South Lithuania Day Trip from Vilnius: Grutas Park & Dzukija

Nine hours south: ethnographic villages, a national park, and a Soviet sculpture garden

This nine-hour day trip from Vilnius travels south through Dzukija County to Grutas Park, a Soviet-era sculpture museum, with stops at the ethnographic Zervynos village, the Liskiava architectural ensemble and Merkine town. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with an English-speaking guide and lunch at the park. The route covers Lithuania's largest national park and moves at a moderate pace suited to travelers with reasonable fitness.

Step-by-step itinerary

South Lithuania sightseeing tour

• Pick up from Vilnius hotel
• Brief stop at Pirciupiai village
• Drive to south Lithuania and explore National Park
• Visit ethnographic Zervynos village
• Visit soviet Grutas Park and have lunch
• Visit Liskiava’s XVII century architectural ensemble
• Stop at Merkine town on return to Vilnius

The experience

The tour starts with hotel pickup in Vilnius and heads south into Dzukija County, passing through Pirciupiai village before entering the largest national park in Lithuania. The landscape shifts as you move deeper into the region, from the capital's urban edges to forests and river valleys that shape how Lithuanians have lived for centuries. The guide speaks English throughout and frames what you're seeing in the context of Lithuanian history, culture and nature.

Zervynos, an ethnographic village, gives you a close look at how rural communities preserved their way of life. From there, the route continues to Grutas Park, a Soviet-era open-air museum where monumental sculptures and statues stand among trees. A stark, unusual collection that tells its own story about the country's recent past. Lunch happens here, giving you time to walk the grounds and absorb the scale and strangeness of the place. The park sits eight kilometers from Druskininkai, a spa town on the Nemunas River, so the geography anchors the day's movement through the region.

On the return to Vilnius, the itinerary includes Liskiava, where a seventeenth-century architectural ensemble sits on the left bank of the Nemunas, and a stop in Merkine town before heading back. The nine-hour span means an early start and a late afternoon return, but it compresses a genuine cross-section of southern Lithuania into one day without rushing the major stops.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Vilnius.
• English-speaking guide for the full day.
• lunch at Grutas Park.
• access to all stops including Grutas Park, Zervynos ethnographic village, Liskiava's seventeenth-century ensemble and Merkine town.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availableNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Discover Lithuania

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to move beyond Vilnius and see how Lithuanian history, nature and culture shape the south of the country in a single day. The nine-hour commitment and moderate walking pace suit travelers who are comfortable on their feet for stretches but don't need a high-intensity itinerary. The fixed schedule means all four major stops fit inside one departure rather than requiring separate bookings.

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Top questions

What exactly is Grutas Park and why is it worth the drive south?

Grutas Park is an open-air museum of Soviet-era sculptures and monumental statues set among trees: a collection that emerged after Lithuania's independence as a way to preserve and contextualize the country's Soviet period. It's unusual and substantial enough to warrant the journey, and lunch is included there so you have time to explore on foot.

How much walking and physical effort does this day trip involve?

The tour is moderate in intensity. You'll walk through Grutas Park and the ethnographic village, and move between stops, but the pace is built for travelers with a reasonable level of fitness rather than hikers or athletes. The nine-hour span includes driving time, so active time on foot is spread across the day.

Does the guide speak English the whole time?

Yes, the guide speaks English throughout the tour and provides context on Lithuanian history, culture and nature at each stop, so you understand what you're seeing rather than just passing through.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay for separately?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, the English-speaking guide, and lunch at Grutas Park are all included. Food and drinks outside of lunch, and gratuities for the guide, are separate.

How long is the drive from Vilnius, and when would I be back?

The full tour runs nine hours from pickup to drop-off, so if you're picked up at 8am, you'd return around 5pm. Most of that time is spent at the stops and driving between them. The distance to Dzukija County and back is substantial, but the route is the point.