"Very informative with a lovely tour guide "
I would recommend this tour. Mike was our tour guide who was very knowledgeable and a lovely guy.
"Book this interesting informative tour now!"
We had a wonderful day visiting the Hill of Crosses & Rundale Palace. Mikelis was a perfect guide. The history and stories he shared were interesting and informative. The ride didn't seem so long listening to his interesting facts (he even jovially endured a geography quiz from my son). Mikelis never rushed us and was great with the kids. We also enjoyed what the family is now calling "Lunch in Lithuania" at a restaurant that was off the beaten path with delicious food. He was communicative and reached out to me an hour before pick-up to clarify details about the location of our ship. Also, when my father worried he left something in the van, Mikelis was very helpful in rechecking the van for us and even offered to let us come check it ourselves Excellent customer service all around. Do not hesitate to book this tour!
"Wordly & religious splendor"
A great mix of a beautifully renovated palace and a pilgrimage site made by & for people (not institutions). Rundale palace is managed with obvious respect for Latvian heritage (e.g. wearing plastic shoe coverings to protect the 1760ies parquet flooring), and its (rose and other) gardens really invite you for a post-visit stroll. The Hill of Crosses is unlike any other religious site I've visited before, is still expanding, and - although there were many tourists, the atmosphere still felt 'real'. Definitely 2 sites I'd recommend visiting during a Baltics trip!
"Great day trip to see more of Latvia and Lithuania"
We were visiting Riga during Christmas time and had a great day trip to visit Rundale Palace, and it was an opportunity to cross into Lithuania and visit the Hill of Crosses. Anna was an excellent host - she was very pleasant and full of information about the Baltic countries and the similarities and differences in the cultures and histories. We asked a lot of questions during the drive between sites. The sites are interesting, but we got more out them with the background and context that Anna provided. We had a very enjoyable lunch in a local Lithuanian restaurant to round out the trip.
"Fascinating."
Our guide was called Mike ( english version) and he was very good. We enjoyed talking to him.
"Most Enjoyable Tour"
Rundale Palace is a lovely czarist summer palace without the crowds of St. Petersburg and with wonderful rose gardens. It has only been open to the public for 5 years, so I expect that additional restoration work is planned for some of the rooms that don’t have the glitz of the fully restored rooms. The Hill of Crosses was very moving.
Our tour guide, Laura, was amazing: very knowledgeable, outgoing and interacted so well with us. Her English is excellent and she projects her voice loud enough that she could be heard throughout our van.
"Fabulous driver and tour guide."
The young student who did all the driving, Beatrice, was delightful. So friendly and informed. Our whole small tour group was fun to be with too. Loved the Hill of Crosses. Thank you so much to everyone.
"Such a great trip"
We enjoyed the stops on this tour and also had a great time trying traditional Lithuanian food for lunch. I particularly enjoyed the Rundāle Palace gardens and the Hill of Crosses. Overall, we were really happy to have Mike as our guide again, and he kept us entertained during the longer stretches of driving by playing us Latvian songs and pointing out storks/other animals along the road.
"Two birds in one shot!"
We got to see places we wanted to see but would not have time such as Hill of Crosses, and the Rundale Palace. It had been a fun-packed day. The guide Mike was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
"Most enthusiastic and knowleable tour from Riga"
Highly recommend this very interesting tour. Our guide Laura was super enthusiastic and knowledgable. * The Hill of Crosses pilgrimage site was both somber and uplifting. We left a cross there for loved ones in our prayers. * Rundāle palace was grand and beautiful.
"Everything you wanted but didn’t know it!"
Laura welcomed us and made it possible for a very disparate group to become adventure buddies! Laura’s knowledge and people skills kept us willingly on our toes throughout the day (which flashed by) She negotiated times with us, was kind and respectful. Nobody was left out or behind. Everything was done with a light touch and where possible her irrepressible sense of humour. Her knowledge about the places we visited and the history of the Baltic states gave me many more insights than my reading. She made the history real, human and where appropriate, funny. I have never been on a guided tour before but this has encouraged me. The day was fabulous, the lunch, the palace, the hill of crosses. My diary entry has gone on for pages rather than the usual brief notes. I will always remember that day and I know that my fellow adventurers will. Thank you Laura, for a special, wonderful day. I will never forget it. Oh - not forgetting her beautiful rendition of the lullaby her mother sang to her!
"Great way to travel!"
Our guide was really warm, bubbly and knowledgeable, oh, and a good driver too! The stops along the way we’re interesting, especially the Hill of Crosses.
"I was wowed by the gardens at Rundle Palace"
Not something that I expected to see in Latvia. I booked the tour especially to see the Hill of Crosses and it was great too. Our guide was really warm-hearted, funny and was really good at making us all feel at ease and connecting with a bunch of strangers.
"Best way to see the Hill of Crosses"
Very nice tour with interesting stops (hill of crosses) and many facts about the history of Latvia and Lithuania.
"Best way to travel"
We couldn't have asked for a better day day. The sights we visited were fascinating (especially the Hill of Crosses), the countryside interesting and our guide informative. Would highly recommend this tour.
"Excellent trip visiting interesting places"
This is such a great trip. Adam was a knowledgeable guide taking us through Lithuania and Latvia. We saw parts of the 2 countries that we would never have seen on a normal coach especially the Hill of Crosses. Lunch was very good and, as we had pre-orded, served with the minimum of fuss and waiting time. We expected our fellow passengers to be younger but there was a full range of ages and we had some lovely companions for the journey. On a separate note, we would like to acknowledge the help from Heleene in the office as we managed to confuse the dates for our bookings and it took a few emails to make sure that it was all sorted. All in all, I can thoroughly recommend the company and the tour.
"Hill of Crosses and Rundale Palace"
Karolis was great. Very knowledgeable and a really good bloke. Really enjoyed the day. All the stops were decent though Hill of Crosses the highlight.
"Tour around Baltics"
A very interesting way to travel around two countries, taking in the scenery and attractions along the way. Our driver/guide was very knowledgable, friendly and spoke English perfectly.
