Camping in the Baltics

In Wild nature

Camping in the Baltics, fall asleep to the lulling sounds of the Baltic Sea lapping its sandy shores and wake up to the distant call of a heron breakfasting in a nearby swamp. Replace your morning coffee with a mug of herbal tea with a touch of energising peppermint or jump into the sea or nearest lake for an invigorating swim to kickstart the day.

Wild camping is allowed and even encouraged in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, provided you respect some general rules. You’ll be rewarded with intensely fresh air, scenic sunsets and sunrises, and an excellent night’s sleep leaving you refreshed and enthusiastic for your return to daily life post-holiday.

General rules for camping in the Baltics

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia boast liberal public access laws, however, you should never set up camp in designated protected areas such as nature reserves, fragile dunes or military zones. Feel free to hike and forage in public and private forested areas unless signs advise otherwise. Try to plan ahead and consider free-of-charge camping grounds near natural attractions where you’ll have access to basic toilets, fire pits and rubbish bins.

Should you choose to pitch your tent or hang your hammock outside a designated camping area, choose wisely, so as not to affect the wildlife and your own safety. Avoid areas with visible animal trails, as well as single standing trees in case of lightning threats. Always extinguish your fire before leaving and dispose of any rubbish at the nearest bin, even if this means carrying it with you.

When relieving yourself in the outdoors, stay away from water sources. Wash dishes and yourself without strong detergents or soap.

For more detailed information, browse the websites of:

RMK – Estonia’s State Forest Management Centre – www.rmk.ee
LVM – Latvia’s State Forests – www.lvm.lv
GMU – Lithuanian State Forests – www.vivmu.lt

Things to be aware of when camping in the Baltics

Insect repellant is a must-have as mosquitoes are quite active from spring to autumn but it’s most important for avoiding ticks, which can carry Lyme disease and Tick-borne encephalitis. Protect yourself from the latter by getting a vaccination prior to your trip. And pick up a tick removal tool from a pharmacy.

Make sure to wear suitable clothing to protect yourself from insect bites. Tuck trousers into socks to limit ticks’ access to your skin, wear light-coloured clothing, so you can spot ticks and flick them off early, and choose “slippery” materials, which ticks can’t get through. Sleeves should be tight-fitting at the wrists.

Snakes aren’t a major threat in the Baltic outdoors, however, one venomous snake does call the Baltics home – the Common European viper. When planning your trip, for these reasons and your general safety, take note of the location of the closest medical centre.

Another factor to consider when hiking and camping in the Baltics is hunting season. Hunting is highly regimented and hunting areas are marked in advance, so it’s unlikely to affect your plans.

Camping season in the Baltics

In winter, temperatures often drop well below zero degrees Celsius, which can be appropriate for day hiking, but less so for camping unless you’re trained and equipped with professional gear. Of course, winter camping can be a beautifully serene experience, but do prepare accordingly! Generally, April – October are the most comfortable months for camping.

Due to very changeable weather, layering is key to enjoying your Baltic camping experience, and rain protection is a must-have.

Be considerate when camping in the Baltics

Always keep in mind the fragile nature of our flora and fauna. Stick to marked trails whenever possible. Look out for signs and information. Enjoy your wild adventures so that the next generations can enjoy them too!

To plan your nature trip take a look at our nature and culture site. If your perfect holiday involves hiking and overnighting in the wild, camping in the Baltics is right for you! We’ll gladly help plan your trip.

closer to the core of the Baltic States

What travelers say about us

EXCELLENT

36 reviews on

SisterBliss66

2024-11-02

Great day out - lovely walk in Gauja - Līgatne trail - in the crisp autumn air followed by the paper mill. Then on to Sigulda Castle and Gutman Cave. Valdis was very knowledgeable and we had some interesting conversations about the places visited, history, culture and lots more besides. Friendly guy, fluent in English. It was awesome getting out of Riga to see more of the country.

Jane Bower

2024-09-30

My partner and I (69 and 75) are just back from a 17 day self-drive tour put together with the help of Valdis from Baltic Nature Travel. It was an absolutely delightful and fascinating experience. We asked for quirky or unusual accommodation and a mix of hotels and self-catering - great fun. We went at our own pace and chose what to see. Everything was beautifully organised - a couple of small hitches were dealt with straight away on the phone. We are well-travelled but didn't know these stunning countries at all. Our overall impression is CLEAN and GREEN. Thank you, thank you for such a unique and special holiday.

Andrew Golding

2024-09-16

First Class Personal Tour of the Baltic Republics organised by Valdis: a bespoke, friendly, intelligent, safe and varied introduction to this wonderful part of the world. Wholly recommended.

David Morris

2024-09-10

Excellent booking experience - very easy and all the information we needed. Hire car arrived at the hotel as arranged and the handover was excellent. All the hotels that were booked for us were great and the itinerary was really wide-ranging and interesting. Estonia people were almost always friendly and helpful, and the restaurant food was great. Would definitely recommend Baltic Nature Travel and Estonia as a destination

Karen Green

2024-07-23

Valdis, the owner of Baltic Nature Travel, is a terrific tour organizer. His advance communication and arrangements were unfailingly responsive, prompt and helpful. On the trip, we had different guides as well as drivers in the different cities (Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn.) In each case, they were well-informed and on time at the meeting point. We never needed to worry or contact the guide (though we were provided with their information.) Every hotel Valdis chose for us was of a very good standard, well-run, clean, exceptionally well located, and with wonderful breakfasts. The restaurants he recommended were also excellent – we learned to just go where he suggested! The tour was an exceptionally good value. In sum, we couldn’t have been more pleased. Our trip was wonderful and we left wanting to see more of the Baltics' beauty. If we do go again, we would unquestionably work with Valdis. In the meantime, we will recommend him to all of our friends.

Lucía Gómez

2024-07-17

Fantastic Self-Guided Hiking Experience! We recently completed a self-guided hike in Gauja National Park, which was wonderful. The trails were serene, and we rarely encountered other hikers. The provided materials and app were excellent and highly accurate. The hotels, luggage transfer, and overall transportation arrangements were flawless. Highly recommend this experience!

Paul Green

2024-07-12

Anna Brish was a fantastic tour guide for understanding Jewish history and culture in Vilnius. She was friendly, deeply knowledgeable, eager to answer our questions and accommodate our specific interests. Anna does other tours and we would take any of them, she’s amazing!

James Cornez

2024-07-11

Myself and my best friend came across this company whilst researching options to travel in Latvia and we are very pleased we did. Valdis was very amenable during the planning process by arranging video calls with both of us so we could better understand what was on offer for us to do. He compiled an 8 day itinerary for us that did not disappoint starting in Riga for 2 days. We paid for an optional 3hr walking tour which was very worthwhile to see the main sites of the city. Janis took us on the tour who is a great guy that gives you plenty of interesting information, ready to answer any questions regarding Latvian history/culture. We chose the self driving option to see as much of Latvia as possible which I would definitely recommend if you want to have more than just a city break. It took us to varied places ranging from the heavily forested and pretty areas of Sigulda (where we did a fun kayaking tour on the Gauja river) and Cesis to the pleasant coastal cities of Liepaja and Ventspills. Overall, definitely the company to approach if you want to authentically explore Latvia!

Esther A

2024-06-21

Valdis and his team helped us to organise a guided 16 day trip across Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki. We had a very enjoyable experience! Coming from Singapore and not knowing Valdis beforehand, we were initially worried about language and logistical challenges. All these were unfounded as Valdis and his guides were not only knowledgeable but also responsive, helpful and flexible. We had some minor hiccups during the trip but Valdis was able to resolve them very promptly. I would highly recommend engaging Valdis for your next trip!