Latvia travel guide

Choose the part of Latvia you want to spend time in

Start with two or three nights in Riga, then choose a direction. Jūrmala is a straightforward beach outing by train. Sigulda and Cēsis suit castles and time around the Gauja valley. Either can be a day trip, but an overnight stay leaves more room for walks and a change in weather.

For the west, compare Kuldīga, Liepāja and Ventspils. Kuldīga is an inland town for streets and river walks. Liepāja mixes the beach with Karosta, while Ventspils offers a port town and family outings. Choose two bases that interest you rather than changing rooms every night.

Daugavpils is a separate eastern trip, especially useful for the Rothko Museum and fortress. Add time for it instead of treating it as a quick detour from the west coast.

Match the journey to the right ticket

Vivi trains serve Jūrmala, Sigulda, Cēsis, Liepāja and Daugavpils from Riga. Read the dated timetable: some services stop at many stations, and not every Sigulda train continues to Cēsis. Coaches serve the western towns too, including Kuldīga and Ventspils. Compare the station and arrival time as well as the fare.

Riga's €1.50 city ticket covers a 90-minute window on its city network when used correctly. It does not automatically cover regional rail. The separately sold Riga Unified Ticket combines eligible Vivi travel with Riga transport; check its selected zones and validity if your day needs both.

For Riga Airport, bus 22 is the public-transport starting point. An advance city ticket and a bank-card ticket bought from the driver have different prices. If continuing to another town, add the journey into Riga and the connection, not just the regional train time.

Keep beach fees and museum tickets clear

Jūrmala's €5 permit is a vehicle-entry charge for its marked special zone. It is not a charge for every person walking onto the beach or arriving by train. Drivers should use the current permit map and rules, including any exemption or registration requirement.

Turaida's adult museum admission is now €9 year-round. Cēsis Castle and the Ventspils castle use seasonal prices, while Riga's Art Nouveau Centre sells full and partial museum tickets. Read what the ticket includes before deciding whether a combination saves money.

In Daugavpils, choose the Rothko originals gallery, museum or Martinsons House combination by what you want to see. A public outdoor walk at a fortress, beach or park does not include paid interiors, guided tours or rentals.

Use your actual rooms to set the budget

The examples on our city pages are adjustable allowances in euros. They are not available room offers or measured averages. Put in the full accommodation quote for your dates, then allow for food, local journeys and the visits you choose.

Count a whole shared room once before dividing its cost. Keep hotel nights separate from travel days: a day trip to Sigulda does not need a second room allowance when you sleep in Riga. Intercity tickets, airport connections and car hire belong in the trip total separately. Replace an attraction allowance with your chosen admissions instead of adding both.

Choose a comfortable first trip

For four or five days, Riga with one or two separate excursions is a useful starting point. For a week, add a Gauja town or a western base with at least two nights, depending on the places you most want to visit. Leave an open half-day for rain, a longer meal or an arrival delay.

If the trip continues across the Baltics, use the Riga–Vilnius guide and Tallinn–Riga guide. The seven-day coach itinerary keeps two nights in each capital. Spend more nights in Latvia before adding the towns above to that plan.