Is Riga Worth Visiting? A 72-Hour Itinerary
Reasons To Visit Riga
Welcome back to the blog, fellow travellers! This post will try to answer the question – Is Riga worth visiting? Right off the bat, I will tell you it is, but let’s see if I can convince you.
The fun picturesque city of Riga is the capital of Latvia and the old town is a well-known UNESCO world heritage site.
Should you be searching for a new culture to explore, history, architecture, or food you will find it all in Riga!
I spent 4 days in the city and we covered a lot.
Let’s explore what you can do should you have a few days to spend in Riga, the iconic capital city of Latvia.
Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means that if you make a booking through them, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
How many days in Riga is enough?
3 days is enough to see all of Riga’s main attractions.
Even if you only had one day, you could tick many of the sites off the list as they are in proximity walking.
I felt that 3 days were perfect as we could spend time at each location immerse ourselves fully in its history and get to see what life in Riga is like. We didn’t have to rush. We could stop. Sit on a bench. If something caught our eye we could explore further if we chose to.
Don’t leave yourself short. Riga is a wonderful city to explore fully and appreciate all that it has to offer.
What is special about Riga?
Visiting Riga you will see that the Art Nouveau architecture makes the capital stand out. Alberta Street is especially known for this architecture.
The colour. The shapes. The overall contrasting design makes walking through the streets of Riga entertaining. The city centre is awash with this style of design from the hotels to the small cafes.
It is said there are over 500 buildings in the small city which gives it the distinct category of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
There are also beautiful parks of green in the city like Bastejkalna Park and Vērmane Garden for a nice place to walk and feel nature for a time.
Best time to visit Latvia?
The best time to visit Riga is between May and September in terms of weather.
Lupe and I went to Latvia for St. Patrick’s Weekend. We left on the evening of March 17th. We found the city to be perfectly populated if I can say that.
While there were other people on the tour we took we were always very comfortable in terms of the crowds which makes travel so much better. This made a huge difference.
One thing to say is that Riga is a baltic city and therefore it was very cold in March. Bring a hat, gloves, scarf, jacket – all the essentials to ensure you don’t freeze if travelling between October to March!
It must be much worse in December and January when the snow comes.
How to get around Riga?
Arriving at the airport we got the bus literally outside the terminal which took us about 30 minutes to a stop at the side of the Daugava River.
From there we walked to our hotel in minutes. It was one of the smoothest transitions from the airport to the hotel we’ve ever had. No issues.
After that, we found the best way to explore Riga was by foot as everything was within walking distance. Maybe we could have taken some trams or the bus more but we wanted to feel like the local Latvians so we stuck to the streets and covered as much of the city as possible.
The bus is cheap. The most you will pay is two euros for a single trip so if you are tired this is the way to go. Riga also has ten tram lines, nineteen trolleybus lines and fifty-five bus lines that run from 05:00 am to 01:00 am. You can easily purchase tickets from your driver except on the new trams, where you purchase tickets at the machine with cash or coin.
Where to stay in Riga?
The old town. It’s beautiful. it’s close to everything; restaurants, nightlife, museums, and architecture. We stayed at the Hestia Hotel. It was exceptional. A huge Buffet breakfast each morning with so many choices we couldn’t have asked for any more with the accommodation. Not to mention it was in the middle of the old town. Perfect!
Some other notable options include:
- Wellton Riverside SPA Hotel
- Radisson Blu Latvija Conference & Spa Hotel, Riga
- Bellevue Park Hotel Riga with FREE Parking
Is Riga a safe city?
We didn’t feel unsafe once.
However, like any other city, it is advisable to stay alert, especially in crowded areas and tourist hotspots. Petty crimes such as pickpocketing and bag snatching can occur, but they are not widespread.
In 2023, the crime rate in Riga showed a downward trend. According to the Latvian Central Statistical Bureau, the overall crime rate decreased by around 2.3% compared to 2022. The reported incidents of pickpocketing saw a dip of about 1.7%, and assault cases were down by approximately 3%.
The majority of visits to Riga are trouble-free, and the local authorities are committed to ensuring the safety and security of both locals and visitors.
Remember, safety does not solely depend on statistics—it also comes from being informed, smart and aware.
72 Hours in Riga
Day one in Riga
We highly suggest you get a free walking tour of the old town.
It was so insightful and helped us to get to know our location. It makes getting around later much easier. It lasted about two hours. The tour is free but most people contribute something to the guide after the tour is complete. It was freezing on the morning we did it and it would be criminal not to give something back!
We met with the tour guide ten minutes before the tour began in front of St. Peter’s church. Be prepared to have many tour guides trying to get your attention to go with them, But make sure you know it’s free or paid beforehand. You don’t want a surprise at the end if you expect it to be free of charge!
All the major sites were covered in the old town tour including:
Once we had the tour completed it was time to eat and we decided to make our way to Riga Central Market to explore the food options and it did not disappoint! We got some spiced pickles and meat and it was delicious. We paid only a few euros for this which was a good deal.
Once we finished our snack we headed to the Latvian Academy of Sciences. This was amazing! The magnificent old Soviet-style building standing in the middle of Riga didn’t disappoint.
The view was breathtaking giving us a full 360 view of the city and the building itself had the aura of its Soviet past in the walls which looked like it needed some renovations, to be honest. Still, I’m so glad we took the time to go here for the views alone.
Top Tip – don’t miss the art exhibition on the lower level floor which was beautiful.
We then made our way to the Nativity Cathedral in Riga and I mean, this was beautiful to see. Inside and out (they would allow us to take pictures on the inside but we managed to get blessed by the priest along with others attending. It was a real Latvian experience!) I urge anybody who loves art and architecture to take a look inside and you won’t be disappointed.
We were delighted to stumble upon The Freedom Monument which honours all the soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence back in 1918 until 1920. It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of Latvia. It was moving to see it, especially after learning more about Latvia’s history.
After a busy day, we decided to recap and go back to all the places we viewed on the tour earlier in the day to spend more time there photographing them on our own. It was a fantastic day ticking off many sites we had looked forward to seeing! So far so good!
Day two in Riga
On our second day in Riga, we passed by the House of the Blackheads once more as we made our way to the KGB museum (also known as the Corner House). I have to say this was the most striking site we visited in my opinion.
The tour cost ten euros and we went through the old food hall which was now converted into an art gallery of sorts. Then onto the interrogation room and prison on the bottom floor.
To see the preserved prison was like being brought back in time to when the Soviet Union was at its peak. The prison housed many people thought to have been spies, even if there was no proof.
As you can see from the image below people were not allowed to think for themselves! It must have been an extremely harsh way to live.
After completing the tour we made our way to the National Library of Latvia. The building itself has marvellous architecture, While the views from the top are said to be amazing we had a very cloudy windy day and couldn’t see much! But from what we did see we now believe the hype.
Top Tip – Don’t miss the two interesting monuments outside the building, the two Rainis – a pseudonym of Jānis Pliekšāns the Latvian poet by Aigars Bikše which was erected at the Latvian National Library commemorating the 153rd anniversary of the birth of Rainis. The structures both symbolize the notion of the greatness of the Latvian people and their interest in the development of Latvia. Get your photo here!
Time to eat again and here are some perfect options we recommend:
Options for a great Latvian lunch/dinner
- Lidojošā Varde; amazing soup and ribs which I have never tasted as good.
- Munchies Late Bar; beautiful burrito wrap. Cheap and filling and open very late too!
- Province Restaurant; super soup and try the Zeppelin. Trust me.
- Lido; carvery style food, fill the plates with whatever you like. You won’t be hungry after it.
- Tēvocis Vana; their Russian food was great and the horseradish Vodka was worth trying. Give it a go!
- Pētergailis restorāns; beautiful duck and reasonable prices.
Top Tip – make sure you wash your lunch down with a black balsam, the traditional drink of Latvia to live life like the locals. It may be better suited to drink after a few beers when you are having fun at the bar but it didn’t stop us!
After the library and food, we were on the way to the Holy Trinity Church. when we found the Latvian Railway History Museum. While the museum was closing when we arrived we only managed to walk around quickly outside and we would enter the museum again if we had time.
The church itself was spectacular outside and inside. There was a mass about to begin when we arrived so we didn’t hang around too long inside but again, beautiful architecture! Superb!
Day three in Riga
On our final day in Riga, we went to the famous St. Peters’s Church to see what it was like inside the amazing church standing tall in the centre of the old town,
Again there was a beautiful art exhibition in the church where we walked around for a half-hour or so. The cost of this to go to the top for the amazing view was 9 euros per person. Here again, you get a 360 view of the city. Stunning especially on a sunny day!
After the beauty of the church, we were met with the sadness of the Jewish Ghetto museum. It is a really good place to learn about the dark past of Riga as beautiful the city is, terrible things happened here.
On October 25, 1941, the Nazis uprooted all Jews from Riga and the surroundings to the ghetto while the non-Jewish inhabitants were evicted. Most of the Latvian Jews (about 35,000) were killed on November 30 and December 8, 1941, in the Rumbula massacre. The Nazis transported a large number of German Jews to the ghetto; most of them were later killed in massacres.
The museum shows how far and wide Nazi Germany influenced other countries at the peak of its power. It was sad but an eye-opener into the history of the region. We learned a lot here.
It would be worth visiting Riga alone for this view alone!
Back in the old town, we recommend having a drink in one of our favourite places Folkklubs ALA pagrabs. If you can go there for a music event all the better. We sat through an hour of Latvian folk music and ended up dancing the night away with all the locals. We truly felt Latvian for a few hours. It was great!
Day Trips from Riga
If you cover the city of Riga and still want more of Latvia then don’t worry, you can take some fascinating day trips from the city centre. We could have made one of these day trips but we loved the city so much and wanted to take it slower pace so next time we will have to wait until we do a day trip from Riga!
The Hill of Crosses
Experience the stunning sights of Gauja National Park without dealing with logistics or the risk of getting lost with this group hiking tour from Riga. Upon reaching Sigulda, proceed to Gauja National Park for a 9.3 mile (15 kilometre) hike, appreciating landmarks such as the Gutman Cave and Gauja River en route. This small-group tour is limited to eight participants.
Sigulda and Turaida
Ditch the group tour routine and check out Sigulda and Turaida on your schedule with this private half-day tour from Riga. Hop in a private vehicle to Sigulda, scope out the natural beauty along the Gauja River and hit up two major spots in the area, the Castle Of The Livonian Order and the Turaida Museum Reserve. Heads up, castle admission fees are generally not included in tours.
Hill of Crosses
Picture this: A place flooded with hundreds of thousands of crosses, each one telling the story of someone’s faith from all around the globe. Cool right? Even Pope John Paul II popped in for a visit! If you’re looking for a chill, no-hassle trip to the Hill of Crosses, a day trip tour is what you need. It’s a breezy 1-hour 45-minute ride each way, and we’ve got printouts for you to dig into during the trip. Plus, there’s also a virtual tour you can check out right on your phone while you’re there!
Did you know this about Riga?
- In 1515, the first decorated Christmas tree was recorded in Riga.
- Almost every two hundred years Riga was invaded by another country.
- There a two illegal symbols in Latvia; the Nazi swastika and the Soviet symbols.
- Riga is located 29 ft above sea level.
- At the beginning of the twentieth century, after Moscow and St. Petersburg, Riga was the most important city in the Russian Empire.
Riga Travel Vlog
Final Thoughts
There you have it, an ULTIMATE 72-hour travel itinerary for Riga and hopefully you can now answer the question – is Riga worth visiting? Hopefully, it answers the question of whether Riga is worth a trip.
It was exciting, informative and fresh to see a new region of Europe. I would say Riga is completely worth it! The food, architecture and history make for a fascinating trip to the Baltics for a few days. If you want a more unique city to visit, think Riga!
I hope you enjoy your time in this beautiful country!
But before you go, please do tell me which location you would like to see the most in the comments.
Thanks and bye, for now.
James
James Fahey is an Irish travel writer, photographer and video editor who as of 2024 has visited 25 countries. The blog started in late 2021 but took off in 2023 when James and his girlfriend Guada set out to visit Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Turkey. James Spent time living in Washington D.C, Nairobi working and volunteering where the travel bug kicked in. James has a goal – to make travel easier for people who want to visit the same places he has been.
FAQs
Is Riga a good city break?
Yes, Riga is an excellent city break. It’s a budget-friendly destination that offers great value for money. The city is somewhat underrated, but those who visit are often pleasantly surprised by the wealth of activities and sights on offer. The city’s architecture is particularly noteworthy, with a mix of medieval Old Town, Art Nouveau, and modern designs.
Is Riga a good tourist destination?
Yes, Riga is a great tourist destination. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the city even though it was cold in March. Riga offers a rich history, stunning architecture, a vibrant food scene, and unique cultural experiences. It is particularly ideal for those interested in exploring a less crowded European city that is rich in culture and history.
What a comprehensive guide.. would love to go there sometime
Thanks so much. Hope you root something from it. It’s a great city.
I don’t know that much about Riga but your 72 hour itinerary has definitely changed that. I’m intrigued now and would love to plan a trip to the Baltics. I particularly enjoyed Riga’s architecture and the city views you’ve shared from the St Peter’s Church.
Carolin | Solo Travel Story