Highlights of the Baltics & Scandinavia

After meeting at London St Pancras, we board the Eurostar to Brussels. Here, we change trains, continuing to Bremen where we spend the night.

• Dinner
• Eurostar Meal

This morning we take the high-speed rail service to Copenhagen for two nights, travelling via Hamburg. We have dinner in a restaurant 15 minutes' walk from our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today we enjoy a sightseeing tour of the Danish capital today, starting in Nyhavn, the colourful harbour where historical wooden ships are harboured. On our guided tour we see the Amalienborg Palace, a large octagonal structure surrounded by four identical Rococo palaces, one of which is still home to the Danish monarch, Queen Margrethe II. We also visit the famous statue of the Little Mermaid and take a canal cruise. This afternoon we sample a Smorrebrod lunch - sandwiches, traditionally made with rye bread and typical fillings of cod fish, beef, and egg.

• Breakfast

We catch the high-speed train to Stockholm, passing over the scenic Øresund Bridge along the way. After checking into our hotel for two nights, your are at leisure this afternoon to orient yourself with this fascinating city. This evening we dine at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today we set off on a guided coach tour of Stockholm. Built across 14 islands, connected together by no fewer than 57 bridges, Stockholm has a fascinating 750-year history and culture and a wide selection of world-class museums and attractions. We see the Royal Palace in Gamla Stan, Stockholm's Old Town and one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in the world. Here, the small winding streets reveal craftshops, antique stores, art galleries and cafés. The impressive Cathedral is also found in this historic area.

This afternoon we visit Stockholm's City Hall - set on the eastern shores of Kungsholmen island with views of Riddarholmen and Södermalm, this is where the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is held annually. During our time here, you have the option to climb the tower for panoramic views across the city. The rest of your afternoon and evening is free.

• Breakfast

After morning and lunchtime at leisure to continue sightseeing, this afternoon we board the ferry for our overnight sailing to Riga. As the sun sets, we admire the views across the Stock-holm archipelago. A buffet dinner is served on board the ferry.

After breakfast on board, we dock in Riga early this morning, and transfer to our hotel for the next two nights. The rest of the day is spent admiring the city's main attractions. Travelling back to the year 1201, we enjoy a pleasant walking tour that brings to life Riga's 900-year-old history. Entrance to the city's cathedral is included, and we explore the winding streets of Old Riga, birthplace of the area's unique 'black balsam', a traditional liquor brewed with local botanicals. 

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today you have a full day at leisure in Riga. Regarded as one of the most dynamic capitals in the Baltic States, Riga is a vibrant city of broad avenues, majestic palaces and trendy cafés. Riga is famous for its spectacular Art Nouveau architecture; there's no other European destination with so many buildings from that period. In the Old Town, you can discover some of the many historical and architectural monuments at your own pace. Wandering the historic streets, you may see the Freedom Monument, a symbol of Latvia's freedom and independence, which sits on the city boundary between the old and new towns.

• Breakfast

After breakfast we travel by coach along the Gulf of Riga to the Estonian capital of Tallinn for two nights. On arrival we take a guided sightseeing tour, by coach. During the tour we see the Alexandre Nevski church and Dome Church, and the 13th century Danish-German castle. We visit the Town Hall Square and see the 15th century Town Hall and the Great Guild. At the heart of the medieval city is the hill of Toompea, with its castle and a maze of cobbled streets and alleyways. We also discover Lower Tallinn, known as An-Linn, its cobbled streets, limestone buildings and terracotta-tiled roofs. A buffet dinner is served at our hotel this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Your day is free to explore Tallinn further. You could make a visit to the House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads, the only preserved Renaissance building in Tallinn, or you may like to visit the unusually named 'Keik in de Kok', which means 'peek into the kitchen'. This ancient tower got its name thanks to its height, which allowed those inside to see through the windows of the surrounding buildings, although today it's home to a permanent exhibition of Tallinn's military history and serves as an entrance to the Bastion Tunnels, a network of hidden tunnels built in the 17th century during Swedish rule.

• Breakfast

Taking the ferry from Tallinn, we make the journey to Helsinki, our base of explorations for the next two nights. Travelling across the Gulf of Finland, we head out on a guided coach tour on arrival, seeing many of the Finnish capital's main attractions. Amongst both the old and avant-garde architecture, we visit the Rock Church, a modern building hewn out of solid rock, the Senate Square, the University and Library of Helsinki, the Sibelius Monument, the Olympic stadium and the new Opera House. We continue our adventure with a vintage tram ride through the city, seeing the sights from a time-honoured vantage point in our restored carriages.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Helsinki lies on an archipelago and is surrounded by hundreds of tiny islands, many of which are connected by regular ferry services and scenic boat cruises. Another off shore attraction is the Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress, which has UNESCO World Heritage status and is built on an island featuring bastion walls, tunnels, cannons and an array of historic exhibits. The city has several public parks and open spaces which make the perfect spot to relax and watch the world go by.

• Breakfast

If you choose the fly return option of this tour, today sees you transfer to the airport for your flight back to London Heathrow or Manchester. If you're returning to the UK by rail, however, we board the train back to Helsinki, continuing to the city's port for our overnight ferry crossing to Travemünde, in Germany.

Please note: your luggage will travel on the flight or on the ferry with you, rather than it travelling via our luggage service.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Disembark the ferry, we transfer to our hotel in Lubeck for the night.

Travelling by coach from Lubeck to Hamburg, we board the train to Cologne for an overnight stay.

• Breakfast, Dinner

The final leg of our return journey takes us by rail to Brussels, where we board the Eurostar to London St Pancras.