Culture & History

Starting from any location in Siauliai, you will be collected and driven to the famous Hill of Crosses. Explore this striking religious site and see more than 200,000 crosses, crucifixes, statues of the Virgin Mary, tiny effigies, rosaries and carvings of Lithuanian patriots that have been brought to the hill by Catholic pilgrims.  Enjoy a small group experience and the knowledge of your local, English-speaking guide.

This full-day tour starts at 09.00 AM when you’re picked up at your centrally located Vilnius Hotel. After about an hour’s drive you’ll reach the Ukmergė District, stopping at a park established to remember those who fought against the Soviet regime. You’ll see crosses dedicated to the partisans, to the most important dates of Lithuanian history and to famous individuals, such as Pope John Paul II and US President Ronald Reagan. Learn about the symbolism of the cross in Lithuanian culture and history. Continue to the Siauliai area, where you’ll visit the Hill of Crosses, one of the most popular sightseeing attractions in Lithuania. Enjoy lunch at local restaurant and taste traditional Lithuanian dishes. After lunch you’ll head back to Vilnius arriving at around 5:00-6:00 PM.

Discover the highlights between Riga to Vilnius with this ticket. Travel from the heart of Riga through south Latvia and north Lithuania on your way to Vilnius. Make some stops at well-known landmarks on the route.  Be picked by your guide from the meeting point in Riga and sit back and relax as the Latvian countryside passes by on the way to the Bauska Castle complex. Snap pictures of this romantic castle that is situated on a narrow green peninsula and surrounded by two rivers. Continue to the Baroque Rundale Palace. View this classic 18th-century palace before heading to one of the most sacred and spiritual places in Lithuania, the Hill of Crosses. Admire this site of pilgrimage where thousands of crosses have been left over the past 200 years.  Finish your tour at Katedros aikštė (Cathedral square) in Vilnius. Use your complimentary guidebook to help you get around the city. 

The driver will pick you up from your address in Riga and firstly will take you to Bauska, where Rundale Palace is located (around 1 hour drive). There you will meet the local guide, who will lead you through the Palace and tell you a lot of interesting stories of the place. After the tour you will have some time to marvel the beautiful French Gardens of Rundale Palace. After you will have another hour drive, which will take you to Lithuania and to one of countries main highlights - the Hill of crosses. The Hill of crosses is a place near Šiauliai city, with hundreds of thousands of crosses, brought by people from all over the world. There you will have time to walk, explore and hear the unforgettable sound of crosses, which are making the music if there is a little wind. Hill of crosses is one of the few highlights in Lithuania, included into the Unesco World heritage list. Back to Riga in the afternoon.

This full-day day tour is the best choice for those who want to save time, money, and see the most important sights along the trip from Riga to Vilnius. Visit Bauska Castle, which is surrounded by a picturesque scenery and represents an example of military architecture (XV - XVII century). The castle consists of two parts: the fortress built especially for the use of firearms and the residential castle fortified with bastions, protective walls and earthen ramparts. About two hours is reserved to explore Rundale Palace, one of the most outstanding monuments of Baroque and Rococo architecture in Latvia, which sometimes is called as ‘The Versailles of Latvia’. Rundale Palace is built in the mid-18th-Century by the Russian court architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, it was the summer residence of the Duke of Courland. The two-story castle contains 138 elaborate rooms, a lovely French garden and a museum dedicated to the history of Latvia. Last but not least is a unique ensemble of Lithuanian folk art - The Hill of Crosses. The monument with more than 200.000 crosses in various sizes and materials stands on Jurgaiciai - Domantai mound. During your visit at The Hill of Crosses, you will learn more about the legendary stories why the Hill appeared. In the evening finish your drive and arrive in Vilnius city.

Starting from Vilnius the tour will take you to the north of Lithuania where you will find Siauliai city and the famous Hill of Crosses. Siauliai is the fourth largest city in Lithuania.   During the drive through the center, there will be a chance to see the famous Frenkel Villa, Church of St. Peter and Paul and meet the Millenium Fox and Golden Archer of the Sundial.  The famous Hill of Crosses will be your next stop, where the Pope John Paul II held the most highly attended mass in our country – during his visit to Lithuania in 1993. This old mound from the days of the crusaders has been decorated with thousands of crosses in every imaginable size and form. This has always been, as it is now, a place of pilgrimage. Today a veritable sea of crosses – hundreds of thousands of them – serves as a monument to Lithuanians’ devotion to their religion. You will learn about the cross making craft - one of the most unique Lithuanian crafts, included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. After the visit in the Hill of Crosses, it is possible to stop for lunch in a traditional restaurant before making your way back to the capital city, Vilnius.

Enjoy a complimentary hotel pick-up and transfer from your centrally located Vilnius hotel or accommodation to Riga through the Hill of Crosses in Siauliai and Rundale palace in Latvia, with a possible stop at Bauska castle in Latvia. The drive to the Hill of Crosses will be about 2.5 hours from Vilnius. The Hill of Crosses has about 100,000 crosses and is an historical architectural monument and a unique composition of folk art. It is said that first crosses were erected here by the next-of-kin of the rebels that fell in the 1831 rebellion. The Hill of crosses attracts people with its spirituality, authenticity, and sacred nature and was visited by Pope John Paul II. After exploring this site, you will head to Rundale Palace, which is an approximately 40-minute drive. Rundale Palace is one of the two major baroque palaces built for the Dukes of Courland in what is now Latvia. In 1735 Duke of Courland Ernst Johann von Biron bought land in Rundale with an old medieval castle in the territory of a planned summer residence. The old castle was demolished and construction after the design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli started in 1736. Your drive to Riga after your visit to the palace is approximately 1 hour.

Start your trip from Vilnius Town Hall Square. Sit back and enjoy a comfortable ride to your first sightseeing stop: the Hill of Crosses. Continue your trip in Latvia with a visit to Rundale Palace, one of the most stunning Baroque treasures in Latvia. Explore this brightly-colored building surrounded by an extensive and splendid garden. Enjoy a break at Bauska Castle, an impressive example of military architecture. End your trip at Riga Town Hall in Latvia.

The driver will pick you up from Vilnius hotel for your private transfer to Riga with the visit of two highlights. Firstly, you'll have a stop at the Hill of Crosses, a 2 hours drive from Vilnius, and is a unique place, included in the Unesco World Heritage list. Explore the hill by yourself, having around 45 minutes to walk around. Continue to Rundale Palace, which takes around 1 more hour. Once there, you will be greeted by a local guide, who'll show you around the Palace, which used to be the summer residence of the Duke of Courland. After the Rundale tour, your driver will take you to Riga and drop you off at your hotel.

Start with pickup from any location within Siauliai. Enjoy a small-group experience and the knowledge of your local, English-speaking guide. First you will visit the Hill of Crosses pilgrimage site. Marvel at over 200,000 crosses, effigies and statues brought by Catholic pilgrims over many centuries. See statues of the Virgin Mary, tiny effigies, rosaries, and carvings of Lithuanian patriots that have been brought to the hill.  Next, cross over into Latvia to visit the Rundale Palace, the most beautiful baroque palace in Latvia. The palace was built in 18th century is an outstanding example of the early work of Italian-Russian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who also designed the famous Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. The professionally renovated palace interiors are decorated with authentic 18th century furniture, paintings. The most impressive features include the Golden Hall, the White Hall, and the bedroom of the Duke of Courtland, Johan Ernst Biron.