There are so many reasons to visit the Baltics and in this Baltics itinerary, we’ll cover the best of each of the three countries.
While you will definitely want to hit the capital cities, depending on how much time you have, you may also want to explore some off-the-beaten-path destinations around the Baltic States as well. Especially along the coastline.
I spent two years living in Lithuania and explored the country expensively. I also visited the other Baltic States as often as I could.
You can check out all of my videos from Lithuania here as well as from Riga here and Tallinn here.
Which Countries are in the Baltics?
The Baltics consists of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. They are located to the north-east of Poland, north-west of Belarus, west of Russia and just across the Baltic Sea from Finland and Sweden.
All three countries are in the EU as well as the Schengen Zone and all three countries use the Euro as their currency.
If you are planning to fly into the country, you can get cheap flights from most European countries into Riga, Tallinn, or Vilnius. You can also take the Flixbus from other countries including Poland, Germany, or as far away as the Czech Republic.
You can take the ferry from Helsinki to reach Tallinn in a mere two hours.
Tallinn is a stunning city that you want to spend at least two days, if not three.
How Much Time in the Baltics?
If you plan to visit all three Baltic countries in a single trip, then you will want at least a week to explore the Baltics.
However, if you really want get to know each capital as well as explore a little bit more off-the-beaten-path spots, you should give yourself more like 10 days to two weeks.
After two weeks, you’ll be ready to eat something other than pork and potatoes.
One Week Baltics Itinerary
If you only have 7 days to explore the Baltics, you’ll want to focus your time on the capital cities and you don’t need to rent a car since all three cities have great public transportation options.
This itinerary works best if you start in either Lithuania or Estonia, that way you aren’t doubling back on yourself at any point in the trip.
We’ll start with Lithuania, but feel free to do this Baltic States itinerary in reverse.
Riga’s Central Market is a must-visit while you are visiting the city.
2 Days in Lithuania
Two full days is a good amount of time to explore all of the best things to do in Vilnius. From the Vilnius airport, you can hop in a Bolt (an app that function like Uber in this region of Europe) and get to the city center in about 10 minutes for roughly €8-10.
Alternatively, there is a bus that leaves from right outside of the terminal and takes you to the city center for 70 cents. Be sure to download the Trafi App onto your phone so that you can have a valid ticket.
Book a hotel in the old town like Kesminta Hotel or the Joseph Signature Hotel and you’ll be able to walk to almost all of the top attractions around the city.
A few of my favorite things to do in Vilnius include:
- KGB Museum
- Vilnius Cathedral
- Gediminas Tower
- Palace of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
- Užupis neighborhood
- Gates of Dawn
While you’re in the capital, you’ll also want to enjoy some of the local cuisine. If you have spent a lot of time in Poland or other Eastern European countries you may be familiar with some of the dishes here, but a few very local dishes that you’ll want to try in the Baltics include fried bread (Kepta Duona) as well as cold beet soup, usually only around in summer (Šaltibarsciai).
Check out our guide to all of the best restaurants in Vilnius so that you don’t miss out on the best eats. Read our full 2 days in Vilnius guide to have the perfect itinerary for this part of your trip.
Cold beet soup may not sound particularly appealing, but I promise you it is one of the most delicious and refreshing dishes you can have when visiting Lithuania in summer.
2 Days in Riga
It is a four hour bus ride from Vilnius to Riga. You can book it with Flixbus or with Luxexpress (my preferred option for this journey). Both buses make the same stops and take the same amount of time. Luxexpress costs a few Euros more.
If you want to make the most of your 7 days in the Baltics, try to take an early bus so you can get to Riga in time to spend at least a half day exploring.
You could easily spend more time in Riga, but two days will give you enough time to check out the old town, the different museums, and the fantastic nightlife.
Here are a few things to do in Riga that you won’t want to miss:
- Riga Cathedral
- St. Peter’s Church
- Riga Central Market
- The Freedom Monument
- Latvia Academy of Sciences Building
- Latvian National Museum of Art
- Eating at LIDO
While you’re visiting, be sure to check out all of the best best bars in Riga. While it’s trying to shed the reputation as a bachelor party destination in Europe, it still has some fantastic bars and live music not to miss.
Riga is such a beautiful and colorful city. Be sure to spend some time getting lost in the old town.
3 Days in Tallinn
While Vilnius and Riga are a little bit more alike in architecture, landscape, and even language, Tallinn feels like a completely different place.
That’s why I recommend spending a little bit more time here than the other two capital cities in the Baltics.
Getting to Tallinn also takes a little bit longer. From Riga it is just over four hours by bus to Tallinn. Again, try to travel either first thing in the morning or later at night so that you don’t use up too much of your short 7 days.
There are so many amazing things to do in Tallinn, especially if you love history, culture, art, and great food.
A few things you don’t want to miss include:
- Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom (if you only go to one museum in Tallinn, it should be this one)
- Tallinn Town Hall
- Town Hall Pharmacy (the oldest continuously operating pharmacy in Europe!)
- Nunnadetagune Torn
- KGB Prison Cells
- Kadriorg Park
- KUMU Estonian Art Museum
The restaurants in Tallinn are by far the best of the three capital cities. Both in terms of variety and quality.
If you want to have some great food and head where the locals are, stop into one of the restaurants or bars in Telliskivi. My personal favorites were F-Hoone, Põhja Konn, and Lendav Taldrik.
The Balti Jaama Turg is also a must visit in Tallinn. This market sells both fresh produce as well as ready-to-eat meals from different vendors.
There is local food like the spectacular dumplings from Pelmen Käsitöö Kohvik as well as delicious Uzbek food at Samba Family Bakers.
You’ll also find bao buns, burgers, and freshly made pasta here. It’s one of the best places to come for lunch around Tallinn.
Tallinn has so much history to explore, including the old city walls which you can still walk along.
10 Days in the Baltics Itinerary
Do you have more time?
How you spend it depends on what you love most and also what time of year you are visiting.
All of the options are in Lithuania because despite receiving the fewest visitors of all three Baltic States, Lithuania is actually the largest of the three nations.
There is so much to explore in this beautiful country, so if you have a few more days to spare, consider adding one or more of these spots to your Baltic States itinerary.
3 Days on the Baltic Coastline
If you are visiting in summer, I highly recommend using those three days to enjoy the Baltic coast.
That is best done in Lithuania along the Curonian Spit. This stunning strip of land is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in this region of Europe and for a fraction of what you would pay to stay along the Mediterranean at this time of year.
For a real local experience, book a hotel in Palanga. This is one of the most popular seaside destinations in Lithuania and is perfect if you are exploring the Baltics with your kids.
You can easily reach the coast from Vilnius by taking the train. The train goes to the port city of Klaipeda. From Klaipeda you can take the ferry to the Curonian Spit or you can hop on a bus to Palanga.
The Baltic coast in Lithuania is one of the most spectacular places to add to your Baltics itinerary.
Off-Season 10 Days in the Baltics
If you are visiting during the colder months (basically any time outside of July and August), then I recommend adding either Kaunas or Druskininkai to your Baltics Itinerary.
Kaunas is the perfect place for those that want more city exploration. This is the second largest city in Lithuania and is easily reached from Vilnius by either bus or train. Both take roughly one hour.
There are wonderful things to do in Kaunas and so many great restaurants in Kaunas. Don’t tell my Lithuanian friends, but it’s actually my favorite city in Lithuania. Watch a video of my most recent explorations in Kaunas here.
If you would prefer to get away from the cities and visit somewhere a little bit smaller, a little bit more rural, Druskininkai is the place to go. There are so many beautiful hiking trails, a stunning lake to walk around, a cute little town, and some of the country’s best spas (at a fraction of what you pay in most other European countries!).
Enjoy the Health Circle spa experience which is unlike any spa experience I have ever had. Go indoor skiing at the Snow Arena and have dinner at Velvetti (one of my favorite meals I’ve eaten in all of the Baltics!).
With 10 days you can explore one of these extra destinations for two days while also adding an additional day either in Vilnius or Riga to have more time to get to know these beautiful cities.
Vilnius has so much history and culture to explore on a trip to the Baltics.
Final Thoughts on Explore the Baltic States
As you can see, it’s very easy to fill 10 days in the Baltics. You’ll wish you had more time to visit places like Saaremaa Island in Estonia or all of the historic castles around rural Latvia.
These countries are small and getting around and between them is easy and affordable. As prices rise across Europe, this region is certainly not immune.
However, you can still get a bargain European vacation packed with history, culture, and delicious food at a lower price than many other destinations around Europe.