Lithuania itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks

Pick the length first, then the route. The Vilnius–Kaunas–Klaipėda axis is the easy spine: trains run it year-round, so you can build a trip without a car. The coast only pays off in summer, and the lake and spa regions need a car or a bus connection.

Night counts below match the country page. Treat them as a starting shape, not a fixed booking.

Four nights in Vilnius gives you the Old Town, Užupis, Gediminas Tower and the KGB museum without rushing, plus a full day out to Trakai. Trakai is about 30 minutes away; the island castle and the Karaim village are the draw, and you can be back in Vilnius for dinner.

Then two nights in Kaunas: interwar modernism, the Ninth Fort and Sugihara House. The train between the two cities is quick and frequent enough to treat as a hop, so you do not need a car. If you have a spare half-day, Paneriai is on the Vilnius side and pairs with a Kaunas transfer day.

This shape works in any season and is the safest first trip. It also survives a short-notice booking, because both cities have year-round beds and transport.

The 10-day version adds Klaipėda and the Curonian Spit. One night in Klaipėda covers the German-style old town and the ferry link; then three nights in Nida, under the Great Dune, with the Parnidis Dune and the Hill of Witches at Juodkrantė as day rides by bike. This is a June–August plan: outside summer the spit is quiet and cold, and the case for the detour weakens.

The 14-day version continues north: Šiauliai for the Hill of Crosses, then Riga. A car makes the Hill of Crosses much easier, since it sits outside town; buses work if you plan around the schedule. From Šiauliai you can continue to Latvia by bus or train, which turns the trip into a two-country route rather than a loop back to Vilnius.

If you fly out of Palanga instead of returning by train, you save a long backtrack on the coast leg. Palanga flights are seasonal, so check schedules before you commit.

With three weeks you can keep the 14-day spine and still add inland Lithuania. Druskininkai and Birštonas are spa towns in the south, good for a slower two or three nights; Grūtas Soviet sculpture park sits near Druskininkai. Aukštaitija, in the northeast, is lake and canoe country for June–August. Dzūkija, in the south, is forest and quiet villages.

Kėdainiai and Panevėžys fill in the middle of the country if you are moving by bus rather than train. Telšiai, Kretinga and Marijampolė are smaller stops that make sense only if you are already passing through, not as destinations on their own.

Three weeks also lets you slow the cities down: an extra Vilnius day for the Jewish history museum, an extra Kaunas day for the modernist architecture walk. Build the trip around two or three bases and day trips rather than a new bed every night.

Trains are the backbone for Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda; buses cover Trakai, the Hill of Crosses and most smaller towns. Buy tickets close to departure or online; seats on summer coast services go first. A car helps in Aukštaitija, Dzūkija and around Šiauliai, but is a liability in Vilnius Old Town, where parking is tight and streets are restricted.

Book Nida and Palanga beds early for July and August; that is the one part of the trip where late booking actually hurts. Outside summer, the same places are cheap and quiet but many seasonal businesses close.

Lithuania uses the euro, cards are accepted almost everywhere, and tipping is modest. Check visa rules for your passport before booking, and check the calendar for public holidays, which can affect museum hours and bus schedules.