Riga: Bauska Castle, Rundale Palace & Hill of Crosses

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1/9

Duration8h

GroupUp to 8

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Two Countries, Three Castles, One Day from Riga

You visit three historic sites across two countries without arranging transport or entry tickets yourself. Start at Bauska Castle's renovated tower, move through Rundale Palace and its gardens at a quiet time of day, cross the Latvia-Lithuania border, and finish at the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania. The eight-hour round trip includes all entry fees, air-conditioned transport, and printed site information, with a minimum group size of three passengers.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit castles, palace, and Hill of Crosses

Photo stop at Bauska Medieval castle
Climb renovated viewing tower
Explore fortress ruins
Visit Rundale palace and gardens
Free time for lunch at palace
Stop at Latvia-Lithuania border for photo
Visit Hill of Crosses in Lithuania
Add a cross to Hill of Crosses (optional)

The Experience

You're probably wondering if you can actually fit two countries into a single day without it feeling rushed. The answer is yes, but only if someone else handles the driving and the timing. This tour does that — it starts in Riga and ends at the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, with Bauska Castle and Rundale Palace stacked in between. The whole thing takes eight hours, which sounds long until you realize you're not spending any of it figuring out which bus to catch or whether you've missed a turn.

Bauska Castle comes first, about an hour south of Riga. It's a medieval fortress that people genuinely compare to Game of Thrones sets, and there's a recently renovated tower you can climb for views of the surrounding grounds and the river below. You get free time to explore the ruins at your own pace, take photos, wander around — no guide narrating every stone. After that, the van heads to Rundale Palace, which locals call Latvia's little Versailles. The palace and its gardens are the kind of place that would have lines out the door in summer, but this tour hits it when crowds are thin. You can spend as long as you want inside or out, and there's a café if you want to grab lunch without leaving the grounds.

Then comes the border crossing into Lithuania. There's a photo stop at the Latvia-Lithuania border signs if you want it — one of those small moments that makes the "two countries in one day" thing feel real. The final stop is the Hill of Crosses, which is exactly what it sounds like: thousands of crosses planted on a hillside, each one left by someone with a reason. It's not a manicured tourist site. It's overwhelming in a way that's hard to describe until you're standing there. If you want to bring a cross of your own, you can, or you can buy one from locals selling them on site. The van brings you back to Riga in the evening.

The tour runs on a shared-ride basis, so you'll be traveling with other people — the minimum is three passengers for the day to depart. The vehicle is air-conditioned, the drivers are professional, and you get printed information sheets about each site so you're not dependent on a guide's commentary. It's the kind of setup that works if you like having structure but also want room to move at your own speed.

What’s included

Your day includes air-conditioned transport from Riga, entry to Bauska Castle's renovated tower, entry to Rundale Palace and its gardens, parking fees at all sites, printed information sheets about each location, and a border crossing into Lithuania with a photo stop at the Latvia-Lithuania signs.
Lunch is not included, though you have free time to eat at Rundale Palace's café or bring your own food.
The tour is a shared ride with other travelers, and the minimum group size is three passengers.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Latvian Gem

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see three major sites across two countries in a single day without arranging transport, tickets, or timing yourself — the fixed itinerary and included entry fees are what make it possible to fit everything in without stress.