Riga Travel Guide

Give the centre two different days

Use your first full day for Old Town streets, the Daugava side and a break in the canal parks. It is easy to keep adding churches and towers; choose one interior you care about and leave time for lunch. Cobbles can make a short walk slower with wheels or heavy bags.

On another day, walk into Centrs for Alberta and Elizabetes streets. Look up from a safe place on the pavement, then decide whether the Art Nouveau Centre adds something to your visit. Its full ticket and interior-only ticket are different products. The outdoor walk can stand on its own.

Arrive with the right city ticket

At Riga Airport, follow signs to bus 22 in the P1 parking area between arrival exits E and C. The advance 90-minute ticket is €1.50. Buying from the driver on this route costs €1.81 and requires a bank card. Use the airport machine, a listed shop or an accepted app for an advance ticket, and follow its validation instructions.

Night service N22 has its own timetable. Check the stop for your address and allow for waiting, luggage and the walk after the bus. There is no airport-to-central-station train to substitute for this first journey.

Make the market fit your day

The Central Market is convenient near the coach and railway stations. It works well for browsing food and choosing a meal once your bags are sorted. Check whether a displayed amount is per portion or by weight, and buy only what you can carry or store.

For a wet afternoon, choose a museum before the weather turns and check its opening day. A long café stop is also a reasonable part of a city break; you do not need another timed visit to fill every gap.

Choose one excursion

Jūrmala suits a beach and promenade day; Sigulda suits a castle or valley walk. These are different directions. Trying both on the same day adds travel without much time in either place.

For Majori, choose a train in the Tukums direction and read the actual stop list. For Sigulda, check whether the service finishes there or continues beyond. A Riga city ticket alone does not cover either regional rail journey. Vivi also sells a separate Riga Unified Ticket for eligible rail and city-travel combinations; compare that product if you need both.

Continue without rushing the departure

Use the Riga–Vilnius route guide to compare a direct coach with the daily train. The seven-day Baltic plan keeps two nights in each capital. For a Latvia trip, the country guide helps choose the coast, Gauja towns or Daugavpils instead of adding them all to a short stay.