Gothic Spires to Guilds Riga Old Town Self Guided Walk with App
Description
In the 16th century, the people of Riga put a statue of the Virgin Mary on trial for witchcraft! That’s just one of the stories waiting for you in this UNESCO-listed Old Town. Walk past 800 years of history across 17+ stops, from the House of the Blackheads to the Swedish Gate with a forbidden love story. Hear about the Tsar who rushed to fight a cathedral fire, the giant who carried a divine child across the river, and the merchant who put cats on his roof to insult his rivals. This self-guided audio tour is the perfect orientation for those who are first time visitors to Riga.. This isn’t a list of landmarks. It’s the story of how a small Baltic capital survived invasions, occupations, and centuries of chaos – and came out swinging. Available in 9 languages with offline access – start anytime, pause to enter a site, and go at your own pace. Over 20,000 customers have used our audio tours and a full refund guarantee means you can book with confidence.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start at the old town square and hear about a secret brotherhood, a legendary wine cellar, and a building rebuilt brick by brick.
Pass by three of the oldest medieval buildings in the city. Three medieval houses, three centuries, and one clever trick to dodge taxes through tiny windows.
Stand where Riga placed its first-ever Christmas tree – and meet the medieval knight who’s been guarding the city’s freedom for centuries.
pass by the freedom momument and understand its significance
Hear the quirky story behind the two black cats which made this Art Nouveau building famous
Discover subtle sidewalk marker honoring the 600-km human chain that united the Baltic nations in their peaceful fight for independence.
Hear the legend of the wooden statue of Riga’s legendary giant
Hear the tale of seven roosters, three fires, and a Tsar who personally fought the flames. The spire has a story for every century.
The birthplace of Riga Black Balsam – the mysterious herbal potion
Home to one of the world’s largest organs and the spot where a holy statue was put on trial
Three stars, one dream: look at the monument that became a flashpoint for protest under Soviet rule and a symbol of independence today.
View the golden domes and hear a story of faith that outlasted an empire
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The total tour duration includes the time spent at the stop and time required to walk through all the stops.
Reviews(5)
What a great way to explore the old town for our first visit to Riga. To go at your own pace, and stop for drinks/food along the way, was perfect. The guide gives enough information for each attraction, without being too verbose and boring. The maps and photos of each stop along the way were easy to follow and a great help. This was our second time using this service, but will definitely not be our last. Great work!
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! Glad the self-paced format, clear maps and photos, and just-right level of detail made for such a great first visit to Riga. Hope to see you on another Tourific walk soon.
Personally, the most important thing for me is to be able to photograph the key sites and this tour enables that. It also explains some of the history of the city.
Thank you! We’re glad the tour helped you capture the key sites while learning about the city’s history. Hope to see you on another tour soon!
Loved the information and photos. Appreciated being able to visit in varied order and use slightly faster speed. Great overview of Old Riga!
Thank you! We’re glad you enjoyed the flexibility and the overview of Old Riga. Hope to see you on another tour soon!
We found the tour very nice, everything was well explained and we could watch everything in peace. The nice thing is you can divide everything yourself.
Vielen Dank für Ihr nettes Feedback! Es freut uns sehr, dass Ihnen die Tour gefallen hat und Sie alles in Ruhe genießen konnten. Wir freuen uns darauf, Sie bald wieder bei einer neuen Tour begrüßen zu dürfen. Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Ihr Tourific Team
Our excursion took approximately 3 hours, visited 12 of the most interesting tourist destinations in Old Riga. We took our time, stopped wherever we wanted, went inside. I put 4 stars because the description of each tourist spot was very short (about 2-3 minutes of audio recording), and quite dry, just facts. I wish it was more entertaining.
Спасибо большое за ваш отзыв и за то, что выбрали нашу прогулку по Старой Риге! Рады, что вам понравилось удобство формата и возможность исследовать город в своем темпе. Мы ценим ваше замечание о более коротких и фактических описаниях — обязательно рассмотрим, как сделать их более увлекательными и насыщенными. Надеемся, что сможем снова сопровождать вас в будущих путешествиях!
