DAY 1

Welcome to Berlin.
Your complimentary, private transfer takes you to your local departure airport. On arrival at Berlin’s Tegel Airport, your transfer will leave for your hotel at 10:30 or 12:30. With the afternoon free, perhaps walk along the bustling Ku’ Damm, shopping centre of West Berlin, which during 40 years of division, became the shop window of the West. At 18:00, join your Travel Director and travel companions at a local restaurant for your Welcome Dinner.
Hotel: Hotel NH Collection Berlin Mitte am Checkpoint Charlie.
Meal: Dinner with Wine

DAY 2

The Spirit of Berlin.
In the morning, sightseeing with a Local Expert takes you along the Unter den Linden past the Humboldt University and Opera House. Stop a while on Museum Island before passing Brandenberg Gate, a symbol of the reunification. See Norman Foster’s glass dome which crowns the Reichstag building before embarking on a journey through the Tiergarten. Spend the afternoon exploring at your leisure or relaxing at your hotel.
Hotel: Hotel NH Collection Berlin Mitte am Checkpoint Charlie.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 3

Across the Sea to Copenhagen.
Depart Berlin and continue through northern Germany to Rostock for the sea crossing to Denmark. A peaceful journey through Danish countryside brings you to the capital, Copenhagen. In the evening, delight in the enchanting atmosphere of the famous Tivoli Gardens.
Hotel: The Square, Copenhagen.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 4

Wonderful Copenhagen.
With a Local Expert, begin your sightseeing with a visit the Christiansborg Palace, seat of the Danish Government, to marvel at the opulent interior. Journey past Copenhagen Cathedral and the university to see Rosenborg Castle, the Renaissance Stock Exchange and Amalienborg Palace, home of the royal family. Visit the waterfront to admire Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid gazing across the harbour. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Hotel: The Square, Copenhagen.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 5

To Stockholm, City of Islands.
Enjoy a view of Kronborg Castle, reputedly the Elsinore home of Hamlet, during the short ferry crossing to Sweden. Your journey then continues through fertile farmlands, dotted with neat farmhouses and barns. Travel along the shores of peaceful Lake Vättern to Stockholm, beautifully situated on an island studded bay.
Hotel: Grand Central by Scandic, Stockholm.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 6

Stockholm and Baltic Cruise.
With a Local Expert, visit the imposing City Hall with its impressive Gyllene salen, the Golden Hall, covered with 18 million gilded mosaic tiles and the Blå hallen, the Blue Hall, is the venue for the Nobel Prize banquets. Cross the harbour to Gamla Stan, the medieval heart of the city to see the cathedral and the Royal Palace. In the afternoon, board your cruise ship for the overnight voyage to Finland. Enjoy dinner onboard and then take in the breathtakingly beautiful sea views from the comfort of your A-Class, sea-view cabin, while the northern sun hangs over the horizon, showing almost no sign of setting in mid-summer.
Hotel: Serenade/Symphony, Tallink Silja Line.
Meal: Breakfast,Dinner with Wine

DAY 7

Fashionable Helsinki.
Disembark your Baltic cruise and explore Helsinki, the trendsetting city of top fashion and design, alongside a Local Expert. Marvel at the stunning architecture of the modern Church in the Rock, which has been cut right into a boulder in the centre of Helsinki. Continue to the Sibelius Monument and Finlandia Hall in the new quarter.
Hotel: Klaus K Hotel, Helsinki.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 8

St. Petersburg.
From Helsinki, you will travel through rural lands and villages, following the coast of the Gulf of Finland.
Hotel: Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky.
Meal: Breakfast,Dinner with Wine

DAY 9

The Gardens of Petrodvorets.
Join a Local Expert to see the Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood and the bustling main street of the city, Nevsky Prospect. Cruise by hydrofoil along the Baltic shore to Peter the Great’s summer residence of Petrodvorets, which for over 200 years was used for official ceremonies, lavish feasts and formal receptions. Alight to explore the grand gardens and see cascading fountains.
Hotel: Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 10

High Speed Train to Moscow.
Visit the opulent Winter Palace with your Local Expert. This is the former home of the Tsars, but now houses the Hermitage Museum. Witness a treasure trove of magnificent works of art, ranging from Egyptian carvings to Impressionist masterpieces. Board your high-speed Sapsan train and relax in modern luxury and comfort as you swoop to Moscow in just a few hours.
Hotel: Moscow Marriott Grand Hotel.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 11

Moscow, a Russian Revelation.
Join your Local Expert in Red Square, lined by Moscow’s landmark buildings, for an insightful tour. At one end rises the onion-shaped domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral while in front of the Kremlin stands Lenin’s Mausoleum. Enter the Kremlin to visit one of its cathedrals. Explore the Metro stations, rich in marble, mosaics, sculptures and chandeliers, often referred to as underground art museums. With the afternoon at your leisure, why not visit the Kremlin Museum to gaze at the treasury of the Tsars? In the evening, don’t miss the chance to absorb the atmosphere and admire the magic of the Red Square and the Kremlin at night.
Hotel: Moscow Marriott Grand Hotel.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 12

Moscow at Leisure.
Enjoy a relaxed start and a full day set aside to explore Moscow at your own pace.
Hotel: Moscow Marriott Grand Hotel.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 13

Minsk, the Supreme Soviet City.
Depart Moscow and pass near Borodino as you follow the route taken by Napoleon’s retreating army in 1812. Stop in Yartsevo, Smolensk Oblast for an included lunch, then enter Belarus and continue to the capital, Minsk, rebuilt after the war in utmost Soviet style.
Hotel: Renaissance Minsk Hotel.
Meal: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner with Wine

DAY 14

Minsk Sightseeing and Vilnius.
Your Local Expert will take you along wide avenues, passing gargantuan concrete buildings, a legacy of Minsk’s Soviet past. Lenin still stands in front of the Government headquarters! See the obelisk in Victory Square honouring the heroes of World War II and the Church of St. Simon and Helena. Continue to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. In the evening, you can choose from a variety of hand-selected local restaurants on your Dine-Around Evening.
Hotel: Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva, Vilnius.
Meal: Breakfast,Dinner with Wine

DAY 15

The Island Castle of Trakai.
Sightseeing in the morning starts at the Baroque church of St. Peter and St. Paul. See the neoclassical cathedral before joining your Local Expert for a leisurely walk through the Old Town. See the Jesuit University and the Gates of Dawn. Visit the splendid Trakai Castle, built on a fortified island at the beginning of the 15th century and now faithfully restored in all its glory.
Hotel: Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva, Vilnius.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 16

Rejuvenated Warsaw.
Pass lakeside Augustow during a scenic journey through Masuria, a region blessed with a plethora of lakes and forests. Your destination will be the Polish capital, faithfully rebuilt after the devastation of World War II.
Hotel: The Westin Warsaw.
Meal: Breakfast,Dinner with Wine

DAY 17

Exploring Warsaw.
Join a Local Expert for an exploration of the city. Pass the tiered Palace of Culture and stroll through Łazienki Park to the Chopin Memorial. Take a moment to reflect at the Monument to Ghetto Heroes, before walking to the Market Square in the Old Town. In the evening, join your newfound friends and Travel Director for a Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant and enjoy a fine selection of local dishes and wine.
Hotel: The Westin Warsaw.
Meal: Breakfast,Dinner with Wine

DAY 18

Depart Warsaw.
Your transfers will arrive at Warsaw airport at 07:30 and 10:00. On arrival at your home airport, your driver will greet and escort you to your waiting car for your private transfer home.
Meal: Breakfast

Authentic Dining

• Vilnius: Your Travel Director offers you a varied selection of charming restaurants on your Dine-Around Evening – a culinary experience not to be missed.
• Warsaw: Join your travelling companions and Travel Director for your Celebration Dinner at a prized local restaurant.
• Dining Summary: 17 Breakfasts (B), 1 Lunch (L) and 7 Dinners with Wine (DW) all with tea or coffee.

Insight Experiences

• Vilnius: Led by your Local Expert, explore the Old Town to see the Jesuit University and the Gates of Dawn.

Stay in Style

• Overnight Cruise: Enjoy the additional comfort of your high-class, sea-view cabin onboard your overnight cruise from Stockholm to Helsinki.

Top Rated Highlights

• Berlin: With your Local Expert, travel along the Unter den Linden to see Humboldt University, the Opera House and Museum Island. Pass Brandenberg Gate and view the Reichstag building before travelling through Tiergarten.
• Rocstock: Cross the Baltic Sea from Germany to Denmark.
• Copenhagen: Make the most of the long summer nights at Tivoli Gardens, the famous entertainment park.
• Copenhagen: With a Local Expert, witness the regal interior of Christiansborg Palace, with its stunning tapestries, furnishings and décor. See the cathedral, university, Rosenborg Castle, the Renaissance Stock Exchange, Amalienborg Palace and Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid on the harbour.
• Øresund Bridge: Cross this magnificent fiat of engineering. It’s the longest road and rail bridge in Europe, spanning 8 kilometres.
• Elsinore: See the Kronborg Castle, referred to as the home of Hamlet.
• Stockholm: Led by your Local Expert, venture to Gamla Stan, the medieval heart of the city to see the cathedral and the Royal Palace.
• Stockholm: Venture inside City Hall, the fabulous Gyllene salen, the Golden Hall is covered with 18 million gilded mosaic tiles and the Blå hallen, the Blue Hall, is the venue for the Nobel Prize banquets.
• Minsk: Gain an understanding of Minsk’s Soviet past as you are led through the city with your Local Expert. See the wide avenues and gargantuan concrete buildings. Pass Lenin, standing in front of the government headquarters. In Victory Square, see the obelisk honouring the heroes of World War II and the Church of St. Simon and Helena.
• Cruise: Admire the beautiful views from your high-class, sea-view cabin as your cruise through the largest archipelago in the world, from Stockholm to Helsinki.
• Helsinki: Visit the Church in the Rock as you explore with your Local Expert. See the interesting Sibelius Monument and Finlandia Hall.
• St. Petersburg: Guided by your Local Expert, see the Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood and Nevsky Prospect, the bustling main street of the city.
• Petrodvorets: Cruise by hydrofoil to visit the epic formal gardens of Peter the Great’s Summer Palace, bursting with cascades, sparkling fountains and golden statues.
• St. Petersburg: Explore the spectacular Hermitage Museum with a Local Expert, one of the world’s great repositories of European art and housed in the stunning former Winter Palace of the Tsars.
• Sapsan Train: Sapsan in Russian, translates to falcon. Relax in modern luxury and comfort while you swoop by rail from St. Petersburg to Moscow in just four hours.
• Moscow: Explore this fascinating capital with your Local Expert. Visit Red Square to admire the landmark buildings of St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin and Lenin’s Mausoleum.
• Moscow: Explore the opulent Metro stations, described as ‘underground museums.’
• Vilnius: Visit the church of St Peter and St Paul and see the cathedral.
• Trakai: Take in the idyllic lake setting as you cross the wooden footbridge to the red-brick Gothic castle.
• Warsaw: Your Local Expert will show you the city’s highlights. See the Old Town, Palace of Culture and visit the Chopin Memorial in the Łazienki Park before paying your respects at the Ghetto Heroes Memorial.
• Scenic Drives: Delight in the beautiful scenery as you travel through the Danish Countryside, along Lake Vättern, the Gulf of Finland and through Augustow and Masuria.

Included Insight Services

• Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
• Enjoy the comfort of Insight’s luxury, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom.
• Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert’s fascinating commentary.
• We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
• Hotel and restaurant tips are included – you’ll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
• Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
• From time to time, your Travel Director will enchant you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
• Cruise in high-class cabins with sea views.
• One-way Sapsan train journey from St Petersburg to Moscow is included.
• Complimentary transfers from Berlin Tegel Airport are available at scheduled times, on arrival day. Complimentary transfers to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports are available at scheduled times, on departure day. If your flights are outside these times or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way.