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.

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Tour map

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Private tour price

1-person group: 160€

2 – 2 person group: 180€

3 – 3 person group: 200€

4 – 4 person group: 260€

5 – 5 person group: 300€

6 – 6 person group: 320€

7 – 7 person group: 340€

8 – 8 person group: 360€

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 3 reviews

Michael Warden

2024-06-15T13:26:11+0000

Valdis took my wife and I in June 2024 from Riga to Kuldiga to see the Venta waterfalls. He told us a lot of... interesting information and gave me the inspiration to walk across the falls. He was very considerate regarding the time to spend at each location and the speed of walking through the township. I would recommend this tour for anyone wanting to see the Latvian countryside - we really enjoyed the tour with Valdis - Thank you very much.read more

Dona Zavislan

2023-09-25T14:40:43+0000

I loved this tour and it was a highlight of my five days in Latvia. After spending a few days in Riga, I wanted to... explore more of the country and do some hiking. I considered renting a car for the day, but this tour provided just what I was looking for and so much more without the expense and hassle of a car rental and figuring out where to go. I was picked up and dropped off at my hotel and was able to enjoy the drive and an opportunity to see area surrounding Riga. Guide Valdis is a native Latvian and has a lot of experience hiking and much knowledge about the area and Latvia. The 15 K hike was rigorous, but doable. I found the park gorgeous and peaceful. We hiked through a forest, along the river, crossed bridges, explored caves and sandstone carvings and passed other notable places. Valdis made the hike very interesting with stories and he pointed out other activities available in this beautiful park and surrounding area. We stopped midday for a lovely picnic. Valdis also gave me information about other places to consider exploring in Latvia. A perfect day and I highly recommend this tour.read more

Tom Moore

2022-11-19T14:17:21+0000

Had a fantastic hike with Valdis today. He's really friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend him.

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What travelers say about us

EXCELLENT

36 reviews on

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.

claire wallick moy

2025-06-19

Our small family group 2 seniors and 2 adult children all agree our 10 day “best of” Lithuania was excellent. We were very happy we went with a private tour and driver. (same person, Tomas) This way we could include all (or most) of the destinations within the country in this short time. Valdis arranged our itinerary, suggested museums, parks and researched accomodations including local guest house and vacation rentals when there were no hotels (or not available) close to our destinations. We loved visiting the national parks and UNESCO heritage sites. Our travels with Tomas was excellent. He is very knowledgeable about the history and geography of Lithuania and happy to share this with us. He was very helpful with all the arrangements the tickets for entry at various attractions and accomodations (all of which was included and arranged by Baltic Nature Travel). Tomas was also helpful in guiding us for food and drink choices. And suggesting restaurants in Vilnius, Siauliai and kaunas. He is also an excellent driver and the van was very comfortable. We feel really lucky to have had this opportunity. The 4 of us agreed that where we visited and having Tomas as our tour guide made our Lithuania holiday very special. Although most people speak some English it is not enough to have the in depth conversations that Tomas was able to translate for us. The 2 days we had to tour the Curonian Spit were lovely even though we had some rain. And though thunderstorms interfered with our planned kayaking Aukstaitija NP, we were able to do a short kayak ride in Dzukija NP. Also our pottery visit in Merkine was a highlight. If you are planning a trip to Lithuania I suggest contacting Baltic Nature Travel and let them handle arrangements for you.

Laura Lopez Vinasco

2025-06-19

Fue un viaje que llenó nuestras expectativas por mucho, una gran sorpresa cada lugar que visitamos

Michael Neilson

2025-05-26

We toured the Curonian Spit with Kristina who provided a great mix of nature, history and personal experiences to give us a very entertaining and enjoyable day.

michelle leow

2025-05-20

Kuldiga: charming streets, and wides waterfall in Europe on 7th May 2025 We joined a private tour of 6 people to this exotic location. Our vacation was made an even better experience by a knowledgeable and friendly tour guide Valdis, who provides us with all the information about the place and enlightens us on the history and culture of the region. Despite the chilly weather, Celsius 5 degree. It was a few hours walking tour around the newly built tower that oversees the magnificent view, waterfalls, and the old town. Valdis waited for us patiently taking photos. Because we saw so many beautiful places of interest, our vacation was well worth the time and money we spent on it. Apart from showing us the various places of interest, Valdis also managed our transportation and meals recommendation, all of which he did very efficiently. Please accept our heartfelt thanks, Valdis.

Priya Bhatt

2025-05-12

Loved the trip, every day was truly amazing Estonia is worthy and so I would recommend people to visit Estonia through Baltic travels, Mr Valdis did a terrific planning, every details were given and made my journey memory very happy 😃

Samuel Lister

2025-02-08

We had a fantastic tour with Tomas around Vilnius. He was informative, friendly and helpful and despite there being no snow for snowshoes it was a brilliant experience. I would highly recommend it for anyone wanting to experience Vilnius.

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