Riga Travelers Recommend

With three days in Riga, you have plenty of time to soak up the city’s atmosphere, see its most famous sights, learn about its turbulent history, and even head into the surrounding countryside. Here are a few ways to experience the best of Riga in 72 hours.

Day 1: See the City’s Sights

On your first morning in Riga, get your bearings on a guided walking or Segway tour that covers the city’s major sights, including Old Riga and and the art nouveau district, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For the flexibility of independent exploration, a hop-on hop-off bus tour allows you to create your own itinerary: Get off anywhere along the route and spend as long as you wish there.

In the afternoon take a closer look at Riga’s most important landmarks, such as the Gothic-style House of the Blackheads, one of Riga’s grandest buildings. Inside you'll find crystal chandeliers and painted ceilings, and you can explore the medieval cellars.

Round out your first day with a tasting tour around Old Riga. Tours typically include samples of Latvian specialties from various businesses, visits to a local brewery and chocolate factory, and a meal at a family-run restaurant.

Day 2: Dive into Riga’s History and Culture

Discover the most tumultuous period in Latvian history with a guided tour focused on Riga’s time under Soviet rule. Along with providing information about residents’ daily life under occupation, guided tours take visitors to sites where reminders of occupation can still be seen—such as the former KGB building and the Latvian Academy of Sciences, a building still often called “Stalin’s birthday cake.”

Having worked up an appetite on the morning’s exploration, spend the afternoon in bustling Riga Central Market, one of the largest covered markets in Europe, now housed in a series of former Zeppelin hangars. Guided tours of the market typically include tastings of local specialties such as smoked meats, cheeses, herring, and hemp butter, and offer insights into local cuisine and food culture. Before saying goodbye, make sure to ask your guide for suggestions for where to eat dinner.

Day 3: Head Out of Town

With a day to spare, you have many options for day trips from Riga. You can soak up the sun in the seaside resort of Jūrmala, known for its wooden houses and Soviet-era sanatoriums; visit Rundale Palace to see baroque and rococo architecture and stroll around Versailles-inspired gardens; head for the town of Sigulda where you can see castles, caves, and views of the Gauja valley; or even travel over the border and as far afield as Vilnius, Lithuania. All are reachable on a full-day tour, which allows you to skip the hassle of renting a car or puzzling over train or bus schedules.

Back inside city limits, spend the evening toasting a great trip with a few local brews. A beer-tasting evening tour can take you to some of Riga’s best beer bars to try different kinds of beers—and many tours include traditional snacks.

Two days in Riga allows time to experience the city’s most famous sights—Old Riga, the art nouveau district, and Riga Central Market—while also exploring lesser-visited areas and attractions related to the city’s turbulent history. Here’s how to spend 48 hours in Latvia’s capital.

Day 1: Explore the Historical Center and More

Morning: Get your bearings while checking off Riga’s major sights, including Old Riga, with a private or group city sightseeing tour. Stroll the historic streets on a walking tour, or cover more ground in less time on a Segway tour. For more flexibility, create your own itinerary with a hop-on hop-off bus tour.

Afternoon: Sample local specialties, such as smoked meats, cheeses, herring, wild berries, and hemp butter at the UNESCO-listed Riga Central Market—which, home to more than 3,000 vendors, is one of the largest in Europe. Immerse yourself in Latvian culture and cuisine on a guided tour as you wander through the five pavilions, formerly Zeppelin hangars.

Night: Soak up views of the city’s landmarks on an early evening cruise along the River Daugava and Riga Canal. Afterward, take your pick of restaurants in Old Riga serving everything from traditional fare to innovate contemporary cuisine.

Day 2: Delve into Local History

Morning: Discover some of the most tumultuous periods of Latvian history with a guided tour focused on Riga’s time under Soviet rule. Visit sites where the evidence of occupation can still be seen and learn about daily life—some tours include a taste of typical Soviet-era foods.

Afternoon: Explore outside Riga’s city center with a bicycle tour. Two-wheeled tours let you get a little off the beaten track as you ride along the banks of the River Daugava toward the Moscow district, famed for its wooden houses and as the site of the Jewish ghetto in the Second World War.

Night: Conclude your visit to Riga by going on a tasting tour around Old Riga. Tours typically include samples of Latvian specialties such as dark bread, fresh cottage cheese with dill, and Riga balsam at local business, as well as visits to a local brewery and chocolate factory, before concluding with a meal at a family-run restaurant.

With its collection of art nouveau architecture, Gothic spires, and striking monuments, Latvia’s capital city Riga is one of eastern Europe’s prettiest cities. It’s also blessed by a creative arts and food culture. With only one day in town you’ll want to experience as much as possible, so here’s how to make the most of 24 hours in Riga.

Morning: See the Sights

Riga’s network of cobblestone streets and atmospheric squares makes it a delight to explore on foot. To catch the city’s top sights, join a walking tour that leads you through the main areas of interest, such as the jewel box of an Art Nouveau district and Old Riga (Vecrīga), home to such landmarks as House of Blackheads and St. Peters’ Church. Alternatively, taking a guided Segway tour allows you to cover more ground, and a hop-on hop-off bus tour offers more flexibility: Get off at any stop along the route and spend as long as you like there.

Afternoon: Savor Local Flavors

Explore Riga Central Market, which is home to more than 3,000 vendors and is one of the largest in Europe. The market sprawls across five pavilions—old Zeppelin hangars now listed by UNESCO—so seek out a guide who can share information about Latvian cuisine and food and cultural traditions. Private and group guided tours of the market typically include tastings of a variety of local specialties, such as smoked meats, cheeses, herring, wild berries, and hemp butter. Having whetted your appetite, your guide can offer suggestions for where to have a late lunch afterward.

Night: Cruise and Dine

Round out a perfect day in Riga with an early-evening cruise on the River Daugava and Riga Canal encircling Old Riga. As the sun sets, get a new perspective on some of the city landmarks—the Freedom Monument, Latvian National Opera, Latvian National Theater, and Riga Castle. Afterward, head back to Old Riga for your pick of restaurants, from casual pubs to those serving contemporary Latvian cuisine. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even try a “dining in the dark” experience in which a 4-course meal is served, in the dark, by blind waiters.