Vilnius to Riga via the Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace & Bauska Castle

My husband and I were the only two travelers on this bus tour from Vilnius to Riga. Discover Lithuania did contact me about a week in advance of our scheduled departure date that there weren’t enough purchased seats to make the trip unless we paid for another seat. Thus, we did have time to make alternate arrangements if we desired. As a result they allowed us to leave Vilnius an hour later than normally scheduled, and our driver honored our request to stop at a different restaurant than is normally on their tour.The driver was very great. As for the sites; I found the Hill of Crosses to be fascinating, but the Rundle castle just ok. I’ve seen many castles in other countries, and this one was not as interesting to me as others. Baska Castle was ok, but what I found more interesting was the setting with the lake and the trees in brilliant golden fall colors.

Exceeded our expectation
We were the only family in the tour so it was very nice. The guide/driver was very knowledgeable and
accommodating. We did everything that was in the itinerary.

Il miglior modo per andare da Vilnius a Riga
Un van comodissimo, un autista-guida eccellente che fornisce una serie di utilissime indicazioni e ti fa
scoprire posti molto interessanti sul tragitto. Non c’è miglior modo per trasferirsi da Vilnius a Riga!

This was a great day which was spaced out very well. It makes visiting 3 places of interest really easy, from the start when you get picked up from your hotel, to visiting the 3 places, to being dropped off at your next hotel in Riga.

That was very handy, as after the day of travelling and sightseeing, you don’t have to quickly get acquainted with a new city from a dropoff point, and walk to your hotel with your bag.

Our guide was knowledgeable about the 3 places and gave us plenty of insight into where we were about to visit, and was funny and laid back which made for a great trip. Also, coming around with us in the Bauskas castle/palace was a nice touch too! Sadly the castle is being renovated just now so you can’t get into that part, but that didn’t take anything away from this day.

I completely recommend doing this rather than taking the 4.5 hour direct bus between the cities!

I did this day tour from Vilnius to Riga in July 2019. The tour included stops at Hill of the Crosses in Lithuania, along with Rundale Palace and Bauska Castle in Latvia.

After I originally scheduled this as a group tour, the tour company, Discover Lithuania, contacted me three days prior to the tour and asked whether I’d be OK with starting the tour later than the original start time and also doing it as a private tour. I appreciated them consulting me in advance about the schedule change, and I agreed to do it as a private tour.

My guide for the tour was Andrius, who drove me to each site and explained the history of Lithuania, Latvia, and the Baltic region in great and very impressive detail both at each stop and in between stops. His knowledge and command of history and culture was outstanding. Andrius put a great deal of effort into explaining the history of each site and its cultural significance in Lithuania/Latvia. The tour also included a stop at a traditional Lithuanian restaurant, where I ate dumplings for lunch (but could not finish them because the portions were very large and filling!)

Hill of Crosses may be interesting not only to religious people (especially practicing Roman Catholics) but also to people who are interested in learning more about the resistance of the Lithuanian people to the Soviet occupation of the country. Rundale Palace is quite beautiful. The site dates back to the early 18th Century and offers both self-guided and guided tours and includes a stunning garden unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Bauska Castle is also an interesting site as a fortress along what was the main route of trade between Riga and Vilnius.

I highly recommend this tour for people who are interested in a more detailed and thorough understanding of Lithuanian and Latvian culture and history. I also commend this company for consulting me in advance about the schedule change and for not charging me the higher price for changing to a private tour – this is an indication of a reputable, honest company. This tour is also a much more interesting way of travelling from Vilnius to Riga than simply taking a bus directly. If you are planning to travel between the two cities and want to learn more about the history and culture of these countries, book this tour, and request Andrius as your guide. You will not be disappointed!