The geographic location of the Baltic countries consisting of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; away from the major countries of continental Europe makes it intuitive to explore the three countries in one go. With a combined population of under 7 million, there’s not much that many outsiders know about the Baltic states except that these countries were once part of the Soviet Union and have since joined the European Union. On a trip to Europe, I explored the capitals of these three countries and spent about a week around Vilnius in Lithuania, Riga in Latvia and Tallinn in Estonia.
I have read a lot of questions online asking which is the best Baltic city to visit and I posed this question myself prior to my trip. Simply put, there is no one answer to the Baltics’ nicest capital. Each has its own quirks, its own attractions and its own charms. That being said, I must say I did have my own favorites so let me share them here:
Tallinn, Estonia
A sleek and modern city with Nordic elements, Tallinn in Estonia is also the least populous of the Baltic capitals. Its old town – where tourists spend most of their time when in the city – is very medieval in feel – with picturesque stone walls enclosing the town as well as plenty of lookout points from which to survey the city. Many people say that Tallinn is the “prettiest” of the three capitals and even though it isn’t my favorite Baltic capital, I am inclined to agree
- With a higher standard of living, Tallinn is the most expensive of the three Baltic capitals but costs are still lower compared to cities in Western Europe
- Many of the attractions are within walking distance except for the Kadriorg Palace which is about a 10 to 15 minute cab ride away
- Personally, I found Tallinn to be the most touristy of the three capitals. Lots of people especially in the old town square are dressed in medieval costumes and the number of tourists here is noticeably greater especially in the day when cruise ships from Helsinki or St. Petersburg dock at the port
- There are several spots from which you can get panoramic views of the city. This includes the Patkuli Viewing Platform, the tower from the old town hall, the sky bar at Radisson Blu Tallinn and the bell tower of St. Olaf’s Church
- That being said, Tallinn presents a number of day trip opportunities. Depending on the ship, Helsinki in Finland can be as little as 2 hours away (you can book ferry tickets here)
- Being a relatively small city, there aren’t a lot of chain hotels present in Tallinn but the locals ones are just as good – you just lose out on the loyalty points
Where to stay in Tallinn: I stayed at the Tallink Express Hotel, a no-frills hotel that is within 5-minute walking distance to the old town. This is also a highly convenient place to stay if you ever decide to take the ferry ride to Helsinki as the pier is just 10 minute walk away.
Riga, Latvia
The most cosmopolitan capital in the Baltics, Riga has a population of over 600,000 making it the largest city in the Baltics. In contrast to Tallinn’s medieval feel, Riga has an early 20th century vibe with its large collection of art deco architecture around the city. The ornate facades of the apartment buildings in the old town remind me of cities like Prague, Budapest or Subotica though Riga in general has a more relaxed ambiance with plenty of green spaces. Certain areas such as the old town can get really popular with tourists though side streets usually offer some respite from the crowds. Architecturally, I thought Riga was the most outstanding of the three.
- In terms of cost, I would personally rate Riga somewhere between Tallinn and Vilnius
- If you are an architectural buff, you will like it here as many styles are showcased around the city. My favorite has got to be the Art Deco district. While there, don’t miss a visit to the Art Deco Museum
- Food can be quite expensive at the old town area but inexpensive meals can be had just as easily where locals frequent, such as in the central market so do take note of this wide disparity
- If you like to shop, Riga is perhaps the best place to do so among the three cities. It has the widest range of shops and largest number of malls – especially in areas where tourists frequent. There is even one inside the old town!
- To get a bird’s eye view of the city, head up to the sky bar of the Radisson Blu Latvija hotel
- Day trip opportunities include Sigulda in the west for some nature / hiking / outdoor activities and Rundale Palace down south for the Baltics’ most impressive palace
Where to stay in Riga: I stayed at the Mercure Riga Centre, a new hotel built in a historic Art Nouveau building. I chose it due to its strategic location – close to the central station and a few minutes walk from the old town. You can check other hotels in Riga HERE to compare for the best prices.
Vilnius, Lithuania
Staunchly catholic, the capital of Lithuania is often referred to as the Rome of the North due to the myriad of churches located within the city. Many architectural styles are seen here, from baroque to renaissance, classical to neoclassical; Vilnius also lays claim to the largest old town in Europe. And it is humongous indeed. Vilnius is also in my opinion, the least expensive of the three cities. This is a city where a 4-star hotel room can be had for well under Eur 100 a night while good meals go for under Eur 15. All these elements make Vilnius my favorite among the Baltic capitals
- If you like to see religious architecture, Vilnius is the place. There seems to be a church in every other block as one walks through the old town
- Trakai Island Castle is located a mere 40 minutes from the city. It’s a wonderful day trip destination – one of the best in the Baltics in my opinion
- Vilnius overall does not feel as touristy as Riga or Tallinn. The city overall feels quite laidback
- The division between the old and new city is pretty clear. North of the river lies the modern part of town with all the skyscrapers while that of interest to tourists is the part of town south of the river
- Vilnius is known for its quirks and no visit to the city is complete without heading down to the self-declared independent state of Uzupis for some hipster cafes, bohemian shops and art galleries
Where to stay in Vilnius: I stayed at the Novotel Vilnius Centre, located right smack at the main (and shopping) street of Gedimino Avenue inside the old town. Most of the city attractions are just a few minutes walk from the hotel and there are plenty of restaurants and boutiques a block or two away. Overall quite well-appointed, it’s one of my favourite Novotels so far. Most importantly, room prices are relatively low. You can also check other hotels in Vilnius HERE.
Overall, I found the three Baltic capitals to be worth visiting. Despite their geographic proximity and lack of monumental sights to see, each city has its own unique identity and are worth at least two nights each minimally. The cities of Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius have been overlooked compared to other European capitals but they are no less impressive. I really loved my time here.
You May Also Like
Hallstatt & Perast: My Quest For the Most Picture Perfect Village in Europe- Simple Tips to Travel in Europe Cheaply
- Prague – How I Did It For Less Than $25 a Day
- Olomouc – One of the Czech Republic’s Best-Kept Secrets
- Weekend in Vienna : Things to Do in a Most Imperial City
- Let Me Tell You About Krakow – Poland’s Historic Gem
Hi Bino Merry Christmas to you as this is Christmas Day. Accidently discovered your site and am interested in going to see the Baltic States. However, I am a solo female traveller and would like to play safe. Could you tell me HOW you travel from Vilnius to Riga to Tallinn, please? I understand you may have driven a car BUT I would like to fly to these places from either one of the big cities in Europe. Cities like Frankfurt, London, Paris or any other you suggest. As it is a holiday today but anyway it is a Sunday, enjoy the day.
Hi Betsy! Merry Christmas to you too. It’s very easy to travel between those three cities. There are many bus services available. I personally took Lux Express which sell tickets as low as 5 euros for each trip if you book early! Enjoy your trip!
Hi Bino Thank you very much for your valuable info. I certainly would try looking up the bus services that you have suggested. May I, on this second last day of 2016, wish you happy and safe travels throughout 2017. Enjoy the fireworks and the party wherever you are Bino. And thank you so much.
Many thanks for the great information. I’m planning on being in the Baltics for a short period in mid March with 2 young children. Your post has made us even more excited about the trip. My question is this: If we are unfortunate to have only 5 nights to spend in the 3 cities, in what city would you suggest we spend the single night? Again, I’ll be with a 6 year old and an 11 year old and desire to spend time exploring the old city areas. I know it’s not enough time to properly explore each city but that’s all the time we have so want to make the best of it. Thanks for your kind assistance.
Hi J!
Do you plan to visit Helsinki too? If not I would suggest you spend the single night in Tallinn. It is the smallest of the 3 Baltic capitals and the sights are mostly in the compact old town.
Thank you for your reply. We will indeed have some time to spend in Helsinki. Because our ferry departure out of Tallinn is earlier in the morning than any of the buses we would take out of Vilnius or Riga, we decided to spend the single night in Vilnius as it might give us a more favorable mix of time in each city. Again, thank you so much for the quick reply and advice. I really look forward to this mini adventure.
Hi
I have a work trip to Europe in June band am interested in visiting Riga or Vilnius. I will be flying from NYC and have only two days to spare. any thoughts. I am traveling alone and not too worried about expenses but super worried about safety. Any preference?
Hi Colette, I don’t see any perceptible difference between Vilnius and Riga in terms of safety. If any, I find Riga to be more touristy than Vilnius.
Hi Bino,
I am in the midst of planning a family trip to the Baltic cities and lucky enough to chanced upon your portal.
Will arrive at Tallinn from Helsinki in late afternoon on 20/5/2017 and leaving Riga on 26/5/2017 in the afternoon to catch a flight home from Stockholm.
Planned to stay 2 nights at Tallinn then head to Riga by Lux Express.
Planning to rent a car when we arrive in Riga. Will probably reach late afternoon or early evening. Total of 4 adults travelling together.
Undecided if we should just anchor all 4 nights at Riga and make days trips to nearby attractions like Sigulda, Jumala, Rundale Palace and crossing border to Hill of Crosses etc or stay a night at Vilnius.
Will we miss much if we skip Vilnus as i try not to spend too much time on the road?
Any suggestion of other must see places?
Thank you and looking forward to hear your valuable view.
Hi Siew, if you do plan to hire a car in Riga and since you have 4 days for this portion of the trip, technically you will have time to see Vilnius and still cover those sights you mentioned (though your stay in Vilnius will probably be limited to a night).
Hi Bing,
Thank you very much for your prompt reply!
Was a little concern about travelling 300 km to and fro but after reading your blog about the trip again decided that it is worth the drive!!
Thanks again for your time.
Just a point for correction:
Riga is known for Art Nouveau or Jugendstil, not Art Deco.
Thanks for pointing it out! I stand corrected, yes it should be Art Nouveau not Art Deco.
Did you know that more than half of Estonia is made up of rural villages, farmland and forests? We went to Tallinn back in March, but only for two days – we would have loved to do the KGB Museum & Tallinn Legends but we just didn’t have enough time. We definitely want to go back & also explore Estonia’s fabulously green countryside!
Hello
My partner and I plan on visiting the Baltic States in August of this year. We will have twelve days (not including the days of arrival and departure) and was wondering if it is feasible to visit all three capitals in that time? If not, we could visit Tallinn and Riga or Vilnius and Riga. We love to get to know cities that we visit so if only two capitals are best, we are fine with that. Thanks for your advice.
12 days for the 3 capitals is plenty of time! Enjoy 🙂
Hello Bino,
Just reading your info about the 3 Baltic cities which I hope to go to in June 2018.
But in about 12 days time I am off to your city,Singapore ,with my wife.
I know a lot about Singapore as I have visited it many time but I do not know much about restaurants on the island.
My wife has never been before and I would like to take her out to nice places,preferably with a view of Singapore by night but I know it is a fairly flat island with the highest point being Mt Faber,I believe.
ANY info about anything would be appreciated very much,
Happy New Year,
Max
Hi Max, I would recommend Artemis – it has a view of the CBD skyline including Marina Bay Sands.
New Asia Bar, level 70, Swissotel The Stamford. Part of the Equinox Complex. Different lifts off to the side – ask as you enter the foyer. Several restaurants up there as well. Fabulous views and a good happy hour. Sunset cocktails if you can. : )
This is a good overview of the cities, thanks! I’ll be going in May and right now my plan is to spend 1 day in Tallinn (from Helsinki) and then I have 5 days to visit Latvia and Lithuania. I could do 3 days in Riga, 2 in Vilnius or vice versa or 2 days each and then 1 day elsewhere. Would you have a strong recommendation either way?
Depends on what you want to see. Are you planning to do day trips? From Vilnius, you can go to Trakai.
Thank you Bino. This is exactly what I was looking for. I now think I will visit all three cities.
Best regards,
Gerry
Hi Bino,
Your post is very informative and useful for me.
We plan to visit Baltic States in 5 days of June 2018
However, I am afraid that it is too rush to go through 3 capitals in 5 days
Could you pls give us an advice which capital we should skip or keep going all 3 capitals in 5 days.
There are 3 of us, do you think we can rent apartment instead of hotel in Baltic states?
Is it easy for us to rent a car with driver in Baltic states
Many thanks for your advice in advance
Rgds,
Nga
Hi Bino,
Do you know if it’s worth visiting the 3 Baltic Capital Cities during Christmas time? Do the cities get decorated with Christmas lights?
Thanks,
Ligia
I can speak for Vilnius, since I live here now. A I can say is that Vilnius usually has the top- rated Christmas trees in the world – you can Google how beautiful it looks. The lights, the Christmas trains and merry people create and atmpshere of magic.
Hi Bino
Happened to chance upon your blog while searching for places to visit.
I am torn to visit Estonia, Riga and Lithuania but I have only 6 days..please advise me what will be the best way to see the 3 cities or just 2.
I arrive in Helsinki on 21 Nov night, so i guess i have no choice but to stay 1 night in Helsinki and will need to be in Rovaniemi on 28 Nov.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Thanks
Hey, I am Lithuanian and I know those 3 cities very well, I think you already planned your trip but I will give you a short insight. I would definitely stay more than 1 day in Vilnius just because of one reason. There are Trakai Island Castle and Uzutrakis Manor Palaze 40min away of the city. Those two destinations are very popular among tourists. I would say that Trakai city is even more touristy than Vilnius city. You need at least one day to explore it. If you have 6 days I would say – Vilnius (3 days), Riga (2 days), Tallinn (1 day)
As you said Vilnius is a big city so you should to know what do you want to visit in advance. Most people come here to see Trakai Island Castle, Uzutrakis Manor Palace, Gediminas’ Tower, Republic of Užupis, Gediminas Avenue etc. I would say that Trakai resort city which is located 40min away from Vilnius city is very touristy. Also there are many more good spots.
Having just completed a trip between these three cities, I would like to give my input.
Tallinn is probably my least favourite – the Old Town is the smallest and felt more like Disney Land rather than an authentic experience – very touristy and over-priced (probably because the Finish come so often and drive prices up).
Riga is probably my favourite – architecture is the best, Old Town was the perfect size and pedestrianised so was very easy and pleasant. Good nightlife and reasonable prices.
Vilnius – Old Town is the biggest of the bunch, has a fun nightlife, but architecture is not as impressive and cars can be annoying within Old Town.
I don’t know what part you visited in Tallinn’s Old town to say that it is the smallest? Riga’s old town is by the way the smallest. People also have so different opinions and taste.
You can give advice like – Tallinn is the smallest so you can be there only for 1 day, but there are more to see in Riga and Vilnius – but people have different taste. For example I liked Tallinn the most – the old town is the most medieval and you don’t see that very much in other European countries. Riga overall is the biggest in Baltics, the Old Town is beautiful but small. Riga’s old town has a bit different architecture as well – art nouveau style. That style you can see pretty much in other European cities as well, it’s beautiful but nothing new.
Vilnius is beautiful as well but it doesn’t have a see view or anything like Tallinn and Riga, so that’s a bit boring. The most churches are built there though.
Hi Bino,
We are planning a trip through baltics and our residential Google, that’s my daughter, chanced upon this post of yours.
Having gone through your post I am impressed with the details covered and the style of your writing. I found your post providing answers to most of the questions we have in our mind.
Tha कस for taking pains and writing this post. Let more post come from your pen.
Harshad, India
Hi Bino.
Thanks for your informative article on the Baltic Capitals. Do you know if there is rail service between the 3 cities ?
Thanks,
Bob, Bangkok, Thailand
Don’t think they have. But the 3 capitals are well-connected by bus!
Very nice blog! Baltic states are really unique places on the map of Europe. They evoke similar feeling as Warsaw in Poland, (where I currently live)-the mixture of the old and the new. I really recommend visiting the capital of Poland-beside amazing sites to sightsee, we have rich nightlife here. You can find here places for every budget from cheap pubs (the area near Rondo de Gaulle) to exclusive gentlemen clubs (New Orlean is my favorite).
I’ m going to Warsaw next weekend for my bachelor party. Thanks for your recommendation! cheers x
Thanks for this very informative post, am planning to go to Scandinavia mid-March, was planning a side trip to Tallin for easier day trip to Helsinki, but after reading your post, now thinking of going to Riga & Vilnius for at least 1 night each… my question is, how many hours is the bus trip from Tallin to Riga? & Riga to Vilnius? & is it possible to got to Copenhagen from Vilnius/Lithunia, for my trip back home instead of going back to Stockholm to be able to catch a train back to Copenhagen? Thank you so much!
hi, it was about 4 hours for the Tallinn to Riga bus trip. Around the same between Riga and Vilnius
Thanks for this post! You actually convinced me to fly to Riga for a long weekend. Cheers!