What to see in Riga on your own 1-3 days? Map, route, excursions

What to see in Riga and its surroundings on your own? Consider the route of walking through the sights of the city for 1, 2 or 3 days of rest, find out the prices for excursions, draw up a map of tourist places.

From a bird's eye view, Riga is covered with a blanket of Baltic vegetation, tiled roofs of houses and a network of narrow cobbled streets, two wide hills, which are stitched by a longitudinal river strip of the Daugava, which flows into the Gulf of Riga.

Interesting places worth visiting in Riga are found almost everywhere. Every corner of the Latvian capital retains a special atmosphere of magic.

Getting into the labyrinths of its streets and breathing in the clean Baltic air, the tourist becomes an eyewitness to a fabulous theatrical performance, the main requisites of which are the amber light of treacherous lanterns and the shadows of the curly facades of buildings, with musical accompaniment by street performers.

The modern capital, which has preserved the elements of the medieval heritage, is always ambiguous. The luxurious fusion of architecture of most of the buildings created in the art nouveau style, flowering gardens and parks, laconically combine with the vibrant nightlife of the city. Every traveler, of any generation and preference, can easily find what to see in Riga on his own. It is enough just to get to the Riga historical center to plunge into the world of another reality, where it seems that time has stopped, allowing the tourist to enjoy the unique atmosphere and original culture of this place.

What to see in Riga and its surroundings?

Enchanting with its beauty, the capital of Latvia opens from a new side every time, therefore, once in this city for the first time or visiting it regularly, the tourist will again and again find unusual places in Riga that are definitely worth a visit.

A relatively small cozy European city, full of many places of interest, the inspection of which can take several days, or even a couple of weeks.

For a weekend in Riga to be eventful, memorable and amazing, the visitor of the capital should equip himself with practical shoes, a positive mood and a plan for getting around the city in order to be sure to visit the twelve main attractions.

• Town Hall Square - this is the best place to see in Riga from the sights on the first day of acquaintance with it, in order to easily immerse yourself in the space of amazing architectural forms, statues and buildings. The heart of the square is the monument to the knight Roland.

While here it is worth visiting:

• the house of the merchant brotherhood of the Blackheads (entrance for adults - 6 €, children - 3 €);
• Museum of the Occupation (admission is free).

Important! House of the Blackheads is a place where a tourist should spend money and book an excursion in Riga with a Russian-speaking guide... On average, such a pleasure will cost 15 €.

• The Dome Cathedral - a unique "mosaic" of several architectural styles. The “soul” of the cathedral, which recently celebrated its 800th anniversary, is considered to be a 25-meter organ with excellent sound. During the high season, every day, except Sundays, a mini-concert of organ music is held at 12:00. The entrance ticket price is 3 €. Concert attendance is paid additionally (10 €).

• Riga castle - the official residence of the President of the country and a historical museum with national status. This is a complex of colorful buildings from different eras, enclosed by a protective wall, where the ticket price is 2.85 €, on Wednesday it is free.

Note! At the moment, these objects are under reconstruction (up to November 2021 inclusive). Some of his exhibitions are temporarily organized at a different address.

• Cathedral of St. James - it is the main Catholic church in the country. The most beautiful stained-glass windows are mesmerizing, and the lectern of rare mahogany, exclusive to Latvian culture, surprises. A five-minute walk is the famous Catholic sacred building - the Church of Mary Magdalene.

• St. Peter's Lutheran Cathedral, built in the 15th century. The guardian of the townspeople from devilry is a rooster, whose figure is installed on the church spire. At a height of 72 meters, there is an observation deck with a stunning view of the city. Admission fee for adults is 6 € for adults and -50% for persons under 17 years of age.

• Old City Market, whose pavilions were once used as hangars for airships. This is a true gastronomic paradise for lovers of cheese, meat and seafood. They will definitely not get out of here hungry. Every buyer, being here, will have to perform obligatory rituals - bargain with the seller and taste everything that is offered. A kilo of smoked eel will cost a tourist about 40 €, and bacon - 6 €.

• Museum of Decorative Arts located in the wooden building of the former St. George Church. Attractive from the outside, the museum surprises with a rich display inside: collections of textiles, porcelain, leather and wood. The entrance fee for adults is € 2.50, and for seniors, students and schoolchildren - € 0.71.

Note! On the last Sunday of every month, admission is free for everyone.

• Vermanes garden - this is the place in Riga where you need to take a walk in the evening. The epicenter of nightlife is represented by numerous clubs, discos, concerts on summer stages and festivals. In the dark, many lanterns are lit in the park, creating a magical space, like in a fairy tale.

• City TV tower - the tallest building in the Baltics and the third skyscraper in Europe (368.5 meters). Situated not on her observation deck, at an altitude of 97 meters above sea level, it seems that you can reach the heavens with your palm. We will deliver the high-speed elevator to the site in 40 seconds and € 3.7 per person.

• 56 kilometers from the city, in Sigulda, the tourist should spend the whole day, breaking the cable car (paid - 7 €) and visiting several places.

Must-see:

• Gauja National Park;
• Gutman's cave;
• Turaida Museum with a nature reserve and a castle (entrance - 3 €).

• In the summertime, a tourist who is fed up with the cultural life and history of the city is recommended to set aside a day or two for beach holiday in Jurmala. In 25 km from Riga, there is a strip of resort villages.

There are also noteworthy objects here:

• residence of the President;
• summer cottages-museums of Rainis, Brezhnev.

• Ethnographical museum located in the green area of ​​the metropolitan area under the open sky. A fascinating demonstration of the life of Latvian villages from the 17th to the 20th century for everyone who paid 2 € for the entrance.

All sights can be seen not only in summer, but also in winter. We recommend that you learn about this season and the prices for the trip yourself from a separate material.

Riga sightseeing on the map

• The main places of the city:

• Tourist sites of the old town:

The cost of excursions in Riga in Russian

While in Riga, it is not at all difficult to find excursion tours with the services of Russian-speaking guides. Travel agencies are located mainly in the central part of the city. When planning your vacation in the Latvian capital in advance, you can order such an excursion for a specific date on the Internet online.

The most popular are three exciting and educational excursions.

1. A two-hour walk around the city takes you through the main iconic places: medieval churches and city cathedrals, houses of the Blackheads, Mentzendorf and Black cats. A group excursion is possible for a company of up to 15 people at 15 € each.
2. A trip to the filming locations of famous films and fairy tales, which takes place along the streets of Old Riga and architectural objects that once served as film sets. The cost of a two-hour excursion, for a company of 1-5 people, is 57 €.
3. Visiting winemakers. A tour in Vidzeme will open to the tourist the world of Latvian winemaking, where everyone can taste natural wines made from raspberries, rhubarb or cloudberries. On the way, tourists will visit Sigulda and the castle of the Livonian Order. The excursion, lasting about 5 hours, is carried out for 1-2 people (more - by prior arrangement) and totals 114 €.

Where to go with children?

The Latvian capital is hospitable and glad not only for adults, but also for its young guests. Visiting Riga for a family weekend, there is something to see with children at any time of the year.

1. Going to Riga Zoo, the child can be introduced to the picturesque fauna: the well-groomed green area contains more than 3 thousand animals, including exotic ones - hippos, giraffes, pandas, flamingos and many others. The ticket price is 7 €, and for children over 3 years old - 5 €.
2. Miniature Sun Museum represented by a collection of more than 400 exhibits of a luminary made of various materials. In addition to legends and fascinating facts about the solar system, kids and their parents will be given a creative master class on coloring the amulet in the shape of the sun. The single ticket price is 3.5 €.
3. Young tourists will love amusement parks "Lido" or "PeakNick Park". Here kids will be charged with a whole heap of bright emotions and new impressions.

What can you see in Riga on your own in 1, 2 and 3 days?

A tourist, having competently planned his Riga vacation for several days, will be able to enjoy the unique culture, rich history and feel the special Latvian mentality.

1. Having at his disposal only one day for walking around the capital, dreaming of touching the life of Riga, the tourist is recommended:

• examine the Town Hall and Dome Square;
• visit the famous House of Blackheads;
• admire Riga from the observation deck at St. Peter's Church in the evening.
• drink mulled wine or Riga balsam in a cozy metropolitan bar.

2. Having a two-day vacation in the capital, on the first day it is worth taking the planned walking tour, presented above, and dedicating the second day to the museum complexes:

• Latvian Museum of Architecture;
• Motor Museum;
• museum of design.

In the evening, it is best to go to the Vermanes Garden, take a walk in the park and dine in one of the cozy cafes.

3. An informative and eventful three-day tour will allow you to visit the main objects presented in the two proposals above in a tight schedule, and spend the third day in the suburbs, for example, in the ancient town of Sigulda, Rundale Palace, Bauska Castle or resort Jurmala.

City walk route

When you are in Riga on Saturday, do not miss the opportunity to visit the craft fair in Kalnciema Quarter, where you can buy handmade souvenirs and taste delicious national dishes and dishes prepared according to an old recipe.

When planning an excursion trip to the capital of Latvia, you should first of all look at accommodation options with good discounts: