GUIDES:
Local guides for city sightseeing in Copenhagen, Vilnius, Riga,
Tallinn,
St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm. Services of a professional Tour
Director
while touring
TRANSPORTATION: SCopenhagen
and Stockholm if Cosmos issues the tickets. Touring by private
first-class
air-conditioned motorcoach.
Overnight
cruise
from Helsinki to Stockholm will be in shared (same gender) 4-berth
cabins
with private facilities; supplement for two-berth cabins, see
Dates & Prices
HOTELS:
Listed below or equivalent. Rooms with private bath or shower, hotel
taxes,
porterage, tips, and service charges
COSMOS
HOTELS
COPENHAGEN
Quality Dan (ST) at Kastrup, BERLIN Econtel Charlottenburg (ST), POZNAN
Novotel (ST), WARSAW Mercure Frederic Chopin (ST), VILNIUS Uniquestary
Centrum (ST), RIGA Reval Latvija (ST), TALLINN Reval Central (ST), ST.
PETERSBURG Pribaltiskaja (ST) or Pulkovskaya (ST), HELSINKI SAS
Radisson
(F) at Espoo, STOCKHOLM Quality Nacka (ST)
MEALS: 15
buffet breakfasts (B); 7 dinners (D); 3 lunches (L)
OPTIONALS: Choice
of
optional excursions
at reasonable prices to customize your own experience. Please find a
detailed
list in your travel documents
Day
1 , Fri. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.
Day
2
Sat. ARRIVAL IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.
Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore the
Danish
capital. Tonight meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers. (D)
Day
3
Sun. COPENHAGEN-BERLIN, GERMANY.
A morning to enjoy Hans Christian Andersen’s friendly city. Sightseeing
includes the Little Mermaid sitting on her rock by the Langeline
Promenade,
and the rococo Amelienborg Palace. In the afternoon drive to Gedser for
the two-hour ferry crossing to Rostock. Then past Lake Plaurer to
Berlin
for overnight. (B)
Day
4
Mon. BERLIN-POZNAN, POLAND. No
longer divided but every bit as fascinating, Berlin is a city shadowed
by a tragic past yet clearly set for a bright future. The old West
Berlin
of the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, and the new huge Europa Center
is vastly different from East Berlin with its needle-sharp Television
Tower,
Karl Marx Allee, and classical State Opera House. See it all on the
optional
sightseeing tour. Also take a stroll down the Kurfürstendamm,
aptly
described by novelist Tom Wolfe as the “longest coffee shop in Europe.”
In the afternoon cross the River Oder into Poland for an overnight in
Poznan.
(B,D)
Day
5
Tue. POZNAN-WARSAW.
Travel
eastwards this morning across the flat Polish lowlands to the country’s
capital, Warsaw. This afternoon join the optional sightseeing with a
local
guide. This is an excellent introduction to Warsaw’s historic center,
magnificently
restored after massive wartime destruction. (B)
Day
6
Wed. WARSAW-VILNIUS,
LITHUANIA.
Journey northeast by way of Bialystok towards Augustow and Suwalki.
Cross
the Lithuanian border for the relatively short drive to Vilnius for an
early evening arrival. (B,D)
Day
7
Thu. VILNIUS. Vilnius
has
been the capital of Lithuania since the 13th century and the old town
reflects
in its architecture the influence of the various peoples who have at
different
times been the dominant force. Lithuanians, Russians, Jews, Moslems and
Swedes all contributed to the making of this city. After breakfast join
the included city sightseeing tour. The itinerary will take in St.
Stanislav’s
Cathedral, Gedeminas’ Castle, St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Church, St.
Anna’s
Church, the Gate of Dawn and the old university. Later in the afternoon
enjoy some leisure or take the optional excursion to visit Trakai
Castle.
This evening there’s an optional folklore dinner. (B)
Day
8
Fri. VILNIUS-PILSRUNDALE,
LATVIA-RIGA.
An interesting journey today as you travel right across Lithuania into
Latvia for a stop in Pilsrundale to visit the baroque Palace of
Rundale,
the former summer residence of the Duke of Courland. The palace was
built
by the great architect Rastrelli, who also designed the Winter Palace
in
St. Petersburg. More lovely countryside before reaching Riga. (B,L,D)
Day
9
Sat. RIGA. The capital
of
Latvia is rightly considered one of the most beautiful towns in the
Baltics.
On the included tour of the old city, you will be briefed on some of
the
most eventful parts of the city’s 800-year history. Founded in 1201 by
Bishop Albert, head of the Order of Teutonic Knights, the old town is a
mixture of narrow streets, parks, river banks, and a canal flanked by
old
houses and lofty church spires. The main sights in the old town are
Riga
Castle and the Dome Cathedral. (B)
Day
10
Sun. RIGA-PARNU, ESTONIA-TALLINN.
A very interesting itinerary today since it will start with a drive
through
the Gauja National Park, known as the “Livonian Switzerland,” a land
dotted
with castles, parks, picturesque countryside and a variety of fauna and
flora seen only here. The park is traversed by the Gauja River. Next
head
to the Baltic coastline for the drive to the Estonian border and a stop
in Parnu, Estonia’s most fashionable seaside resort. Then travel
northwards
to Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, for overnight. (B,L,D)
Day
11
Mon. TALLINN. Start the
day with an included sightseeing tour to appreciate Tallinn’s history
and
beauty. The old town, now on the list of World Heritage sites, is
certainly
the most interesting part of the city. Also worth noting are the
Hanseatic
merchant houses, the mile-long town wall, the medieval Town Hall and
the
House of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads. (B)
Day
12
Tue. TALLINN-ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA.
Drive east today towards the border town of Narva with the impressive
Hermann
Fortress. Then start the journey to St. Petersburg, considered by most
travelers to be Russia’s most fascinating city. (B,L,D)
Day
13
Wed. ST. PETERSBURG. St.
Petersburg
was created in 1703 by the iron will of Peter the Great. He made it the
capital of all the Russias and ensured that it should rival any other
European
capital in splendor, beauty, and distinction. Palaces, parks,
monuments,
squares, wide boulevards, and 600 bridges delight visitors with their
symmetrical
beauty, and the River Neva adds to the city’s charm. During World War
II
the city was besieged for 900 days and much of it was destroyed, along
with hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants. This morning’s included
sightseeing excursion will acquaint you with the best of the city’s
highlights.
(B)
Day
14
Thu. ST. PETERSBURG-VYBORG,
FINLAND-HELSINKI.
Realize the huge expanse of Russia as you take a last glimpse of St.
Petersburg.
Set off north, traveling between Lake Ladoga to the east and the Gulf
of
Finland to the west, before crossing into Finland and its capital,
Helsinki.
Don’t miss out on the optional dinner. (B)
Day
15
Fri. HELSINKI-BALTIC SEA
CROSSING-STOCKHOLM,
SWEDEN. The included tour of the Finnish capital covers the
sedate Empire-style palace on Senate Square and the cathedral. The
afternoon
is free for your own exploration. In the evening embark on the Silja
Line
ferry to Stockholm. On board you can enjoy music, dancing and shopping.
(B)
Day
16
Sat. STOCKHOLM. Dock in
Stockholm, perhaps the most beautiful of the Scandinavian capitals. The
effect of its crystalline waters flowing through the city’s
intersecting
canals gives a luminous appearance to palaces, castles, and parks. The
best way to see and appreciate the highlights of Sweden’s capital is to
join the included sightseeing tour with a local guide. (B,D)
Day
17
Sun. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)