE (if closed, this visit will take place on one of the following days). (FB)
Day 10
St. Petersburg. Today, visit the Winter Palace complex, now housing the worldfamous HERMITAGE MUSEUM. Among the exhibits are celebrated works by Rembrandt, da Vinci, and the major French impressionists. Afternoon and evening at leisure, your Tour Director will have suggestions for exciting optional excursions. (FB)
Day 11
St. Petersburg-Novgorod. Drive through timeless Russian landscapes to Novgorod, which has preserved a large part of its medieval heritage. See the restored Kremlin and venerable churches dating as far back as the 11th-century. (FB,L,D)
Day 12
Novgorod-Tver-Moscow. Through the Valdai Hills reach Tver on the banks of the Volga, regarded as the “Mother River” of Russia. Then via Klin, where Tchaikowsky drew inspiration for some of his most famous compositions, on to Moscow, the sprawling capital of Russia. (FB,L,D)
Day 13
Moscow. Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes RED SQUARE, the center of this 850-year-old city. At its core is the Lenin Mausoleum and St. Basil's Cathedral. Inside the KREMLIN, a city-within-a-city, admire the medieval towers, cathedrals, and palaces. At the ARMORY MUSEUM see treasures such as Ivan the Terrible's throne. Other sights include the Bolshoi Theater, Novodevichy Convent, and Sparrow Hills, from where you enjoy a sweeping, panoramic view. Optional evening excursions available to make the most of your last night in Moscow. (FB)
Day 14
Tour ends. (FB)
Meals:
2 buffet breakfasts (BB); 11 full breakfasts (FB); 2 lunches (L); 7 three-course dinners (D), including a welcome dinner in Warsaw
City Highlights:
WARSAW Welcome dinner; guided sightseeing, visit Stare Miasto, St. John Cathedral, and the Historical Museum VILNIUS Guided sightseeing; visit the Old University HILL OF CROSSES Stop at the memorial site RIGA Guided sightseeing; visit the Doma Cathedral TALLINN Guided sightseeing; visit the Town Hall and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral NARVA Morning stop ST. PETERSBURG Guided sightseeing; visit Catherine Palace, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Hermitage Museum NOVGOROD Orientation TVER Lunch stop MOSCOW Guided sightseeing; visit Red Square and the Armory Museum in the Kremlin