Riga to Vilnius tour: Bauska, Rundale, Hill of Crosses
Castle ruins and crosses spanning the border between Latvia and Lithuania in a single day.
This 8-hour guided tour departs Riga and ends in Vilnius, stopping at Bauska Castle (a 15th-century Livonian fortress and 16th-century ducal residence on a peninsula between two rivers), Rundale Palace (an 18th-century Baroque summer palace designed by the architect of the Winter Palace), and the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai (a hillside holding over 200,000 crosses as a monument to Lithuanian faith and resistance). You travel with a live English guide or a guidebook, comfortable transportation, and space for luggage. Entrance fees and meals are separate.
Step-by-step itinerary
Travel Riga to Vilnius via key sights
- Visit Bauska Castle complex
- Explore Rundale Palace and gardens
- See the Hill of Crosses monument
- Travel to Vilnius
What’s included
- Comfortable transportation service between all three stops.
- space for a reasonable amount of luggage.
- a live English guide or guidebook to explore at your own pace.
Times
Next departure: 1 Apr 2027
11 departing soon ›Before you book
Operated by Discover Lithuania
Prices and times updated 9 days ago
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The experience
Bauska Castle sits on a narrow strip of land where the Musa and Memele rivers converge, and you'll see both the restored ducal residence (now a museum) and the ruins of the older Livonian Order fortress from the 15th century. The castle was destroyed during the Great Northern War and only partially rebuilt, so the contrast between the two structures tells the story of occupation and recovery in a single view.
Rundale Palace, 15 kilometers from the Lithuanian border, was built in the 18th century as a summer residence for the Duke of Courland and designed by Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who also designed the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg. The palace has been fully restored after centuries of use as a hospital, school and grain storage, and the grounds and interior now draw visitors who compare it to Versailles. You'll have time to walk the palace and its gardens at your own pace.
The Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai is a small hill covered with over 200,000 crosses: a repository of Lithuanian cross-making art and a symbol of religious faith and resistance against occupation. It is one of the most sacred sites in Lithuania, and the scale of it (the sheer number of crosses covering the hillside) is what makes the spiritual weight of the place immediate. The tour ends in Vilnius, so this is a one-way journey, not a return to Riga.
Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to reach Vilnius without renting a car and need a day that connects three countries' worth of history: the two castles and the Hill of Crosses are spread across Latvia and Lithuania, and a single guided journey with fixed transport and timing is what makes all three stops fit into one day.
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Top questions
What is Bauska Castle and why does it have two different structures?
Bauska Castle consists of two parts: a Livonian Order fortress built in the middle of the 15th century, and a ducal residence constructed at the end of the 16th century for the Duke of Courland. The residence has been fully restored and now houses a museum, while only ruins remain of the older Livonian fortress after it was destroyed during the Great Northern War.
Who designed Rundale Palace and what was it built for?
Rundale Palace was designed by Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who also designed the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg. It was built in the 18th century as a summer residence for the Duke of Courland and is located 15 kilometers from the Lithuania–Latvia border.
How long is the tour and what does it include?
The tour runs 8 hours and includes comfortable transportation between the three stops, space for luggage, and either a live English guide or a guidebook so you can explore at your own pace. Entrance tickets to the sites and meals are not included.
What is the Hill of Crosses and why is it significant?
The Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai is a small hillside holding over 200,000 crosses, making it an authentic monument of Lithuanian religious folk art and a symbol of faith and resistance against occupation. It is one of the most sacred and spiritual places in Lithuania.
When does this tour run and what documents do I need?
The tour departs on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. A current valid passport is required on the day of travel, as the journey crosses from Latvia into Lithuania and ends in Vilnius rather than returning to Riga.
Riga to Vilnius tour: Bauska, Rundale, Hill of Crosses
8h · EN
from € 120 per person
≈ US$ 136 in your currency
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