Destinations

Riga, Latvia Travel Guide

Art Nouveau, rye bread and the Daugava

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Why visit Riga

Riga packs roughly 800 Art Nouveau facades into the blocks around Alberta iela, and the Old Town’s St Peter’s tower is a short climb for the best view of the Daugava. The Central Market fills five former Zeppelin hangars with smoked fish, rye bread and grey peas. Trains from Riga Central reach the Jūrmala beach in half an hour, and a cellar beer still costs less than a coffee in Helsinki.

Last updated Aug 17, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

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Lock in the hotel first Live prices for Riga, Latvia - best-rate guarantee, free cancellation on most rooms. Search hotels on Booking Trains, buses & ferries in one place 12Go sells the seats local operators won't show you online, in English. Search routes on 12Go Skip the ticket queue Tiqets gets instant mobile tickets for the museums and landmarks worth pre-booking. Browse Tiqets attractions

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Getting to Riga

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Budget estimate

€588–€1,106 for 2 travelers · 7 nights

Typical daily budget: €42–€79 per person

Per person per day: food + local transport + activities (stays & flights excluded).

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Tipping in Latvia

Restaurants: 5-10% if not included. Service is often already included; a small tip for good service is a courtesy, not expected.

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Best time to visit Riga

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Getting there and around Riga

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3 days in Riga: what to eat & see

D1 Day 1

Morning

Vecrīga: Town Hall Square & the House of the Blackheads

Rupjmaize

Afternoon

Riga Central Market Zeppelin hangars

Skābu Kāpostu Zupa

Evening

St Peter’s Church tower at sunset

Grey Peas and Bacon

D2 Day 2

Morning

Alberta iela Art Nouveau walk

Salinātā Rudzu Rupjmaize

Afternoon

Latvian National Museum of Art & the Art Nouveau Museum

Evening

Latvian National Opera, then a cellar dinner in Vecrīga

D3 Day 3

Morning

Jūrmala: Majori beach & Dzintari Forest Park

Afternoon

Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum at Lake Jugla

Evening

Folk music cellar dinner at Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs

Grey Peas and Bacon

Eat your way through Riga

Browse all Latvia food

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Breads & Pastries

Salinātā Rudzu Rupjmaize

A sweetened dark Latvian rye bread, baked slowly in a tall tin so the crust turns sticky and caramelised - sliced thick for breakfast with butter or served at Midsummer and Christmas tables.

Latvia · Latvia (particularly Latgale and Vidzeme in eastern and central Latvia)

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Breads & Pastries

Rupjmaize

Rupjmaize is Latvia's national rye bread: dark, dense and sourdough-leavened with a chewy crust, served at almost every meal and baked all over the country.

Latvia · Nationwide

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