The second largest city in the Baltics after Vilnius, Riga is the capitol of and biggest city in Latvia. The old town is a UNESCO world heritage site and is visited by over 1.4 million visitors every year. However even being the biggest city in the country, it is still quite a small place and doesn’t take too long to explore. It is also right in the middle of the three Baltic countries, so easy to stop off on your way through. It really is more than possible to visit Riga in one day, so read ahead to see exactly what we recommend!
Getting Around the Baltics
The best thing about Riga is that it is right in the middle of the three Baltic countries, so it’s easy to get between them all. This makes it very easy to see Riga in a day, especially if you’re travelling between all three. There are two main ways to get between Riga Latvia, Vilnius Lithuania and Tallinn Estonia.
Train
The first is by train which between Vilnius and Riga takes 4 hours and costs €24 per person per way. The only problem with this route is there’s only one journey per day. The Vilnius to Riga route leaves at 7:05am and gets in at 11:04am. From Riga, the train leaves at 4:55pm and gets in at 9:05pm. Even with the limited schedule, these trains are direct and would be more comfortable than a bus so still a good option. Between Riga and Tallinn, there’s only one trip per day. It costs €30.70 per person per way, and it takes 6 hours 15 minutes.
If you want to travel from Vilnius to Tallinn, skipping Riga, you can also do this. However it does take almost 11 hours, includes one transfer and costs €39.
Bus
The second way is by bus which is a bit quicker and a lot cheaper. You can find all the different companies that do this trip on Busbud and we chose to go with Flixbus. We chose them because we’ve travelled with them a lot, they have so many journeys every day and the prices are usually pretty low.
From Vilnius to Riga, there are over 15 different times to choose from in one day. The journey time isn’t too different from the train, with the bus taking between 3 hours 40 minutes and 4 hours 30 minutes. It is also a lot cheaper than the train, with prices ranging from €8 to €12.50 for Flixbus. From Riga to Tallinn, there are around 9 or 10 journeys a day and trips take between 4 hours 15 and 4 hours 50. Depending on the day, the journeys cost between €7.99 and €20.49 per person per way.
If you’d like to do Vilnius to Tallinn, skipping Riga, there are lots of buses every day. They take between 8 and a half hours and 11 hours 17 minutes, depending on if you pick a direct route or one with a transfer. They cost between €18.49 and €28.77 so not too bad a price for such a long bus journey.
What To Do In Riga
Once in Riga, our favourite thing to do was to wander around the old town. Some great landmarks are St. Peter’s Church, Riga Cathedral, the Old City Wall and the Powder Tower. There’s also Kaķu Nams, the famous Cat House which you will see on a lot of souvenirs in the city. Right nearby the Cat House is Līvu Square, which has a beautiful view of some of the colourful buildings of the old town. There’s also Riga Castle which you can go inside, as well as the gorgeous House of the Black Heads. If you want a more informative experience, there is a great guided walking tour with a local guide!
Once you’ve explored the old town, head north to Bastejkalna Park. It has a nice little river running through it, lots of nice benches to relax on, and the Freedom Monument. To the southwest of the old town, across the Daugava River, is the famous National Library of Latvia. This is a very interesting looking building with a big impressive wall of books inside. Anyone can visit, but you will need to leave any bags at their cloakroom before you’re allowed in. Nearby is Uzvaras park or Victory Park which is a nice big green place to spend some time.
Lastly, just outside the old town is the Riga Central Market, which is included in the Riga Historical Centre UNESCO worth heritage listing. This market is made up of five large buildings that used to be part of some German air force hangers. They were moved to Riga specifically to become the market and the whole thing was finished in 1930. The market is more of a produce market, with the five hangers for dairy, meat, fish, vegetables and gastronomy. There’s also outdoor space for more produce and it’s a great place to see local food, culture and products.
If you want to visit, it is open from 7am to 6pm every day, and until 5pm on Sundays. If you’re more of a foodie, this traditional food tour might be for you. It takes a short tour through the old town, before heading to Riga Central Market. For two hours, your guide will take you through the hangers stopping for over 20 little tastings of traditional local food. It would be a great way to get a true culturally Latvian experience, while also having lunch!
Overview
There is more than enough to do to enjoy Riga in a day, including a beautiful old town, some lovely parks and an interesting market. It’s also situated right in the middle of the Baltic countries, so is a great place to stop if you’re exploring them all. You can reach both Vilnius and Tallinn in about 4 and a half hours by bus. It’s a great small city in an interesting part of the world, so we really hope you have an amazing time in Riga!
If you want to see exactly what we got up to, we have a vlog from our time in Riga and Vilnius: