5,5 Hour Small Group Tour to Hill of Crosses from Riga

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Riga, Latvia

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

5 hours 40 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Amlan_S ·

Jun 2025

I had an amazing experience with Krista (our tour guide). She was very knowledgeable, humorous and easy to communicate with. She took great care of the group and kept telling us interesting stories about all the locations. She offered us some sweets as well. Great experience overall.

· Charlotte_P ·

Jun 2025

Fantastic experience with our guide Viesturs - was very happy to answer our questions. The hill of crosses was interesting, Viesturs also offered other stops if we were interested in them which was nice. It is 1hr30-1hr40 in one direction on a very straight, uninteresting road, but Viesturs kept up entertained throughout.

Overview

Spend an unforgettable day journeying from Riga across the border to the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania. Leave Latvia behind for a short while to see this famous pilgrimage site where people have been leaving crosses and praying for generations. On the way back to Riga, stop for photos at the border and see the city of Jelgava pass by.

A driving tour to the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania from Riga
Travel in a comfortable, air-conditoned vehicle
You’re welcome to leave your own cross on the hill
A virtual tour is available at the hill

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle
Parking Fees

Lunch

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

St. Peter's Church
Reformācijas Laukums 1, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia
We kindly ask for everyone to meet Latvian Gem team in front of the St. Peters church in the Old Town.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Eleja

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kryziu Kalnas

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Jelgava

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 12 hours of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate

The travel time is already included in the total duration of 5 hours
This is a shared ride where you'll go together with other travellers.
The tour will operate if there are at least 3 people booked in for that day.
You must bring your PASSPORT or EU ID with you as it is mandatory when crossing the border.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 130 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Krista, my guide was...

Renee_K, Mar 2026

Krista, my guide was great , all her stories about the Hill of crosses and Latvia was very good Thank you

Sacred

Barbara_C, Mar 2026

There are two gift shops Then hill of crosses Very sacred place . You get to go through into another country

Viestrus, our guide, was...

Lindsey_R, Jan 2026

Viestrus, our guide, was fabulous! His knowledge and kindness were perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed a relaxing day seeing new sights and exploring a new area.

Great place to visit, interesting and emotional.

Jodi_W, Aug 2025

Very interesting, Yannis had a lot to tell us throughout the journey to the hill of crosses. Impressive and emotional place. Definitely worth it.

Fantastic experience with...

Charlotte_P, Jun 2025

Lovely drive to Hill of Crosses

Amlan_S, Jun 2025

Amazing trip!

Fernanda_S, May 2025

I had an amazing day trip to the Hill of Crosses from Riga! The tour guide, Jānis, was fantastic—super knowledgeable, friendly, and really went out of his way to make the experience great. He shared a lot of interesting history along the way and even stopped at the Latvia–Lithuania border, which was such a cool bonus! Jānis also offered to take photos, which was really thoughtful and made the trip even more memorable. The Hill of Crosses itself is such a unique and powerful place—definitely worth the visit. Highly recommend this tour if you’re in Riga!

Highly recommend

Sue_B, May 2025

Janis was an excellent guide. Very informative, comfortable travel, Consideration to our requirements. Giving a lot of explanations to Latvia and Lithuanian life. Great fun to listen to his childhood. Gave us a great understanding of life in Latvia.

Hill of Crosses

Sarah_R, May 2025

We ended up with a private tour and had a pick up from our hotel with choice of time. Great communication from Krista. Our driver Jānis arrived on time and was very friendly and knowledgeable. He pointed out areas and sights of interest and he found out the answers to any of our questions he was unsure of. We had an enjoyable day exploring the Hill of Crosses from Riga. He offered us the local drink and Latvian chocolate, as well of bottles of water.

: A Fascinating Day Exploring Latvia’s Past with Janis

David_D, Apr 2025

Janis was an excellent guide—friendly, knowledgeable, and full of interesting stories. We actually upgraded to the full-day tour, which in addition to the Hill of Crosses also included Jelgava Palace, Rundale Palace, and Bauska Castle, and it was well worth it! The minibus was warm and comfortable, and we were welcomed with a bottle of water and a candy, which was a lovely touch. Janis kept the journey engaging with insights into Latvian history and everyday life. Rundale Palace was absolutely mind-blowing—we could have spent an entire day there alone! There was also an opportunity to buy lunch at the palace stop. All in all, a very enjoyable and educational experience.

Great trip

Helen_C, Mar 2025

The guide was early and waiting with the van warm. He was brilliant, he kept us informed and was a local to Riga. He gave us great info about the tour but also other Latvian traditions and places to eat. The Hill of Crosses isn’t huge but you can easily pass an hour and half there and we went in then off season. Great place to visit.

Poor to average trip

Andrea_M, Mar 2025

It was a little boring, other than one stop, no where to have something to eat or drink and at least 1hr 40 each way, pilgrimage was beautiful but not worth the 64.00 pounds each to go, was cheaper to book at home. The driver was pleasant and knowledgeable but just not one of my best trips

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Dear Andrea, Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the tour. I'm sorry to hear that it wasn’t the perfect experience for you, but I truly appreciate your feedback. This tour is designed as a shorter option for visiting the Hill of Crosses, making it possible for travelers to see this unique site without committing to a full-day trip. For those who prefer a longer experience with additional stops at palaces and castles (plus a proper lunch break), we do offer an alternative full-day tour. Since this is a 5.5-hour trip, we don’t usually include a dedicated lunch stop because it would extend the tour by at least an hour. Many travelers booking this option prefer to return to Riga as soon as possible to fit more into their day and enjoy a meal in the charming Old Town rather than at a roadside stop. That said, we always offer breaks for snacks and WC stops to make sure everyone is comfortable. I’ll check in with our guides to ensure this is always mentioned clearly on the trips. Regarding the cost, we completely understand that it may seem expensive. It’s important to mention that around 30% of the price goes to the booking platform, and from the remaining amount, we also pay VAT. Once these deductions are made, we receive almost half of the amount you paid, which then has to cover salaries, fuel, vehicle expenses, and other operational costs. We always do our best to provide a well-organized and comfortable experience while keeping our tours sustainable. For anyone reading this review, please know that you’re more than welcome to bring your own snacks or lunch if needed! We want to make sure everyone enjoys the experience in a way that works best for them. We appreciate you choosing to travel with us and hope your future journeys bring more memorable experiences. Best wishes, Krista

Engaging experience

nickjh, Mar 2025

More then expected trip across the Latvia/Lithuania border enhanced by the guide experience with the engaging, knowledgeable and enthusiast Krista and her unexpected home delicacies and local tipple! Would definitely recommend the trip to a remarkable place, all the more for the genuine welcome and guided experience which greatly increased our knowledge of the countries concerned. Thanks!

Janis our driver and...

Julie_W, Mar 2025

Janis our driver and guide made this trip. His enthusiasm, information and love for Latvia was evident and well explained to us. The Hill of Crosses is a memorable sight and in a peaceful setting. A good change of scenery from the city of Riga for half a day.

Over the none exsisant border

jcol500, Feb 2025

Lovely relaxing day at the crosses, really enjoyed it, our tour guide was great & very friendly. I would highly recommend this tour

Amazing !!

Michelle_H, Feb 2025

Brilliant trip with an amazing guide Krista who was so hospitable and knowledgable sharing all sorts of information not only about the actual trip but about Riga & Latvia itself in the drive down and back. Hill of Crosses is an inspiring place and is a trip for both religious and none religious reasons, an amazing place.

Good half-day tour

Trey_K, Jan 2025

The company who operates this tour had very good communication prior to the tour departure. The guide was very friendly and very informative and was enjoyable. With the drivetime each way in a 9 person van you are the having about an hour at the hill the cross which is plenty of time, but definitely worth it. Please note that this tour needs a minimum of 3 people in order to operate, so the tour operator may reach out to you and shift you to another day if they do not have the minimum required attendees to travel on your originally selected day

Very nice tour

Susanto_T, Jan 2025

It was a very nice and educational experience. We learned so much from the different destinations we had seen on the tour

Excellent

Bridget_M, Jan 2025

Had a fantastic day at cross of hills. Janis very informative friendly & has plenty knowledge. Fully recommend

Our guide Jānis was great...

Daniel_G, Jan 2025

Our guide, Jānis, was great and the whole experience was very interesting and enjoyable. Would definitely recommend.

I enjoyed the tour but...

Carol_H, Jan 2025

I enjoyed the tour but think that 1 hour at the hill of crosses is not enough time so 2 hours would be better

Great Trip

Mike_T, Jan 2025

A cold and blustery day but the trip was well worth it. Our Driver Janus was lovely and informative, we had a great day.

Great experience

Erika_N, Dec 2024

Very interesting place. Has it’s magic. Our guide was very friendly and informative just about everything I asked about. Big “thank him” for that!

New adventure

Cinder_D, Dec 2024

I had never heard of Hill of the Crosses. It was very interesting to see. It is really amazing to see so many crosses on that hill.

I am indeed glad I took this tour (amazing guide/driver).

Adriano_S, Dec 2024

This had a day trip is a must-do. Indeed. The guide/driver was so nice, polite and courteous. He is one of a kind. Several stops along the way (back and forth) for toilet usage, to fetch a coffee... Amazing. Time alone to explore the Hill on your own pace. And a stop by at the university (which used to be a huge palace). I am indeed glad I took this tour.

Recommend

KATJA_R, Nov 2024

Perfect half day trip! Our guide gave us a lot of knowledge about history and culture, we had bonus stop at Jelgava Palace 🥰

Great trip

Claudia_S, Oct 2024

The tour was great. We were just a small group. Janis told us a lot about the history and answered all questions. We laught a lot during the trip and the time passed by pretty fast. I highly recommend this tour.