Cathedral Crypts and Medieval History Tour
Description
NB: The tour is conducted in English language. Travel back in time and uncover the medieval history of Vilnius, exploring the city’s past and its legendary rulers. From ancient settlers to the Grand Dukes, this tour offers a captivating look at how Vilnius and Lithuania developed through the centuries. Your adventure begins at the monument of Grand Duke Gediminas, where you’ll meet your guide with a yellow sign, umbrella, or bag. During the first hour, you’ll explore key historical sites, including the Lower Palace and Gediminas Castle (viewed from below, without climbing the hill). Along the way, you’ll learn about Lithuania’s first inhabitants, the Baltic tribes and much more! Next, step inside Vilnius Cathedral and descend beneath its grand halls into the crypts. These chambers hold centuries-old secrets, from noble burials to hidden stories waiting to be revealed. Learn about the significance of the Cathedral, the rulers laid to rest here, and the mysteries that still linger.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meeting point. The guide is recognizable by a yellow sign, umbrella, or bag!
We discuss the earliest inhabitants of the area, how the Baltic tribes emerged here, what the Pagan religion was about and how the city oh Vilnius was established at this location
We explain what the building was before and what to expect in case you decide to visit it later after the tour
We cover the conditions under which the Lithuanian Kingdom was created in 13th century. The early development of the Medieval country
We do not climb to the hill, we check the beautiful view of the tower from the bottom and discuss the purpose of the defensive castle in Vilnius
We visit the yard of the palace and understand why it was build here, learn about the great historical rulers and what we can find in the palace nowadays (we are not visiting the museum itself)
After walking outside, we descend into the mysterious crypts beneath Vilnius Cathedral, where we visit the chambers. We learn about the significance of the Cathedral, the people laid to rest here, the history of religious development of the country and the mysteries that still linger in its depths.
We learn about the buildings surrounding the Cathedral square, what was their initial purpose at the formation of the city of Vilnius
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Not recommended for travelers with mobility difficulties
- Not recommended for travelers with claustrophobia
Reviews(15)
If you love history then this is for you. Kristina, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable. Getting to visit the crypt was very special. I wish the Lithuanian all the best to finally be able to locate Vytautus and place him to rest in his crypt. I was so excited to report back to my Lithuanian (Aus born) husband about this wonderful experience. Now to go down more rabbit holes about Lithuanian history
Great Lithuania history lesson on leaders, religion, architecture, and culture. Our guide was great and definitely enjoyed his job. You can go without a guide everywhere except the actual crypts, but you would miss the stories and facts behind Lithuania.
Very knowledgeable and shared a lot of cool information, much more than just the cripts. I highly recommend it!
Milda was amazing in her knowledge and I really enjoy the chats with her. No one joined the tour except me so it became a private tour! The crypt below the church was impressive and there was so much to learn. Love it!
Our guide, Milda, was extremely professional and very knowledgeable, sharing her insights in an engaging and enjoyable way and all of this — in excellent English! The tour itself provides an excellent and concise overview of the history of Vilnius and Lithuania. It’s a wonderful tour to start your visit with – offering a clear historical and cultural perspective of the place.
We flew into Vilnius (from the U.S) on a Friday morning. After driving around a bit, finding parking and lunch, we were excited to tour the beautiful 'old town' area. Our guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant, but I think we were just too tired for such a historic tour. Not sure if it was the material or how it was presented, but we both looked forward to it ending, which we have never experienced on tours before. A few others in our group also appeared a bit bored. We went on to take other tours sponsored by this group and we enjoyed them very much. So we chalked this experience up to jet-lag.
Thank you for sharing your feedback! We’re sorry to hear that this particular tour didn’t fully meet your expectations. We always do our best to make our tours engaging and enjoyable for everyone, and we truly appreciate your honesty. It’s great to hear that you enjoyed our other tours :)
Nice and dedicated guide led us through the history of Lithuania and the crypt under the church in a super way Can be recommended
Excellent guided tour of the history of Vilnius. Good value for money. Very knowledgeable guide who answered questions from all
Nice and knowledgeable guide. We got an exciting tour of the crypt, which is not accessible without a guide. Could maybe spend a little more time in the cathedral but overall a good tour that is worth the money.
Our guide Milda was excellent. The history and the crypts was a must to see. I recommend to include this program in your itinerary
