Best kayaking destinations in the Baltics

Text by Valdis Čeičs

Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia offer a rich variety of water bodies like the Baltic Sea, rivers and lakes which you can enjoy kayaking solo, with friends or family. In this article, I share my favorite kayaking destinations and a few tips at the end.

The Gauja River in Latvia– explore the sandstone caves

The Gauja River flows through the Gauja National Park which has beautiful castle ruins, sandstone outcrops and cliffs along the river banks. Many of the sandstone outcrops have caves that are big enough for you to crawl in and explore them from inside. If you are lucky enough, you might even spot a bat.

If you are looking for an easy, but beautiful one-day kayaking tour, I recommend to start from Ligatne and finish in Sigulda, total paddling distance is approximately 25km.

Read more on the Gauja National Park Kayaking Tour page!

Aukštaitija National Park – chain lakes

More then 100 lakes scattered in Aukštaitijas National Park. Many of these lakes are interconnected by rivulets that make the dicovering of the area on a kayak very adventures. Paddle to remote traditional villages, grassy islets, swim in crystal clear waters. and enjoy the tranquility of the lush woods.

Read more on the Aukštaitija Kayaking Trip tour page!

The Trakai Lakes in Lithuania –around the island castle

One-fifth of the Trakai Historical National Park is occupied by lakes. The most valuable monument of the park is the Trakai Island Castle. It is located on an island in GalveLake, the biggest of the Trakai Lakes. You can paddle around this romantic ancient castle and enjoy the magnificent view. In the medieval times, this castle was one of the largest in Lithuania and served as a residence for a number of Lithuanian rulers.

Insider tip – go kayaking after 18:00 to see a beautiful sunset over the castle!

Read more on the Trakai Sunset Kayaking Tour page!

The Nemunas River Delta in Lithuania – wide and curvy

The Nemunas River, also known as the Neman River, is a wide and very flat river with a curvy flow. The Nemunas River Delta is unique with its swamp and the village Minga built on it. This village is called the “Venice of Lithuania”. As many migratory birds rest there, the Nemunas River Delta is a popular bird-watching destination, especially during the flood season when meadows are full of rare waterbird species.

If you are looking for an easy one-day kayaking tour, I recommend to start from Rusnevia Minga and finish in Vente, total paddling distance is approximately 25km.

Read more on the Nemunas River Delta Kayaking Tour page!

The Curonian Lagoon in Lithuania – see one of Europe’s biggest moving sand dunes

The Curonian Spit is a 98 km long narrow strip of a land split between Russia and Lithuania, it is one of Europe’s largest drifting dunes, on average, the height is 35 m. Paddling on the wide Curonian Lagoon you can see the charming fishermen’s villages and have the best view of the dune.

If you are looking for an easy one-day kayaking tour, I recommend to start from Pervalkaand finish in Nida, total paddling distance is approximately 16 km.

Read more on the Curonian Spit Kayak Tour page!

The Soomaa National Park in Estonia – the fifth season

“The fifth season” is annual flooding in the Soomaa National Park, when the water level in the biggest Estonian swamp is so high that you can kayak through the forest, past old farmhouses, and over the fields.

The kayaking period starts at the end of March and lasts until the beginning of April.

The Baltic Sea Coast – Bay of Riga, Finnish Bay and the Estonian islands

Kayaking on the sea is harder than on the rivers and lakes. The waves are your friends and enemy at the same time. The Bay of Riga includes the Estonian islands, also known as the Western Estonian archipelago. The kayaking trip usually goes between the Estonian islands or along the shore on the Bay of Riga or Finish Bay.

Tips

The most popular time for kayaking is June, July, and August when the rivers are calm.
Springtime is more suitable for experienced kayakers as the ice and snow melts and turns relaxing paddling into white water rafting.
Don’t forget to enjoy swimming too! All the Baltic water bodies are freshwater, even the Baltic Sea gets its water mostly from rivers. Keep in mind that on average, water temperature in summer is between 14 to 20

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Frequently Asked Questions

Rob and Natalie

2025-10-08

Baltic Nature Travel (BNT) did an outstanding job organizing our 17 day self-driving tour through Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania in Sept. 2025. Every detail was carefully planned and implemented - transportation from & to the airport and ferry; rental car delivered to our hotel; personal guides in the capital cities. The hotels were in excellent locations and often family owned, with great breakfasts included. The trip was designed so that we spent two nights at several places, which made pace of our trip just right. Two hotel had saunas and pools - a good respite. Our trip included urban and rural experiences, lots of opportunity for walking and exploring. As American visitors, we appreciated the reception we received from local residents and the fluent English spoken by most. BNT has our very highest recommendation.

Micha Wierdsma

2025-09-28

We had booked the Best of Ķemeri National Park tour. We had an amazing day together with Rolands. He picked us up right on schedule, and in the car his enthusiasm for the tour was immediately apparent! He told us all about the day, about what we could expect. The tour exceeded all our expectations, it was truly beautiful. Rolands was very informative, told us all about the area, the history, the nature. Not only did we enjoy the hiking and breathing in the fresh air, we also learned some very interesting things! Rolands was very friendly and talkative and we could ask all the questions we want, even about the Latvian language and traditions. He was also very helpfull, when my wife had trouble with some paths, he helped her. Even when she stubbed her toe, it didn't take any joy out of the day.

Julie Grewe

2025-09-22

Our family had the privilege of working with Valdis and his company Baltic Nature Travel, both as our travel planner and guide for what became the most significant, symbolic, and memorable trip of our lives - a family heritage discovery journey through Latvia. Valdis brought Latvia to life for our family in a way we will never forget. From the very beginning, he thoughtfully prepared an itinerary that balanced cultural highlights with deeply personal experiences. He went out of his way to make phone calls and track down historical places in the countryside - sites that were far off the beaten path - so we could walk the same roads our ancestors once did. Because of his dedication, we were able to visit the towns our relatives grew up in, stand in the schools they attended, and step into the very churches where they were married. These moments were profoundly moving and would not have been possible without his diligence and care. Beyond the heritage aspect, Valdis ensured that every detail of our journey was seamless. He made restaurant reservations, arranged impeccable hotel accommodations, comfortable transport, and found us the most wonderful driver, Aldis, whose skill, kindness, and courtesy elevated the entire experience. Both Valdis and Aldis were not only professional, conscientious and gracious at every turn, but they quickly became trusted companions - friends we now consider part of our extended family. We could not recommend Valdis and Baltic Nature Travel more highly. From the first time we were in contact, until our trip was over, Valdis truly took care of us. For anyone seeking assistance or guidance in their travels to Latvia or across the Baltic States, I would choose Valdis a hundred times over. His passion, knowledge and personal touch transformed our trip into something truly unforgettable. -Julie Birznieks

Joan Burns

2025-09-15

Our road trip through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania was outstanding! Baltic Nature Travel made it easy by suggesting the itinerary, choosing accommodations and arranging car rental. They provide great advice on things to do, places to eat and they were happy to make special arrangements to personalize our experience. A first-rate company!

Hodo the Frobbit

2025-09-12

We had the most amazing trip hiking through the Gauja national park. Valdis at Baltic Nature Travel was absolutely brilliant. He made planning the holiday incredibly easy, and was always on hand to answer any questions we had. If I could rate the experience ten stars, I would.

Jessica Dickstein

2025-09-01

I would highly recommend Valdis and Baltic Nature Travel for a trip to Estonia and Helsinki. I worked with Valdis over a few weeks to plan a custom trip for my family - including a toddler and our parents. He was very easy to communicate with and helped me plan the perfect trip for 12 days - the quality of the guides was fantastic and the itinerary was well planned for self drive. We absolutely loved Estonia and everything we were able to see and on our grand adventure!

ellen drost

2025-08-30

Odense Carolinekilde Rotary klub is very satisfied with our experience in Riga and Jurmala. Everything was well organized. Good restaurants. Our guide Rita was very skilles with great knowledge and serviceminded. She spoke very understandable English. We really liked her personality. We give your company the bedst recommendations.

Bobothetroll

2025-07-18

Excellent company. If you want to tour the baltics, I recommend their self drive tours

Velta Worley

2025-07-17

Valdis was a great tour guide and very knowledgeable about history. And there is centuries of history in Latvia so there is a vast amount of information that he has to know. I really recommend utilizing the services of Baltic Nature Travel. An added plus is that Valdis can conduct tours in several languages. It was helpful that he is fluent in English. Thank you Valdis for an amazing week in Riga and surrounding areas!

Krzysztof Narkiewicz

2025-06-30

Excellent Experience – Highly Recommend We were a group of 15 people traveling from Gdansk (Poland) to Lithuania for a combination of a short visit to Vilnius and a four-day canoe trip. The agency did a fantastic job from start to finish. They gathered detailed information beforehand (including a teleconference), prepared an excellent offer that took all our wishes into account, and organized transportation with a comfortable minibus from our location to Lithuania. The tour itself went exceptionally well: we had a very good bus and a professional driver, excellent lodging throughout Lithuania, an outstanding guide, and great paddling opportunities. Valdis, the company owner, stayed in touch the entire time, was responsive, and handled last-minute minor changes without any problems. Overall, it was an excellent experience, and I highly recommend this company to anyone considering a trip to Lithuania.