Group Tour Operator for holidays to Riga, Latvia
Ravishing Riga: A Group Tour to Latvia’s Baltic Gem
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Latvia - Riga - Panorama © Courtesy of Baltic Travel Group
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Latvia - Riga © Courtesy of Latvia Travel
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Latvia - Riga - Swedish Gate © Courtesy of Latvia Travel
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Latvia - Secret Soviet Bunker © Courtesy of Baltic Travel Group
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Latvia - Sigulda © Courtesy of Baltic Travel Group
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Latvia - Turaida Castle © Courtesy of Baltic Travel Group
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Latvia - Rundale Palace © Courtesy of Baltic Travel Group
Eight hundred years have shaped the unique appearance and rich traditions of Latvia’s capital, Riga, the largest of all three Baltic capitals. Take a group tour to the Latvian city’s Gothic spires dominate its skyline implying a sombre heart, but the rich Art Nouveau spirit of this diverse city is symbolic of this ever evolving city. The city’s modern urban structures blend seamlessly with medieval castles, churches and the wooden buildings of its medieval Old Town.
The pedestrian-only Old Town – now a UNESCO World Heritage site – has many shops and restaurants and is home to the bustling Livu Square. During this tour, you will have plenty of time to enjoy some sightseeingof the Latvian capital. As well as this, visits to the Latvian Switzerland, Sigulda and Turaida will uncover the majesty of Latvia’s intriguing history.
Read moreLively Livu Square; Riga’s place to be
In Livu Square you will find there is so much going on inside its hip bars, modern art centres and cool experimental restaurants. It’s hard to believe that the Square once was the site of the Riga River, which was a shipping route for transporting Latvian grain up to the 16th century. It was built up during World War II, then subsequently ruined during the bombings. The square soon recovered and became a symbol of Riga’s youthful life. Surrounded by many buildings of character such as the Cat House; a common residential building, where the spires of its roofs are surmounted by the figures of black cats, which serve as a decoration of the city landscape. Furthermore, in summertime, the Square features outdoor cafes and beautiful flower-beds which are designed like waves to serve as a reminder of the lost river after whom Riga was once named after. And in the in wintertime, this Old Town square offers a skating rink and is filled with markets and festive glow.
Riga Central Market
Situated in the heart of Riga, the Riga Central Market is a few hundred meters from the Old Town on the banks of the River Daugava, next to Riga International Bus Terminal and Central Railway Station. It is not only one of the largest marketplaces in Eastern Europe, but also is one of the most visited, as 80,000-100,000 people shop there per day, on the average. Architecturally-imposing food pavilions, built in the 1920s, are Riga Central Market’s calling card. Originally used as military airship hangars, they were later transformed into market venues. Riga Central Market is unique not only with its pavilions but also with its old warehouses or the so-called spikeri (from German Spéicher), which have now been turned into a hip arts & entertainment quarter. In 1998, the vast territory of Riga Central Market was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. At the Central Market, you can buy Latvian-grown and homemade products, exotic fruit and spices, as well as manufactured merchandise. The market includes five pavilions each with its own category – vegetables, dairy, meat, fish and gastronomy products, as well as an outdoor area with stalls and stands, the Night Market and ‘Round the Clock Farmers’ Market. For a food tour and tasting of the market, enquire for more details.
Would you prefer to explore the Baltics by Sea? Check out our Baltic Explorer with Fred. Olsen
Dates
Dates throughout 2024
Suggested itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Riga
Make your way to your local airport for your flight to Riga. Upon arrival to Riga International airport. You will be met by a local English speaking guide. Then be transferred by coach to the hotel located in city centre of Riga
Day 2
Riga Sightseeing
Today enjoy sightseeing tour of the Latvian capital. begin with drive along the central boulevards of Riga, enjoying the view of the City Canal parks, the Bastion Hill, the Powder Tower, the Latvian National Theatre, the Fine Arts Museum, the Art Nouveau buildings of the beginning of the century, the Freedom Monument, University of Latvia, the Opera House, the Daugava River with its bridges and Passenger Terminal. Afterwards, take a stroll through the cobble-stone, picturesque streets of the Old Town. In Old Riga you will see the Dome Cathedral, the Church of St. Peter, the old Guild Houses, the Swedish Gate, the architectural ensemble Three Brothers, St. Jacob’s Church, the Parliament House, Old Riga Castle, and view the many wonderfully restored buildings, now housing cozy restaurants, cafes, bars and souvenir shops.
Perhaps you’d like to enjoy a tour by canal boat, enquire for more details.
Day 3
Soviet bunkers and beautiful landscapes
Today we visit Sigulda, often called the Latvian Switzerland, is located about 50 km from Riga in the Gauja River valley. Sigulda is situated in the Gauja National Park and is known as the most popular tourist and leisure destination as well as a famous winter sports resort in Latvia because of its bob-sleigh track and the down-hill skiing routes. Experience a genuine whiff of the Middle Ages, a time of romantic legends, castles and heroic figures, visiting the ruins of the 13th cent. Crusader Castle and the 19th century Kropotkin’s Palace in the outskirts of Sigulda. By coach you will travel down into the river valley, enjoy the landscape and the walk to the sandstone grottoes on the ancient river bank.
Afterwards, visit the Turaida Museum Reserve, the historical centre of Turaida and comprises archaeological, historical and art monuments that tell us about the events that have taken place since the 11th century. Turaida church, one of the oldest wooden churches built by the local rural craftsmen, is situated here.
Within the territory of the rehabilitation centre “Līgatne”, a well-equipped Soviet bunker is located 9 metres underground which was declassified only in 2003. It was constructed in the 1980s for the needs of the political and power elite – for governing the state in the case of a nuclear war. The bunker was intended as the secret hiding place for the first secretaries of the Soviet Communist Party – comrades Voss and Pugo.
Alternative suggestions
Rundale Palace
Why not visit the most magnificent masterpiece of baroque architecture in the Baltic States, Rundale Palace. Located approximately 70 km from Riga. It was built in the first part of the 18th century by the Italian architect F. B. Rastrelli, the baroque genius from Italy who created many of St. Petersburg’s finest buildings including the Winter Palace. The professionally renovated palace interiors are decorated with authentic 18th century furniture, paintings and china. The most impressive are the Golden Hall, the White Hall, the bedroom of the Duke of Courland; Johan Ernst Biron. The palace boasts a beautiful French-style park.
Please enquire for more details and to include in your tour package.
Day 4
Depart Riga
Transfer to the airport by private coach for your flight back to the UK.
Extend your stay?
Want to see more of the Baltics? Why not include visits to Tallinn and Vilnius
The cosy medieval city of Tallinn is a protected UNESCO heritage site, and with good reason, this is one of the few medieval cities that still remain well preserved in spite of many wars and occupations. Although the city is medieval in the outside, Tallinn is all high-tech at heart. For Estonians Skype is not the limit, only the beginning for something even bigger.
Vilnius is a city that offers all the comfort and tranquillity of the country side in combination with all the bells and whistles of a big capital city. As such, Vilnius is a city that is best enjoyed on foot. The city origins can be dated back to some 1000 years ago. Take a stroll around the city and you would be taken back in time through several periods of European history.
We have a selection of excellent 4 star hotels throughout the region.
For more tours to the Baltics and Scandinavia, take a look at a selection below:
| Dates | Half Twin | Single Supplement |
| On request | Price on request | Price on request |
