2021 & 2022 Globus Guided Tours - Globus® Vacation Packages

Baltic Christmas Markets Escape with Helsinki (KREX)

9 Day Tour from Vilnius to Helsinki

2026 Tour Details

Have a very Baltic Christmas on this merry tour featuring festive holiday markets that glow with good tidings and timeless traditions. Bells are ringing and choirs are singing through Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland with merry wishes and magical wonders of the season. Discover brightly dressed trees in Christmas lights, unforgettable UNESCO Heritage Sites, and the natural beauty of the Baltic coastline. Ferry to Helsinki’s Nordic peninsula on the Gulf of Finland, where hearty dishes and heartwarming traditions make the season glow. Celebrate the season with mulled wine, mesmerizing markets, and handmade mementos handed down through generations of craftsmanship and cherished Christmas traditions on this tour of the Baltic states and Finland.

Special Features included in this Tour:
• Guided sightseeing tour in Vilnius
• Guided walking tour in Riga
• Guided sightseeing tour in Tallinn
• Visit to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
• Experience the enchanting Christmas markets in Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, and Helsinki
• Ferry ride from Tallinn to Helsinki
• Helsinki guided sightseeing tour

Baltic Christmas Markets Escape with Helsinki map
Escapes by Globus

 Photo Highlights

 Meals

 Meals & Itinerary

8 Breakfasts, 3 Dinners


Notes:

Christmas market schedules are established by each city and are subject to change.

 Itinerary

Day 1 ARRIVE IN VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

Welcome to Vilnius! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

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DinnerDinner

Day 2 VILNIUS

Deck the Halls Start your festive adventure this morning with a sightseeing tour to get acquainted with Vilnius’s UNESCO listed Old Town. Follow your Local Guide through the narrow winding streets, visit Cathedral Square and view important landmarks including the University, the castle, and Gediminas Tower. Enjoy free time this afternoon and evening to experience Vilnius’ magical Christmas markets.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
FESTIVE STATUS Vilnius is well known for its commitment to creating special festive moments. Leading up to Christmas, the city transforms itself, creating a magical atmosphere to delight all who visit. Its uniquely artistic and unconventional Christmas trees are just one reason why the city was nominated as the European Christmas Capital in 2025.


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Breakfast Breakfast

Day 3 VILNIUS-RIGA, LATVIA

Baltic Pearl Enjoy a morning scenic drive, cross the border into Latvia, and continue to the charming, historic city of Riga, located on the Baltic coast. This afternoon, join your Local Guide for a sightseeing tour, enjoy views of the Freedom Monument and Art Nouveau District, plus a walking tour along the cobbled lanes in the Old Town. Free time this evening.
186 miles / 300 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
ART & ARCHITECTURE With an abundance of Art Nouveau architecture in its center, Riga has gained a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On top of this it still has well-preserved medieval buildings and can be considered a cultural hub having been influenced by its Hanseatic, Swedish, and Russian rulers.


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Breakfast Breakfast

Day 4 RIGA

Festive Firsts Today, enjoy free time to visit Riga’s Christmas Markets, and watch the city transform under the sparkling festive illuminations as you sample local gingerbread and sip karstvîns (mulled wine).

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
BRANCHING OUT Locals claim that the first public decorated Christmas Tree was displayed in Riga’s town square in 1510. It is said that a guild of young, unmarried merchants, known as the Brotherhood of Blackheads, decorated the tree with apples and roses, before dancing around it and then setting it alight to symbolize good riddance to past failures and good luck for the future!


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Breakfast Breakfast

Day 5 RIGA-TALLINN, ESTONIA

City of Spires Start your day with a scenic drive along the Gulf of Riga before crossing the border into Estonia, the most northern Baltic country, and reach Tallinn, its capital city, with its stunning skyline of spires. Spend the remainder of the day at leisure, strolling the charming streets, browsing the Christmas market in the Town Hall Square, admiring the Christmas tree, and sampling local specialties.
196 miles / 315 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
INNOVATION & CHARM Behind the beautiful facade of this medieval, coastal gem, lies an entrepreneurial and pioneering society. Combining an exciting mix of old and new, Tallinn is the capital city of one of the most digitally advanced countries in the world and has gained the accolade of being the “Silicon Valley of Europe” due to its thriving technological businesses.


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Breakfast Breakfast

Day 6 TALLINN

Festive Flavors Follow your Local Guide this morning, to discover the Hanseatic Old Town of Tallinn. Admire the Lühike Jalg Gate, the merchant houses, the medieval walls, and the Town Hall. Visit the impressive Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Free time this afternoon, to continue your discovery of Tallinn’s Christmas markets, browse the stalls of local handicrafts, pick up some traditional holiday gifts and decorations, and sample some festive specialties. This evening, join your travel companions for dinner.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LOCAL SPECIALTIES Glögi (mulled wine) is a traditional Christmas drink, a warm, spiced wine. Special to Estonia is the traditional Vana Tallinn Glögli, which includes a shot of the local rum-based Vana Tallinn liqueur. Alternatively choose a non-alcoholic version or a comforting hot chocolate. As you browse around the Christmas market stalls, look out for those who offer traditional commemorative mugs with your drink, and take one home as a souvenir!


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Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner

Day 7 TALLINN-HELSINKI, FINLAND

Friendly Finland Today, board a ferry and cross the Baltic Sea to Helsinki, Finland’s capital city. Meet your Local Guide for a sightseeing tour to discover Helsinki’s main highlights, including the City Hall, Presidential Palace, Lutheran Cathedral, Sibelius Monument, and open-air market.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURE & TRADITION Finland has often been voted the happiest country in the world, due to its affinity with nature and a strong social support system. The capital city, Helsinki is situated in the south of the country poised on a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland. Though it is the coldest capital in the Nordic region, its striking architecture and Nordic cuisine don’t fail to give visitors a warm welcome.


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Breakfast Breakfast

Day 8 HELSINKI

Finnish Festivities Enjoy a free day in Helsinki to discover more art and culture in one of the museums, soak up the Christmas atmosphere as you browse the Tuomaan Markkinat (Christmas market), and sample local specialties at one of the stalls or in one of the many cafes. This evening, join your travel companions for a farewell dinner at the hotel.


ENHANCED FREE TIME
EXPLORE MORE Discover Yuletide cheer and head to Senate Square for Helsinki’s oldest Christmas Market, featuring an impressive Christmas tree, a vintage carousel, and over one hundred stalls featuring local products, gifts, handicrafts, and Christmas ornaments. Inhale the aromas of the festive food as you sample local specialties such as baked Finnish ham, Joulutorttu (star-shaped pastries with plum jam), and pipari (gingerbread cookies).


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Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner

Day 9 HELSINKI

Safe Travels Until We Meet Again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

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Breakfast Breakfast

 Accommodations

 Optional Excursions

No matter what you’re into: food, wine, history, art, music or anything else, we give you the freedom to personalize your vacation with optional excursions that speak to your interests.

When you book your excursions with us, you can be assured that every optional excursion that we offer coordinates with the free time that you'll have in your destination, so you'll never have conflicts between included and optional activities. Our team of travel experts carefully selects each optional excursion that we offer to ensure that you receive the highest quality at a great value. Our tried-and-true partners have a finger on the pulse of the city in which they operate so they deliver the very best experiences. We offer experiences you cannot create on your own and because you’re booking with us, we coordinate all your transportation and timing needs.

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyGlobus site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 CAD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 CAD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 CAD)
$$$$ (Over $150)


Tallinn
Helsinki

Tallinn

Kadriorg Palace & St. Bridget's Convent Ruins

Kadriorg Palace & St. Bridget's Convent Ruins

Explore Peter the Great's opulent Kadriorg Palace, a testament to Russian tsarist extravagance, then visit the ancient ruins of St. Bridget's Convent on this fantastic guided excursion.

Price Range: $$

Helsinki

Suomenlinna Fortress

Suomenlinna Fortress

Visit Suomenlinna, one of the largest sea fortresses in the world, on this captivating guided visit to the Helsinki archipelago.

Price Range: $$$

 Private Touring

Private Touring: Globus European Private Touring enables you to experience all of the attractions, sights and highlights of your selected Globus tour as a private experience - delivered just for you and your traveling party. With Private Touring, you'll have your own dedicated Tour Director, your own private transportation and driver, and your own professional local guides. All with greater flexibility in pace and your experience.

For your selected tour, there will be additional per-person cost for the size of your party - from 1 to 24. This additional supplement is reduced with each traveler you add to your party.

Here's a sample of the additional cost:

6 guests in a party: $3,411*
18 guests in a party: $863*

Contact Globus or your preferred travel agent for pricing for your specific party size as well as any other information on Globus Private Touring.

* Supplement pricing is per person (CA) and will be added to the standard published price for your given departure date and is based on availability. Supplement price is valid for 2020 and 2021 travel years. Occasionally some included and optional activities & excursions may be operated with other guests. Additional restrictions may apply. Not applicable for custom groups. No Group allowances or promotions are available on Private Touring. Published itineraries only. Note that blackout dates may exist where the Private Touring option is not available.



The “Starting at” or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per person based on twin occupancy and any applicable port charges, non-commissionable taxes and fees and intra-vacation flight are included in the price shown. Any included overnight stay in Canada, applicable GST/HST is also included in the price shown. International airfare, however, is not included. If price is crossed out, the new price shown includes a limited time promotional offer(s). Please review current promotions or deals for additional information.