What to Expect
- Physical requirements:
This adventure is suitable for OAT travelers who live an active lifestyle, enjoy good health and mobility, and are comfortable participating in 6-8 hours of daily physical activities and sightseeing. You should be able to walk 3 miles unassisted over the course of each day. This adventure is not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs or other mobility aids. We reserve the right for our Trip Leaders to modify participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home if their limitations are impacting the group’s experience.
- Climate & terrain:
Due to the varied geography of the destinations on this adventure, you will experience a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions. As for terrain, we’ll travel on city streets and paved roads, with several walking tours along cobblestone streets.
- Pacing:
5 locations in 16 days. We’ll experience lengthy overland travel (3 to 5 hours each) on Days 5, 7, 10, and 13. We’ll go for several walking tours in city centers and an uphill hike in the Curonian Spit.
- Transportation:
We drive overland in an air-conditioned coach, and take a local tram in Tallinn, a local train in Vilnius, a small boat to Trakai Castle, and the local ferry to Nida on the Curonian Spit.
- Accommodations:
All accommodations are hotel-standard, with a variety of amenities and personal service, as well as private baths.
- Group size & leadership:
16 travelers and 1 resident Trip Leader.
- Cuisine:
Our lunches and dinners will be based on the local cuisine, which may contain ingredients that differ from American standards. Fish, pork, and dairy products are staples in the Baltic region.
Visa Information
U.S. citizens will need a visa (or visas) for this trip. In addition, there may be other entry requirements that also need to be met. For your convenience, we’ve included a quick reference list, organized by country:
- Estonia: No visa required.
- Latvia: No visa required.
- Lithuania: No visa required.
- Russia (main trip and optional post-trip extension): Visa required.
- Ukraine (optional pre-trip extension only): No visa required.
Travelers who are booked on this adventure will be sent a complete Visa Packet— with instructions, applications, and a list of visa fees—approximately 100 days prior to their departure. (Because many countries limit the validity of their visa from the date it is issued, or have a specific time window for when you can apply, we do not recommend applying too early.)
If you are not a U.S. citizen, do not travel with a U.S. passport, or will be traveling independently before/after this trip, then your entry requirements may be different. Please check with the appropriate embassy or a visa servicing company. To contact our recommended visa servicing company, PVS International, call toll-free at 1-800-556-9990.
Vaccinations Information
For a detailed and up-to-date list of vaccinations that are recommended for this trip, please visit the CDC’s “Traveler’s Health” website.