From Riga: Trip to Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace & Bauska

The most unusual feature of this day trip is its mix: one stop is a royal palace, one is a ruined fortress, and one is a living place of prayer covered with crosses. Rundale Palace supplies the grand interiors and gardens, while the Hill of Crosses brings a quieter, more personal kind of power.

I like the small van, limited to eight people, and I like that the $130 price includes the Rundale Palace Big Circle and Rose Garden admission, worth €17, plus the Bauska Castle tower. The main drawback is the long road day and the short time at Bauska and the Hill of Crosses in the actual schedule.

Quick points before you book

• Three major sights in one day: Visit Rundale Palace, Bauska Castle, and the Hill of Crosses from a single Riga departure.
• Two hours at Rundale: Enough time for the palace rooms, Rose Garden, French-style gardens, and a food stop.
• Small-group transport: The van carries no more than eight people, with a professional driver and printed information sheets.
• A moving border crossing: The Hill of Crosses is in Lithuania, so bring your passport or ID card.
• Tower views at Bauska: Admission includes access to the castle tower, though the stop itself is brief.
• Guides who add local color: Tomass, also referred to as Tom in several accounts, and Gints have led this trip, with stories about Latvian culture as well as the main sights.

Why this Riga day trip works

Riga is an excellent base for exploring Latvia, but some of the country’s most memorable places sit well beyond the city. This tour links three of them without asking you to rent a car, work out border formalities, or manage separate admission tickets.

The route also gives you a useful contrast. Rundale Palace is polished and formal, with grand rooms and carefully planned gardens. Bauska is rougher and more atmospheric, with medieval ruins beside a later Renaissance residence. The Hill of Crosses is not a conventional monument at all. It is a place shaped by thousands of individual acts of faith.

The tour lasts about eight hours and begins at Riga’s Town Hall Square, beside the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. You meet an Opel Vivaro or Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van there. The small group matters: you can usually ask questions, hear the guide more easily, and spend less time waiting for people to get back to the vehicle.

The guides are a major part of the experience. Tomass, often called Tom, is repeatedly praised for his stories, careful driving, patience, and practical help. Gints has also led the trip and is noted for taking time with questions and helping people make the most of food stops. The guiding style appears to combine site facts with bits of Latvian life, local customs, and places noticed along the road.

One small point is worth knowing. One description allows about an hour at both Bauska Castle and the Hill of Crosses, but the detailed running order lists about 40 minutes at the Hill of Crosses and 25 minutes at Bauska. Plan on a brisk visit to those two sites unless the day’s timing changes.

The Hill of Crosses: a powerful first stop

The Hill of Crosses is in Lithuania, roughly 110 minutes from Riga by van according to the listed route. You should carry your passport or national ID card, even though this is a straightforward day trip between European Union countries.

The site is covered with crosses of many sizes and designs. Some are simple wooden crosses. Others carry photographs, names, ribbons, or small religious objects. The effect is personal rather than grand. You are not simply looking at one monument. You are walking through a place built up by generations of pilgrims.

The hill also carries political meaning. Crosses were placed here during periods of religious and political repression, and attempts to remove them did not end the tradition. That background gives the visit extra weight. The site represents faith, hope, and resilience, but you do not need to be religious to understand its message about people holding on to identity.

The scheduled visit can be short, so use your time well. Listen to the guide’s explanation first, then walk among the crosses at your own pace. Tomass has been praised for explaining both the documented history and the local stories connected with the place, which helps make sense of what you are seeing.

This is an outdoor stop. Comfortable shoes are essential, and water is sensible. Rain and cold can change the mood quickly, especially outside the main summer season. A few people have had enjoyable days in November and on wet spring days, but the weather can make the paths less comfortable and photography less rewarding.

Rundale Palace: the day’s grand centerpiece

After the Hill of Crosses, the van returns to Latvia and continues to Rundale Palace. The drive from the Hill of Crosses is listed at about an hour, though the whole day’s road time depends on traffic and the pace of the group.

Rundale is often called Latvia’s Little Versailles. Built in the 18th century for the Duke of Courland, it was designed for ceremony, display, and court life. The palace’s Golden Hall and White Hall are the main interior highlights, with decorated rooms that show how much effort went into entertaining and impressing guests.

Your admission includes the Big Circle and the Rose Garden. This is important because the palace ticket is not an extra cost to worry about on the day, and the two-hour stop gives you enough time to see more than just the grandest room.

I would begin inside the palace, especially if the weather is poor, then move outside to the French gardens. The Rose Garden is a highlight when the flowers are in bloom, though it will naturally be less colorful in colder months. Even outside peak season, the formal layout and scale of the grounds help you understand the palace’s purpose.

Rundale is likely to be the most polished and visually impressive stop. The tradeoff is that the palace can feel more like a formal museum visit than the Hill of Crosses or Bauska. If you prefer ruins, open countryside, or local religious sites, the interior rooms may hold less appeal. If you enjoy architecture, decorative arts, gardens, or royal stories, the two-hour visit is well judged.

The schedule also leaves time for lunch here. The available information does not include lunch in the price, but guides have directed people to the palace café. Potato pancakes and the daily soup have been singled out as useful choices, including a daily soup priced at €6 in one account. Treat that as a possible option rather than a guaranteed menu or price.

A two-hour stop sounds generous, but it goes quickly once you combine the palace, garden, photographs, toilets, and food. If you want a careful look at every room and a long garden walk, you may need to choose what matters most.

Bauska Castle and the tower climb

Bauska Castle sits where the Mūsa and Mēmele rivers meet. Its remains include a 15th-century fortress and a later Renaissance residence, giving you two different chapters of building history in one compact site.

The medieval section is the rougher, more dramatic part. Walls and ruins give you a sense of the castle’s defensive role, while the Renaissance wing shows how life changed when the site became a residence as well as a stronghold.

The tower is included in the tour price. Climbing it gives you a broad view over the surrounding countryside and the meeting of the rivers. This is one of those small additions that makes the entrance fee more worthwhile, especially if you enjoy seeing how a site fits into its setting.

Allow for a quick visit. The detailed schedule gives Bauska about 25 minutes, even though the broader description refers to an hour. That shorter period is enough for photographs and a tower climb if the group moves promptly, but it is not enough for a slow museum visit or a detailed study of every ruin.

Some people may prefer simply walking around the outside if time is tight. The castle has enough visual appeal from the grounds, and one account specifically enjoyed an exterior walk without entering. Still, if the tower is open and the group is on schedule, I would make the climb the priority.

Transport, group size, and the pace of the day

The van is one of the strongest practical features. The vehicle is described as comfortable and spacious, with good legroom, and several accounts praise the driving. That matters on a route with a 110-minute opening drive and several additional road sections.

You are not getting a private car, so the day still has the feel of a shared excursion. The maximum group size is eight, which keeps it more personal than a large coach tour. It also means the day depends on everyone returning to the van on time.

The route includes an 8-hour day, but it is not eight hours of sightseeing. You spend a fair amount of time on the road, crossing between Latvia and Lithuania and moving between widely separated sites. I see this as a good trade for a car-free visit, but you should not book it expecting long, unhurried visits at all three locations.

The printed information sheets are useful because they let you read at your own pace. The guide also provides live English commentary. One practical note from the experience is that explanations may sometimes happen while walking toward a site or while the van is moving. If you sit in the back row, ask the guide to repeat anything you miss.

Smoking is not allowed in the vehicle, and alcohol and drugs are prohibited. Bring water, comfortable shoes, and your passport or ID card. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users, so anyone with mobility needs should check carefully before booking.

What the $130 price includes

At $130 per person, this is not the cheapest way to see one Latvian attraction. It is easier to judge the value by adding up what the day handles for you.

The price includes transportation, a professional driver, an English-speaking guide, printed site information, admission to Rundale Palace’s Big Circle and Rose Garden, and the Bauska Castle tower. The Rundale admission alone is listed as €17 per person.

You still pay for lunch and drinks. That is normal for this kind of day trip, but you should bring a card or cash for the palace café and any snacks. There is no stated lunch package, so the food stop is a convenience rather than a bundled meal.

The value is strongest if you want to see all three places and would otherwise need to rent a car. You avoid navigation, parking, cross-border planning, and separate ticket arrangements. You also gain a guide who can connect the palace, castle, and religious site to Latvian culture.

The value is weaker if you want to spend half a day at Rundale alone, or if you already have a car and prefer to set your own pace. Independent drivers could linger longer at Bauska or the Hill of Crosses, while this tour gives you a fixed route and fixed timing.

Who will enjoy this day most

I would recommend this trip to you if you are staying in Riga and want one efficient day beyond the capital. It suits people interested in architecture, political and religious history, castles, gardens, and countryside views.

It is also a good match for solo visitors and couples who prefer a small group to a large bus. The limited capacity makes it easier to chat with the guide and other people, and several accounts describe the group atmosphere as friendly.

Families with older children may enjoy the variety, although the day includes a lot of driving. The Hill of Crosses may appeal to anyone interested in faith and human resilience, while the palace offers the strongest visual reward for anyone who likes grand buildings.

You should think twice if you dislike organized schedules, need a fully accessible vehicle, or want to spend a long time at each place. The Bauska stop in particular may feel too short, and the gardens at Rundale will not offer their full floral display outside the warmer months.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want to see three very different places in one day without renting a car. The best reasons are the small van, included admissions, capable guides such as Tomass and Gints, and the unusual combination of Rundale Palace with the Hill of Crosses.

I would be especially keen to take it during a quieter season, when Rundale can feel calm and the palace gardens are less crowded. Just dress for the weather, bring food money, carry your ID, and accept that Bauska and the Hill of Crosses may be quick visits.

If your priority is depth rather than variety, choose a slower day focused on Rundale or Bauska. If your priority is seeing more of the region from Riga in a single well-managed outing, this is a strong choice.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts about eight hours, including transportation between Riga, the Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace, and Bauska Castle.

Where does the tour start?

It starts at Rātslaukums, Riga’s Town Hall Square, next to the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.

How do I identify the vehicle?

Look for an Opel Vivaro or Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van in Town Hall Square.

Is the Hill of Crosses in Latvia?

No. The Hill of Crosses is in Lithuania, while Rundale Palace and Bauska Castle are in Latvia. Bring your passport or ID card.

How much time is spent at Rundale Palace?

The planned visit to Rundale Palace lasts about two hours and includes time for the palace, gardens, sightseeing, and a possible food stop.

Are entrance fees included?

Yes. The price includes admission to Rundale Palace’s Big Circle and Rose Garden, listed as €17 per person, as well as access to the tower at Bauska Castle.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch and drinks are not included. Food may be available at the Rundale Palace café.

How large is the group?

The tour is limited to eight participants and uses a small van.

Is the tour suitable for wheelchair users?

No. The activity is not suitable for wheelchair users.