10 Dec 2026
Twin share
Incl. flights
Not sold tour only on this date
£603pp
Flights from London Stansted
Escorted tour
Riga Christmas Markets: Festive Break in Latvia’s Capital – 4 Days
Three nights in central Riga in December, with flights from London, a guided Old Town tour and the Christmas market on Town Hall Square.
4 days
From £603 incl. flights
Tour overview
This 4-day festive break takes you to Riga, the capital of Latvia and the largest city in the Baltic states, in the run-up to Christmas. Return flights from London are included, with a tour leader to meet you on arrival, and you stay three nights at the central four-star Avalon Hotel with breakfast each morning. It is a short, easy holiday, ideal for a first taste of a Baltic Christmas.
Riga's Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the banks of the Daugava River, is at its most atmospheric in December. A guided tour shows you its main sights: the House of the Blackheads, a Dutch Renaissance guildhall rebuilt in the 1990s, Riga Castle with its museums, the towering Freedom Monument and two cathedrals. The tour ends in the Quiet Centre, one of the finest collections of Art Nouveau architecture in Europe, with ornate facades lining whole streets.
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At the heart of the Old Town, the Christmas market fills Town Hall Square beneath a decorated tree. Stalls sell traditional Latvian crafts, knitwear, wooden toys and amber, alongside warming food and drink such as hot spiced wine. Riga is often said to be the home of the first decorated Christmas tree, and the city takes the season seriously, with lights strung across the streets and shop windows. You have free evenings to explore the cafés, bars and restaurants of the Old Town.
On the third day you can stay in the city, perhaps for the Central Market or a museum, or join an optional excursion to Gauja National Park, a forested river valley north-east of Riga. The excursion includes the Turaida Museum Reserve, with its medieval castle and exhibits on Latvian history and culture.
Walking is mostly on the guided tour and around the compact Old Town. Expect crisp winter weather and pack warm layers and shoes with good grip, as the cobbles can be icy. Flights include base hand luggage, and you can add a hold bag at check-in if you plan to bring gifts home.
Trip highlights
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Riga's Christmas market on Town Hall Square, with Latvian crafts and hot spiced wine
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A guided tour of the UNESCO-listed Old Town and the House of the Blackheads (Day 2)
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The Art Nouveau facades of the Quiet Centre (Day 2)
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Riga Castle, the Freedom Monument and two cathedrals (Day 2)
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Optional day trip to Gauja National Park and the Turaida Museum Reserve (Day 3)
Your route
1 stops from Riga to Riga
- Riga Days 1–3
Why choose this tour
A short, well-organised Christmas break: flights, a central four-star hotel and a guided Old Town tour are arranged. Riga's Old Town is compact and walkable, so the Christmas market, restaurants and sights are all close to your hotel.
Best suited to
- Travellers looking for a short Christmas market break
- First-time visitors to the Baltic states
- Anyone interested in Art Nouveau architecture and old towns
- Travellers who like flights and transfers arranged from London
Day-by-day itinerary
4 days from Riga, Latvia to Riga, Latvia
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Day 1 · Riga Fly to Riga
Fly to Riga, meet your tour leader and transfer into the city centre, about 30 minutes. After check-in the evening is free. The Old Town has cafés, bars and restaurants for every budget, and the festive lights make the winter streets glow.
- Hotel
- Avalon Hotel or similar
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Day 2 · Riga, House of the Blackheads, Riga Castle, Freedom Monument, Quiet Centre, Town Hall Square Guided tour of Riga
A guided tour explores Riga on the banks of the Daugava. You see the House of the Blackheads, Riga Castle and its museums, the Freedom Monument and two cathedrals. Then visit the Art Nouveau streets of the UNESCO-listed Quiet Centre and Town Hall Square, home to the Christmas market. The evening is free to enjoy the market.
- Hotel
- Avalon Hotel or similar
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 3 · Riga, Gauja National Park, Turaida Museum Reserve Free day or Gauja National Park
A free day in Riga, or join the optional excursion to Gauja National Park, a forested valley where you may spot native wildlife. The trip includes the Turaida Museum Reserve and its exhibits on Latvian history and culture. In the evening, you could have a farewell dinner in one of Riga's restaurants.
- Hotel
- Avalon Hotel or similar
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 4 · Riga Fly home
After breakfast, transfer to Riga airport for your flight home. Transfers may be shared, so you may leave the hotel up to three hours before your flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Where you stay
- Riga (3 nights) Avalon Hotel or similar
Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.
What's included
Included
- Flights return flights to Riga from London Stansted or London Gatwick, with base hand luggage
- Accommodation 3 nights' bed and breakfast at the four-star Avalon Hotel or similar
- Meals 3 breakfasts
- Transport coach travel and airport transfers, about 30 minutes
- Guided city tour of Riga
- Tour leader throughout
- All local taxes, fees and charges
Not included
- Hold luggage, which can be added at check-in
- Optional Gauja National Park excursion
- Lunches and dinners
- Travel insurance and personal spending
This trip might not be for you if…
Honest disclaimer — please read
- You want dinners included — breakfast only
- You need checked luggage included — hand luggage only, with hold bags available to add
- You prefer warm weather — December in Riga is cold and can be icy
- You want a longer holiday — this is three nights
Good to know
FCDO advice
UK FCDO travel advice for Latvia
In pictures
Departures & prices
From £603 per person, including flights. 1 upcoming departure.
Frequently asked questions
How do I book this tour?
Tap any "Enquire" button on the page and one of our travel specialists will be in touch within 24 hours (often same day). We'll confirm availability on your preferred date, run through anything you need to know, and only ask for the deposit once you've decided.
What financial protection do I get?
Every Travelisto booking is 100% financially protected. Your money is held in a ring-fenced Trust account until you return from your trip, and we are members of the Protected Trust Services scheme (PTS 6035). Most tours also include ATOL protection where flights are part of the package.
Are flights included?
Yes. Return flights to Riga are included from London Stansted or London Gatwick, with the airline's base hand luggage. You can add a hold bag at check-in.
Is there free time at the Christmas market?
Yes. The market on Town Hall Square is a short walk from the hotel, and the evenings are free, along with the whole of Day 3 if you don't join the optional excursion.
What will the weather be like?
Expect crisp, cold winter weather in December. Pack warm layers, a hat, gloves and a scarf, and shoes with good grip for cobbled streets that can be slippery.
What meals are included?
Breakfast each morning at the hotel, three in total. Other meals are at your own arrangement.
How much walking is involved?
Some walking on the guided tour and around the Old Town, including short walks from the coach. If you use a wheelchair, tell the team at booking so arrangements can be made.
Can you tailor the trip?
Yes — every escorted tour can be modified into a private tailor-made version with your own dates, adjusted pace, upgraded hotels and add-on extensions. Tell us what you'd like changed when you enquire and we'll quote it both ways so you can compare.
What if my flight is delayed or cancelled?
If your international flight is part of your booking through us, we re-book at no cost. If you've booked flights separately, the tour's local team holds your transfer slot until you arrive. We strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes delay and cancellation cover.
ATOL protected
100% financially protected in a Trust bank account
PTS 6035
4.7 on Trustpilot
Tailor-made option
Not quite the right fit? Make it tailor-made.
If this group tour doesn't match your ideal trip, our specialists will turn it into a private tailor-made journey — your own dates, your own pace, upgraded hotels where you want them, and the parts you don't love swapped out. Same destinations, just rebuilt around you.
Contact us for a tailor-made version of this itinerary