Latvia Custom Tour Packages

Visit Latvia in the summer, preferably between early May and mid-September. The country never gets very hot, even at the height of summer, while winters are cold, with long nights. Summers are mild, with long days and highs in the 60s and 70s.

Latvia is very safe, although Riga is infamous for attractive young female scammers, who may strike up a conversation, then invite you to their favorite club or bar, where you will be impressively overcharged for drinks. Latvian drivers can be reckless, so be careful when crossing streets outside of Riga’s Old Town. As in any big city, be alert for pickpockets in crowded, touristy locales in Riga.

Latvian cuisine is a hodgepodge of the last millennia of ruling neighbors, combined with a peasant heritage, so don't be surprised to come across German-style sauerkraut, Swedish-style yellow pea soup and Russian-style rye bread. Pork and fish are the center of most dishes, while potatoes, peas, onions, cabbage, buckwheat, and barley help make up the rest. The food is seasonal, often heavy and fatty, and uses spices sparingly. For a more exotic, traditional dish, seek out Maizes Zupa ("bread soup"), a sweet soup made from rye bread and fruit.

Latvians generally drink beer, but for something unique, seek try one of Riga's trademarks: Black Balsams. An herbal liqueur made from natural ingredients mixed with strong vodka, producing a pungent smell. See if you can identify all 24 ingredients! Tap water is generally safe, but many locals still tend to buy bottled water, especially in the cities.

Latvian cities and towns are sufficiently compact that tourists generally have little reason to take public transport. Latvian trains are based on a hub-and-spoke model, so that all lines run to the capital. These trains date back to the Soviet-era, and lines further from Riga are poorly served (Liepaja, for example, receives two trains a week!) Although there is a daily train between Riga and Tallinn, it is slow, expensive, and uncomfortable on the Latvian side, and requires waiting and changing trains at the border. However, trains can be a decent way to visit places close enough to Riga for commuters, such as the beach resort of Jurmala.

Although bumpy rural Latvian roads are the laughing stock of the Baltic States, roads are still by far the best way to get around. Latvia’s intercity buses are modern, with attendants, refreshments, high-speed wifi, and more movies than on your flight to Europe. We recommend traveling via private transfers, which let you make stops between destinations, such as at the Rundale Palace, or at Sigulda’s castles.