UP AND DOWN HILLS OF THE SWITZERLAND OF LATVIA
Hiking tour from Riga
Program
Join our hiking tour from Riga. This 17 km long hike brings you to the heart of the Gauja National Park and Sigulda town, also known as the Little Switzerland of Latvia. Scenic views are guaranteed! Don’t worry if the hiking path brings you up to steep bluffs – the Gauja National Park has established good infrastructure for hikers to climb to the best viewing points.
What is waiting for you on this hike? Impressive sandstone outcrops and the biggest cave in the Baltics – Gutman Cave. Ancient historical sites, like Sigulda Brother of Swords castle ruins and Krimulda manor. A well-established trail along the Gauja River. A bit of climbing on the steep river banks to see the primeval Gauja River valley. And… a lot of fresh air!
Highlights
- Sigulda town with its ancient castle ruins
- Primeval Gauja River valley
- Pīķene Bluff
- Krimulda manor
- Gutman Cave – the biggest cave in the Baltics
When and where
The meeting point is in front of the Sigulda train station at 11:00 AM. The hike starts and ends at the same point. Return back to the meeting point around 5 PM.
Transportation
You have two options – train or your own car. The train to Sigulda departs at 9:46 AM from Riga train station and arrives in Sigulda at 10:56 AM (2,10 € one way ticket). If you come by your own car, you can park it in front of the shops at Raina Street 3, there is free parking.
!IMPORTANT!
You are not allowed to participate in the event if you need to quarantine or if you have any symptoms of fever or respiratory diseases.
Photos and video
By booking the tour the participant agrees to be photographed or filmed. Baltic Nature Travel reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at tours organized by Baltic Nature Travel without the expressed written/oral permission of those included within the photograph/video.
Meeting point
See it on
Video
Tour dates
- 15.10.2022
Participation fee
15 € per person.
Included
- Route planning;
- English speaking hike leader;
- Taxes.
Not included
- Transportation costs;
- Food and drinks;
What to bring with you
- 2 l of water per person as a minimum
- Snacks and lunch for breaks and picnic
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. Any comfortable shoes or sandals are good enough for this hike. In winter hiking boots are recommended.
Level of dificulty
A quite easy hike with few steep climbs. Walking around the town, small footpaths through the woods, boardwalks and countryside roads.
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.
Zijian Hua
2022-10-16T08:47:16+0000
Valdis is an experienced guide, a local from Riga. He has a wealth of knowledge and is always able to tell you... interesting history along the way. The route plan of the hiking is also reasonable. In autumn, the fallen leaves near Sigulda are also very beautiful. If you are planning to do an outdoor hike in Latvia too, then don't hesitate to join a walking group organized by Valdis.🇱🇻read more
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
Elisa Bozzotto
2020-10-31T21:30:28+0000
I love the atmosphere in the group and the offered trails. They show a part of the countryside that is still not yet... well know but definitely worth seeing. With woods that look like the one from a fairy story book and really good company it's definitely a suggested tou experience for the lovers of outdoors activities..The guide is super available and offer explanations and curiosity. Particularly useful is the description of how to reach the starting point with public transport (even with the specific schedule time). So I definitely recommend it 😉read more
Lina Kulikauskaite
2020-10-31T18:04:12+0000
Nicely chosen trail 🍂🌲very friendly and supportive guide. Had a lot of fun! Looking forward for next trip 👣📸
Kristīna Kļimoviča
2020-10-05T05:49:53+0000
I am very grateful to Valdis for leading our hike through the Gauja National Park near Sigulda. It was the perfect... combination of the city sightseeing and enjoying nature. Valdis made stops at the most remarkable objects both in the city and in nature and told the most important things, which were neither too much nor too little. He really took good care of the group. Thank you for this day! Highly recommended!read more
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What travelers say about us
EXCELLENT
36 reviews on
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!
Annette Ihrman
2024-06-16
The tour was very versatile and a good addition to our trip to Riga. We can recommend it!
K G
2024-04-06
I joined Valdis for Gauja national park tour and experience breathtaking views, beautiful cave, Plus the experience to see the inside of luge and skeleton track. It’s an unforgettable experience to see something outside the Riga! Highly recommended!!!
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