Honest tour of Riga with the best private guide in town

Wow, wow, wow. What an amazing tour with Harijs. He claimed to provide the best tour in Riga and he could be right. We went as a family of five with children aged 14-21 and he kept everyone engaged for what ended up being a 5 hour plus tour with a short break in the middle. The tour was full of detail, information, funny anecdotes and real engagement - and took us through the old city and the new art nouveau district. His background in teaching and guiding tours really helped in bringing his content to life. Would recommend to anyone who is thinking of taking the tour.

A great tour of a wonderful city with a fantastic guide. Riga becomes even more kaleidoscopic once you begin to see it through its history, expertly told by Harijs. From its late pagan roots, through Germanic, Swedish, Russian, and Soviet rule, to modern independence within the European Union, Harijs reveals Latvia's past through Riga's architecture, urban layout, and the national character of the present-day state. Honestly, our tour with Harijs was perfect!

Our guide was outstanding! Right away he asked how much we wanted to know, and when we said “tell us everything” he kept us informed about the places, buildings and history of Riga through our walking tour. Seeing and comparing the various architectural styles Riga displays throughout its history was a real bonus! As a child who grew up under Soviet domination and has lived in Latvia since they were freed in 1991, he had unique perspectives on life before the change, during the transition, and today as a member of the EU.. You only get what you ask for with guided tours, and small-group ones are the way to really get to know a place and the people who call it home. I can’t thank Viator enough for putting us with our guide, who shared so much with us about his own experiences and the challenges Latvians faced for so many difficult years. This walking tour made this stop truly memorable.

Harijs came up when I searched for the best tours in Riga, and he absolutely lived up to that billing. His business, Honest Tours, offers exactly what the name suggests. We arranged a full day private tour by email, bespoke to our cruise schedule, covering the old town, the art deco neighbourhoods, contemporary Riga and lunch. A mix of walking and being driven around the city. What sets Harijs apart is his storytelling. He draws on his own lived experience to bring Riga to life in a way that no scripted tour could replicate. Childhood memories of the Russians coming for Latvia again, lazy summer afternoons watching hockey in the city centre. It feels personal and authentic rather than rehearsed. We walked the old town, stepped inside a church to see the extraordinary organ, wandered through the market in the old zeppelin hangars and tasted local cheese and bread. The art deco quarter was a real highlight. We also drove through the Soviet era residential blocks, which gave a fascinating dimension to the city’s more recent history. Lunch was at a local restaurant chosen by Harijs, with genuine Latvian food that was excellent. Honestly one of the highlights of the entire cruise. If you are stopping in Riga, do not hesitate.

We had great time with Harijs. He is very knowledgeable and acts and talks like he enjoys what he does. He has an answer for all the questions so this is a perfect way of getting to know Riga and we recommend 100%. Thank you Harijs!

We had a fantastic day with Harijs. He thoroughly covered aspects of Latvian history with humour emotion and personal insight as we walked through the old town and the nouveau district. He also took us to a local kiosk for lovely coffee and pastries. The round trip took us back to our hotel . We loved Riga and would book Harijs without hesitation if we are lucky enough to return.

tour was informative and a great way to see the town. Our guide made it fun as well as educationaland was happy to answer all our questions. We usually get a map and guide book but we would have missed so much. Highly recommend the tour and guide

Best guide. Best van! The guide knows all history and animals and trees! Stopped at lively overlooks. Drinks and snacks on board. Couldn't have had a better experience!

What a great day we had with Honest Tours of Riga. Our guide was so pleasant and knowledgable of the area history and architecture. Love having a local private guide since you get more than a generic tour....great to hear personal experiences from a local. Highly recommend booking this tour!

I just can’t heap enough praise on this tour or on Harijs - I’ve done a lot of walking tours in a lot of cities and this is one of the very best, as is Harijs. Witty, informative, entertaining and at times also moving, he was even better than his reviews. He customised our itinerary as we all wanted to add some tastings at Central Market and he made it incredibly simple to do that - he was very quick and easy to communicate with during and after the booking process - and throughout the tour itself responded so willingly to our questions and digressions, clearly adding more information and expanding on things as he - and we- saw where our interests lay. He was very funny and utterly engaging. Some of what he told us was also deeply moving and we ended up with a real understanding of the history of Latvia and particularly what the inter- and post-war decades have meant to its people, and even how it felt to live through some of them. He brought Riga, its life, its culture, its history vividly and often hilariously to life, and he made the rest of our time in the city immeasurably richer. His mother and some of his friends are completely right - he absolutely is the best private guide of Riga. Book him today - you know you want to, and you definitely should.