Hiking tour from Riga 3 - Baltic Nature Travel

Hike in Latvia’s Wilderness - Two rivers, sandstone outcrops, and the breath of history

Hiking tour from Riga

Approx. 6 hours

20 km

KRIMULDA, Latvia

March – November

Start time: 10 AM

Program

Join our hiking tour from Riga. The hike brings you along the banks of the Loja River and the Gauja River. The Gauja is the longest river in Latvia, many songs and poems are dedicated to this beautiful body of water. The Loja has a second name – Klinšupīte, which translates as the Cliff River, on this hike you will understand why. Don’t worry, no rock climbing involved!

What is waiting for you on this hike? Lovely paths through the woods, magnificent sandstone outcrops, evergreen rough horsetail jungle, almost mountain-hike feelings on the side of a steep bluff, a bit of bushwhacking, typical Latvian countryside landscapes, a breath of history in several abandoned sights, a Soviet atmosphere in a small village, wide-open scenery over the woods, the peace of the Gauja, and hopefully – a lot of adventures! Oh, and let’s not forget – approximately 20 km and six hours of fresh Latvian air!

Highlights

Banks of the Loja and the Gauja rivers
Inčukalns Devil’s Cave (Inčukalna Velnala)
Abandoned bobsleigh track (Murjāņu kamaniņu trase)
Sandstone outcrops
Sunīši village
View from top of Zābakkalns

Transportation

The hiking tour starts from Riga, driver will arrive at the arranged time and location and contacts of the driver will be provided at least a day before the tour starts.

See it on

Video

Tour map

Foto gallery

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Private tour price

1 – 2 person group – €180

3 – 4 person group– €280

5 – 6 person group – €380

7 – 8 person group – €480

Included

English speaking guide
Transportation from Riga and back

Not included

Water

Level of difficulty

A quite easy hike, only in some places there is steep ascent or descent, but in a few – walking along the side of the bluff. Mostly small foot paths through the woods or countryside roads and a very short distance of bushwhacking.

What to bring with you

2 l of water per person as a minimum
snacks for personal usage

How to dress

Please, dress accordingly to the weather forecast! Due to very changeable weather, layering is key to enjoying the hike, and rain protection is a must-have. Comfortable hiking shoes are the best option as a little bit of bushwhacking is waiting for you on this hike, but if you are not afraid of snakes, any comfortable shoes or sandals work just as good.

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Baltic nature travel

5.0

Based on 11 reviews

Sheila Dunk

2022-06-04T01:33:30+0000

Absolutely brilliant day out with Valdis, we didn’t stop talking from the moment he picked me up. He was knowledgeable... about the area, answered all my questions about Latvia and was just delightful to be with.The area of the hike was stunning, we got some good spots for views and pictures, the weather was beautiful and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the day. The hike isn’t difficult, plenty of ups and downs and with a decent level of fitness anyone can do this hike.read more

Betti Sewell

2020-11-28T17:19:37+0000

The hike was beautiful and Valdis was relaxed, helpful and informative. Highly recommended.

Chris Palin

2020-11-15T07:39:38+0000

Had a great experience with Valdis. The hike was really interesting with lots of points of interest including an... abandoned bob sleigh track. A great guide, fantastic day out.10 out of 10 I would definitely recommend to anybodyread more

Frequently Asked Questions

Barry Toward

2022-09-18

We have just spent 9 days travelling through the Baltic countries with Valdis as our guide. Although the itinerary and accommodation had been pre-arranged Valdis supported our trip brilliantly, bringing to life the individual countries with city walking tours, nature trails and visits to other sites. He is great fun, extremely knowledgable and became an integral part of our small group. His contribution to our holiday played a key part in making it a great and enjoyable experience (and he recommends good places to eat!)

Sam Paliwal

2022-09-02

If you are looking to go to the Baltic's on an active vacation, make sure to check out Baltic Nature Travel as your travel advisor. We recently finished a 10-day self-driving tour of the Baltic's and wanted to have an active trip whilst not missing out on all the cultural highlights of the region. Valdis, the owner of Baltic Nature Travel was very responsive and organized a trip that included kayaking, long distance bicycle riding, hiking in different forests, cooking activities, cultural highlights, hot-air balloon riding, etc-- all in a matter of 10 days and customized the trip to our liking. We were very satisfied with his responsiveness to our needs and his ability to stay ahead and plan various activities appropriately. Just to give you one example of Valdis's ability to think ahead: in one of the hotels, they have very limited parking. On his own initiative, Valdis made a to call to the hotel and reserved a parking spot for us for the one night that we were going to stay at that hotel. It helped out a lot, as we had to leave very early in the morning. There are other numerous examples where he was available to answer questions and help us as necessary, both before and during the trip. He is an excellent guide, calm and collected and his team of guides around the region were quite knowledgeable and fluent. The accommodation for the trip were quite good and and they can be easily adjusted based on your budget. I highly recommend his touring company for your Baltic travel experience and would like to add that as a person he's very likable and easy-going.

Lajos Nagy

2022-07-23

A perfect series of daily hiking tours and town walkarounds. I especially was amused by the jungle-like forests and friendly conversations along the way. Everything was perfectly planned and organized, I definitely recommend, worth thousand-times more than simply visiting cities in a rush.

Tom Demandt

2022-05-30

We had an excellent day hike with our guide Valdis. He was very friendly, very service minded and knowledgeable. The hike through Gauja National Park was really beautiful. Heartily recommend for anyone looking for an active day trip outside Riga.

Sergey Zhuravlev

2022-02-28

I enjoyed the hiking tour in the Beberbeķi-Skulte regions of Riga. The route was mainly through the forest, so this is a great opportunity to get away from the city bustle and daily routine and to spend a few hours in nature. The tour guide Valdis is very friendly and he has a lot to tell about the area. I am looking forward to the next tour and recommend joining it.

Sa Si

2022-02-15

I had a wonderful hiking tour trough Kemeri National Park with Baltic Nature Travel. Valdis is a very well informed and nice guide! I would totally recommend a tour with him!

aarpr

2022-01-24

Really nice activities and tours by Valdis. Highly recommended. Definetely I will repeat soon.

Eimear Friel

2022-01-18

Thoroughly enjoyed my hike with Valdis and Solveiga. It was exactly what I hoped for. Perfect for someone looking to explore more of Latvia but nto sure where to go!