Can this tour be extended?

Yes — we can add the Curonian coast, extend into Lithuania or Estonia, or build a full Grand Baltics itinerary.

What is Latvian food like?

Rooted in rye, dairy, smoked fish, and forest foraging. Riga's restaurant scene has been transformed in the past decade, with several excellent modern Latvian kitchens.

5-Day Private Package Journey

Essence of Latvia — 5 Days

Art Nouveau Riga, Baltic beaches, and manor-house country.

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided

From €2,490 per person 5 days / 4 nights

View Itinerary

Tour Overview

5 days across Baltics.

Latvia sits at the centre of the three Baltic States, and its capital Riga is the largest and most architecturally dramatic city in the region. The city centre holds the greatest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in the world — over 800 buildings, many of them on a single boulevard — alongside a medieval Old Town that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Beyond Riga, the country unfolds into a landscape of forests, rivers, and castle-dotted valleys. The Gauja National Park in the north is Latvia's oldest protected area, with medieval castle ruins rising from sandstone cliffs above the river. Jūrmala, the beach resort on Riga's doorstep, stretches for 33 kilometres along the Gulf of Riga with wooden Art Nouveau villas among the pine dunes. Rundāle Palace in the south — designed by Rastrelli, the architect of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg — is the finest baroque palace in the Baltics. This five-day private journey connects these four essential corners of Latvia.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1

Arrival in Riga

The Art Nouveau capital of Europe.

Arrive at Riga Airport and transfer privately to your hotel in the Old Town. Riga is a city that announces itself in stone — the medieval churches, the Guild Houses, the Swedish Gate, and the cobblestoned squares that preserve the layout of an 800-year-old Hanseatic trading city. The afternoon is yours to explore: Dome Square with its enormous cathedral (the largest medieval church in the Baltics), the Three Brothers houses (the oldest stone dwellings in Riga), and the first walk along the Daugava River embankment. Welcome dinner at a restaurant that builds from Latvian traditions — rye bread, smoked sprats, birch sap, and the kind of seasonal produce that the country's New Nordic-influenced chefs are increasingly celebrated for.

Private airport transfer
Dome Square and the Riga Cathedral
Three Brothers — Riga's oldest residential houses
Welcome dinner with modern Latvian cuisine

Meals: Dinner Boutique hotel, Riga Old Town

Day 2

Riga — Art Nouveau & Central Market

Eight hundred façades and five Zeppelin hangars.

A full day with a private guide covering Riga's two most remarkable features. Morning: the Art Nouveau quarter, centred on Alberta iela and Elizabetes iela. Riga has over 800 Art Nouveau buildings — more than any city in the world — and the concentration along these streets is extraordinary: mythological figures, screaming masks, floral garlands, and geometric patterns in an architectural language that ranges from the decorative exuberance of Mikhail Eisenstein to the sober rationalism of the Latvian national romantic school. Afternoon: Riga Central Market, housed in five colossal hangars originally built for Zeppelin airships. Each hangar specialises — fish, meat, dairy, vegetables, bread — and the market is one of the largest and most atmospheric in Europe. Evening at leisure to explore the city's bar and restaurant quarter.

Art Nouveau walking tour — Alberta iela and the Eisenstein façades
Over 800 Art Nouveau buildings in one district
Riga Central Market — five Zeppelin hangars
Latvian national romantic architecture

Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Riga Old Town

Day 3

Jūrmala & Rundāle Palace

Baltic beach villas and the Versailles of Latvia.

Morning drive to Jūrmala — Riga's seaside resort, 25 kilometres west along the Gulf of Riga. The town stretches for 33 kilometres along a white-sand beach backed by pine dunes, and the residential streets are lined with ornate wooden Art Nouveau villas built by the Russian and German aristocracy in the 19th century. Walk the beach and the pedestrian Jomas iela. After lunch, drive south to Rundāle Palace — the masterpiece of Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli, who went on to build the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. The palace and its formal French gardens have been meticulously restored and are the finest baroque ensemble in the Baltic States. Return to Riga in the evening.

Jūrmala wooden Art Nouveau villas and white-sand beach
Rundāle Palace — Rastrelli's Baltic masterpiece
French formal gardens and the Gold Hall
Drive through the Latvian countryside

Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Riga Old Town

Day 4

Sigulda & Gauja Valley

Castles, caves, and ancient forest.

Drive northeast to Sigulda and the Gauja National Park — Latvia's oldest and most scenic protected area. The Gauja River has carved a valley through red sandstone, and the forested cliffs are topped with medieval castles and manor houses. Visit Turaida Castle — a red-brick fortress built by the Archbishop of Riga in 1214, restored and set above the river with panoramic views. Walk to Gūtmanis Cave — the largest cave in the Baltics, with inscriptions dating to the 17th century. Cross the valley by cable car for the view. Cēsis, a short drive further, has one of the best-preserved medieval castle ruins in the Baltics — explore the towers by candlelight. Farewell dinner in Sigulda or Riga.

Turaida Castle — red brick, 1214, panoramic valley views
Gūtmanis Cave — the largest cave in the Baltics
Gauja Valley cable car crossing
Cēsis medieval castle — candlelit tower exploration

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Boutique hotel, Riga or Sigulda

Day 5

Departure

A final morning in Riga.

A final morning at leisure in Riga — a last walk through the Old Town, a coffee on Dome Square, or a final browse through the Central Market. Private transfer to Riga Airport or onward to your next Baltic destination.

Final morning in Riga Old Town
Private transfer to departure point

Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

Riga

4 nights

Boutique hotel

Old Town

Walking distance to Art Nouveau quarter, Central Market, and all major sites

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

4 nights in boutique hotels
All ground transfers in private vehicle
Expert guides in Riga, Gauja National Park, and Rundāle
Daily breakfast plus two Latvian dinners
All entrance fees and palace visits
24/7 local support contact

Not Included

International flights
Travel insurance
Meals not specified in the itinerary
Optional add-ons and personal expenses
Gratuities for guides and drivers

Good to Know

Rundāle Palace is a 75-minute drive south of Riga. The gardens are at their best from June to August.
Sigulda's cable car operates seasonally — we confirm availability when booking.
Riga's Old Town is compact and cobblestoned — comfortable walking shoes are essential.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Latvian black balsam tasting

Guided tasting of Latvia's legendary herbal liqueur with a spirits historian.

€45 per person

Gauja bobsled track ride

Summer bobsled run on the Olympic-grade Sigulda track — an adrenaline addition to the Gauja Valley day.

€60 per person

Opera evening at the Latvian National Opera

Tickets and interval drinks at one of Europe's finest Art Nouveau opera houses.

€85 per person

"We had no idea Riga had so much Art Nouveau — it rivals Vienna and Brussels. Rundāle Palace alone is worth the trip."

Catherine W.

Toronto, Canada · Essence of Latvia — 5 Days

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

When is the best time to visit Latvia?

May to September offers the warmest weather. June has the White Nights — near-endless daylight. Jūrmala's beach season runs from late June to August.

Is Riga walkable?

Very. The Old Town and Art Nouveau quarter are within a 30-minute walk of each other, and the Central Market is just across the canal.

Private Package Journey