A trip across the Baltics was something that had been on my bucket list for a few years now. The best part about planning a trip to Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia is that you can visit all 3 capitals in a space of a week as they're so close together and relatively small. Here is my itinerary on what to see, what to do and where to eat in the 3 Baltic capitals of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn.
VILNIUS, LITHUANIA
Vilnius is a city that isn't on many people's radar, but a trip to the Baltic states isn't complete without visiting Lithuania too. Being the smallest of the 3 countries, Vilnius is perfect if you're looking for a weekend in a picturesque city, with few tourists and cheap eats. We literally had less than 24 hours here as Wizz Air moved our flight and we lost a whole day, but in hindsight 1 day would have been enough.
To make the most of your day in Vilnius, you'll want to wake up nice and early and head to breakfast at one of the many choices, like Kitchen Coffee, Cafe Montmartre or Daily Poison.
After this you can walk around the Old Town, some places of interest and photo spots are:
- St Anne's Church
- Bernadine Gardens
- Church St Casimir
- Halle Market
We also walked up to the 3 Crosses which gives you the best views of Vilnius. From here you can also see the other view point at Gediminas Castle Tower which doesn't take as much work to get to. We did both so then you can see the view from both sides!
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After exploring the old town and hiking up to the 3 Crosses, you'll probably have worked up an appetite. If you want to try some typical Lithuanian food, then book a table at Restaurant Lokys. We really loved the dishes we tried although some of my friends weren't a fan of the 'Cepelinai' stuffed potato dumplings because of the texture. We really enjoyed the cold beetroot soup (Šaltibarščiai) and the duck breast! To wash it down you might want to try a traditional Lithuanian alcoholic drink, Šušvės midus is a fermented drink that's made from honey.
In the afternoon, you can take a short walk to the Uzupis district. Uzupis is one of the smallest republics in the world, covering less than 1 sq km. It interestingly has its own president, government, constitution and currency. When you enter you'll actually be able to see a list of 'rules' they have, including that 'one has the right to be happy'. You'll also find a few cool cafes and bars here to stop and have a drink at.
The last thing we did during our day in Vilnius, is visit the Museum of Genocide Victims (KGB Museum). This is a bit further away so I recommend getting an Uber to get here. The museum is dedicated to showing artifacts and records from the 50-year period of Soviet occupation of Lithuania. For us the most interesting part of this museum, is that there is an old KGB prison you can visit on the bottom floor. This was a very eerie experience! Tickets to enter the museum were 6 euros.
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We had to leave Vilnius at 7pm to get our 4 hour coach to Riga, but if you're staying the night then some other restaurants we were recommended for dinner were Ertilo Namas and Etno Dvaras.
RIGA, LATVIA
When we arrived in Riga, the city definitely seemed a lot livelier and atmospheric than Vilnius. We stayed at Boutique Hotel KRISTOFS which was only a short 10 minute walk from the coach station. Just bare in mind that the Old Town is cobblestoned, so if your suitcase wheels aren't very durable you might want to take a taxi!
In your first morning in Riga, I suggest taking a free walking tour so that you can get an introduction to the city and also get your bearings for the rest of your time there. We did a Old Riga Free Tour and we learnt some interesting facts, such as how a lot of the religious buildings in the Old Town are now used for techno raves. Remember that even though the tour is 'free', you are expected to tip at the end.
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For lunch, a local recommended we try LIDO. It's a chain 'restaurant' which feels like a canteen like you see in Ikea for example. It's self-service and it's a great way to try a range of Latvian food for a relatively cheap price. I got ricotta and spinach stuffed pancakes and also a chicken schnitzel which had pineapple and melted cheese on top. I didn't think this was a local dish but I was told it was! That was definitely up my street.
In the afternoon, you might want to stop at some of the main monuments and attractions to take some photos if you didn't get a chance during the free walking tour. Some of the main ones are:
- House of the Blackheads (pictured below)
- St Peter's Church
- Livu Laukums Square - we sat here for a drink in the afternoon and tried the local liquor 'Black Basalm'
- Powder Tower
- The Three Brothers
For dinner, we fancied something different so we ate at the popular spot RigaRamen. If you want more traditional food then we were also recommended Domini Canes. We also ate at the food court BURZMA at the top of the shopping centre next to our hotel, and there was everything from Mexican food to sushi.
One thing I love to do when travelling is finding a rooftop bar (where applicable) or simply having a drink with a view! After dinner we went to the Skyline Bar Riga which had the best views over the Old Town and quite a cool cocktail menu. Just expect that these drinks will start at 12 euros. For a nightcap we stopped at Bar Stock Exchange, where the drink prices vary depending on demand!
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On your second day in Riga, these are some more things I suggest doing to fill up your day:
- Bastion Park, Freedom Monument & Opera House: you can either walk 15-20 minutes out of the Old Town or grab an Uber to this area. In Bastion Park you can also take a cruise around the canal and it's quite picturesque.
- Corner House Museum: this used to be an ex-KGB building in the city during the Soviet era. Here you'll be able to read about the shocking acts during the period Latvia belonged to the USSR, including forced migrations to Siberia, torture and espionage.
- Art Noveau District: this area is perfect for your Instagram feed as the buildings are so beautiful! There is also a museum you can visit.
- Central Market: Riga Central Market has an outdoor area and then 5 different 'warehouses' each dedicated to something different (fish, meat, dairy etc). It's worth seeing and you can sit and eat in some of them, but I'd avoid the fish one if you're sensitive to smells!
Next up, we flew to the capital of Estonia, Tallin. If you don't mind another coach ride then it's the cheapest option (approx 15 euros) and the coach will get you there in 4 hours and a half.
TALLIN, ESTONIA
Tallinn definitely gives the most 'city vibes' of the 3 countries. We stayed just outside the old town at CityBox. The rooms were modern and check in was done seamlessly through a machine when we arrived. You could probably spend 2-3 days in Tallinn, which includes a day trip to a National Park which I'll speak more about later on in this article.
As in Riga, the first thing we did was take a free walking tour. Our guide was great and showed us a lot of the points of interest in Tallinn and taught us a lot about the history of Tallinn and its everchanging occupation. Some sights you'll see on the walking tour are:
- Tallinn Town Hall
- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
- St Olaf's Church
- Viru Gate
- Kohtuotsa viewing platform (photo below)
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For lunch we went to Balti Jaama Turg, a food market that's just a short walk outside the Old Town. Here I had some mini pancakes and then I couldn't resist getting a bacon and cheese smash burger too from another stall.
In the afternoon, we jumped on some Bolt e-skooters and rode to the Kalamaja district where you can see traditional colourful wooden Estonian houses. From here, we went to Fotografiska (the contemporary museum of photography, art and culture) and it's definitely worth a visit!
In the evening, we sat in the Town Square to have a drink before heading to dinner at Margherita Pizza & Trattoria and both the pizzas and pastas were delicious. Another place we went to for dinner was HARG which we saw was listed on the Michelin Guide.
For the rest of your time in Tallinn, I recommend the following:
- A day trip to Lahemaa National Park: Just an hour away from Tallinn, you'll find this National Park which is also home to the Jagala Waterfall. If you take a tour, you'll also get to explore an old fishing village, the seaside and walk along a forest trail.
- Visit the Eesti Museum: This is an interactive maritime museum, and you'll even find a pre-WW2 submarine hare and flight sumulators. Cost to enter the museum is 20 euros at the time of this article.
- KGB museum: if you didn't get round to visiting in the other two cities or simply fancy learning more about this time in history, then you can visit one of the two KGB sites in Tallinn.
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If you fancy ticking another country off your bucket list, then I recommend taking the 2 hour ferry ride to Helsinki! A one way trip cost us 30 euros and the ferry felt like we were on a cruise line, as there were a few bars, cafes and a Burger King on board.
We really enjoyed our time in these 3 cities, and found ourselves comparing the Old Towns to a few Disney movies such as Beauty and The Beast and Pinocchio. You will definitely have your pick of postcard worthy photos here!
I hope you've found this guide useful! Although this guide is for a spending a week in the Baltic capitals, if you're short on time this trip can easily be done in 5 days. If you have any questions or want any more recommendations, feel free to reach out to me on one of my socials below!
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