Estonia
Destination
7 days
duration
1/5
Difficulty
100m
height difference
Min-Max 4-12
group

Do you like adventure? This is your travel! Discover the most savage regions of Estonia, drive a kayak along the coast, sleep on an island of the Baltic Sea, take a sauna on the beach, visit Tallin, sleep surrounded of brown bears, walk on the bogues with snow-shoes, cross the wild forests… Is it enough?

End of the summer is time when water in the Baltic Sea is warmed up and days are nice and sunny. This is also the time when mammals and birds are getting ready for autumn and winter. They are more active again and visible on forest roads and in the meadows. Brown bears feed and collect fat for winter. Seals are lying on the stones to take sun baths. This time is excellent for activity holiday in the nature with mammal and birdwatching.

During this tour we visit bear watching hide to see Brown Bears; kayak to inhabited small islands to watch Ringed Seals; hike with special bog shoes in breath-taking landscapes in bog and wander around in cosy Tallinn Old Town.

Destination: Estonia
Dates: 5 August
Available places per trip: 12 persons (minimum 4 persons)
Duration: 7 days (6 nights)
Place of arrival and departure: Tallin airport
Price of trip: 1250 €
Observations:

  • Tour price includes:• local English speaking nature guide services for 7 days,
    • 4 nights in hotels and guesthouses; toilet and shower in the room.
    • 5 dinners and 5 lunch packages, 6 breakfasts
    • Transport in Estonia
    • Ferry tickets to Hiiumaa
    • Night in brown bear watching hide
    • Bog-shoeing tour
    • Guided tour of Tallinn Old Town
    • 2 Days kayaking in Hiiumaa islets- kayaks, gear rent, tents, sleeping bagsTOUR PRICE DOESN’T INCLUDE FLIGHTS!

1

Day 1:

Arriving in Tallinn and drive to Hiiumaa ca 1,5 hours by car and 1,5 h by ferry. Hiiumaa is the second biggest island of Estonian 2300 islands. Not many people are living in the middle of the island and coastal areas are also sparsely populated. Night in accommodation.

2-3

Day 2/3:

Kayak tour around Hiiumaa islets and watching Ringed Seals. Sea between mainland and Hiiumaa is called Väinameri. Väinameri is more like a big lake- shallow, warm water surrounding closely clustered islands and islets, providing protection from high waves and strong winds. There are thousands of small islets in Väinameri and they are close to each other. Most famous islets arein nature protection area near Hiiumaa. In past on islets was human settlement but today they are just for birds and Ringed seals. Kayaking is easy, about 1 hour kayaking and then we do a walking around the islet, to look at the old settlement buildings and see semi-natural habitats. We camp in tents on Kõrgelaid- an nice small islet. Here is also great view to Ringed seal haul out areas, seeing White- tail Eagle flying over is also a possibility. In the evening we make a fire and heat up the tent-sauna. So if you wish, you can enjoy hot sauna and refreshing swim in the sea. With bad weather the days can change and instead of kayak tour we go to the islands by motor boat. On the evening of third day we drive back to mainland, Tallinn.

4

Day 4:

Medieval Tallinn Old Town Guided tour around Tallinn Old Town. The well-preserved medieval town structure and surroundings of Tallinn Old Town, originating from the 11th to 15th Centuries, give it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Streets and houses have been protected by a mostly intact city wall, complete with guard towers. Buildings, churches, merchant and craftsman houses maintain their centuries-old authenticity. Nowadays cozy cafes, boutiques and art galleries add vibrant life to the medieval atmosphere.

5

Day 5:

Taigaforest in Lahemaa NP and Brown bears. On our way to Alutaguse we will stop in Lahemaa National Park. Biggest NP is Estonia and oldest park in whole former Soviet Union. It was established to protect peatbogs, forests and coastal areas. Then we drive to Alutaguse. It is a a huge forest and bog area, situated in N-E Estonia. The forest is typical Western taiga with aspen, birch, spruce and pine. Alutaguse forests are home to about 300 bears — one of the best Brown Bear watching areas in Europe! It is possible to see brown bears, raccoon dogs, foxes and wild boards. Night will be spent in brown bear hide. Hide is big and comfortable with bunk beds, a dry toilet, viewing windows, chairs and sleeping bags.

6

Day 6:

Bog-shoeing trip After staying in the hide we have breakfast and refresh in the accommodation. Later we take a bog-shoeing trip. About 50% of Estonia is covered by forests and 25% with bogs and swamps. Bogs started to develop after the last ice age, about 12,000 years ago. Raised bogs are like huge sponges that hold vast amounts of water in the peat. The peat layer is up to 8 metres thick. They have a mosaic-like structure with bog-pools that resemble little ponds surrounded by tiny pine trees. In every direction, you will spot interesting plants and mosses. We go and hike on bog with special snow – shoes. It is a traditional way to move around in the bog. We look around at the landscape and brave ones can swim in the bog pools. Old Estonians believed it makes you 7 years younger!

7

Day 7:

Departure

Map

Who is this product for?

This travel is for nature lovers and birdwatchers. You can do it alone, with the family, with your couple, or with your friends.

You don’t need a special level of fitness: most of the trips are done by car, and the walks don’t have any remarkable difficulty.

The meteorology in this season is very changeable, but usually it’s very cold.

You come to see birds in a cold and windy region, so come warned. Good socks, hot trousers, gloves.

• local English speaking nature guide services for 7 days, • 4 nights in hotels and guesthouses; toilet and shower in the room. • 5 dinners and 5 lunch packages, 6 breakfasts • Transport in Estonia • Ferry tickets to Hiiumaa • Night in brown bear watching hide • Bog-shoeing tour • Guided tour of Tallinn Old Town • 2 Days kayaking in Hiiumaa islets- kayaks, gear rent, tents, sleeping bags