Hill of Crosses Day Trips from Riga: The 14 Best Runs South

1.2 countries! Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace and Bauska castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 225 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $157Our pick

Travel from Riga in a small group of up to eight with guides such as Jānis or Viesturs. Visit Bauska Castle, Rundale Palace, the Latvia-Lithuania border, and the Hill of Crosses. You get included admissions, free time at each stop, and a local guide who adds stories, snacks, and practical help along the way.

“What a fantastic tour! As a regular visitor to Riga, it was great to see and learn about some other parts of the country. Rundale Palace reminded me a lot of the grand palaces it St Petersburg, whilst The Hill of Crosses in Lithuania was quite a site to behold. Jānis the tour guide was great at explaining about each place, as well as being very down to earth and just generally great fun!”

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2.Hill of Crosses & Jelgava Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 149 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $54

Leave Riga at 9:00 for a full-day trip into Lithuania and southern Latvia. An English-speaking guide such as Viktorija, Erlens, or Janis explains Baltic history en route, then gives you time at the Hill of Crosses, a border photo stop, Jelgava’s Orthodox cathedral, riverside promenade, and palace. Lunch is extra, with pre-ordering available.

“Great insight into history of Latvian and Riga on the way to Lithuania to visit the Hill of Crosses. An amazing sight and you can purchase a cross if you wish to place amongst the thousands!,, The lunch stop in Jelgava was a delight (you pay for this). This small town is very picturesque and so clean. Tour includes visit to Orthodox Church and ex palace in Jelgava. Our guide Victoria was first class , full of knowledge and so approachable.”

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3.5,5 Hour Small Group Tour to Hill of Crosses from Riga

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 127 reviews · 5 hours 40 minutes (approx.) · from $90

Travel from Riga to Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses in a shared vehicle for up to eight people. Guides such as Jānis, Krista, and Viesturs add local stories, photo stops, and practical help. You’ll have about an hour at the hill, with a virtual guide, printed notes, and the option to leave a cross of your own.

“Very interesting, Yannis had a lot to tell us throughout the journey to the hill of crosses. Impressive and emotional place. Definitely worth it.”

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4.Group Day trip to Rundale Palace, Hill of Crosses & Bauska Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 92 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $151

Travel from Riga in a small air-conditioned van with a driver-guide such as Paul, Tomass, Gints, or Kristine. See Bauska Castle, tour Rundale Palace, cross into Lithuania for the Hill of Crosses, and return after about eight hours. Expect flexible free time, countryside views, and several hours on the road.

“I am glad I decided to do this trip. I could have visited these places by myself, however, having a guide to explain the background and also the history of those places made it much more enjoyable. The guide, Tomass, was extremely knowledgeable about the places we visited and really knew how to keep us informed and entertianed!”

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5.Tour from Riga – Vilnius via Bauska, Rundale, The Hill of Crosses

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 54 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $114

Use this one-way transfer to travel from Riga to Vilnius while stopping at Bauska Castle, Rundale Palace, and Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses. The driver may also act as your guide, with past trips led by Adam, Andrew, Andris, and Alex. Expect a tightly timed day, space for luggage, and entrance fees paid separately.

“This tour is a brilliant way to travel from Riga to Vilnius whilst seeing more of Lativa and Lithuania. All 3 of the stops were really interesting and worth a visit. Our guide for the day, Andrew, was another story. All day he was aggressive, condecending and quite frankly rude. The atmosphere was uncomfortable all day and was run like a military operation. You were told where to sit, and were told he would open the boot only once to get out any stuff you needed. He was very strict on timings, accusing a girl of being late when she was on time. He clearly doesn't enjoy the job and…”

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6.Private trip – Hill of Crosses / 2 countries in 1 day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $150

Travel from Riga into Lithuania on a private 5 to 6-hour excursion to the Hill of Crosses. Guides such as Krista, Armand, Elrens, and VB explain the site’s religious and political story, then give you an hour to explore alone. Hotel pickup, water, air conditioning, and WiFi are included.

“Amazing tour guide who was very knowledgeable and interesting location. A nice 1/2 day trip from Riga with nice scenery.”

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7.Private Full-Day Trip to Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace & Bauska

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Travel from Riga by private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide such as Norman, Normund, or Andrejs. Visit Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses, then Rundale Palace and Bauska Castle in Latvia. You set the pace, stop for lunch, and pay palace and castle entry fees separately.

“Our driver was excellent and let us go at our own pace. We used to use group tours but they are rushed and you don't get to learn the history behind different things as they rush you. We cannot recommend this service enough and will book the same driver for different tours in the future.”

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8.Hill of Crosses and Jelgava Gems Tour – 2 countries in 1 day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $46Best value

Travel from Riga into Lithuania by comfortable minivan or bus, with an English-speaking guide such as Tomas or Paul. Spend an hour at the moving Hill of Crosses, stop for a border photo, then return through Jelgava for an Orthodox cathedral, city views, a promenade walk, and optional lunch. You return to Riga with the afternoon still free.

“Tomas was a friendly guide and was interesting to chat to. The group was small which was nice, and he included toilet/snack buying breaks on the trip and stopped off at the Latvia Lithuania border to take photos, as well as a cool surprise stop on the way home. At the hill of crosses, he explained a bit about it then let us walk around by ourselves for an hour. It was very moving and interesting. It was very convenient to visit from Riga (compared to from within Lithuania) and I still had the rest of the afternoon left once the tour ended. I met a couple of other travellers…”

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9.Hill of Crosses & Guided Rundale Palace with Bauska Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $119

Leave Riga at 8:00 am for the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, then tour Rundale Palace with a certified palace guide and explore Bauska Castle’s medieval tower. Erlens and Orlando are among the guides praised for warm, detailed commentary. Transport, entry fees, water, and Wi-Fi are included. Lunch is extra.

“The tour was well planned and paced. All sites are worth visiting with incredible views and lots of art, culture and history. Erlens was our guide. He was excellent! He was very kind, respectful, and well informed. Although the Bauska Castle was closed on the day we visited (we knew about it beforehand as we checked the website, but that was the only date we had available), they made arrangements for us to be able to go inside and visit the medieval part of the castle. That was much appreciated!”

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10.Sunrise at the Hill of Crosses – 2 countries in 1 day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $150

Leave Riga before dawn with a private guide such as Krista, Janis, Matiss, or Jānis, then cross into Lithuania for sunrise at Siauliai’s Hill of Crosses. You get a guided walk, 40 minutes to explore alone, bottled water, and hotel pickup and drop-off. The long drive is the tradeoff for a quiet, memorable visit.

“Really cool site to see, I highly recommend it. The amount of crosses is shocking. We loved our guide Janus, he was a wealth of information and a super chill, nice guy.”

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11.Hill of Crosses & Rundale Palace Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 7 hours (approx.)

Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle from Riga to two Baltic highlights: Rundāle Palace in Latvia and Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses. You’ll have about an hour at each stop, bottled water, hotel pickup, and an English-speaking guide. Guides connected with the operator include Laura and Daumants.

“This is a fun way to travel between Riga and Vilnius. Our guide, Laura, was so much fun and had so much to tell us about the history of the sites. This is also a great way to experience more of Latvia and Lithuania outside of their capitals.”

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12.Private transfer Riga – Hill of Crosses – Riga

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $138

Travel from central Riga to Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver. Janis and Krista are among the named drivers praised for sharing local history and stories along the route. You get free time at the hill, then return to Riga on a flexible schedule.

“Let me just start by saying that my tour with Janis to the Hill of Crosses was absolutely fantastic! I am bursting with excitement to share my experience! First and foremost, Janis, our incredible tour guide, made the entire journey an absolute delight. Not only was he friendly and welcoming, but he also had a wealth of knowledge about the history and culture of the region. We had the most engaging conversations throughout the tour, and I felt like I was learning so much while having a great time. The tour itself was beyond my wildest expectations. We embarked on a picturesque drive from Riga to the Hill of Crosses,…”

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13.Go on a pilgrimage from Riga – visit Siluva and Hill of Crosses!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $185

Travel from Riga to two important Catholic pilgrimage sites with a private guide. Visit Siluva’s chapel and church, then explore Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses with about 40 minutes of guided context and free time for photos or placing a cross. Guides include Janis Gasiņš and Krista.

“Our guide Janis Gasiņš was absolutely amazing. Knowledgable, professional and the best sense of humor. Lots of laughter and learned so much about both the Latvian and Lithuanian culture. The best day!!”

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14.Tour from Riga to Vilnius: Bauska Castle, Rundale Palace and The Hill of Crosses

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $266

Use this private, English-language transfer to travel from Riga to Vilnius while stopping at Bauska Castle, Rundale Palace, and the Hill of Crosses. Your driver-guide collects you at a central Riga hotel or apartment at 9:00 a.m. and drops you at a central Vilnius address. Bauska admission is included; Rundale tickets and meals cost extra.

“This was a fantastic tour that was exactly what we were looking for.....transportation from Riga to Vilnius, but still get to see the cool sites in the middle. The guide picked us up right on time in the Riga hotel and was able to provide lots of Latvian history even know the company is Lithuanian based. We had plenty of time to explore all three sites, and guide was helpful at each. I would definitely recommend this tour if you need one way transportation between the cities, it was a great choice.”

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