Winter vacation in Stockholm & the Baltics
From
US $1475
8 Days excluding flights
Countries:Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden
More info:Optional single supplement £372. Mimimum age 16.
“An eight day cultural tour of Stockholm, traveling along the Baltic coast of Estonia and Latvia, and finishing in Lithuania. Staying in hotels and one overnight boat trip to Tallinn.”
Highlights
Stockholm | Tallinn | Parnu | Riga | Rundale Palace | War and Peace locations | Vilnius | Tragai CastlePlease feel free to contact the Help Desk team if you need any advice on your vacation plans. We're always happy to help!
Toll free 1-866-821-6866 rosy@responsiblevacation.comVouchers
Accepted
Vacation type
Small group vacation
Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modelled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, traveling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. If you’re heading off on a gap year your, perhaps – but for those with a two-week vacation, a small group tour will save valuable planning time.The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travelers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.
We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.
What are the main benefits?
Big experiencesHave big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.
Simplicity
Make the most of your vacation time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!
Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.
Who is it ideal for?
Travelers who are short of timeIf you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your vacation.
Solo travelers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those traveling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.
Less confident travelers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.
Mythbuster
“I won’t get any privacy!”Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travelers their own room.
“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.
“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.
“I won’t like the other travelers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.
“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.

Meet a group Leader
Name: Valerie ParkinsonStory: The first British woman to climb Manaslu, Valerie climbed Everest for her 50th birthday. She’s spent fourteen Christmas Days trekking to Everest Base Camp, and is involved insetting up Responsible Tourism initiatives in the Himalayas.

Meet a local guide
Name: Roshan FernandoStory: Roshan has led over 130 trips – he adores showing travelers around Sri Lanka. He won the company Leader Award in 2010, but his career highlight was working on their Tsunami Project – which earned him a responsible tourism award.
Responsible tourism


Responsible tourism: Winter vacation in Stockholm & the Baltics
Environment
Accommodation and Meals:You will spend 6 nights in locally run hotels, all in good locations and some with sustainability certification (Konventa Seta in Riga). The hotels use locally produced ingredients wherever possible for breakfast and picnic meals- this is usually a combination of fresh bread, cheeses, meats, fruit and vegetables. Where meals are provided, the food will often be typical of the region; however we do encourage clients to use authentic, small restaurants and cafes as well. Your guide will be able to recommend or take you to some traditional restaurants, selling sauerkraut, borsch, veal and fish dishes.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
Community
Local Craft and Culture:There are several cultural stops on our trip, including guided tours around Stockholm, Tallinn and Vilnius, Riga Castle, the Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, the Monument to Freedom, Rundale Palace, Hill of Crosses and Trakai Castle. Our entry fees to these places go towards their maintenance and using local souvenir shops and cafes which surround them, the community benefits from our presence. In terms of local crafts, the Christmas markets are a definite highlight at this time of year. At Tallinn Christmas market clients can purchase handmade gifts, decorations and mulled wine. Riga Central Market offers Latvian specialties like smoked sausage, caraway cheese, local fruit and Kvas- the local beer made from rye bread.
A Fair Deal:
All of our guides are local to the Baltics and in exchange for their insider’s knowledge and passion for the area, we ensure they are paid and treated fairly. You will also find that those working in the hotels and museums are locals as it is a natural requirement for those in the tourist industry to speak all three Baltic languages. Our support of locally staffed businesses helps to provide alternative employment opportunities in areas which are sometimes quite rural. The economy and local community therefore benefits.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 20 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
Our travel guides
Find related vacations
From
US $1475
8 Days excluding flights
Countries:Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden
More info:Optional single supplement £372. Mimimum age 16.
Our travel guides
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