3 Days in Riga Latvia: What I Would Do With 72 Hours

If I had 3 days in Riga Latvia, I wouldn’t spend all three days doing the usual Riga sightseeing.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Riga, and once you’ve seen the main parts of the city, I think the extra time is better used to get outside Riga.

And because this is how I travel, I’d actually be tempted to make the third day a little chaotic.

My version would be:

Day 1: Riga + a boat cruise or tour
Day 2: A day trip outside Riga
Day 3: Another day trip — and potentially another Baltic country

If that sounds like way too much travel for you, don’t worry. I’ll also give you the more relaxed options.

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How to Spend 3 Days in Riga Latvia

With 3 days in Riga Latvia, you have enough time to see the main sights, have some proper experiences in the city and still leave Riga for a day or two.

I wouldn’t try to turn every hour into an activity. The whole point of having three days is that you don’t have to rush through everything.

If you only have one day, start with my one day in Riga itinerary. If you have two days, my 2 days in Riga Latvia itinerary focuses on Riga plus one day trip.

With three days, I’d go further.

Day 1: Explore Riga

I’d spend the first day in Riga itself.

Start in the Old Town and see the main sights, including the House of the Blackheads, St. Peter’s Church, Riga Cathedral and the Three Brothers.

From there, continue towards the Freedom Monument and Riga’s Art Nouveau district.

You can follow my full one day in Riga itinerary if you want the exact route and all the main stops. I wouldn’t add every possible attraction just because you have three days. You have plenty of time.

Have Lunch at Central Market

I’d make time for Riga Central Market rather than treating it as something you can skip because you’ve already seen enough sights.

It’s a good place to stop for lunch, walk around the different market halls and try some local food.

Take a Riga Boat Cruise

I’d also add a short boat cruise to your first day.

It’s easy to fit into the day and gives you something different from walking around Riga’s streets.

If you’re already doing a walking tour or food tour, you don’t need to do every possible tour. Pick the experience that actually interests you.

→ Book a Riga boat cruise

Spend the Evening in Riga

I’d have dinner somewhere around the center or Old Town and then go out for drinks if I felt like it.

I’ve spent plenty of nights in Riga while I was based there, so I wouldn’t treat nightlife as another item you need to tick off a list.

Just go out and see what happens.

Day 2: Take a Day Trip From Riga

For the second day, I’d leave Riga.

You have several choices depending on what kind of day you want.

Jūrmala

If you’re visiting in summer and want an easy day, Jūrmala is probably my first choice.

I’ve stayed in Jūrmala myself, and it feels completely different from Riga. You can spend the day at the beach, walk around the resort area, have lunch and head back to Riga in the evening.

It’s also easy to visit independently, so you don’t necessarily need to book a tour.

Sigulda and Gauja National Park

If you want nature instead of the beach, I’d look at Sigulda and Gauja National Park.

This gives you a completely different side of Latvia, with forests, viewpoints, castles and the Gauja River Valley.

It’s a much better use of a full day than trying to find another dozen things to do inside Riga.

→ Book a Sigulda and Gauja day trip

Rundāle Palace and the Hill of Crosses

Another option is a full-day organized trip to Rundāle Palace and the Hill of Crosses.

This one is particularly interesting if you’re already traveling around the Baltics because the Hill of Crosses is actually in Lithuania.

It’s a long day, but you get to see somewhere completely different from Riga.

→ See my favorite day trips from Riga

Day 3: My Chaotic Baltic Option

And now we get to what I would actually be tempted to do.

If I had three days in Riga and wanted to make the most of being in the Baltics, I’d consider using the third day to visit Tallinn, Estonia.

Yes, I know.

It’s a lot.

But I travel fast, and I’ve never been the person who needs three days to relax in one place. If you’re already in this part of Europe, the idea of seeing another country is pretty tempting.

There are organized day trips from Riga to Tallinn, although it’s a very long day. You can also travel between the two cities by bus if you want to organize it yourself.

→ Find Riga to Tallinn transport

Would I recommend this to everyone?

Absolutely not.

If you want a relaxed holiday, don’t do this. Stay in Riga, take your time and enjoy the city.

But if you’re the kind of traveler who gets excited about the idea of waking up in Latvia and going to Estonia for the day, then I completely understand.

Want Something Less Insane?

You don’t have to leave Latvia again.

You could use your third day for another Riga day trip instead, or simply stay in the city and take your time.

You could also revisit somewhere you enjoyed on your first day, spend more time at a museum, book a food tour or simply have a slower day.

Three days doesn’t mean you have to prove that you can visit every possible place within a 100-kilometer radius.

Can You Visit 3 Countries in 3 Days?

Technically, yes.

And this is where you could make your 3 days in Riga Latvia trip completely ridiculous.

You could do:

Day 1 — Riga, Latvia

Day 2 — Tallinn, Estonia

Day 3 — Hill of Crosses, Lithuania

That would give you three countries in three days.

It would also involve a lot of transportation, so I would only recommend it if you’re comfortable with a very fast-paced trip.

I’ve traveled through the Baltics by bus before, so I know how easy it is for me to look at a map and think, yeah, that’s close enough.

For most people, I’d choose one of the more relaxed options above.

But if you’re traveling around Europe trying to see as many countries as possible, this is absolutely the kind of ridiculous itinerary I would consider.

Where to Stay in Riga

For 3 days in Riga Latvia, I’d still stay in central Riga near the Old Town.

I’ve stayed in different parts of the city during my different visits, but if you’re using Riga as your base for several day trips, staying centrally makes things much easier.

Here are 4 accommodation options I’d recommend, according to your budget:

Backpacker: Blue Bird Boutique Hostel – Riga Old Town
Budget: Ibis Riga Centre
Mid-Range: Wellton Riverside SPA Hotel
Luxury: Grand Palace Hotel – Small Luxury Hotels of the World

You can walk around Riga without worrying about transport every time you want to go somewhere, and you’ll also be close to restaurants, bars and the main sightseeing areas.

→ The 6 Best Hotels in Riga Latvia

If you’re traveling on a budget, I stayed at Cinnamon Sally Backpackers Hostel during my first trip.

→ Find my favorite hostels in Riga

How to Get to Riga

If you’re arriving in Riga from another country in the Baltics or elsewhere in Europe by land, bus is one of the easiest options.

That’s how I first arrived in Riga when I traveled through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia by bus.

→Find buses to Riga

If you’re flying into Riga International Airport, you can use public transportation to get into the city. If you’d rather have someone pick you up and take you directly to your accommodation, you can also book an airport transfer.

→ Book your Riga airport pick-up

Stay Connected

I’d definitely have mobile data for a trip like this, especially if you’re planning to move between Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.

I use an eSIM when traveling, and it’s useful for maps, checking transport, booking tours and figuring out where you’re going next.

→ Get an eSIM for Latvia

Travel Insurance

I recommend having travel insurance whenever you travel internationally.

I use SafetyWing for my own long-term travel and it’s the insurance option I normally recommend.

→ Get travel insurance for Riga

Final Thoughts on 3 Days in Riga Latvia

3 days in Riga Latvia gives you a lot more flexibility than a one or two-day trip.

I’d spend the first day actually experiencing Riga, use the second day for somewhere outside the city, and then decide what I wanted from the third day.

If you want an easy trip, stay in Latvia and choose somewhere like Jūrmala, Sigulda or Rundāle Palace.

If you’re like me and think that being in the Baltics is a good excuse to see another country, you could make the third day much more chaotic and head to Tallinn.

And if you really want to commit to the chaos, you can turn the whole thing into three countries in three days: Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.

I wouldn’t call that the relaxing option.

But I also wouldn’t be me if I didn’t at least consider it.