13 BEST Day Trips from Riga, Latvia

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From hiking in Gauja National Park to the shores of Jūrmala to Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses, these are the best day trips from Riga, Latvia!

You know, it always weirds me out when people travelling to Europe just stick to the West and the South. Too many people miss out on Northern or Eastern Europe, and that’s a real shame because they miss out on places like Riga in Latvia, one of my favourite places in the Baltics.

I would say Riga is a bit of a hidden gem. No, really: it’s known as an architectural jewel, blending medieval buildings and Art Nouveau. It’s also very modern, with lots of cool bars and restaurants dotted all over the place. I’ve had a few incredible nights out in Riga – and it’s not just groups of guys and stag dos here!

It’s also a brilliant base for exploring some of the coolest places the Baltics have to offer. There are tons of awesome day trips from Riga that’ll take you to amazing places. I’m talking ancient, grandiose palaces and national parks. Latvian cities and seaside towns on the edge of the Baltic Sea. Eerie destinations like Kryžių Kalnas, better known as the Hill of Crosses, across the border in Lithuania.

And I’d really recommend getting out of Riga and exploring the countryside. From beautiful beaches to lush forests, Latvia will really surprise you. Curiosity piqued? Great! Now let’s get into the coolest Riga day trips!

Planning a winter trip to Riga? Then check out my guide with all the best things to do in Riga in winter!

How many days do you need in Riga?

I’d say three to four days in Riga is the sweet spot. That gives you two full days to explore the city itself, and at least one day to get out and see a bit more of Latvia. And I really implore you to see more of Latvia. It really is such a beautiful country!

Riga’s Old Town is pretty compact, so you can cover the big sights like the House of the Blackheads, Riga Cathedral and St Peter’s Church in a day. Spend your second day wandering the Art Nouveau district around Alberta iela and grazing your way around the Central Market, which is housed in old Zeppelin hangars!

With a third day, you can tick off one of the easy day trips. Jūrmala is only half an hour away on the train, and Sigulda and Turaida make a brilliant day out in Gauja National Park. Add a fourth day and I’d book a tour to the Hill of Crosses and Rundāle Palace, which squeezes two countries into one day.

If you’ve got a week and a hire car, head further west to Kuldīga and Cape Kolka, or east into Latgale. Just bear in mind that the further-flung spots make for long days out. Honestly, the longer you stay, the more Latvia will surprise you.

Quick overview

Here’s a quick look at every day trip in this guide, so you can work out which ones fit your plans. Journey times are from central Riga using the best mode of transport for each trip.

If you’re travelling by train, you can check times and compare ticket prices on Omio, which brings together routes from different rail operators so you can book everything in one place.

Best day trips from Riga, Latvia

Jūrmala

Jūrmala is a coastal resort that sits on the edge of the Baltic Sea and is bordered by a winding 32 km stretch of golden sand and pine forest. Unlike the other seaside resorts you’ve visited though, Jūrmala is characterised by sanatoriums left over from the Soviet era and gorgeous wooden Art Nouveau villas.

There’s tons to get up to in a day, from unwinding on the beach to meandering around Dzintari Forest Park. Visit a local museum, or feast your eyes on the famous bronze statue “The Turtle”.

Jūrmala is super easy to reach by train from Riga, which makes it a perfect day trip. Hop on a train heading towards Tukums, Ķemeri or Sloka and get off at Majori station, right in the heart of the resort. If you’re driving, you’ll need to pay a €5 entry fee to drive into Jūrmala’s paid zone, which you can buy at the machines on the way in or through the Mobilly app.

By public transport: Around 30-35 minutes by train from Riga Central Station to Majori, on the Riga to Tukums line.
By car: About 30-40 minutes from Riga.

Hill of Crosses, Lithuania

A visit to the Hill of Crosses will take you out of Latvia and into neighbouring Lithuania, where you’ll have a chance to see one of the most fascinating places in the country.

Known locally as Kryžių Kalnas, the Hill of Crosses is about 12 km north of the city of Šiauliai. And while it looks a little eerie from a distance, it’s actually a sacred place and one of Lithuania’s most important pilgrimage sites.

The Hill of Crosses has a rich history. During the Soviet era, the authorities bulldozed the hill several times, yet locals kept coming back and planting new crosses. Today there are well over 100,000 of them, and it’s a symbol of faith and Lithuanian freedom.

The Hill of Crosses is just under a two hour drive from Riga, or you can take the bus to Šiauliai and a local bus from there. There’s also a direct train to Šiauliai, but it only leaves Riga in the afternoon, so it doesn’t really work for a day trip. Honestly, it’s probably simplest to book a tour to really get a sense of the place from your local guide. Lots of tours combine it with Rundāle Palace too.

By public transport: Around 3-3.5 hours by bus from Riga International Bus Station to Šiauliai, then a local Joniškis bus to the Domantai stop and a 2 km walk.
By car: About 1 hour 45 minutes from Riga, via Jelgava. Travelling by car is a lot easier here!

Sigulda

Sigulda is easily one of the best Riga day trips. Famously known as the ‘Switzerland of Latvia’, Sigulda is located within Gauja National Park, so it’s surrounded by stunning, sweeping natural scenery.

Sigulda is a destination in its own right though, especially for the adventurers and adrenaline junkies among us. You’ll find obstacle courses, bungee jumping and ziplines, plus activities along the river. You can even take a ride down the bobsleigh track!

It’s a super easy journey: the train from Riga takes just over an hour. Alternatively, there are tours you can take to Sigulda combined with the national park or castle ruins.

By public transport: Around 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes by train from Riga Central Station to Sigulda, on the Riga to Valga line.
By car: About 1 hour from Riga, on the A2.

Rundāle Palace

If you love a grand palace, nothing in Latvia quite compares to Rundāle Palace. This is one of my absolute favourite buildings in the country. It’s a beautiful Baroque palace built between 1736 and 1768 for the Duke of Courland, and it was designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the same architect behind the Winter Palace in St Petersburg.

You can easily spend a whole day here, wandering through the elaborate, ornate rooms and the French style gardens that surround it. There’s no train out here, so on public transport you’ll need to get the bus to Bauska and change for a local bus to the palace. It’s doable, but the connections can be fiddly, so I’d recommend booking a tour instead so everything is taken care of for you.

By public transport: Around 1.5-2 hours by bus from Riga International Bus Station to Bauska, then a local bus to the Rundāles pils stop outside the palace.
By car: About 1 hour 10 minutes from Riga, via Bauska.

Turaida Museum Reserve

Back in Gauja National Park, just across the river from Sigulda, you’ll find Turaida Museum Reserve. Now, technically, you could visit Turaida on the same day as Sigulda. But I’d make a case for spending an entire day here. After all, the reserve covers a whopping 43.63 hectares.

Turaida is home to a sprawling medieval castle, packed full of history. From the top of its main tower, you get the most breathtaking views of the Gauja River and valley. Standing alongside the castle are a wooden church from the 1750s and Dainu Hill, a park full of unique folk sculptures, so there’s lots to see. The reserve isn’t far at all from Sigulda, and you can easily combine both with a tour.

By public transport: Around 1 hour 30 minutes by train from Riga Central Station to Sigulda, then a short local bus from Sigulda bus station to Turaida.
By car: About 1 hour from Riga.

Kemeri National Park

Gauja isn’t the only national park near Riga. Kemeri National Park is also one of the best day trips for totally different reasons.

Firstly, the landscape of Kemeri is unlike anything else you’ll find. It’s made up of miles of forest and bogland, and it’s home to one of the Baltics’ most famous bogs, the Great Ķemeri Bog. A wooden boardwalk loops right through it, past a viewing tower. The landscape is both eerie and dreamy, and the area’s mud and sulphur springs have been used for their healing properties for centuries.

Kemeri is under an hour from Riga on the train, but the boardwalk is about a 3 km walk from Ķemeri station. So the simplest way to visit by far is to take a guided tour of the highlights. This is a fantastic way of seeing what Latvia has to offer too.

By public transport: Around 50-60 minutes by train from Riga Central Station to Ķemeri, on the Riga to Tukums line, then a 3 km walk to the Great Ķemeri Bog Boardwalk.
By car: About 45 minutes from Riga, on the A10.

Gauja National Park

If wild beauty is more your thing though, why not spend the entire day at Gauja National Park? This is the largest of Latvia’s national parks, and you’ll have no shortage of incredible natural scenery to see. Picture a sea of pine trees, rivers (including the famous Gauja River) and red sandstone cliffs, home to birds and animals such as elk, beavers, lynx and even wolves.

Gauja is perfect for hiking, cycling and kayaking, and the wilderness is broken up with castles, manor houses, windmills and caves like Gūtmaņa Cave, so there’s plenty to do. Sigulda, Līgatne and Cēsis are all on the train line from Riga, so you can reach the park in around an hour. That said, the simplest way to explore the area is probably to take a tour, especially if you want to cover a lot of ground.

By public transport: Around 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes by train from Riga Central Station to Sigulda, with Līgatne and Cēsis further along the same Riga to Valga line.
By car: About 1 hour from Riga to Sigulda.

Cēsis

Cēsis is another one of Latvia’s coolest towns that I’d really recommend exploring. It’s under an hour and a half away on the train, which makes it one of the best day trips from Riga by train. The most popular local attraction by far is Cēsis Castle, along with its surrounding grounds and dungeons. It’s been standing since the 13th century, and with such a rich history and heritage, it has its fair share of stories. They even hand you a lantern to explore the dark towers!

Aside from the castle, Cēsis is home to pretty, narrow streets and an ancient church. This is definitely one of the best places to visit in Latvia in my book.

By public transport: Around 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes by train from Riga Central Station to Cēsis, on the Riga to Valga line.
By car: About 1 hour 20 minutes from Riga, on the A2.

Kuldīga

Kuldīga is one of western Latvia’s prettiest towns and an off-the-beaten-track destination I highly recommend ticking off your bucket list. Its Old Town was even added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2023.

Roam through romantic medieval streets lined with 18th and 19th century houses, brimming with charm and character, and stroll across the old red brick bridge over the Venta River, one of the longest brick bridges in Europe.

Kuldīga is only about two hours from Riga by car, but it can take up to three and a half hours on the bus. Without a hire car, your best option is to take a tour. You also get the chance to see the Venta Rapid, Europe’s widest waterfall, and the town of Sabile, with its record-breaking open-air vineyard and its eerie Garden of Dolls.

By public transport: Around 2.5-3.5 hours by direct bus from Riga International Bus Station to Kuldīga.
By car: About 2 hours from Riga.

Nature Park Piejūra

Piejūra is a nature park on the coast just north of Riga, around the point where the Gauja River meets the sea. That means it’s a really biodiverse area, with lots of different ecosystems: from pine forests split by lakes to sandy beaches and dunes.

It’s one of the best places to see the nature and sweeping scenery that Latvia has to offer. Hiking is my personal favourite way to explore Piejūra, and there are lots of trails to choose from.

To get to Piejūra, hop on the train to Carnikava, Gauja or Lilaste station, which takes 40 to 50 minutes, and walk the rest of the way from there. If that sounds like too much hassle, you can go with a guide (you’ll be shown the best hiking spots this way too).

By public transport: Around 40-50 minutes by train from Riga Central Station to Carnikava, Gauja or Lilaste, on the Riga to Skulte line.
By car: About 35-40 minutes from Riga.

Cape Kolka

Cape Kolka is one of the coolest places in Latvia. It’s where the waves of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga meet, and it’s a combination of dramatic scenery and rich heritage.

Explore the local village and spot the Kolka lighthouse standing on its own little island offshore. Embrace the rugged scenery of the coast, or head inland to explore Slītere National Park. In spring and autumn, it’s also one of the best places in the Baltics to watch huge flocks of migrating birds. The choice is entirely yours.

Cape Kolka is tricky to visit without a car, as there are only a couple of buses a day, so I’d recommend booking this tour. It’s one of my favourite Riga day tours, and you’ll get the chance to see the White Dune of Pūrciems and explore the Ēvaži Steep nature trail too.

By public transport: Around 3 hours 15 minutes by direct bus from Riga International Bus Station to Kolka.
By car: About 2.5 hours from Riga, along the Gulf of Riga coast.

Daugavpils

I do recommend visiting the city of Daugavpils for its own sake. There’s lots of cool stuff to see, including Daugavpils Fortress and the Mark Rothko Art Centre inside it (Rothko was born here!). But the main reason it makes my list of day trips is that it gives you a taste of the Latgale region.

Latgale is an ancient part of Latvia and one of the historic Latvian lands. It’s huge; in fact, it makes up almost a quarter of the whole country. Locally known as the Land of Blue Lakes, it’s one of the coolest spots in the country for nature. From Daugavpils you can easily reach Lake Šuņezers and the sweeping bends of the Daugava Loops nature park.

Now I will warn you, Daugavpils is a fair distance from Riga. By car or by train, you’re looking at around three hours. But it’s an awesome base for exploring a slice of the Latgale region and, in my opinion, that’s an absolute must!

By public transport: Around 3 hours by train from Riga Central Station to Daugavpils, on the Riga to Daugavpils line.
By car: About 2 hours 45 minutes from Riga, on the A6.

Jēkabpils and Krustpils

Jēkabpils and Krustpils were once two separate towns facing each other across the Daugava River. These days they’re both part of Jēkabpils, so you can easily combine the two in a day trip from Riga. The journey is super simple too, with direct trains to Krustpils station.

You’ll find lakes, landmarks and museums on the Jēkabpils side of the river, but the main highlight is actually Krustpils Castle. Standing since the 13th century and restored in recent years, it’s home to some of Latvia’s richest history.

By public transport: Around 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours by train from Riga Central Station to Krustpils, on the Riga to Daugavpils line.
By car: About 1 hour 45 minutes from Riga, on the A6.

And that’s a wrap! Have you done any of these Riga day trips, or is there a hidden gem I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments below. I read every single one and I love hearing your tips!

If you’re planning a bigger trip around the region, check out my Eastern Europe itinerary. Another really popular trip nearby is the Helsinki Tallinn ferry, which is one of the best ways of getting between the two cities and super fun too. You can check out my Tallinn ferry guide here.

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