The 6 Best Walking Tours in Riga + 2 Food Tours

I’ve been to Riga three times and spent more than two months in the city, so I’ve had plenty of time to explore the Old Town, the Art Nouveau district, the markets, and everything in between.

If you want to see Riga with a local guide rather than just walking around on your own, walking tours in Riga are an easy way to get more out of the city. There are quite a few Old Town tours available, but they aren’t all exactly the same, so I’ve narrowed them down to the ones I’d actually consider.

The last two are food tours, because they are also walking-based experiences and are worth including if you’re more interested in eating than history.

Walking Tours in Riga: Quick Picks

Category	Tour
Best Overall	Riga: Old Town Walking Tour with a Local Guide
Best for Old Town	Riga: Guided Old Town Walking Tour
Best for Stories & Legends	Old Riga Walking Tour: Stories and Legends
Best Small-Group Option	Riga: 1.5-Hour Old Town Walking Tour
Best for Art Nouveau	Riga: 2-Hour Art Nouveau Walking Tour
Best Combination Tour	Riga: Old Town & Art Nouveau Tour
Best Central Market Food Tour	Riga Central Market & Traditional Food Tasting Tour
Best for Food Variety	Riga: Central Market Latvian Food Tour with 20 Taste Samples

The 8 Best Walking Tours in Riga

Riga: Old Town Walking Tour with a Local Guide

Best overall walking tour in Riga

If this is your first time in Riga and you want a general introduction to the city, this is the type of tour I’d choose.

You’ll walk through Riga’s Old Town with a local guide and see the main sights while getting some context about the city that you simply won’t get from walking around with Google Maps.

It’s also a good option if you’re only in Riga for a short time and want to get your bearings before exploring independently.

Best for: First-time visitors, general sightseeing, and a first introduction to Riga

Book Here: Riga Old Town Walking Tour with a Local Guide

Riga: Guided Old Town Walking Tour

Best straightforward Old Town tour

This is another good option if you mainly want to focus on Riga Old Town.

There are a lot of very similar walking tours in Riga, so I wouldn’t book several of them. Pick the one that has the best combination of price, reviews, schedule, and group size for your dates.

This is the one I’d consider if you want a classic guided walk without adding extra themes or destinations.

Best for: Old Town sightseeing and first-time visitors

Book Here: Riga Guided Old Town Walking Tour

Old Riga Walking Tour: Stories and Legends

Best for stories and legends

If you get bored with tours that are basically just a guide listing dates and buildings, this one is a little more interesting.

The focus is on the stories and legends of Old Riga, so the experience is more about hearing what happened around the city than simply walking from one attraction to another.

I’d choose this over a standard Old Town tour if you want something with a bit more personality.

Best for: History, stories, legends, and travelers who don’t want a dry sightseeing tour

Book Here: Old Riga Walking Tour: Stories and Legends

Riga: 1.5-Hour Old Town Walking Tour with a Local Guide

Best small-group option

This is another Old Town tour, but the smaller-group or private options make it worth considering if you don’t want to be part of a huge sightseeing group.

The tour lasts around 1.5 hours, which is also a good length if you’re trying to fit several activities into one day.

I’d look at this one if the group size and departure time work better for you than the other Old Town tours.

Best for: Small groups, private tours, and travelers with limited time

Book Here: Riga 1.5-Hour Old Town Walking Tour

Riga: 2-Hour Art Nouveau Walking Tour with a Local Guide

Best for Art Nouveau

Riga is famous for its Art Nouveau architecture, and this is the walking tour I’d choose if that’s what you’re particularly interested in.

Instead of spending the whole tour around the Old Town, you’ll focus on the buildings and streets of the Art Nouveau district and learn more about the architecture.

If you’ve already explored the Old Town independently, this could actually be a better tour for you than doing another general Old Town walk.

Best for: Architecture, Art Nouveau, and repeat visitors to Riga

Book Here: Riga Art Nouveau Walking Tour

Riga: Old Town & Art Nouveau Tour with a Local Guide

Best combination tour

If you don’t want to choose between the Old Town and Art Nouveau, this tour combines both.

It’s a good middle ground if you’re visiting Riga for the first time and want to cover the two areas without booking separate walking tours.

I’d choose this if you’re short on time and want one tour that gives you a broader overview of the city.

Best for: First-time visitors, limited time, and seeing both Old Town and Art Nouveau

Book Here: Riga Old Town & Art Nouveau Tour

Riga Central Market & Traditional Food Tasting Tour

Best food walking tour

This is where we move away from the traditional sightseeing tours.

Riga Central Market is one of the places I would actually include in a Riga itinerary, and doing it with a food tour means you get to try things rather than just walk through the market looking at them.

The tour is in a small group and focuses on traditional Latvian food, so it’s a good choice if you want to combine sightseeing with eating.

Best for: Food lovers, Riga Central Market, and trying Latvian food

Book Here: Riga Central Market & Traditional Food Tasting Tour

Riga: Central Market Latvian Food Tour with 20 Taste Samples

Best for trying lots of food

If your main goal is eating, this is the food tour I’d look at first.

The tour includes 20 taste samples, so you’re getting a much more food-focused experience than you would from a normal walking tour.

It’s a good way to try several Latvian foods in one go without having to figure out what everything is yourself.

Best for: Foodies, trying lots of local food, and Riga Central Market

Book Here: Riga Central Market Latvian Food Tour

How to Choose Walking Tours in Riga

If it’s your first time in Riga, I’d choose a general Old Town walking tour and then explore the rest of the city independently.

If you’re particularly interested in architecture, go for the Art Nouveau tour.

If you don’t want to book separate tours, the Old Town & Art Nouveau tour is probably the easiest option.

And if you’re more interested in eating than hearing about buildings, skip the standard walking tour and book one of the Central Market food tours instead.

Walking Tours in Riga: Final Thoughts

There are a lot of very similar walking tours in Riga, especially around the Old Town, so you definitely don’t need to book several of them.

I’d choose one general Old Town tour for a first visit, or go straight for the Art Nouveau tour if architecture is more your thing. And if food is your priority, the Central Market tours are probably going to be much more memorable than another walk around the same streets.