Riga: your first hour after landing
You have just landed at Riga International, 10 km from a walkable Old Town of guild halls and Art Nouveau streets. This guide covers the bus 22 and Bolt arrival, trams and trains, where to sleep from a five-star on Raiņa bulvāris to a family-run Centrs courtyard, a first plate of grey peas, Sigulda and Turaida's castles, Rundale Palace, Ķemeri's bog boardwalk and Jūrmala's beach, and the €1 tourist tax that rides on the room.
In this guide
You just landed in Riga. The move is bus 22 from outside Arrivals E for €1.50 — or Bolt door to door for about €12 — with an eSIM keeping you connected from the terminal, a €5 day ticket covering the trams, the €1-a-night tourist tax on the room, and the castle and bog days that sell out first worth booking ahead through GetYourGuide.
Quick facts
Airport
Getting in
Currency
Languages
Time zone
Emergency
Plugs
Tap water
Tourist tax
Best months
Map
Stays, sights, and landmarks in Riga — live hotel prices plus the key places from this guide.
Settle in
Land at RIX and keep it simple: the airport sits 10 km from the Old Town, the bus stop is across car park P1 from Arrivals E, and the centre is walkable once you arrive. Choose bus 22 or Bolt before you land and the first hour takes care of itself.
Set up your data before you leave the terminal: an Airalo eSIM loads a Latvia plan in minutes, so Bolt, the Mobilly ticket app and maps work from the kerb. Compare Saily and Yesim for a longer Baltic trip.
Run the arrival checklist in this order:
- Buy the €1.50 90-minute ticket in the Mobilly app or at the machine by the bus stop, and register it on boarding
- Ride bus 22 to 11. novembra krastmala for the Old Town, or stay on for Centrālā stacija, the central station
- Check the tax line when the hotel quotes your rate: Riga's municipal fee adds €1 a night per adult, capped at €10 a stay
If a delayed or cancelled flight wrecked the arrival, AirHelp checks whether the airline owes you compensation.
Getting around
Times are airport to city centre.
Bus 22
The only direct public transport from RIX: €1.50 in the Mobilly app or at the stop machine, €1.81 from the driver by bank card; get off at 11. novembra krastmala for the Old Town
Bolt
Book in the app and follow its pickup point outside Arrivals E; prices surge with flight banks and late-night demand, and an XL costs a few euros more
Rank taxi
Licensed rank outside arrivals — take it only with the meter running; drivers touting inside the terminal quote many times the metered fare
Pre-booked transfer
Pre-booked driver waiting in arrivals with a name board at a fixed price; the calm option for late arrivals, groups and heavy luggage
RIX has no train station yet — the Rail Baltica airport station is still being built — so the road does everything: bus 22, Bolt, taxis and transfers cross the Daugava on the Stone Bridge (Akmens tilts) into the centre.
In the city, walk first: the Old Town (Vecrīga) is closed to through traffic and barely a kilometre across. Beyond it, trams, trolleybuses and buses run on one ticket system — a 90-minute ticket is €1.50, 24 hours €5, three days €8 and five days €10, bought in the Mobilly app, at Narvesen kiosks or at stop machines, and registered every time you board. Only bus 22 sells tickets on board, by bank card at €1.81. Trains from Centrālā stacija are the day-trip tool: Jūrmala (Majori) takes about 30 minutes for about €2, Sigulda about an hour for about €3.
Prefer to be met? A Kiwitaxi transfer or a Welcome Pickups driver puts a name board in arrivals at a fixed price. Driving yourself, price the pickup on AutoEurope first, then read the parking notes under Safety before you commit.
In the city
Start at Town Hall Square (Rātslaukums): the rebuilt House of the Blackheads, all gables and statues, faces the Latvian Riflemen monument across the square. Go inside for the celebration halls and medieval cellars, then climb St Peter's Church tower — the lift ride gives you the Old Town roofline, the Daugava and the market halls in one turn.
Walk the Old Town lanes north: Riga Cathedral (Doma laukums), the largest medieval church in the Baltics, the Three Brothers houses on Mazā Pils iela, and the Swedish Gate, the only surviving city gate. Treat the Freedom Monument with respect — a guarded national symbol, not a climbing frame.
Cross to Centrs for the Art Nouveau quarter: Alberta iela and Elizabetes iela carry whole streets of 1901 to 1908 facades — eagles, sphinxes and screaming masks — and the Art Nouveau Museum at Alberta iela 12 keeps an original 1903 interior. Finish at the Central Market (Nēģu iela 7), five Zeppelin-hangar pavilions of smoked fish, rye and pickles beside the station.
Book the organised days before you arrive, because the small-group tours sell out first — browse the Riga listings on GetYourGuide for castles and bog boardwalks, and compare Klook when stacking tickets.
After you land in Riga: Bookable experiences
Where to stay your first nights
Grand Poet Hotel by Semarah.
Best for the five-star splurge between the Freedom Monument and Bastion HillThe five-star at Raiņa bulvāris 5/6, between the Freedom Monument and Bastion Hill: 168 rooms in three joined historic buildings, an indoor pool and spa, and the Snob restaurant. Book it for the full-service base at the Old Town gate.
Wellton Riverside SPA Hotel.
Best for a riverside spa base on the Old Town edge by the Stone BridgeA 265-room four-star superior at 11. novembra krastmala 33, on the Old Town river edge by the Stone Bridge: river-view rooms, a spa floor with pool and hammam, and St Peter's three minutes away. Book it for spa comfort without splurge pricing.
Hotel Edvards.
Best for a quiet family-run base in Centrs, ten minutes from the Freedom MonumentA family-run three-star at Dzirnavu iela 45/47 in a quiet Centrs courtyard: generous rooms, a breakfast guests praise, and the Freedom Monument ten minutes on foot. Book it for a calm, cared-for base at hostel-plus prices.
Stay inside the Old Town for the postcard lanes and late noise, or a street outside it in Centrs for bigger rooms and lower rates. Everything central is a 15-minute walk from Town Hall Square, so choose on the building, not the map pin.
Confirm whether the quoted total includes Riga's €1-a-night municipal fee, and ask about late check-in if your flight lands after midnight — the N22 night bus and Bolt both run, but small-hotel desks thin out.
Where to eat first
Eat Latvian on day one: dark rye bread (rupjmaize), grey peas with speck, smoked fish, and a measure of Riga Black Balsam, the 24-herb liqueur poured since 1752. Three first stops:
Riga Central Market.
Graze the five hangar pavilions by the station — smoked eel and sprats in the fish hall, pickles, honey and rye in the food halls, and cheap hot lunches in the gastro market. Go before noon for the full spread.
Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs.
A vaulted cellar at Peldu iela 19 in the Old Town serving Latvian plates — grey peas, pork and potato dishes — with folk nights and local beer. Book for weekend evenings.
LIDO Atpūtas centrs.
The wooden windmill complex at Krasta iela 76: a canteen line of Latvian classics priced by the tray, its own brewery and a skating rink in winter. Ride tram 7 or a short Bolt out; every Riga family knows it.
Know before you sit down: Old Town terraces on the main squares price for the view — one street back is the same kitchen money minus the square premium. For food tours and tastings, browse the Riga listings on GetYourGuide and book ahead.
Day trips and more
Riga's best days run in three directions: the castles of the Gauja valley, the baroque palace road south to the Hill of Crosses, and the bog boardwalks and beaches west at Ķemeri and Jūrmala.
Sigulda and Turaida
A six-hour small-group run into Gauja National Park: the medieval ruins of Sigulda Castle, Gutman's Cave — the largest in the Baltics — the red-brick Turaida Castle tower and the Sigulda bobsleigh track. Rated 4.8/5 from 186 reviews, from about US$62. Check availability →
Rundale Palace and the Hill of Crosses
A nine-hour guided day crossing into Lithuania: the Hill of Crosses, a live-guided visit inside Rundale Palace — Latvia's finest baroque interior — Bauska Castle between its two rivers, and a Riga Black Balsam tasting. Rated 4.9/5 from 315 reviews, from about US$107. Check availability →
Ķemeri Bog and Jūrmala
A six-hour small-group trip west: the raised boardwalk over Ķemeri's moss bogs and black pools, the old spa town's sanatorium park, then Jūrmala's wooden villas, Jomas iela cafés and long sand beach. Rated 4.8/5 from 104 reviews, from about US$53. Check availability →
Doing it yourself is easy too: trains from Centrālā stacija reach Majori in Jūrmala in about 30 minutes for about €2 — but note drivers pay a €5 vehicle entry fee to enter Jūrmala, which the train avoids entirely.
When to go and what it costs
May to September is the sweet spot: 17 to 22°C, daylight past 22:00 in June, terraces open and Jūrmala trains busy. October turns sharp and golden, November dark and quiet, and December buys the Christmas market at the price of six hours of daylight and temperatures below zero. January and February are cheapest and coldest — pack for minus 10°C and icy lanes.
Budget honestly; Riga stays gentle by capital standards. A backpacker in a hostel dorm, on bus 22 and market lunches: €35 to €50 a day. Mid-range — a four-star room, sit-down dinners and a paid tour: €80 to €120 a day. A splurge day passes €200.
What to pack
Tap items to check them off — your list is saved on this device.
Pack for cobbles, river wind and weather that changes twice a day. This is the full list:
- Comfortable walking shoes Shop walking shoes on Amazon →
- Sunscreen Shop sunscreen on Amazon →
- Reusable water bottle Shop water bottle on Amazon →
- Phone charger and power bank Shop power bank on Amazon →
- Daypack Shop daypack on Amazon →
- Sunglasses Shop sunglasses on Amazon →
- Light rain jacket Shop rain jacket on Amazon →
Add the Riga extras: a real winter layer from November to March — hat, gloves and shoes that grip ice — and a swimsuit in summer for Jūrmala and the hotel spas. In June the sun barely sets, so pack an eye mask if light wakes you.
Language, visa and entry
! Check visa requirements before you fly
Latvian runs Riga. Hotel, café and younger staff work in English across the centre, but a greeting before a question is local etiquette — open with sveiki.
Four phrases do most of the work:
Sort your entry paperwork before you book anything non-refundable. Latvia is in Schengen: most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and similar countries get 90 days in any 180 without a visa, with a passport valid at least three months beyond departure. Checks happen at RIX if it is your first Schengen entry point.
The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is live, so on first entry expect a photo and fingerprints at the border. Do not buy an ETIAS: the planned EU travel authorisation is not yet in operation, and any site selling you one now is selling a form that does not exist.
Safety and health
Use Bolt or the meter, never a touted taxi
Drivers touting outside arrivals, the station and Old Town bars quote tourist prices many times the fare. Book Bolt in the app, or take a rank taxi only with the meter running — the centre ride is about €12 by Bolt and about €20 by metered taxi.
Watch bags at the market and the stations
The Central Market pavilions, the central station underpasses and crowded tram doors are where pickpockets work. Keep the bag zipped and in front, and the phone off the café-table edge; the rest of Riga is calm, orderly and safe to walk at night.
Respect the winter
From November to March, icy cobbles, black ice on bridge paths and minus 10°C cold snaps are the real hazards. Wear shoes with grip, use the underpasses, and treat frozen Daugava ice as off-limits unless the city has officially opened a marked crossing.
Drink carefully in the Old Town
Riga's bar streets are friendly, but drink spiking and inflated bar bills target stag-party crowds — buy your own drinks, watch them poured, and settle each round as you go. Dial 112 for emergencies; the tourist police patrol the Old Town in season.
Related destinations
If you liked Riga, try these next:
Frequently asked questions
The things travellers ask in the first 48 hours: the bus from RIX, the fee on the room and the train to the beach.
Fares checked against Rīgas satiksme, Live Riga and current Bolt and taxi reporting, October 2026; entry rules against EU EES guidance.
Bus 22 is the budget move: €1.50 for a 90-minute ticket bought in advance (€1.81 from the driver, by bank card only), about 30 minutes to the Old Town edge. Bolt takes about 20 minutes for about €12, a metered rank taxi about €20.
€1 per person per night, capped at €10 per stay, with under-18s exempt. The property charges it on top of the room rate. Riga has approved a rise to €2 a night from 1 January 2027.
Yes — bus 22 stops around midnight, but the N22 night bus runs hourly between the airport and the centre, from the airport between 00:30 and 04:30. Bolt and rank taxis run around the clock.
Two to three days covers the Old Town, the Art Nouveau quarter and the Central Market. Add a fourth day for a day trip — Sigulda and Turaida, Rundale Palace, or Ķemeri Bog and Jūrmala.
No. ETIAS is not in operation — there is nothing to apply for or buy, and any site selling one is a scam. The EES entry system is live, so expect a photo and fingerprints on first entry. Most US, UK and Canadian visitors get 90 visa-free days in any 180.
Take the train. Centrālā stacija to Majori takes about 30 minutes for about €2, trains run through the day, and you skip Jūrmala's €5 vehicle entry fee, which drivers pay to enter the resort town.
Fares change — the operators and the city pages always win.
Riga, in your pocket
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Sources and last verified
Transfers against Rīgas satiksme (90-minute ticket €1.50, day tickets €5, €8 and €10, bus 22 driver fare €1.81 by card), Live Riga's transport pages (N22 hourly, 00:30 to 04:30 from the airport) and current Bolt and taxi reporting (Bolt about €10 to €20, rank taxis about €20 to €30 — the guide prints the middle of both ranges). Tourist tax against Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. RD-22-173-sn (€1 as charged at properties, capped at 10 nights, under-18s exempt — confirmed on the Wellton Riverside Expedia listing) and reporting of the approved rise to €2 from 1 January 2027. Train fares against current Riga guides (Jūrmala about €2, Sigulda about €3); Jūrmala vehicle entry fee €5 per municipal reporting. GetYourGuide products opened and read this session: the Sigulda and Turaida tour, the Rundale Palace and Hill of Crosses tour, and the Ķemeri Bog and Jūrmala tour; hub riga-l213 opened and heading-verified as Riga, Latvia. Opened pages show lower from-prices than the hub cards, so opened-page prices are printed. Hotels verified as real at their printed addresses against their own sites; the Wellton Riverside page was opened on expedia.com with its address read, while the Grand Poet and Hotel Edvards pages could not be opened this session, so their URLs await the confirmation pass. Entry rules against EU EES guidance: EES live, ETIAS not in operation. Photo credits as in the guide data. Last verified October 2026.
Affiliate disclosure: hotel names, transfers, experiences, and products linked in this guide may earn After You Land a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and times were checked in Oct 2026 and change often — confirm before you book.