Hiking through Lithuania’s Coastal Treasures

Day 1: Klaipėda
Day 2: Baltic Seacoast - Palanga Resort, 11 mi. (18 km) | approx. 4 hrs + mini van transfer 30 min.
Day 3: Hiking with storks along the Minija River, 8 or 12 mi. (13 or 19  km)  | approx. 4 hrs + mini van transfer 1 hr.
Day 4: Crossing the Curonian Lagoon - Nida, 3 mi. 5 km) | approx. 1 hr + boat trip 1.5 hrs
Day 5: Nida - Leisure time by the Baltic Sea, 6 mi. (10 km) | approx. 2 hrs
Day 6: Dead Dunes -  Pervalka and Preila, 9 or 17 mi. (15 or 28 km) | approx. 3 or 5 hrs
Day 7: Curonian Spit - Juodkrantė, 8 mi. (13 km) | approx. 2 or 3 hrs + boat trip 1 hr
Day 8: Klaipėda

Day 1: Klaipėda
Check in to your hotel and after resting and refreshing, you can enjoy an optional dinner at the hotel. For those that have booked the guided option, you will meet your tour guide and enjoy a tour informational meeting. Guided guests will meet their tour guide for the week.  

Overnight in Klaipėda.

Preferred accommodation(s):
Guided tour: 3* Old Mill Hotel (or similar)
Self-guided: 3* Old Mill Hotel (or similar) with the possibility to upgrade to 4* National  Hotel (or similar)

Day 2: Baltic Seacoast - Palanga Resort, 11 mi. (18 km) | approx. 4 hrs + mini van transfer 30 min.
At 9 am, you'll be met by our local representative for an informational meeting. A morning transfer then takes you to the Seaside Regional Park where you start your hiking tour along the Lithuanian Seaside to Palanga Resort. En route, you visit the Dutchman’s Cap, a 24-meter-high coastal cliff famous for its gorgeous panorama of the Baltic Sea. In Palanga, you can visit the Botanical Park and Amber Museum, explore J.Basanavičius pedestrian street with many cafes and restaurants, and the 470 m pier stretching into the Baltic Sea. Transfer by minibus back to Klaipėda. Optional dinner at the hotel.

Overnight in Klaipėda.

Preferred accommodation(s):
Guided tour: 3* Old Mill Hotel (or similar)
Self-guided: 3* Old Mill Hotel (or similar) with the possibility to upgrade to 4* National  Hotel (or similar)

Day 3: Hiking with storks along the Minija River, 8 or 12 mi. (13 or 19  km)  | approx. 4 hrs + mini van transfer 1 hr.
This morning, your short transfer takes you inland where you start walking along the Curonian Lagoon on small country roads and forest trails. En route, hiking towards the Nemunas River Delta Regional Park, you pass the most popular kiting spot in Lithuania in the Svencele coastal raised bog. This region has one the largest population of storks in Europe. The White Stork is Lithuanian's national bird. Your final destination is a guesthouse surrounded by Kintai fishponds at the Minija River or a hotel at the Curonian Lagoon in Ventė Cape. Optional dinner at your overnight accommodation.

Overnight in Kintai or Ventė.

Preferred accommodation(s), guided and self-guided:
Mėlynasis Karpis, Ventainė or similar

Day 4: Crossing the Curonian Lagoon - Nida, 3 mi. 5 km) | approx. 1 hr + boat trip 1.5 hrs
Hiking to Ventė Cape there is an opportunity to visit the museum of ornithology and one of the first bird ringing stations in Europe. The 19th C lighthouse here has a panoramic view of the unique landscape of the Curonian Lagoon and the great sand dunes. Today, one million birds pass through Ventė Cape each migratory year. The route to Ventė will lead along the Minija River and into Minija (Mingė) village which is Venice of Lithuania with canals for streets. Here residents visit their neighbors by boat. In the evening, you cross the Curonian Lagoon by boat. After your arrival in Nida, it is just a short walk through the resort village to the hotel. Check-in and optional dinner at the hotel.

Overnight in Nida.

Preferred accommodation(s), guided and self-guided:
 3* Nerija or similar

Day 5: Nida - Leisure time by the Baltic Sea, 6 mi. (10 km) | approx. 2 hrs
Today is a free day to explore Nida. This former fishermen’s village, washed by the Baltic Sea on one side and the Curonian Lagoon on the other, is one of the most beautiful resorts in Lithuania. Walk along impressive sand dunes to the Baltic Sea where you can enjoy white sand beaches and swimming in the sea.  The Fisherman’s House, the summer house of famous German writer Thomas Mann, and the Amber Gallery are very interesting sites. Optional dinner at the hotel.

Overnight in Nida.

Preferred accommodation(s), guided and self-guided:
 3* Nerija or similar

Day 6: Dead Dunes -  Pervalka and Preila, 6, 9 or 17 mi. (9, 15 or 28 km) | approx. 3 or 5 hrs
You are transported to the Dead (Grey) Dunes to begin your hike on a picturesque trail in the Nagliai District Nature Reserve. It was here that four former villages were buried in the sand a few centuries ago. Strong winds create this unique landscape of steep sand dunes with hollows and washouts. Human activity is limited to a single trail within the Reserve except for scientific observations to preserve its unique beauty. As you continue hiking along the lagoon to Preila, you pass through the most picturesque places in all Curonian spit, Horse Cap, Lighthouse, Pervalka, and Karvaičiai Bays with towers for birdwatching, etc. From Preila, you are transported back to Nida or you can continue walking from Preila to Nida, along the Curonian Lagoon (13 km extra) including a climb up to the highest dune, the 67 m tall Vecekrugas Dune. Optional dinner at the hotel.

Overnight in Nida.

Preferred accommodation(s), guided and self-guided:
 3* Nerija or similar

Day 7: Curonian Spit - Juodkrantė, 7 or 9 mi. (11 or 15 km) | approx. 2 or 3 hrs + boat trip 1 hr
Take a public bus to Juodkrantė where your hike begins. It features a circular route with natural and cultural highlights of the Curonian spit. Begin your route at the Amber Bay, continuing into the primeval forest, passing the mythical wooden sculptures of Lithuanian legends scattered along a forest path known as the Hill of Witches. Legend and folklore abound here and your guide will make sure you are fully informed. Approximately 1 km from Juokdranté is one of Europe's largest colonies of cormorants and grey herons amassed in the forest 1km south of Juodkrantė. From a viewing platform, the panorama of thousands of nests amid pine trees stretches out. The afternoon is free so that you can spend more time in one of the many local restaurants, or just relaxing on the white sand beach.

You return to Klaipėda either by speed boat (1 hour) or a 30 km minibus transfer. Check-in and optional dinner at the hotel.

Overnight in Klaipėda.

Preferred accommodation(s):
Guided: 3* Old Mill Hotel (or similar)
Self-guided: 3* Old Mill Hotel (or similar) with possibility to upgrade to 4* National  Hotel (or similar)

Day 8: Klaipėda
Breakfast at the hotel. End of the tour. It is possible to extend your stay in Lithuania.

Day 1: Klaipėda
Day 2: Hiking with storks along the Minija River, 8 or 12 mi. (13 or 19  km)  | approx. 4 hrs + mini van transfer 1 hr.
Day 3: Crossing the Curonian Lagoon - Nida, 3 mi. 5 km) | approx. 1 hr + boat trip 1.5 hrs
Day 4: Nida - Leisure time by the Baltic Sea, 6 mi. (10 km) | approx. 2 hrs
Day 5: Dead Dunes -  Pervalka and Preila, 9 or 17 mi. (15 or 28 km) | approx. 3 or 5 hrs
Day 6: Curonian Spit - Juodkrantė, 8 mi. (13 km) | approx. 2 or 3 hrs + boat trip 1 hr
Day 7: Baltic Seacoast - Palanga Resort, 11 mi. (18 km) | approx. 4 hrs + mini van transfer 30 min.
Day 8: Klaipėda