This Soviet Riga tour provides a compelling view of life under occupation, grounded in the memories of those who lived it. Our local guides use significant city centre landmarks, such as the imposing Latvian Riflemen Monument and the notorious KGB "Corner House," to share personal accounts and human stories of survival, quiet resistance, and the struggle to maintain Latvian identity right here in the heart of Riga. The tour offers a nuanced understanding of the heavy shadow the Soviet regime cast and the resilience shown by the people until independence was regained.
Out at sunset: the 4:30 PM departure is under way when the sun sets, around 6:11 PM in the coming weeks.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 6.
A brief overview of the Soviet period - the different eras from Stalin to Gorbachev. The history of the Latvian red riflemen and the significance of their monument in the broader discussion of Soviet cultural heritage.
The deportations to Siberia will be discussed - the reason, scale and impact of the deportations will be covered.
The climax of the fight for Latvia's independence - the era of the barricades will be discussed.
The Baltic way - the largest non violent anti Soviet demonstration in the Baltics - will be analysed. The logistics, mood of the time period and impact will be covered.
The monument of freedom - Riga's most iconic monument - it's significance and how it survived the Soviet period.
The Orthodox cathedral - the role and treatment of religion in the Soviet period will be discussed.
Formerly Hotel Latvia - the only hotel where western tourists where allowed to stay in Soviet Riga, the rooms famously bugged by the KGB
Freedom street - formerly Lenin street. The street features examples of Soviet era residential archiecture and Soviet Latvia's most famous fashion house - Rigas Modes.
KGB building. The HQ of the Russian secret police in Latvia - the highest building in Riga - from the top of it you can see all the way to Siberia... KGB recruitment methods, interrogation methods and more will be discussed
Dailes theatre - an iconic example of Soviet era architecture is our final stop. The collapse of the Soviet union will be discussed.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 452 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Private Soviet Riga tour lasts about 2 hours. The itinerary has 10 stops.
Prices start at $199 per person for this Riga experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, with 15 departures a day between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is In the middle of Latvian rifleman's square, next to the statue of the Latvian riflemen. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN, EN.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 15 travellers can book together.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Children must be accompanied by an adult
Confirmation is sent by the operator within 24 hours of booking.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 18 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by TRAVEL MANAGEMENT SIA.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Mareks was wonderful! He.was full of fascinating stories of the.time, pointed out locations, buildings, life and society of the era. Also the social structure, the historical events of the.time. he English was excellent and easy to understand. I had studied European history but he made everything more human. An excellent tour and well worth the time and money!
What a great tour! We slowly walked through the Old Town and then across to the Art Nouveau district while our guide pointed out landmarks from the Soviet era and shared with us both Latvian history and anecdotes from his family’s history. We’d easily go back for another couple hours.
We had an extraordinary guide, Emil, who spent two years guiding us not through the difficult Soviet history of Riga, but also a broader history of Riga and Latvia. He enhanced the Soviet history with the personal stories of his family. Our two hours flew by with him and we hardly noticed the distances we covered in that time. He finished with a stop at the Russian Embassy and us wishing we could have two more hours as the tour was that good.
This was an amazing private tour with Ulricha. She was so kind, friendly, and patient…but most of all knowledgeable and bringing in her own experiences! We walked all around the city and learned lots of history. She then gave us directions for touring on our own with a restaurant recommendation that was delicious. Highly recommend!!!!
Interesting and informative. Guide was on time and easily understood. Would highly recommend tour Answered all of our questions
Excellent history walk with this lovely young man, I can’t remember his name. Fascinating details about Latvia under communism illuminated with stories from his parents and grandparents/truly remarkable.
Guide was incredibly knowledgeable and adjusted his information based on our interests and knowledge. Highly engaging. Would highly recommend.
Our guide was EXCELLENT! His knowledge of the history of Riga was anwesome and he had many personal stories that included his parents and grandparents experiences of living in Riga during Soviet rule. There were three of us on the tour and we learned so much more than the larger groups we encountered. We are so glad we this tour!
Guide Edvards explained the Soviet Era history of Riga very well to us, accessible to the layman, but not dumbed down. Especially interesting was the history of several monuments and buildings, which over their existence were redefined in their meaning according to the ideology of the government, such as transforming a church into a a planetarium. I definitely recommend. We had a splendid tour!
Really informative, personalized, knowledgeable and interesting experience. Highly recommend our guide.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Soviet Riga tour | 2 hours | 5.0 (18) | $199 | |
 Riga Old Town walking tour | 1h 45min | 4.7 (381) | $19 | View |
 Latvian food tasting tour at Riga Central market (20 tastes) | 2 hours | 4.4 (299) | $40 | View |
 2 countries! Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace and Bauska castle | 8 hours | 4.9 (261) | $148 | View |
 Hill of Crosses and Jelgava Tour 2 Countries in 1 Day | 7h 30min | 4.9 (224) | $63 | View |
 Riga Gun Range: shooting with Winchester, Glock17, & Kalashnikov | 40 min | 4.9 (184) | $63 | View |
 Riga Old Town Walking Tour in a Small Group | 1h 30min | 4.7 (160) | $22 | View |