Weekend in Riga with children

Riga is the closest neighbouring capital, and now we can reach it not only by car or bus, but also by train! It’s a great destination at any time of year. And so that you don’t have to search and plan your trip, here’s our tried-and-tested, adventurous itinerary for a weekend in Riga with kids! A weekend in Riga with children is the perfect choice for those who don’t want to travel far but want to have fun.

Weekend in Riga with children

Weekend in Riga with children is a detailed itinerary that we have prepared for you to use when planning your trip. We love Riga and have been here many times. A family trip to Riga is a great idea for us, as there are fun and interesting places for everyone in the family.

For Vilnius residents, Riga can be reached by car in about 3 hours. But as experienced travelers, we highly recommend that you try traveling by train to Riga. If you’ve never been on a train with your kids before, we’re pretty sure they’ll love it.

The train will take you to Riga in about 4 hours. All this time you will be able to move around, use the toilet comfortably, sit hugging your children, feed them, play with them, and you know that all this adds up to a much more comfortable experience on any journey. And what a fun adventure for children!

However you travel, there is a lot to do in Riga with your children, depending on your abilities and wishes, the age of your children and the weather conditions. Latvians are great at creating fun spaces for children, often free of charge, which is why both Latvian seaside resorts and Riga attract many Lithuanian families.

We offer you our own tried and tested travel plan. It contains plenty of time for children’s activities, as well as sightseeing and visiting places of interest. This plan is suitable for all seasons, even in winter or early spring.

Weekend in Riga with children – itinerary

FRIDAY

Departure

In the evening after school and work.

Stopping

For those traveling by car, we can recommend a cool place to stop halfway – Krogs Sombrero has a very cosy atmosphere and extremely tasty food. The XXXL kits, especially the carbonade, are just absolutely perfect and is enough for a couple of people. When it’s warm, the terrace is open and there are activities for children.

Accommodation. The Radisson Blu Latvija Conference & Spa Hotel is close to the old town, you can walk with children, there is a swimming pool and a very tasty breakfast.

SATURDAY

You can also go to Riga on Saturday morning, with train departures from Vilnius to Riga as early as 6.30am.

Entertainment

We suggest you start the day with a visit to the cool ADVENTICA Riga (on the second floor of the OLIMPIA shopping centre). It has so many activities for children of all ages that it’s hard to list them all:

• climbing wall;
• a giant inflatable playground;
• a ninja warrior track;
• hanging nets course;
• slides;
• interactive games;
• fun playground;
• electric go-kart track;
• obstacle course;
• virtual spider;
• lots of trampolines;
• Toddler Corner;
• ball pit area;
• lego bricks construction room;
• mini basketball and many, many other fun activities.

The ADVENTICA theme Park in Riga is different from the one in Vilnius and is already surprising visitors with its unique solutions:

• The largest brick room in the Baltic States;
• The ball and equipment area surprises with unprecedented interactive equipment;
• In the event hall, children are amazed by giant interactive walls across the entire width;
• A go-kart track for electric cars stretches and winds under the eaves.

It’s fun for both our youngest and our biggest children, because there are so many activities. Also the Riga Adventica has a different feel to it than the one in Vilnius, so it’s definitely worth a visit. There is also a cosy parents’ lounge with a drinks island.

Afternoon

We recomend quieter activities, such as visiting a museum, which in Riga are very interesting and involve even children.

Our favourite museums in Riga:

Riga Automobile Museum

Riga Automobile Museum – the collection is spread over three floors and more than 4000 square metres, and currently houses the largest and most diverse collection of vintage vehicles in the Baltics – more than 100 unique cars, motorcycles and bicycles.

Latvian National Museum of Natural History

Latvian National Museum of Natural History – A true oasis of nature in the middle of civilisation – in the heart of Riga. Human evolution, rare animals and birds from all over the world, collections of insects, plants and minerals, a journey into the history of the Earth, a recreation of a volcanic eruption, celestial studies, several exhibitions, modern and interactive displays, quizzes and stories. A visit to the museum will be a memorable one for young and old alike!

Laima Chocolate Museum

Laima Chocolate Museum – Here you will be immersed in the still mysterious world of chocolate making, where taste, smell and sound come together. Taste a variety of chocolate, see how chocolate is packaged and see the legendary Laima clock.

Riga Fashion Museum

Riga Fashion Museum – Mothers and daughters are invited to the Riga Fashion Museum, where you will see the extensive collection of the spectacular garments of fashion historian Alexander Vasiliev. The various ruffles, silhouettes, accessories, colours, pleats – unique and worth seeing. Everyone will find something to adapt to the present day, or maybe remember what’s in the wardrobe – after all, they say that fashion goes round in circles.

The World Hat Museum

The World Hat Museum – This museum will surprise you with an impressive collection of vintage hats/headwear. That are made from human hair, bones, precious stones and other materials. The hats here will both amaze and creep you out. Extravagance and uniqueness all in one place, and at the same time, you’ll feel as if you’ve traveled the world by hat.

The Riga Film Museum

The Riga Film Museum – where you can feel like a movie star – will take you to the other side of the screen, where scenery and equipment abound. You’ll not only see cartoons being drawn, but also puppets and digital animation – children will see how their favourite cartoons have evolved.

Evening

If you still have the time and energy, we suggest you take in the nighttime views of Riga before bed. You can do this on a yacht cruise or take a fun stroll through the Old Town.

SUNDAY

Morning

After a hearty breakfast, set out to explore the beautiful and unique Old Town of Riga. The red HOP ON-HOP OFF tourist buses are ideal for this purpose, where an audioguide will tell you about the city’s most interesting sights. You can get off at any of the 27 convenient or interesting places. The route starts at Triangular Bastion (11.Novembra Krastmala 17, Riga) and departs daily between 9:45 and 15:45. With the same ticket, you can get on and off the bus as many times as you want, as long as the ticket is valid. Once you get off the bus, you can walk around Riga itself.

Entertainment

Another fun activity is boating on the Daugava River. Going from the Old Town side of the harbour you will find a good selection of shorter and longer rides. At the same time, take a stroll along the extremely charming Daugava River promenade on the right bank of the Daugava River, which encircles the Old Town up to the Kengarags district.

Afternoon

After a hearty lunch in the centre of Riga, we recommend you meet the animals at the Riga Zoo.  It’s located in Riga’s greenest district, next to Lake Ķīšezers. It is open all year round: an ideal place for leisure and picnics in the summer, and in the winter. The zoo opens at specific times to show off certain animals such as snowy owls and arctic foxes. More than 3,000 animals from different continents: giraffes, hippos, tigers, kangaroos, lemurs and more. Watch underwater life in the aquarium. At the Children’s Zoo, you can pet some of Latvia’s traditional pets, where there are always baby animals – lambs, piglets and rabbits. Water birds and birds of prey occupy a large area. In the tropical house you can also see reptiles and insects such as alligators, crocodiles, marmosets and an excellent collection of amphibians. ATTENTION! Open until 4 pm.

If the weather is inclement, we suggest you visit one of the museums mentioned above.

Departure

Before your trip, we suggest you have a snack and a good time at the legendary Lido Leisure Centre. It has been one of the most famous and popular family restaurants and leisure destinations in Riga for more than 20 years. It’s packed with activities for kids: 5 different carousels, a car racing track, mini cars, a pony garden, velocity rides, trampolines, and boats! There’s also a wide range of dishes to choose from, making it easy to find a meal to suit even the pickiest little customer.

The train departs from Riga Station at 15.28 o’clock.

What else to see in Riga with children

If the weather is nice, it’s definitely worth visiting the city’s parks and entertainment areas, such as the City Sports Square in Riga. This is the most impressive playground in Latvia. Suitable for both young and old. The Downtown Sports Quarter opened in September 2017. There are several sports fields (basketball, football, volleyball), BMX, skateboard tracks and a children’s playground. It is considered one of the largest outdoor sports areas in the Baltics.

PONN purees travel with us when traveling in Lithuania and abroad. We are very happy that Paulė found PONN purees from Estonian manufacturer PONN. She likes them, because they are are tasty, organic and have the perfect ingredients for snacks.

You can also check out our article Riga with children for even more interesting things to do in Riga.

For all the information you need to know about preparing for a trip with children and what to do when traveling, see the articles “Tips for Preparing for a trip with a baby” and “Keeping children busy when traveling”.

The article “Weekend in Riga with children” is an original article prepared by “Travel 4 kids®”. Copying and use without permission is strictly prohibited.

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