Create Your Experience in Riga

Cycling, canoeing, hiking

Latvia (8 days)

This tour begins and ends in Riga, featuring six days of active recreation in the Gauja National Park. You will take a train from Riga to Valmiera, where you will spend the first day hiking the area’s forest trails. For the next five days, you will ride your bicycle along the banks of the Gauja River, with short hikes along the way to look at sandstone cliffs and caves, to swim in local lakes, and to canoe down the river through the Līgatne Nature Park with its wealth of Baltic wildlife. You will cross the river at one point on Latvia’s only wood transport ferry, which is carried along by the river. Finally you will end up in the lovely town of Sigulda, from where you will take the train to get back to Riga.

1st day / Arrival in Rīga
Arrival in Riga Airport.
Optional: transfer to the hotel.
Pick up the info package with maps and detailed itinerary description from the hotel reception.
Overnight in a hotel  ABC Kempings or Multilux B&B in Riga.

2nd day /  Rīga - Valmiera
Breakfast. Pick up the bicycle in the hotel.
In the morning take train: Riga - Strenči (2 h, 20 min).
Cycling: Strenči - Valmiera (~35 km, 10% asphalt, 10% gravel road, 80% sandt forest trails), en route the bear brewery of "Brenguļi" with niche small open-air pub.
Overnight in the hotel Wolmar in Valmiera.
To see more photos from this day please click here.
   
3rd day / Valmiera - Cēsis
Breakfast.
Cycling: Valmiera - Cēsis (~50 km, 5% Asphalt, 5% gravel road, 85% forest trails), en route sightseeing of Sietiņiezis white sandstone cliffs and Ērgļu red sandstone cliffs near the river Gauja.
Free time in Cēsis - visit to the Livonian Orders castle ruins, the manor complex and to the workshop of the traditional jeweller is recommendable.
Overnight in the hotel Atpūta in Cēsis.
Tos see more photos from this day please click here.
Gauja
   
4th day / Cēsis - Līgatne
Breakfast.
Hiking along the Cīrulīši hiking trail in Gauja River valley (4,5-7,2 km), en route possibility to see various sandstone cliffs and holes.
Canoeing on the river Gauja: Cēsis - Līgatne (~18 km, 4.5 h), en route possibility to see the castle mount of Kvēpene, various cliffs and the wooden ferry which is driven by the river stream in Līgatne.
Cycling in the Līgatne Nature park (Asphalt, 5,1 km) or hiking along the nature trails in Līgatne Nature park (5,5 km), where wild animals of the Baltic region can be observed in special enclosures. Further nature trails possible: the trail of the untouched nature in the fern glen (1,3 km) and the trail along the River Gauja (1,3 km).
Overnight in the guest house Lāču miga in Līgatne.

   
5th day / Līgatne - Sigulda
Breakfast.
Cycling: Līgatne - Nurmiži - Sigulda (~30 km, 40% gravel road, 60% asphalt).

In Sigulda surroudings you can visit the Raganu katls (Witches’ Pot), Pētera (Peter’s) cave, the Satezeles hillfort, the Kraukļu ravine, a beautiful view of the Gauja river valley from the Paradise or Painters’ hill.
Overnight in the guesthouse Līvkalns in Sigulda.
   
6th day / Sigulda
Breakfast.
Cycling: Sigulda - Turaida - Sigulda (20 km, forest trails, gravel road and Asphalt,) en route possibility to visit the Gūtmaņa cave - the largest in Latvia, the Bobsleigh track, the palace with the park of Krimulda, the museums reserve complex of Turaida with the castle, observation tower, history museum and sculpture garden.
Or hiking in the surroundings of Sigulda on hiking trails along the river Gauja
Overnight in the guest house Līvkalns in Sigulda.

7th day / Sigulda - Rīga
Breakfast.
Take the train: Sigulda - Riga (1 h).
Free time in Riga. Sightseeing of the Hanseatic Old Town, the Art Nouveau district, the central market, the Pārdaugava district and the Ethnographic open-air museum is reccommendable.
Give back the bicycle in the hotel in Riga.
Overnight in a hotel ABC Kempings or Multilux B&B in Riga.

8th day / Rīga
Breakfast.
Individual departure or extra days in Riga or in the countryside in Latvia.
Optional: Private transfer from the hotel to airport.

this tour is operated by Lauku celotajs