5,5 Hour Small Group Tour to Hill of Crosses from Riga
Description
Our journey started on TripAdvisor with Latvia Tours on Tripadvisor by Latvian Gem where we became one of the first companies in Latvia to offer both transportation and tours, corporative events, activities for international visitors. Hill of Crosses - a site with hundreds of thousands of crosses representing faith of people of all over the world. Site once visited by Pope John Paul II keeps welcoming travelers with its stories! It’s a simple and easy ride to the Hill which takes about 1h 55min each way. There will be printouts to read on the way. Additionally there is a virtual tour available at the Hill (works online on your phone)! On the way back you'll have a chance to stop on the border for a photo and drive through the city of Jelgava where you'll see the largest Baroque palace n Baltics! The tour will operate if there are at least 3 people booked in for that day.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Optional photo stop on Latvia-Lithuania border.
After 2hour drive. You’ll have 1 hour free time to explore the Hill of Crosses before returning to Riga. There will be a virtual guide available (only works with WiFi) + informative printouts will be provided. At the Hill you’re welcome to leave a cross as well! It’s possible to purchase them on site or you can bring one with you.
Drive through the 4th largest city of Latvia - Jelgava. Although most buildings are from Soviet days (the city was badly bombed during the war and has been rebuilt during Soviet times), there are some spectacular buildings from Russian Empire times as well! Printouts with info will be provided.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The travel time is already included in the total duration of 5 hours
- This is a shared ride where you'll go together with other travellers.
- The tour will operate if there are at least 3 people booked in for that day.
- You must bring your PASSPORT or EU ID with you as it is mandatory when crossing the border.
Reviews(131)
If anyone from the USA is a bit nervous about scheduling an excursion in a place like Latvia where you’ve never been, fret no more!!! Latvia Gems is your ticket, because their people are absolutely fantastic. Krista Jansone was my direct contact. She was fabulous in providing me all the details and always being there for me when I had questions. You can trust her and everything she says, because she comes through. Then Krista set us up with our Guide Edgars. He made us feel so comfortable…he’s a good driver with a great personality with a goal of pleasing his customers. I can’t say enough platitudes about our trip and hope that you consider Latvia Gems in your future plans.
Amazing short trip with Janis from Riga to Hill of Crosses and then to the airport. Weather was cool and sunny, managed to get some nice photos. He shared with us many interesting tidbits about Latvia and Lithuania.
Krista, my guide was great , all her stories about the Hill of crosses and Latvia was very good Thank you
There are two gift shops Then hill of crosses Very sacred place . You get to go through into another country
We had a wonder guide, Jãnis, who ensured that we had a very fun and interesting trip. He gave us some good local knowledge, and history, on the places that we passed by and visited. The trip was very flexible .. we made two optional stops on the way to the Hill of Crosses which was well worthwhile. The Hill of Crosses itself was incredible, so glad we went. Experiencing it is so much better than looking at photos. We were also very fortunate in that it was snowing which gave it a more stunning appearance and atmosphere All in all a fantastic trip .. would definitely recommend.
Viestrus, our guide, was fabulous! His knowledge and kindness were perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed a relaxing day seeing new sights and exploring a new area.
The guide was excellent very informative - the hill of crosses was well worth the trip very moving and reflective experience .
We decided to do something different in our stop in Riga for our cruise. When we were offered the opportunity to visit the hill of crosses we decided to go. It was a bit of a drive but our driver/tour guide made it go by quickly. He was very informative and proud of his country. He told us the history and legend of the hill of crosses before letting us have a little time to explore on our own. Then we made a quick stop at the Latvia and Lithuania border for some pictures. We then stopped in Jelgava to see a few sites, including the Jelgava Palace which is now a University. By the time we got back to Riga, we didn’t have much time to see the old town area but our guide drove us through a few areas on the way back to the ship.
I had an excellent experience with this tour company when visiting the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania. They were very professional, knowledgeable, and respectful throughout the trip. The guide was friendly and willing to share interesting insights about the history and significance of the site. They also allowed us plenty of time to take pictures, which I really appreciated. Overall, it was a fantastic and memorable tour. Highly recommended!
Very interesting, Yannis had a lot to tell us throughout the journey to the hill of crosses. Impressive and emotional place. Definitely worth it.
