Route at a glance
Days 1-2: Vilnius and Trakai. Day 3: Kaunas. Day 4: Hill of Crosses and Klaipėda. Day 5: Curonian Spit. Day 6: Žemaitija or Anykščiai. Day 7: return to Vilnius.
You can do the first three days by train and bus. From day four, a rental car makes the route much easier.
Day-by-day plan
Day 1: Vilnius Old Town
Start at Cathedral Square, walk Pilies Street to Town Hall, climb Gediminas Tower, then make the evening slow: Užupis, dinner, and a short bar or cafe crawl rather than another museum.
Day 2: Trakai and Vilnius food
Go to Trakai for the island castle and kibinai lunch. Return to Vilnius for MO Museum, a food tour or a proper Lithuanian dinner.
Day 3: Kaunas
Take the train to Kaunas. Walk Laisvės alėja, see the modernist architecture, then choose either the Ninth Fort for heavy history or Pažaislis for a quieter monastery-and-river afternoon.
Day 4: Hill of Crosses to Klaipėda
Pick up a car if you have not already. Drive north to the Hill of Crosses, then continue west to Klaipėda. Sleep in Klaipėda so the next morning starts close to the ferry.
Day 5: Curonian Spit
Cross to Smiltynė and spend the day on the Spit: Juodkrantė, Nida, Parnidis Dune and a beach or pine-forest walk. In summer, start early.
Day 6: Žemaitija or Anykščiai
Choose Žemaitija if you want Plateliai Lake and the Cold War missile base. Choose Anykščiai if you want a gentler return route with the treetop path and forest scenery.
Day 7: Back to Vilnius
Return the car, leave time for a final Old Town lunch, and fly out. If your flight is early, sleep in Vilnius on day six instead.
Budget and transport notes
The cheapest version uses trains for Vilnius-Kaunas and a car only for days 4-7. The easier version rents from day 3. Expect higher accommodation prices on the coast in July and August, especially if you sleep in Nida rather than Klaipėda.
When to change this route
- Winter: spend more time in Vilnius and Kaunas, less on the coast unless you like stark landscapes.
- No car: skip Hill of Crosses or book it as a tour, and use Klaipėda as a simple coast base.
- Families: slow the route by dropping Day 6 and adding a second Klaipėda or Nida night.