Day 1: Arrival in Vilnius and transfer to your hotel.
An afternoon city tour of Vilnius includes some of the Old Town’s major attractions: the Cathedral, St. Anne’s Church, the Gate of Dawn with its miraculous icon of The Virgin Mary.
Day 2: Today we head for Baltoji Voke (White Voke) bird watching route about 30 km outside Vilnius. The habitats here are rich and varied with over 200 species of birds recorded. Among them, over 60 species under protection in Europe, 48 species included in the Red Date Book of Lithuania.
In the afternoon, return to Vilnius via Trakai where you will visit the 15th century Trakai Castle built on an island.
Day 3: This morning you travel to the Curonian Spit - the Baltic seacoast National Park and UNESCO World Heritage site. This sandy stretch of land, 98 km long and varying in width from 400 meters to just a few kilometers, between the waters of the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea, is an ecological treasure, and serves as an important resting spot for approximately 15 million birds during their annual migration. You can find available resort areas or a hotel accommodation in Nida or Juodkrante on the Curonian Spit for 3 nights.
Day 4: A morning tour to Nida, an old fishing village famous for its 60-meter-high sand dunes, unique old Cemetery, Thomas Mann’s summer house and the Amber Gallery. Later in the afternoon, a visit to the cormorant and grey heron colony near Juodkrante (500 nests). Watching birds included in the Red Date Book of Lithuania: white-tailed eagles, black kites, honey buzzards, kestrels, stock doves, tawny pipits.
Day 5: Enjoy a morning walk on the Hill of Witches filled with wooden statues related to different mythological figures and heroes of fairy tales and legends. Visit the Juodkrante Bird Banding Station. The Curonian Spit, especially in April and September-October, is on the main migratory route of such birds as tits, swans gold crests, siskins, chaffinches, thrushes, hawks, buzzards, falcons, ducks, coots and grebes.
Day 6: A morning boat cruise to Vente Cape to visit the Ornithological Station founded in 1929 and on to the Nemunas River Delta, a paradise for birds and ornithologists, where you can see 170 different species of birds nesting: red-necked grebe, bittern, white-tailed eagle, montague’s harrier, eagle, corncrake, etc. Next, a visit to a lighthouse that has been active for more than 100 years and the Polder Museum, a boat ride on Minija river where the main street of Minija village is called by the locals “Lithuanian Venice”. Afterwards, a drive to Palanga - the most popular sea resort in Lithuania for an overnight stay.
Day 7: A morning tour to the Amber Museum located in the former Palace of Count Tyszkiewicz. The museum has about 4,500 pieces of amber on display, showing the fascinating formation, application and structural variations of amber. The Museum is surrounded by a beautiful park created by the French arborist Eduard Andre. Late afternoon return to Vilnius.
Day 8: The morning is free for independent activities, mid-day transfer to the airport for a return flight home.
