Trakai kayak tour
- Island Castle of Trakai
- Uzutrakis manor house and walk in the park
- Picnic on the island
- Tranquil and natural lake areas around Trakai
Kayak tour in Trakai is a perfect combination of nature, history and paddling on some of the most picturesque lakes of Lithuania. The town and the lakes are located only 25 km (30 min. drive) from the capital Vilnius which makes it a perfect destination for an easy day trip.
Trakai used to be a medieval residence of Lithuanian Grand Dukes. Once a significant and powerful town, nowadays Trakai is enjoying tranquility and a status of summer resort with its only 5000 residents. The town is located next to Vilnius (about 25 km) and surrounded by several beautiful lakes. The main attraction is the Island castle which was initiated by Lithuanian Grand Duke Kestutis in 14th century, finished and mostly used as a residence by his son Grand Duke Vytautas in the first half of 15th century. The picturesque Uzutrakis manor house and park by French landscape architect Édouard François André is another must visit point on the shore of Lake Galve. Trakai is also famous for its traditional Karaites community which was brought here from Crimea by Vytautas and settled here in the 15th century.
The route takes you on 3 interconnected lakes. The distance is about 11 km which makes 2,5 - 3 hours of active paddling. The rest of the time we will use to have a picnic (traditional Karaites pasties!) on one of the small islets, to walk through the park of Uzutrakis manor and to tell you more about Trakai.
The tour is safe and suitable for beginners. Swimming skills are essential and paddling experience is not necessary. The lakes around Trakai are calm, however we might change our route depending on weather conditions.
The guide will take pictures during the tour, so we suggest you to leave your cameras and smart phones safe in the dry bags.
Please dress accordingly to the weather conditions and use outdoor clothing incl. a rain jacket and light footwear. Please don’t wear cotton clothes (cotton t-shirts, jeans), they will give you a cold feeling once they get wet. It is recommended to take an extra set of clothes to change after the tour. You can keep them in the dry bags during the tour.
- Equipment: double touring kayaks incl. paddles, ruder, spray decks, life vests, dry bags.
- English/Russian/Lithuanian speaking guide (German upon request and availability).
- Picnic lunch incl. local pasty, cake, coffee/tea, bottle of water (on 4hrs. tour).
- Coffee break incl. coffee/tea, cake, bottle of water (on 3hrs. tour).
- Photos taken by guide during the tour.
- Other food or drink
- Gratuties
- Transfer from Vilnius