The 14 Best Hill of Crosses Day Trips from Riga

1.2 countries! Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace and Bauska castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 225 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $157Our pick

Travel from Riga in a small shared group of up to eight people with guides such as Jānis or Viesturs. Visit Bauska Castle, Rundale Palace, the Latvia-Lithuania border, and the Hill of Crosses in about eight hours. Palace and garden admission, castle tower entry, parking, and an air-conditioned ride are included. Lunch is not.

“Janis was a brilliant host and very knowledgeable as well as friendly. Would highly recommend this tour to all!”

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2.Hill of Crosses & Jelgava Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 149 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $54

Travel from Riga into Lithuania with guides such as Erlens, Janis, and Viktorija, stopping at the Latvia-Lithuania border and the striking Hill of Crosses. You’ll have about an hour to explore the hill, then visit Jelgava’s Orthodox cathedral, riverside promenade, lunch spots, and palace. The day lasts about 7.5 hours and costs $54.44 per person.

“Really good trip. Tour guide was excellent and friendly, driver professional. Good mix of people on the tour and a really nice day”

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3.5,5 Hour Small Group Tour to Hill of Crosses from Riga

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 127 reviews · 5 hours 40 minutes (approx.) · from $90

Travel from Riga to Lithuania in a small, air-conditioned vehicle with a guide such as Jānis, Krista, or Viesturs. You get about an hour at the moving Hill of Crosses, may leave or buy a cross, and can enjoy photo stops, local stories, and a drive through Jelgava.

“Collection from a convenient place in Riga, exactly on time. Richard greeted us warmly in his lovely nine seater Mercedes minibus. There was five of us, so loads of room. The two hour ride was made interesting by Richards observations and historical anecdotes. We had plenty of water and really moreish sweets supplied. The Hill of Crosses was a truly moving experience, something none of us will forget. On the way back the route deviated slightly to take in differing building styles and the grand winter palace. We were home on time, with enough of the day left to carry on sightseeing. We only had a limited time in Riga…”

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4.Group Day trip to Rundale Palace, Hill of Crosses & Bauska Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 92 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $151

Leave Riga for a full day across Latvia and Lithuania, with stops at Bauska Castle, Rundale Palace, and the Hill of Crosses. You get guided context, free time to explore, and transport in a small air-conditioned van. Guides such as Paul, Tomass, Gints, and Kristine have led this trip, though the guide varies by departure.

“A great day out. We crossed the border into Lithuania to visit the hill of crosses which was absolutely amazing. We were given free time to wonder around and take photos. We were hoping for a stop off at the border to grab a photo or two but we sailed straight through. Next we visited Rundāles Palace where we had a couple of hours to tour the gardens and the inside of the palace and have some lunch. Our final stop was at Bauska castle where we were treated to some historical facts before and were able to walk around the grounds. Unfortunately our trip didn’t included entrance into the…”

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5.Tour from Riga – Vilnius via Bauska, Rundale, The Hill of Crosses

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 54 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $114

Use this one-way transfer to travel from Riga to Vilnius while visiting Bauska Castle, Rundale Palace, and Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses. The driver may also serve as your guide, with Adam, Andris, and Andrew praised for clear explanations and careful driving. Expect a small-group van, luggage space, and a tightly timed day.

“This tour is a brilliant way to travel from Riga to Vilnius whilst seeing more of Lativa and Lithuania. All 3 of the stops were really interesting and worth a visit. Our guide for the day, Andrew, was another story. All day he was aggressive, condecending and quite frankly rude. The atmosphere was uncomfortable all day and was run like a military operation. You were told where to sit, and were told he would open the boot only once to get out any stuff you needed. He was very strict on timings, accusing a girl of being late when she was on time. He clearly doesn't enjoy the job and…”

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6.Private trip – Hill of Crosses / 2 countries in 1 day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $150

Travel from central Riga to Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi and bottled water. Guides such as Krista, Armand, Elrens, and VB explain the site’s history, legends, and meaningful crosses. You’ll have guided time, then an hour to explore alone, with an optional border photo stop at Eleja.

“Krista is the best guide you will EVER have! She is amazing, super knowledgeable, and sincerely wants her guests to have a perfect day with her. Booking this tour, you will get so much more than the Hill of Crosses, as Krista will take you on spontaneous adventures if you are up for it. Apart from Hill of Crosses, we visited 3 castles, a city of rabbits, and even had an authentic Latvian lunch! This was a fabulous experience 100/10!!! The only day trip you need from Riga!”

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7.Private Full-Day Trip to Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace & Bauska

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

From Riga, a private English-language guide takes you across two countries to the Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace, and Bauska Castle. You get private transport, flexible time at each stop, and a lunch break. Guides named in past bookings include Norman, Normund, Normands, and Andrejs.

“Normund was incredible tour guide! He was extremely knowledgable and very passionate about our entire journey. We learned so much from him and the stops on our tour, we would love to book with him again in the Baltic states. Thanks for everything Normund and we wish you the best!!”

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8.Hill of Crosses and Jelgava Gems Tour – 2 countries in 1 day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $46Best value

Travel from Riga to Lithuania’s moving Hill of Crosses with guide Tomas or Paul, one hour to explore on your own, and a possible Latvia-Lithuania border photo stop. On the return, see Jelgava’s Orthodox cathedral, Trinity Church Tower, riverside promenade, and enjoy an optional lunch. The tour runs about 7.5 hours.

“Enjoyed my trip to the Hill of Crosses. Thomas was a great guide. His knowledge made the experience more enriching.”

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9.Hill of Crosses & Guided Rundale Palace with Bauska Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $119

Leave Riga at 8:00 a.m. for the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, then tour Rundale Palace with a certified palace guide and explore its French Garden. Finish at medieval Bauska Castle, including tower access. English guide, bottled water, Wi-Fi, transport, and entry fees are included. Lunch is extra.

“Loved this tour, our guide Erlan was amazing, very knowledgable and friendly. Booked a second tour with this company!”

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10.Sunrise at the Hill of Crosses – 2 countries in 1 day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $150

Leave Riga before sunrise for a private drive to Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses with a guide such as Janis, Krista, or Matiss. Hear the site’s stories, examine its crosses and symbols, then explore alone and add your own cross if you wish. An optional Eleja border stop adds a quick photo break.

“Great tour from start to finsh.janis was a great tour guide told many stories about hill of crosses and pointed out the differences in some of the crosses plenty of free time at hill i am not a holy person but felt very moved when here. Only i would have liked a leaflet about hil which the guide had it had pictures of hill with no crosses on it but apart from that great tour once again janis was great tell him keep up with learning his spanish 5* tour🥳👍”

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11.Hill of Crosses & Rundale Palace Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 7 hours (approx.)

Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle from Riga to Rundāle Palace and Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses. You get hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, bottled water, and time to explore both sites. Guides Laura and Daumants have led related routes, though your assigned guide may differ. Lunch is not included.

“Great way to see the area and travel from city to city. The places selected to visit on the way were interesting and the information provided helped in the understanding of the history”

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12.Private transfer Riga – Hill of Crosses – Riga

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $138

Travel from central Riga to Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses in about 1 hour 50 minutes each way. Your English-speaking driver, including Janis or Krista when available, handles the ride while you explore independently. Expect a private, flexible half-day outing, not a guided tour, with pickup arranged around your plans.

“An eery but interesting place to visit. Literally 1000’s of crosses. Different stories for reason of its origin all fascinating. Guide who drove us there was very informative. Lots of other facts and interests shared with us along the route too. .”

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13.Go on a pilgrimage from Riga – visit Siluva and Hill of Crosses!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $185

Travel privately from Riga with a guide such as Janis Gasiņš or Krista to two important Catholic sites in Lithuania. Visit Siluva’s chapel and church, then take a guided walk at the Hill of Crosses before exploring on your own. Expect 8 to 9 hours on the road, with bottled water, WiFi, and transport included.

“Our guide Janis Gasiņš was absolutely amazing. Knowledgable, professional and the best sense of humor. Lots of laughter and learned so much about both the Latvian and Lithuanian culture. The best day!!”

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14.Tour from Riga to Vilnius: Bauska Castle, Rundale Palace and The Hill of Crosses

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $266

Start with hotel pickup in Riga and end at your Vilnius hotel or a central address. Your English-speaking driver-guide takes you to Bauska Castle, Rundale Palace, and the Hill of Crosses, with time to explore each. The price includes Bauska admission, while Rundale Palace entry, food, and drinks cost extra. A passport is required.

“This was a fantastic tour that was exactly what we were looking for.....transportation from Riga to Vilnius, but still get to see the cool sites in the middle. The guide picked us up right on time in the Riga hotel and was able to provide lots of Latvian history even know the company is Lithuanian based. We had plenty of time to explore all three sites, and guide was helpful at each. I would definitely recommend this tour if you need one way transportation between the cities, it was a great choice.”

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