Riga Central Market & Traditional Food tasting experience
Description
Embark on a flavorful journey through Riga Central Market, the largest in the Baltic States and a true gem of Europe. Housed in historic German Zeppelin hangars, this vibrant market has been a city landmark since the 1930s. Discover Latvia’s rich culinary heritage as you sample fresh and smoked fish, artisanal meats, creamy dairy, pickled delights, berries, and authentic rye bread. Please note that traditional Latvian cuisine is meat, fish, and dairy-focused, making it less suitable for vegans or vegetarians. Our expert guide will immerse you in the stories behind these local flavors, making this tour not just a tasting experience, but a deep dive into Latvia’s culture and traditions.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Discover the flavours of Latvian gastronomy at one of Europe’s largest covered markets. Savour 20+ traditional tastes while exploring the fascinating history of this iconic UNESCO World Heritage site.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A minimum of 2 people per tour is required!
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Suited for vegetarians upon prior notice!
Reviews(36)
This was a great tour. We got to sample many yummy dishes mixed in with some history and a walk through of the market. At the end we went to a local venue and had a sit down meal. A nice surprise.
Gunta did such a wonderful job! I had such a pleasant experience and I believe anyone coming to Riga for the first time should do the tour!
Thank you for the kind words. Gunta will be pleased to hear it. The market really is a great introduction to Riga, and it's good to know you enjoyed it. Hope to see you back sometime.
The food in the tour was good rather than great, still worthwhile to sample local dishes.
Thank you for the honest feedback. Local food is never guaranteed to win everyone over, but we're glad it was worth trying!
Very informative and tried different foods. I wish we could have sampled desserts. We only had one sample of a rye pudding but I would have like to sample more dessert options
Thank you for the feedback. We've since added Latvian traditional desserts to the tasting, so there's more variety of food to sample now. Hope you get to come back and try them:)
If you want to experience a cool market, go here. We have been to many markets but this is probably the biggest we have been to. 5 old zeppelin hangars full and lots of stalls outside. That's awesome. Here you can find everything you can imagine, food, fruit, vegetables, sweets, clothes, souvenirs etc., yes the list goes on. We walked here two days and found new things all the time, as I said really cool. Can really be recommended visit.
Engaging and interesting overview of Latvian cuisine and culture from a local perspective, with a wide range of samples—cheeses, soup, pestos, fish sandwiches, pudding, etc. The market is less traditional/ingredient-focused, one building is devoted to souvenirs and another has more of a food hall feel. That didn’t detract from the experience but something to keep in mind as far as what to expect.
Gunta was a great guide-knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to create a great experience for her guests. Love the different tastes and flavors we got to try
Truly Latvian traditional food choices, we Learned alot about the history of the market, fun group, great guide
Good and well-read guide and nice layout. Gave a good taste of Riga and tips on things to try during the rest of the stay. Really recommended when in a city for the first time.
The experience started with an amble through the old town to the market which the guide made interesting. The tour of the market was good as was the food tasting. I had booked the vegetarian option for our friends and was slightly disappointed that when we were given the smoked chicken they were not given a suitable alternative resulting in them receiving less tasting samples. For this tour we had to meet in the Smile line office which is located in The Blackheads building, to the left of the entrance. This needs to be made clearer in the instructions as many people had to be contacted by the organisers to direct them to the correct place.
