Highlights of the Baltics & Scandinavia

Your vacation begins as you land at Copenhagen airport and make your way independently to our centrally located hotel, which overlooks the city hall near the famous Tivoli Gardens.

Copenhagen exudes a dynamic spirit amid its classical appearance and was at the forefront of the recent craft beer boom. Today, its regenerated Meatpacking District boasts an array of celebrated breweries and eateries.

After meeting your Tour Manager and fellow travelers, we head out to enjoy a three-course dinner at a nearby restaurant.

• Dinner

This morning, we get to know our new surroundings better as we embark on a guided tour of Copenhagen, seeing the city's most famous sights.

Arriving at the stunning Amalienborg Palace, we admire this large octagonal structure surrounded by four identical classical palaces - one of which is home to Denmark's monarch, King Frederik X. By the waterside, we discover the world-famous bronze statue that honors Hans Christian Andersen's much-loved fairytale, the Little Mermaid. Afterward, a cruise along the Nyhavn Canal showcases the delightful 17th-century waterfront bedecked by colorful buildings, charming bridges and historic boats. Once home to Hans Christian Andersen, today it buzzes with visitors and people relaxing at the many restaurants and café bars.

For lunch, we sample a traditional Danish smørrebrød - an open sandwich traditionally made with rye bread and filled with cod, beef or egg. The evening is free to explore at leisure and you might like to try New Nordic cuisine in one of Copenhagen's illustrious restaurants or opt for something more traditional, such as the national dish stegt flæsk - fried pork belly.

• Breakfast, Lunch

Leaving Copenhagen after breakfast at our hotel, we wave farewell to Denmark as we cross the iconic Øresund Bridge. This is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe and links Copenhagen with the Swedish city of Malmö.

Traveling through Sweden's interior, we delve into scenic scenes of red wooden houses, thick boreal forests and peaceful lakes dappling the landscape. After leaving Norrköping, look out for the shimmering Bråviken, an attractive inlet that spills out into the Baltic Sea.

As the train makes its way into Stockholm, we can enjoy views of the waterways and charming Gamla Stan. Sweden's distinguished capital hosts a wealth of treasures, from palaces and museums to picturesque medieval streets. Our four-star hotel in Stockholm is centrally located near the station. We check in for three nights and have dinner in the hotel's restaurant this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

A guided coach tour of Stockholm introduces us to the Swedish capital after breakfast this morning. Built across 14 islands connected by 57 bridges, Stockholm has a fascinating 750-year history and a wide selection of world-class attractions. We see the Royal Palace in Gamla Stam - Stockholm's Old Town that is one of the best-preserved medieval city centers in the world. Here, the small winding streets reveal craft and antique stores, art galleries and cafés. The impressive cathedral is also found in this historic area.

There is free time to lunch independently before we visit Stockholm's red-brick City Hall this afternoon. Set on the eastern shores of Kungsholmen island, this is where the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is held annually. During our time here, you have the option to climb the tower for panoramic views across the city. The rest of your afternoon and evening is free. You might like to take a boat trip before discovering Stockholm's burgeoning reputation for stylish and creative cuisine at one of the city's many excellent restaurants.

• Breakfast

Today is free for you to soak up the sights of the Swedish capital at your own pace. Stockholm brims with fascinating art galleries and museums, including Fotografiska which focuses on contemporary photography and has hosted exhibitions of some of the world's finest exponents.

On Djurgården island, you might like to explore Sweden's seafaring history at the Viking Museum or view a salvaged 17th-century warship at the nearby Vasa Museum. The world's oldest open-air museum, Skansen, is a vast showcase of pre-industrial Swedish life. One of Sweden's most successful exports is pop group, ABBA. The joyous museum honoring the four-piece gives music-lovers the opportunity to view their costumes and memorabilia. You can also take a chance and sing along with them on stage - virtually! Alternatively, head into the Stockholm metro network to admire the stations along what has been dubbed the 'world's longest art gallery'.

Stockholm offers some fantastic options for dinner tonight. You might want to try seafood, iconic kjøttboller meatballs, or perhaps the traditional Sámi dish 'renskav', a creamy reindeer stew.

• Breakfast

With a picnic breakfast provided by our hotel, we make an early start today for a short morning flight over the Baltic Sea to Latvia.

The Baltic countries of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania each have fantastic, individual cultures, but they came together to throw off the shackles of the Soviet regime in the late 1980s. In 1989, more than two million people from the three countries formed a human chain stretching more than 400 miles from Vilnius in Lithuania, through Riga, to Tallinn in Estonia. This peaceful act resulted in independence for the Baltic states and, consequently, the breakup of the Soviet Union. It is a historic moment commemorated in Riga by two footsteps in the middle of Kaļķu Street in the Old Town, close to our four-star hotel.

After checking in, there is a free afternoon to unwind or explore. In the expansive park opposite our hotel, you can find the national art gallery and natural history museum, while the monolithic Freedom Monument signifies the border of Riga's stunning Old Town. Dinner this evening is at our landmark hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Home to around a third of Latvia's population, Riga has embraced its importance during its 900-year history. After breakfast at our hotel, we embark on a three-hour coach tour of the Old Town's beautiful sights.

Built in 1334, the ornate House of the Black Heads acted as a meeting point for the city's merchants and visiting traders. Today, it stands proud in front of the town hall square. One of the biggest delights of Riga's Old Town is its charming streets, where chocolate-box treasures await at every winding turn - such as the painted houses of Jauniela or the iconic medieval buildings known as the Three Brothers. Our tour concludes with entry to Riga's 13th-century cathedral.

With a free afternoon, you could uncover why Riga is considered to have more Art Nouveau buildings than any other city. Albert Street is the best showcase of these spectacularly elaborate buildings. Riga's restaurants cater for all tastes, and you may be tempted to try Latvia's warming national dish - a hearty stew containing grey peas and smoked ham.

• Breakfast

Making our way to our second Baltic country after breakfast, we travel by coach along the Gulf of Riga and enter Estonia. En route to its capital, we discover a country with around half of its land covered with forests.

On arrival in Tallinn, we take a guided sightseeing tour by coach. One of the city's most iconic sights is the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with flowing arches topped by five onion domes. Located in the hilltop Toompea district - one of the country's few hills - we find more historic buildings here, including the Danish-German castle which now houses Estonia's parliament and the 13th-century St Mary's Cathedral, known as the Dome Church, which we enter.

In the medieval lower city, we view northern Europe's oldest surviving town hall. The surrounding square is lined with cafés, restaurants and a historic pharmacy where it is claimed marzipan was invented. Before our tour concludes, we visit the mercantile House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads - Tallinn's only preserved Renaissance building. Dinner this evening is in our hotel's restaurant.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This fairytale city is yours to explore on a free day after breakfast at the hotel. A leisurely stroll through the cobblestone streets of the lower and upper towns reveals Tallinn's historic beauty at every turn - especially in the hidden alleys of Master's Courtyard and Katariina käik.

There is also a fine array of interesting museums, including the Niguliste art museum and the unusually named Kiek in de Kök - translating as 'peek into the kitchen'. This ancient tower got its name thanks to its height, which allowed those inside to see into the windows of surrounding buildings. Today, it's home to a permanent exhibition of Estonia's military history and serves as an entrance point to the Bastion Tunnels, a subterranean network built during Swedish rule in the 17th century.

With the opportunity to dine independently, you might like to experience the unique Olde Hansa restaurant. Diners here can enjoy hearty medieval fare and performances - it is worth going in just for a look at the museum exhibits.

• Breakfast

We leave the beautiful Baltic countries after breakfast today as we board a morning ferry across the calm waters of the Baltic Sea to the capital of Finland. On arrival, we set out to discover the city on a guided coach tour.

Helsinki is a wonderful blend of the old and new and among the attractions we uncover is Senate Square - the oldest part of the city. Surrounded by noble neoclassical buildings, it is dominated by the green-domed cathedral. Finland hosted the Summer Olympics in 1952, and we view the stadium that held the Games before exploring the city's contemporary architecture. From Helsinki University Library and the modernist national opera house to the abstract steel pipe monument honoring composer Jean Sibelius, we uncover inventive and stylish design. One of the most astounding sights is the 1960s Temppeliaukio church - hewn out of solid rock with a copper dome.

Checking in to our central four-star hotel, the rest of the afternoon is at leisure until dinner in the on-site restaurant.

• Breakfast, Dinner

The Finnish capital lies across an archipelago and is surrounded by more than 300 islands. Many of them are connected by regular ferry services and scenic boat cruises, which you could enjoy at leisure after breakfast in our hotel. One island attraction is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress, with bastion walls, tunnels, cannons and an array of historic exhibits.

The historic neighborhood of Katajanokka oozes charm and interest as it is home to the magnificent Uspenski Cathedral, the largest Greek Orthodox church in northern Europe and adorned with numerous golden finials. Finns are renowned for their sauna culture and the brave might like to embrace the local lifestyle and take a dip in the nearby Allas sea pool. At the other end of our urban island, you can see the fleet of immense icebreakers that keep Baltic shipping lanes clear during winter.

Helsinki boasts a wide range of eateries where you could enjoy lunch or dinner - from attractive market halls to seafood specialists along the waterside and Michelin-starred restaurants.

• Breakfast

From Copenhagen's classical palaces and colorful canalside buildings to Stockholm's grand squares and well-preserved medieval lanes, Scandinavia showcased its laid-back elegance and rich culture. Arriving in the Baltic countries, Riga and Tallinn unveiled their enchanting charms in their picture-perfect old towns, while Finland's capital, Helsinki, captivated with its blend of grand historic squares and inventive modernism.

Your overland discovery of Scandinavia and the Baltic states concludes today after breakfast, and you are free to make your way to Helsinki airport to begin your journey home.

• Breakfast