Baltics, The Ultimate Guide: Tallinn, Riga & Vilnius.
Baltic Basics
🏙️ Culture
Most locals will speak their native tongue (Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian). Everyone will speak at least one foreign language, for those under 40, that language will likely be English. Especially within the cities, there should be minimal communication issues when visiting restaurants or museums.
Fun Fact! While Latvian & Lithuanian are Indo-European languages, the same family as English. Estonian, is Uralic which is closely related to Finnish and the Finnic branch of the Uralic Family.
Safety is always a concern when travelling, especially to more unknown regions. All Baltic States are generally very safe. In the larger cities the only concerns are for pickpockets in crowded areas such as public transport or tourist spots.
The food has many similarities to those of their Slavic neighbors, A large diversity in Potato-based foods will be common, and Beets will be especially common in Lithuania. Smoked fish anywhere near the Sea will be a must-try and makes up a substantial part of the diet. Many dishes will seem strange, but make sure to give them a try!
Often locals can appear cold and unfriendly, but that's just due to their lack of over-emotion. Just because they smile less, doesn't mean they are unfriendly.
Don't be scared, and once you get to know someone, they are quick to open up.
📆 When to Travel?
The late spring and summer (May-August) will be the best time to visit the region. Temperatures can reach 30*C during the day, but will cool off to around 15*C at night.
With the region being northern, the days are quite lengthy in the summer, daylight can last up to 18 hours a day.
December, around Christmas, is a gem of a time to visit the Baltics, as when they turn white with snow, they offer some of the most picturesque Christmas Markets in all of Europe. Tallinn is especially known for its market in the Old Town.
💵 Money
All three countries have adopted the Euro. At this time €1 = $1.10 USD.
Tap payments (Apple/Google Pay), and cards are widely accepted in the major cities. Cash can be useful in rural areas and smaller markets.
Average Daily Cost: Expect to spend around €50-75 each day, excluding accommodations.
You will find prices lower than in the rest of Europe, with minimal variation between the three countries.
A sit down meal with a drink can be about €20.
A coffee and pastry will cost about €3 each.
Tipping! While its becoming more common, it still is not a requirement, and only really used as a sign of gratitude for a nicer meal. 5-10% is more than enough.
🚌 Transport
Maps
Google or Apple Maps are widely available throughout the region, and will even include public transport routes and timetables.
Ferry
An extremely popular way to travel to Tallinn and the Baltics is through the Tallink Ferry. Tickets are roughly €35 and the crossing takes about 2hours.
Both cities can be done as a day trip from one another. Tallinn is an extremely popular day trip from Helsinki for both tourists and Finnish people (Cheaper alcohol). If you plan on staying in Estonia, I'd highly recommend adding an extra day and crossing north to Helsinki.
Flights
Riga has the largest airport of the Baltic States with the operator Air Baltic having a vast and modern network of routes. However starting in the middle of the 3 countries isn't the most time efficient way of traveling, which means if flying into Tallinn or Lithuania aren't options, then Helsinki or Warsaw will be the best choices.
As mentioned above, Helsinki, being the major city in the region has a larger network of connections through the airport, and getting from the Airport, to Tallinn takes about 3hours, via train, tram, and ferry.
Warsaw also offers fantastic connections to the Baltics from all around Europe and North America. LOT, Poland flag carrier has over 14+ daily flights into the region, with around half of them being to Vilnius, which you can fly into and make your way north and leave through Tallinn or Helsinki.
Buses
How will you get between the three cities? Until Rail Baltica becomes a reality, which will offer high-speed trains from Helsinki to Warsaw, the easiest way to get around the region is by bus.
Both LUX Express & FlixBus offer fantastic services at reasonable prices. Tickets between capitals can be regularly be had from as low as €10.
Travel times between each capital are roughly 4h.
Tallinn - Riga: 4h
Riga - Vilnius: 3h:30min
BOLT
Available throughout the region, this rideshare app is the most common for locals.
It also offers food delivery, grocery dropoff, car rentals, and bikes/scooters to get around on 2-wheels.
Uber is less used, as it's only available in Tallinn, and the whole of Lithuania. It does not operate in Latvia.
Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn sits at the top of the Baltics on the Gulf of Finland. It's a cozy capital city with under 500,000 inhabitants. The crisp, clean air makes traveling around the historic Medieval Old Town a very relaxing and enchanting experience.
The more in-depth map can be saved below:
The Basics
📆 How Many Days?
Old Town Tallinn can be seen as a day trip from Helsinki.
However, it's best to experience the city as a destination. With everything the city and surrounding areas have to offer, you can easily spend 2-4 days in Estonia.
🎫 Tallinn Card
If I have one tip for Tallinn, it's this card. The Old Town is littered with 43+ Museums, big and small, hidden around the town. With this card, you don't need to worry about paying €5-10-20 at each museum, and it gives you absolute freedom to explore in and out of any museum you pass by. It also includes free public transportation within the city!
⛴️ Transport
Tallinn is incredibly walkable, especially within the Old Town. Travel around the rest of the city is easy with the large network of Trams and buses. Tickets are €2, but free with the above-mentioned Tallinn Card.
For Tourists, the main railway station won't be of much use as trains from here are primarily regional, and train travel to Latvia is possible, but requires a transfer near the border with separate tickets.
Slightly outside the city, the bus terminal can be accessed by tram. It's fresh and modern and tickets are generally cheap, this is where FlixBus & LUX Express depart from.
A Major way people visit the city is through the port. Just a short 15min walk from the Old Town gates. It is separated into different terminals (A-D), so if you depart, be sure you arrive at the correct one. Terminal D is typically the departure for Tallink to Helsinki.
A 20min Tram or Train ride to the edge of the city, the Tallinn airport has flights to and from all over Europe. Most rental car agencies will be located at the airport.
What To Do
👣 Local Tour
🏰 Tallinn Old Town
The Old Town is what most people will visit when in Tallinn. It is truly a living museum, loaded with museums and landmarks that you can wander around for days.The Visit Tallinn website is fantastic and loaded with knowledge so you can pre-determine what is worth checking out.
Within the Old Town walls, be sure to check out:
🔭 Three popular viewpoints in the Old Town:
📍 Places of Interest
Outside The Walls:
☕ Cafes & Bakery
🍬 Sweet Treats
🍽️ Where to eat
🍻 Bars, Breweries & Clubs
Day Trip Outside Tallinn
🏕️ Lahemaa National Park
🏨 Where to Stay
Riga, Latvia
Situated at the mouth of the Daugava River. Riga is known for its wooden buildings, art nouveau architecture, and colorful old town!
The more in-depth map can be saved below:
The Basics
📆 How Many Days?
Riga's gorgeous Old Town is smaller in area size than Tallinn. The city itself has more to offer and the Latvian nightlife is something to experience.
2-3 days will ensure you have plenty of time to visit the Old Town and get out to see the sights that Riga has to offer.
🍷 Black Balsam
The national drink of Latvia, it has a very unique flavor. A mix of earthy tones, with more punchy notes of citrus and ginger, with an assortment of spices. It isn't for everyone, but its worth a try!
🌊 Beaches?
Surprisingly yes! Especially during July-August, the Baltic Coast offers fantastic beaches, and getting outside Riga and is extremely easy.
Jurmala is just 35min outside Riga, and very accessible by train. Both the town and beaches make for a fantastic day trip!
✈️ Transport
Air Baltic is based out of Riga. They have an expansive fleet with the largest network of destinations of anyone in the Baltic States.
The bus takes about 30min to the city center.
Taxi or rideshare take about 20min.
The Latvian train network is quite useful, this is where you can catch trains throughout the country.
Intercity buses will arrive and depart from here. This is where you can catch LUX Express or FlixBus. Stop by the market hall for snacks before the journey onward.
What To Do
👣 Local Tour
📍 Places of Interest
🍽️ Where to Eat
☕ Cafes & Bakery
🍻 Bars, Breweries & Clubs
🏨 Where to Stay
Vilnius, Lithuania
Vilnius is seen especially for its large and well-preserved medieval Old Town. Named after the city, Vilnian Baroque architecture can be seen throughout the city.
The more in-depth map can be saved below:
The Basics
🥣 Pink Soup - Šaltibarščiai
Pink soup is a must when visiting Lithuania. All Slavic countries have their own version of a cold borscht, and in Lithuania, the pink soup is theirs!
Perfect for a hot summers day, the soup is made of fermented milk and beetroot, which gives it the pink color.
Lithuanians are so in love with the soup, it has its own 'Pink Soup Fest' annually in Vilnius during the first weekend in June.
📆 How Long To Stay?
Vilnius, like Tallinn, has a well-preserved medieval Old Town. Unlike Tallinn, there are more neighborhoods in Vilnius to explore, including Užupis which is a separate republic within the city.
Visitors can easily fill 2 full days of items into their itinerary and should have no problem stretching it into 3 or 4.
🎫 Vilnius Pass
Free coffee while you tour the city? Sign me up! The Vilnius Pass is a must-have for touring around the city. It gives free or discounted access to every museum in the city, it also provides discounts at shops and restaurants throughout the city!
🚆 Transport
What To Do
👣 Local Tours
📍 Places of Interest
🍽️ Where To Eat
☕ Café & Bakery
🍻 Bars, Breweries & Clubs
🏨 Where to Stay
📍 Our Other Guides
Baltics, The Ultimate Guide: Tallinn, Riga & Vilnius.
Baltic Basics
🏙️ Culture
Most locals will speak their native tongue (Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian). Everyone will speak at least one foreign language, for those under 40, that language will likely be English. Especially within the cities, there should be minimal communication issues when visiting restaurants or museums.
Fun Fact! While Latvian & Lithuanian are Indo-European languages, the same family as English. Estonian, is Uralic which is closely related to Finnish and the Finnic branch of the Uralic Family.
Safety is always a concern when travelling, especially to more unknown regions. All Baltic States are generally very safe. In the larger cities the only concerns are for pickpockets in crowded areas such as public transport or tourist spots.
The food has many similarities to those of their Slavic neighbors, A large diversity in Potato-based foods will be common, and Beets will be especially common in Lithuania. Smoked fish anywhere near the Sea will be a must-try and makes up a substantial part of the diet. Many dishes will seem strange, but make sure to give them a try!
Often locals can appear cold and unfriendly, but that's just due to their lack of over-emotion. Just because they smile less, doesn't mean they are unfriendly.
Don't be scared, and once you get to know someone, they are quick to open up.
📆 When to Travel?
The late spring and summer (May-August) will be the best time to visit the region. Temperatures can reach 30*C during the day, but will cool off to around 15*C at night.
With the region being northern, the days are quite lengthy in the summer, daylight can last up to 18 hours a day.
December, around Christmas, is a gem of a time to visit the Baltics, as when they turn white with snow, they offer some of the most picturesque Christmas Markets in all of Europe. Tallinn is especially known for its market in the Old Town.
💵 Money
All three countries have adopted the Euro. At this time €1 = $1.10 USD.
Tap payments (Apple/Google Pay), and cards are widely accepted in the major cities. Cash can be useful in rural areas and smaller markets.
Average Daily Cost: Expect to spend around €50-75 each day, excluding accommodations.
You will find prices lower than in the rest of Europe, with minimal variation between the three countries.
A sit down meal with a drink can be about €20.
A coffee and pastry will cost about €3 each.
Tipping! While its becoming more common, it still is not a requirement, and only really used as a sign of gratitude for a nicer meal. 5-10% is more than enough.
🚌 Transport
Maps
Google or Apple Maps are widely available throughout the region, and will even include public transport routes and timetables.
Ferry
An extremely popular way to travel to Tallinn and the Baltics is through the Tallink Ferry. Tickets are roughly €35 and the crossing takes about 2hours.
Both cities can be done as a day trip from one another. Tallinn is an extremely popular day trip from Helsinki for both tourists and Finnish people (Cheaper alcohol). If you plan on staying in Estonia, I'd highly recommend adding an extra day and crossing north to Helsinki.
Flights
Riga has the largest airport of the Baltic States with the operator Air Baltic having a vast and modern network of routes. However starting in the middle of the 3 countries isn't the most time efficient way of traveling, which means if flying into Tallinn or Lithuania aren't options, then Helsinki or Warsaw will be the best choices.
As mentioned above, Helsinki, being the major city in the region has a larger network of connections through the airport, and getting from the Airport, to Tallinn takes about 3hours, via train, tram, and ferry.
Warsaw also offers fantastic connections to the Baltics from all around Europe and North America. LOT, Poland flag carrier has over 14+ daily flights into the region, with around half of them being to Vilnius, which you can fly into and make your way north and leave through Tallinn or Helsinki.
Buses
How will you get between the three cities? Until Rail Baltica becomes a reality, which will offer high-speed trains from Helsinki to Warsaw, the easiest way to get around the region is by bus.
Both LUX Express & FlixBus offer fantastic services at reasonable prices. Tickets between capitals can be regularly be had from as low as €10.
Travel times between each capital are roughly 4h.
Tallinn - Riga: 4h
Riga - Vilnius: 3h:30min
BOLT
Available throughout the region, this rideshare app is the most common for locals.
It also offers food delivery, grocery dropoff, car rentals, and bikes/scooters to get around on 2-wheels.
Uber is less used, as it's only available in Tallinn, and the whole of Lithuania. It does not operate in Latvia.
Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn sits at the top of the Baltics on the Gulf of Finland. It's a cozy capital city with under 500,000 inhabitants. The crisp, clean air makes traveling around the historic Medieval Old Town a very relaxing and enchanting experience.
The more in-depth map can be saved below:
The Basics
📆 How Many Days?
Old Town Tallinn can be seen as a day trip from Helsinki.
However, it's best to experience the city as a destination. With everything the city and surrounding areas have to offer, you can easily spend 2-4 days in Estonia.
🎫 Tallinn Card
If I have one tip for Tallinn, it's this card. The Old Town is littered with 43+ Museums, big and small, hidden around the town. With this card, you don't need to worry about paying €5-10-20 at each museum, and it gives you absolute freedom to explore in and out of any museum you pass by. It also includes free public transportation within the city!
⛴️ Transport
Tallinn is incredibly walkable, especially within the Old Town. Travel around the rest of the city is easy with the large network of Trams and buses. Tickets are €2, but free with the above-mentioned Tallinn Card.
For Tourists, the main railway station won't be of much use as trains from here are primarily regional, and train travel to Latvia is possible, but requires a transfer near the border with separate tickets.
Slightly outside the city, the bus terminal can be accessed by tram. It's fresh and modern and tickets are generally cheap, this is where FlixBus & LUX Express depart from.
A Major way people visit the city is through the port. Just a short 15min walk from the Old Town gates. It is separated into different terminals (A-D), so if you depart, be sure you arrive at the correct one. Terminal D is typically the departure for Tallink to Helsinki.
A 20min Tram or Train ride to the edge of the city, the Tallinn airport has flights to and from all over Europe. Most rental car agencies will be located at the airport.
What To Do
👣 Local Tour
🏰 Tallinn Old Town
The Old Town is what most people will visit when in Tallinn. It is truly a living museum, loaded with museums and landmarks that you can wander around for days.The Visit Tallinn website is fantastic and loaded with knowledge so you can pre-determine what is worth checking out.
Within the Old Town walls, be sure to check out:
🔭 Three popular viewpoints in the Old Town:
📍 Places of Interest
Outside The Walls:
☕ Cafes & Bakery
🍬 Sweet Treats
🍽️ Where to eat
🍻 Bars, Breweries & Clubs
Day Trip Outside Tallinn
🏕️ Lahemaa National Park
🏨 Where to Stay
Riga, Latvia
Situated at the mouth of the Daugava River. Riga is known for its wooden buildings, art nouveau architecture, and colorful old town!
The more in-depth map can be saved below:
The Basics
📆 How Many Days?
Riga's gorgeous Old Town is smaller in area size than Tallinn. The city itself has more to offer and the Latvian nightlife is something to experience.
2-3 days will ensure you have plenty of time to visit the Old Town and get out to see the sights that Riga has to offer.
🍷 Black Balsam
The national drink of Latvia, it has a very unique flavor. A mix of earthy tones, with more punchy notes of citrus and ginger, with an assortment of spices. It isn't for everyone, but its worth a try!
🌊 Beaches?
Surprisingly yes! Especially during July-August, the Baltic Coast offers fantastic beaches, and getting outside Riga and is extremely easy.
Jurmala is just 35min outside Riga, and very accessible by train. Both the town and beaches make for a fantastic day trip!
✈️ Transport
Air Baltic is based out of Riga. They have an expansive fleet with the largest network of destinations of anyone in the Baltic States.
The bus takes about 30min to the city center.
Taxi or rideshare take about 20min.
The Latvian train network is quite useful, this is where you can catch trains throughout the country.
Intercity buses will arrive and depart from here. This is where you can catch LUX Express or FlixBus. Stop by the market hall for snacks before the journey onward.
What To Do
👣 Local Tour
📍 Places of Interest
🍽️ Where to Eat
☕ Cafes & Bakery
🍻 Bars, Breweries & Clubs
🏨 Where to Stay
Vilnius, Lithuania
Vilnius is seen especially for its large and well-preserved medieval Old Town. Named after the city, Vilnian Baroque architecture can be seen throughout the city.
The more in-depth map can be saved below:
The Basics
🥣 Pink Soup - Šaltibarščiai
Pink soup is a must when visiting Lithuania. All Slavic countries have their own version of a cold borscht, and in Lithuania, the pink soup is theirs!
Perfect for a hot summers day, the soup is made of fermented milk and beetroot, which gives it the pink color.
Lithuanians are so in love with the soup, it has its own 'Pink Soup Fest' annually in Vilnius during the first weekend in June.
📆 How Long To Stay?
Vilnius, like Tallinn, has a well-preserved medieval Old Town. Unlike Tallinn, there are more neighborhoods in Vilnius to explore, including Užupis which is a separate republic within the city.
Visitors can easily fill 2 full days of items into their itinerary and should have no problem stretching it into 3 or 4.
🎫 Vilnius Pass
Free coffee while you tour the city? Sign me up! The Vilnius Pass is a must-have for touring around the city. It gives free or discounted access to every museum in the city, it also provides discounts at shops and restaurants throughout the city!
🚆 Transport
What To Do
👣 Local Tours
📍 Places of Interest
🍽️ Where To Eat
☕ Café & Bakery
🍻 Bars, Breweries & Clubs
🏨 Where to Stay
📍 Our Other Guides