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Riga skyline over the Daugava

Travel guide · Art Nouveau, Baltic beaches and forests

Travelling to Latvia

Riga’s Art Nouveau, the beach at Jūrmala, the castles of the Gauja Valley, Rundāle Palace and the widest waterfall in Europe. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: from March to October
  • Where to eat: a Latvian restaurant or Riga Central Market
Photo: Dmitrijs Purgalvis · CC BY 3.0

Latvia in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Latvia are from March to October.
  • To eat like a local: a Latvian restaurant or Riga Central Market. Don’t leave without trying: Pelēkie zirņi, Rye bread, Bread soup.

Latvia in November

You can go, with a few caveats: cold, dark winter. Riga has a Christmas market in December; for beaches and nature, June to August.

  • November

    Cold, dark winter

    Very short days and bitter cold; the coast is closed to tourism.

    What to do: Riga has a Christmas market in December; for beaches and nature, June to August.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Latvia

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Latvia are from March to October.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec with warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in March · where to travel in April · where to travel in May · where to travel in June

  • from November to February

    Cold, dark winter

    Very short days and bitter cold; the coast is closed to tourism.

    What to do: Riga has a Christmas market in December; for beaches and nature, June to August.

What to see in Latvia

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Riga

    Riga

    The great city of the Baltic, with a Hanseatic Old Town and whole streets of Art Nouveau.

    • Ciudad Vieja
    • House of the Blackheads
    • Alberta Street
    • Central market
    Riga guide
  • Jūrmala

    Jūrmala

    Riga’s beach: thirty kilometres of sand and wooden houses among the pines.

    • Majori Beach
    • Jomas Street
    • Wooden houses
    • Ķemeri National Park
    Jūrmala guide
  • Sigulda

    Sigulda

    The “Switzerland of Latvia”, in the Gauja Valley, with castles, caves and a cable car over the river.

    • Turaida Castle
    • Gūtmanis Cave
    • Gauja cable car
    • Castle of the Order
    Sigulda guide
  • Cēsis

    Cēsis

    A medieval town with a castle of the Livonian Order and cobbled streets.

    • Cēsis Castle
    • Old town
    • St John’s Church
    • Castle park
    Cēsis guide
  • Liepāja

    Liepāja

    The city of wind and music, with a beach and a former military district, Karosta.

    • Beach
    • Karosta
    • Karosta Prison
    • Great Amber
    Liepāja guide
  • Rundāle Palace

    Rundāle Palace

    The “Versailles of the Baltic”, a baroque palace by Rastrelli with French gardens.

    • Golden Hall
    • White Hall
    • French garden
    • The duke’s apartments
    Rundāle Palace guide
  • Kuldīga

    Kuldīga

    A wooden town with the widest waterfall in Europe and a brick bridge.

    • Ventas Rumba waterfall
    • Brick bridge
    • Old town
    • Flying fish
    Kuldīga guide
  • Ventspils

    Ventspils

    A well-kept port town, with a castle of the Order, a Blue Flag beach and painted cows.

    • Ventspils Castle
    • Beach
    • Painted cows
    • Open-air museum
    Ventspils guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Riga

From Jūrmala

From Sigulda

From Cēsis

From Liepāja

From Rundāle Palace

From Kuldīga

From Ventspils

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What to eat in Latvia

To eat like a local: a Latvian restaurant or Riga Central Market, and order pelēkie zirņi or rye bread. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Pelēkie zirņi

    Grey peas with bacon.

  • Rye bread

    Dark and slightly sweet.

  • Bread soup

    A rye-bread dessert with cream.

  • Herring

    With potatoes and curd cheese.

  • Sklandrausis

    A carrot and potato tart.

  • Riga Black Balsam

    A herbal liqueur.

The typical dish of Latvia, at home

Grey peas with bacon
Photo: JIP · CC BY-SA 4.0

Grey peas with bacon

Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi: Latvian grey peas cooked with bacon and golden onion, served with kefir. It’s the national dish and a must at Christmas.

  • Serves 4
  • 1 h 30 min

Ingredients

  • 400 g dried grey peas (or small chickpeas or dried peas)
  • 200 g diced smoked bacon
  • 2 onions
  • Salt and pepper
  • Kefir to go with it

How to make it at home

  1. Soak the peas overnight.
  2. Cook them in unsalted water for about 1 hour, until tender but whole. Salt them at the end and drain.
  3. Fry the bacon until it releases its fat and turns crisp; add the chopped onion and brown it.
  4. Mix the peas with the bacon, onion and fat.
  5. Season and serve hot with a glass of kefir.

The trick: At Christmas, they say you have to eat them so you won’t cry all year.

Curious facts about Latvia

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • Riga has the greatest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings in the world.
  • Riga Central Market is housed in former zeppelin hangars.
  • More than half the country is forest.
  • According to local tradition, a decorated Christmas tree is recorded in Riga in 1510.
  • Kuldīga has the widest waterfall in Europe.
  • Jāņi (Midsummer) is the biggest celebration of the year.

Traditions of Latvia

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • 23–24 June Jāņi

    Bonfires, flower crowns and caraway cheese.

  • Song and Dance Festival

    On UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list, every five years.

  • December Christmas markets

    In Riga’s Old Town.

  • 18 November Independence Day

    A national holiday.

What not to do in Latvia

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t underestimate the winter cold.
  • Don’t miss Midsummer night if you’re there in June.
  • Don’t expect the sea to be warm.
  • Don’t cross on a red light: you’ll be fined.
  • Don’t give an even number of flowers.
  • Don’t leave without trying Riga Black Balsam.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Latvia

What people search for most before travelling to Latvia.

What’s the best time to travel to Latvia?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Latvia are from March to October.

What to see in Latvia in a week?

The essentials of Latvia: Riga, Jūrmala, Sigulda, Cēsis and Liepāja. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Latvia?

Pelēkie zirņi, Rye bread, Bread soup, Herring, Sklandrausis, Riga Black Balsam. To eat like a local: a Latvian restaurant or Riga Central Market.

What is the typical dish of Latvia?

Grey peas with bacon. Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi: Latvian grey peas cooked with bacon and golden onion, served with kefir. It’s the national dish and a must at Christmas.

What should you not do in Latvia?

Don’t underestimate the winter cold. Don’t miss Midsummer night if you’re there in June. Don’t expect the sea to be warm.

Is it worth travelling to Latvia in November?

You can go, with a few caveats: cold, dark winter. Riga has a Christmas market in December; for beaches and nature, June to August.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Dmitrijs Purgalvis (CC BY 3.0). Riga, Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 3.0). Jūrmala, en:User:Matthewmayer at the English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Sigulda, Sixsparni (CC BY-SA 4.0). Cēsis, User:Brunswyk (CC BY-SA 3.0). Liepāja, Andrius.v (CC BY 3.0). Rundāle Palace, JaNo Kukucka (CC BY-SA 3.0). Kuldīga, Christopher Voitus (CC BY-SA 3.0). Ventspils, Neva Micheva (CC BY-SA 3.0).