What is a Latvian pirts?

The traditional Latvian sauna — a wood-heated steam room where you are lightly beaten with birch whisks to stimulate circulation, then cooled in a lake or with cold water. It is a deeply relaxing cultural experience.

Is Cēsis worth the visit?

Absolutely. The candlelit castle exploration alone is worth the trip, and the medieval town is one of the prettiest in the Baltics.

7-Day Private Package Journey

Latvia — Art Nouveau & Nature — 7 Days

Riga's grand façades, wild Baltic coast, and castle-dotted valleys.

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided

From €3,290 per person 7 days / 6 nights

View Itinerary

Tour Overview

7 days across Baltics.

Latvia is the Baltic State that most rewards the traveller who goes beyond the capital. Riga is extraordinary — but so is the country behind it. The Gauja Valley in the north is Latvia's 'Switzerland': a forested river canyon with medieval castle ruins on every promontory. Cape Kolka on the western coast marks the point where the Baltic Sea meets the Gulf of Riga, with a wild shoreline of empty beaches and fishing villages. Cēsis is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the Baltics, with a castle you explore by candlelight. And Jūrmala — Riga's beach resort — lines the Gulf with 33 kilometres of white sand and wooden Art Nouveau villas from the Russian imperial period. This seven-day route connects Riga with all of these, moving from city to forest to coast at a pace that lets you absorb what you are seeing.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1

Arrival in Riga

The Hanseatic city on the Daugava.

Arrive at Riga Airport and transfer to your hotel in the Old Town. Afternoon at leisure: Dome Square, the Riga Cathedral, the Three Brothers houses, and the first walk along the Daugava embankment. Welcome dinner at a restaurant showcasing modern Latvian cuisine — rye, smoked fish, birch sap, and seasonal produce from the countryside.

Private airport transfer
Dome Square and Riga Cathedral
Daugava River embankment walk
Welcome dinner with modern Latvian cuisine

Meals: Dinner Boutique hotel, Riga Old Town

Day 2

Riga — Art Nouveau & Markets

Eisenstein's façades and five Zeppelin hangars.

Full day with a private architecture historian. Morning: the Art Nouveau quarter — Alberta iela, Elizabetes iela, and the surrounding streets hold over 800 Art Nouveau buildings, from Mikhail Eisenstein's extravagant decorative style to the sober geometry of the Latvian national romantic school. Afternoon: Riga Central Market in five repurposed Zeppelin hangars — one of the largest and most atmospheric markets in Europe. Evening at leisure.

Art Nouveau walking tour with an architecture historian
Mikhail Eisenstein façades on Alberta iela
Riga Central Market — five Zeppelin hangars
Latvian national romantic architecture

Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Riga Old Town

Day 3

Sigulda & Gauja Valley

Castles above the river canyon.

Drive to Sigulda and the Gauja National Park. Visit Turaida Castle — the red-brick Archbishop's fortress from 1214, restored and commanding panoramic views over the forested valley. Walk to Gūtmanis Cave — the largest in the Baltics, with centuries of carved inscriptions. Cross the valley by cable car. Afternoon exploring the Sigulda manor grounds and the old bobsled track (summer rides available as an optional add-on). Dinner at a countryside restaurant in the valley.

Turaida Castle — red brick, 1214, valley panorama
Gūtmanis Cave and ancient inscriptions
Gauja Valley cable car crossing
Countryside dinner in the national park

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Boutique hotel, Sigulda

Day 4

Cēsis

Candlelit castles and medieval lanes.

A short drive to Cēsis — one of the most beautiful small towns in the Baltics. The medieval castle ruins are among the best preserved in Latvia; explore the towers by candlelight, a tradition the town has maintained for years. The new castle adjacent houses a museum and offers tower-top views over the Old Town. Walk the cobblestoned lanes, visit the medieval church, and lunch at a local café. Afternoon return to Sigulda or onward to the coast. The route passes through deep Latvian forest — birch, pine, and the occasional roadside stork nest.

Cēsis Castle — candlelit tower exploration
Medieval Old Town and St John's Church
New Castle panoramic tower
Drive through Latvian forest to the coast

Meals: Breakfast Coastal guesthouse, Kolka area

Day 5

Cape Kolka & the Livonian Coast

Where the Baltic Sea meets the Gulf of Riga.

A day on Latvia's wild western coast. Cape Kolka is the northernmost point of the Courland Peninsula — the place where the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga collide, visible as two distinct bodies of water meeting. The Livonian Coast stretching south preserves the fishing villages of the Livonians, a Finno-Ugric people whose language is nearly extinct and whose tiny communities cling to this shoreline. Walk the empty beaches, visit the Kolka lighthouse, and explore the village of Mazirbe with its Livonian community centre. The sense of remoteness here is real — this was a Soviet-era restricted zone, closed to visitors until 1991.

Cape Kolka — where two seas meet
Livonian fishing villages along the coast
Empty Baltic beaches and pine-backed dunes
Former Soviet restricted zone — opened 1991

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Coastal guesthouse, Kolka area

Day 6

Jūrmala & Rundāle

Beach villas and a baroque palace.

Drive south to Jūrmala — 33 kilometres of white-sand beach along the Gulf of Riga, backed by pine dunes and lined with ornate wooden Art Nouveau villas built during the Russian imperial era. Walk Jomas iela, the pedestrian boulevard, and the beach. After lunch, drive south to Rundāle Palace — Rastrelli's Baltic masterpiece, the finest baroque palace in the region, with formal French gardens and a Gold Hall that rivals anything in Central Europe. Return to Riga for a farewell dinner.

Jūrmala — wooden villas and white-sand Baltic beach
Rundāle Palace — Rastrelli's baroque masterpiece
Formal French gardens and the Gold Hall
Farewell evening in Riga

Meals: Breakfast Boutique hotel, Riga Old Town

Day 7

Departure

A final morning in Riga.

Final morning at leisure — a last walk through the Old Town, a coffee on Dome Square, or a return visit to the Central Market. Private transfer to Riga Airport or onward to Tallinn if continuing through the Baltics.

Final morning in Riga
Private transfer to departure point

Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

Riga

3 nights

Boutique hotel

Old Town

Walking distance to Art Nouveau quarter and Central Market

Sigulda

1 night

Boutique hotel

Town centre

Near the Gauja Valley trailheads

Kolka coast

2 nights

Coastal guesthouse

Kolka area

Simple, comfortable accommodation on the Livonian coast

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

6 nights in boutique hotels and a coastal guesthouse
All ground transfers in private vehicle
Private guides throughout
Daily breakfast plus three regional dinners
All entrance fees, castle visits, and nature park permits
24/7 local support contact

Not Included

International flights
Travel insurance
Meals not specified in the itinerary
Optional add-ons and personal expenses
Gratuities for guides and drivers

Good to Know

Cape Kolka is remote — accommodation is comfortable but simple. This is part of the experience.
The Livonian Coast road is partially unpaved. Our vehicles handle it easily.
Rundāle Palace gardens are at their best June–August.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Gauja bobsled ride

Summer run on the Olympic-grade Sigulda bobsled track.

€60 per person

Latvian sauna ritual

Traditional Latvian pirts (sauna) with birch whisks and herbal teas.

€75 per person

Opera at the Latvian National Opera

Tickets and interval drinks at Riga's Art Nouveau opera house.

€85 per person

"Cape Kolka was the most remote, beautiful place we visited in all of Europe. The Art Nouveau in Riga is world-class. Latvia deserves far more attention."

David & Elena R.

New York, USA · Latvia — Art Nouveau & Nature — 7 Days

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

Is the Livonian Coast difficult to reach?

Not at all — it is about a 3-hour drive from Riga. The road is partially unpaved but well-maintained. The remoteness is the point: you will have the beaches largely to yourself.

Can this tour be combined with Lithuania or Estonia?

Yes — our Grand Baltics 12-day itinerary covers all three, or we can add days in Vilnius or Tallinn.

Private Package Journey

Latvia — Art Nouveau & Nature — 7 Days

7 days / 6 nights

From €3,290

per person

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More Baltics Tours

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+1 646-466-6841 explore@hamiltonandchase.com

Available Mon–Fri 9am–6pm CET.
On-trip support is 24/7.

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