Latvia — find the right stay, from deciding to booking
“Riga's Art Nouveau, a World Heritage old town and Jūrmala beach”
Latvia is the heart of the Baltics, beautiful in both architecture and nature — Riga, the capital with the most Art Nouveau in the world and a World Heritage old town, Jūrmala beach on the Baltic Sea, pine forests and castles in the Gauja Valley, and a central market set in old zeppelin hangars — the best value in Europe, and easy to combine with Estonia and Lithuania.
Latvia at a glance
Choose a city in Latvia
Each city has its own things-to-do and food guides plus in-depth ranked hotel reviews with real photos and price comparison — start with the city that fits your trip.
Decide — is Latvia right for you?
Why people love Latvia, how it compares to its neighbors, and which travel style suits you
An Art Nouveau city
Riga has the most Art Nouveau buildings in the world, with the ornately decorated facades of Alberta Street.
Riga old town
The World Heritage central square, the House of the Blackheads, the cathedral and St. Peter's Church tower.
Riga Central Market
A market in old zeppelin hangars, the largest in Europe, with fresh food and local souvenirs.
Jūrmala
A Baltic seaside resort town with summer-style wooden houses, spas and pine forests.
The Gauja Valley
Gauja park, Turaida castle, Sigulda, and caves and sandstone cliffs in the forest.
Multicultural heritage
Churches, the great cathedral organ, and a layered German-Russian-Baltic history.
Latvia vs its neighbors
| Latvia | Estonia | Lithuania | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily budget (per person) | $45–90 | $50–100 | $45–90 |
| Visa (Thai passport) | Schengen | Schengen | Schengen |
| Known for | Art Nouveau · central market | Old town · digital | Baroque · Hill of Crosses |
| Capital | Riga (largest in the Baltics) | Tallinn | Vilnius |
| Prices | Best value | Good value | Best value |
Figures are rough per-person, per-day estimates — your real budget depends on your travel style.
How do you travel?
Architecture and old town
Base yourself in Riga — Art Nouveau, the World Heritage old town, the central market and cafes over 2–3 days.
See this plan → 🚌A three-country Baltic tour
Riga sits in the middle — take a bus on to Tallinn and Vilnius and see all of the Baltics in one trip.
See this plan → 🏖️Beach and nature
Jūrmala beach and spas, plus the castles and forests of the Gauja Valley, for the chill nature crowd.
See this plan →Plan — stay, eat, see
Start with where to stay (the heart of the trip), then add food and sights, and gauge your daily budget.
Find the stay you want
1 ranked reviews
No reviews match these filters — try removing some.
- 1🍞
Rupjmaize
A dark, richly sweet rye bread, a national pride, paired with butter, fish and cheese.
📍 Staple - 2🟢
Pelēkie zirņi
Grey peas boiled with bacon and onion — Latvia's national dish.
📍 National dish - 3🐟
Smoked fish
Smoked Baltic herring and lamprey, a souvenir from the central market.
📍 Seafood - 4🥧
Sklandrausis
A rye-pastry pie with sweet carrot-and-potato filling, an old sweet from the Kurzeme region.
📍 Dessert - 5🥃
Black Balsam
A dark, intense secret-recipe herbal liqueur, drunk neat or mixed into cocktails.
📍 Drink - 6🥣
Skābeņu zupa
A tangy sorrel-and-meat soup, warm in the Baltic style.
📍 Home cooking
- 1🏛️
Art Nouveau
Alberta and Elizabetes streets, with the most ornately decorated facades in the world.
📍 Riga - 2⛪
House of the Blackheads
A merchant guild building with an ornate gabled facade in the old town square, beautifully restored.
📍 Riga - 3🕍
Riga Cathedral
The largest brick cathedral in the Baltics, with a giant organ and the surrounding Dome Square.
📍 Riga - 4🛒
Central Market
A market in old zeppelin hangars, the largest in Europe, with fresh food, cheese, smoked fish and souvenirs.
📍 Riga - 5🏖️
Jūrmala
A white-sand seaside resort town with summer-style wooden houses, spas and pine forests.
📍 Near Riga - 6🏰
Turaida
A red-brick castle in the Gauja Valley with forest and valley views, near Gutmanis Cave.
📍 Sigulda
🚆 Getting around Latvia
Trams, buses and trolleys
Riga's transport network is good and cheap, but the old town is all walkable.
Baltic buses
Lux Express links Tallinn and Vilnius, with Riga as the Baltic hub.
Suburban trains
The Riga–Jūrmala train takes about 30 minutes, and trains run on to Sigulda (the Gauja Valley).
Riga Airport
RIX is the airBaltic hub and the largest in the Baltics, 20 minutes into the city by bus.
Walking the old town
The old town and Art Nouveau district are close together — easy to walk in a single day.
🛂 Etiquette & culture in Latvia
A love of singing
The grand choral song festivals and the "Singing Revolution" toward independence.
Reserved and polite
Latvians are fairly quiet and sincere, and value personal space.
The midsummer festival
Jāņi (midsummer) is the most important — bonfires, flower wreaths and celebrating all night.
Tipping ~10%
Tip around 10% in restaurants if you're happy (not required).
Shoes off indoors
It's customary to remove your shoes when entering a Latvian home.
💸 Daily budget — a rough guide
Budget
🛏️ Hostel / guesthouse $25–50
The best value in Europe — eat at the central market, walk the old town for free, and enjoy great-value cafes.
Comfortable
🛏️ 3–4★ hotel $50–100
Art Nouveau boutique hotels, restaurants and day trips to Jūrmala and Sigulda.
Premium
🛏️ Luxury hotel / spa resort $115+
Historic hotels, fine dining and Jūrmala spa resorts.
🗓️ When to visit Latvia
Summer
Jun – AugLong days, warm weather, a lively old town, Jūrmala beach open and the Jāņi festival — the best.
Late spring
MayPleasant weather, blooming flowers and lovely gardens, with fewer people than summer.
Christmas
DecThe Christmas market on Dome Square (Riga claims to be the birthplace of the Christmas tree), beautiful and cozy.
Autumn
Sep – OctLeaves turning in the Gauja Valley, fewer people and lower accommodation prices.
Book — hotels our team picked
If we had to pick just a few, we'd start with these three — compare prices across 3 sites.
Want to see every option in Latvia?
Browse all our ranked stay reviews — every budget and area, with real photos and price comparison.
View the top city guide →FAQ — visiting Latvia
How many days do I need in Latvia?+
2–3 days for Riga (old town, Art Nouveau, central market), or 4 days to add day trips to Jūrmala and Sigulda (the Gauja Valley).
Do Thai passport holders need a visa?+
Yes, apply for a Schengen visa in advance (it covers travel across Schengen Europe, including the other Baltic states).
Can I combine all three Baltic countries?+
Yes, easily — Riga sits in the middle, and a Lux Express bus reaches Tallinn (~4 hrs) or Vilnius (~4 hrs) for the full trip in one go.
Is Latvia expensive?+
It's excellent value in Europe — food, lodging and transport are very friendly on the wallet, perfect for backpackers and budget travelers.
Tips before you go to Latvia
- Walk Riga's old town and Art Nouveau district in one day (they're close together).
- The Riga central market is delicious and cheap, and great for souvenirs.
- Riga is the Baltic hub, with easy bus connections to Tallinn and Vilnius.
- It's the best value in Europe, ideal for budget travelers.
- Take a day trip to Jūrmala (beach) or Sigulda (castles and forest) by train.
- Try Black Balsam mixed into a cocktail or added to coffee.