KGB Museum Vilnius: Guided tour of former Soviet prison

Walk through the former KGB prison where political prisoners were held and killed

A guided tour of the KGB Museum in Vilnius takes you through the former Soviet secret police headquarters and prison, where you walk the cells, execution chamber and exhibitions on Soviet repression and Lithuania's independence struggle. The tour lasts about an hour with a professional guide speaking English or Norwegian; museum entry (6 EUR per person) is separate, and you can stay afterward to view additional exhibitions on deportations and resistance.

Step-by-step itinerary

Guided tour of KGB Museum

• Meet professional English/Norwegian guide
• Visit former KGB prison
• See executions chamber
• Explore modern exhibitions on resistance
• Learn about deportations and Soviet repression
• Walk through Jewish Holocaust chamber
• Tour lasts approximately 1 hour
• Stay after tour to view exhibitions independently

The Experience

The tour runs roughly an hour through the building where the KGB planned and carried out crimes for fifty years. Your guide leads you into the former prison where political prisoners were kept and tortured, shows you the chamber where death sentences were carried out, and walks you through modern exhibitions on the loss of independence, Soviet repressions and Lithuania's fight for freedom. One chamber is dedicated to the Jewish Holocaust—from 1941 to 1944 the building served as German Gestapo and SD headquarters, a prison and barracks where the Sonderkommando killed Jews and others.

Groups stay under 15 people, which keeps the experience intimate as you move through the spaces. Your guide speaks either English or Norwegian, so you follow the commentary in your own language. After the formal tour ends, you're welcome to stay in the museum and look at the picture exhibitions and displays on deportations, the KGB and the resistance movement—there's no time limit on that part.

The museum entrance ticket costs 6 EUR per person and is not included in the tour price, so you'll pay that separately at the door. Public transportation stops are nearby if you're traveling from elsewhere in Vilnius. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

What’s included

Professional guide in English or Norwegian; access to the former KGB prison, execution chamber and modern exhibitions on Soviet repression and Lithuania's independence struggle

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Norwegian English guide in Vilnius

Is this one for you?Choose the English-speaking guide if that's your working language, or the Norwegian option if you're more comfortable following along in Norwegian—either way, the guide delivers the history of the building and the Soviet regime's crimes in your language, so you catch the details that matter.

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Top questions

What exactly will I see inside the KGB Museum during the tour?

The tour takes you through the former KGB prison cells, the execution chamber, and modern exhibitions on Soviet repression and Lithuania's independence struggle. One chamber documents the Jewish Holocaust, since the building was used as German Gestapo headquarters from 1941 to 1944.

How long is the guided tour?

The guided portion lasts approximately one hour. After the tour ends, you can stay in the museum as long as you want to view the additional exhibitions on deportations and the resistance movement.

What languages does the guide speak?

The guide speaks either English or Norwegian, so you'll hear the commentary in one of those languages depending on which option you choose at checkout.

Is the museum entrance ticket included in the tour price?

No, the museum entrance ticket is not included. You pay 6 EUR per person for entry when you arrive at the museum.

How many people can join the tour?

Groups are limited to a maximum of 15 people per booking, keeping the experience manageable as you move through the former prison and exhibition spaces.