Hill Of Crosses And Jelgava Tour 2 Countries In 1 Day

Guiad name Maris was just fantastic.He have great knowlage of history he explained about the trip perfectly.We had amaizing time.Higly recomend this trip.well worth of money.Trip was the right amount of time. We was 7 people just perfect crowf size

Very impressive amount of crosses that are displayed for all to see. It shows how the people of the area want to show their allience and support to the problems that have supressed them over the years.

Krista the most amazing Tour Guide Knowledgeable friendly informative experienced and fun person Truly had the most wonderful day driving to and from with Krista Strongly recommend to all travelers

Excellent trip all round. Maris the guide was one of the best Iv been with. The lunch spot was really good. The hill is crosses is nothing like Iv ever seen before. Will definitely recommend the trip to family and friends.

A fantastic day out . Maris was a great guide. He gave us so much information and answered any questions we had. He took photos for us, He made the bus trip pass very quickly. We spent about an hour at the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania.It was ample time to move around and you weren’t rushing. It’s definitely a must see visit as it’s so unique. We were blessed with the weather and that really added to the experience. You can buy your own cross from €5 if you wanted to leave one.It wasn’t overly crowded so you could stop and look at the crosses. There is a nice gift shop also. Toilets cost €1 to use and you can pay by card. Then we went to Jelgava which was once Latvia’s second biggest city. Maris guided us around the Orthodox Church and showed us some of the sights and explained the history. Then we went for a lovely lunch by the water. We preordered on the bus, you could also buy delicious homemade cakes. Then we went to the castle and for a drop of Latvian liqueur before we headed back to Riga. It was a great day and I would highly recommend it to those who are in Riga for a few days. It’s nice to hear out of the city and see a little bit more of the country and even cross into the neighbouring Lituania. Thanks again to Maris

I had Māris as a tour guide today for Hill of Crosses and Jelgava tour. What stood out to me the most is his enthusiasm and deep knowledge about history. I have done a lot of day tours over the years in various countries and I really appreciated the company making sure I am aware of meeting point change the day before and also the minibus is very comfortable. I wish there are more tour guides like Māris, he made the experience much more fun.

Tour was cancelled the day before however recievee communication from the tour operator and offered to put us on another trip which had a very simiar itinerary or full refund. We opted for the other trip and was not disappointed, the guide was excellent and all went very smoothly.

Loved the fact that we visited 2 countries in 1 tour, and the highlight was the beautiful lunch by the river in Jelgava, Latvia.

It was an nice trip with our tour guide Janis. He had a lot of fun facts to tell about Latvia and Lithuania (hill of crosses).

It was a great tour and Māris is a really wonderful guide. It met all my expectations and I was extremely satisfied with the day. I learned a lot about the history and people of Latvia and Lithuania. The Hill of Crosses is so atmospheric and thought-provoking. And the lunch spot was fantastic.

Very enjoyable & informative trip. The pace was relaxed but we saw a lot. The restaurant for lunch was very picturesque & the food was great.

Such a fantastic tour despite the rain. The Hill of Crosses is a singular experience, and seeing Jelgava for a little while was awesome. Our bus was not too crowded. Our tour guide was great at explaining Latvian history. The Hill itself is a really unique sort of experience where there are somewhere between a quarter million and four hundred thousand crosses of various sizes all over it.

Great way to make the pilgrimage to the Hill of Crosses in Šiauliai. A must trip if you’re in Riga a few days. Small comfortable van. Bit of a drive. Tour guide was awesome! Fun, knowledgeable and talkative. The church and castle on the way back was just a bonus.

Excellent tour, recommend 100%. Bus was comfortable and well equipped with necessary rest/food breaks. The tour guide was so knowledgeable and shared personal stories which really added to our understanding of the Baltics.

The tour was amazing and I highly recommend it. Our guide was a true gentleman — very knowledgeable, patient, and never rushed us. Thank you for the great experience. One small note: before booking through Viator, it’s worth checking other platforms, as some offer the same tour at a lower price.

The tour was fine. The hill of crosses was a bit of a disappointment. Lots of time and effort and not worth the trip in my opinion. Better things to do in and around Riga.

We would like to share our feedback with you following the tour to the Hill of Crosses yesterday. Jānis was extremely friendly, organised and knowledgeable. He shared insightful knowledge about the history of Riga and Jelgava, delivered in clear and easy to understand English. The information about the Hill of Crosses was also fascinating, and we were then able to spend an hour exploring the sight in our own time. We found this to be a perfect amount of time for the size of the sight, and were able to fit in visiting the monastery and gift shop without rushing. We were then able to visit other sights such as the Orthodox cathedral and Jelgava palace. Again, Jānis shared the context behind each place and then allowed a short amount of time to look around and take pictures. I would recommend to any ladies wishing to look inside the cathedral to pack a small scarf to cover your shoulders if you are visiting in hotter months. As the dress code can be quite strict. The timings at each stop were perfect and the Latvian national drink was a great touch at the end! We sincerely hope Jānis and his colleagues are able to continue running these tours as they provide a valuable way to leave Riga and see other beautiful sights in Latvia. And of course to see the Hill of Crosses, which we found would be hard to access without an arranged trip. Many thanks again, we really enjoyed our visit from England.

very nice day trip, the guide was very nice and told a lot along the way. Good with stops for both toilet visits and to buy snacks. the driver drove calmly and safely and cool and comfortable in the bus. Can really recommend this tour with a guide who also offered a bit of himself in a humorous way, was really appreciated.

We had a great day out on the 'Hill of Crosses & Jelgava Highlights' group tour from Latvia Guide Tours. The pre-trip confirmation provided using WhatsApp was really useful, providing details of start location in Riga, and the vehicle details (in our case a comfortable Mercedes mini-van). Maris, our tour guide and driver, was extremely knowledgeable, chatting about some of Latvia's and Lithuania's history as he drove us and four other customers incredibly safely to Hill of Crosses, with stops at a service station for a comfort break, and at the border into Lithuania for photos. The Hill of Crosses is a really interesting location to experience - we had around an hour to have a look around at the (estimated to be over a million) crosses that have been placed there. Whilst you could buy your own cross just outside the visitor centre, there was no pressure to do so. Similarly, a look around the Amber store didn't feel in any way pressured to buy. On the way back to Riga we made a couple of stops in Jelgava including a church full of beautiful flowers, a short walk (5 mins) to a nearby cafe for tasty and good value Croissant sandwiches (other options were available, but the Croissant sandwiches were delicious), then on to Jelgava Castle, the biggest castle in the Baltics for a group photo, followed by a cheeky little shot of the 'Riga Black Balsam' (thankfully the blackcurrant version which was pretty good as shots go). Because we had a little spare time, Maris also took us to a local Gastro Market, Agenskalna tirgus, in Riga (rather than the main central market) with the ground floor selling fresh veg, fruit, meat, fish and drinks, and the upstairs a variety of food stalls for grabbing a bite to eat. It's a beautiful building and pleased we were able to stop to see it before being dropped back at the start location around 4.30pm. Thanks Maris and Latvia Guide Tours, we had a great time!

We just completed a guided tour with our friendly guide Janis behind the verbal steering wheel. Janis was very informative and humourous all the way through, not only telling about the history of the sites we visit, but also a deep dive into the Latvian history and the Baltics in general. The ride was a joy in a nice Mercedes sprinter with good seats and aircondition. Thanks for a wonderful day. Kim and Nid.

Crosses all over. This place is anthropologically very interesting. Write yourself an essay and publish it

Well organized trip, nice staff, good transportation, sufficient time to take photos at different scenic spots

Great day from Riga. The drive was lengthy, but split up appropriately with rest stops. Janis provided great stories and history of Latvia and Lithuania, and engaged the whole group. The hill of crosses was cool to see, unlike anything we’ve seen before. The lunch spot was delicious and very well priced, and all the extra stops to learn about the palace, bridge, Orthodox Church were very much appreciated. Alexanders was also a great driver! Excellent English speaking tour.

Great tour, well organised, very informative. Lunch stop was lovely and very reasonably priced. Dainis was very friendly and knowledgeable, we learned a lot from him.

The hill of crosses is something completely different to anything else I've seen, and definitely worth the trip. The rest of the day was ok, nothing special though.

Definitely well-worth the half day away from Riga. Fascinating place with interesting history. Several stops along the way made for a very comfortable day trip. Lunch was well organized with nice menu options. And delicious!!

The pickup was very smooth, loads of communication prior and Maris was Very informative throughout. His driving was as excellent as his knowledge. Highly recommend this tour.

I had the best time on this tour and seeing the Hill of Crosses was a definite highlight! I absolutely loved it!

We thoroughly enjoyed our day trip and Dainis was a great guide mixing interesting factual information with some lighthearted humorous observations concerning Baltic history and culture. The tour bus driver was also really good and professional and we never once felt unsafe on our journey. The day trip was not too long or the travel distance too tiring with enough stops and breaks to make for an all round excellent experience.

Throughly enjoyed this excursion. The guide was great knowledgable, fun and kept dialogue to a manageable amount. Journey was punctuated with perfectly timed pit stops. The Hill of Crosses was whilst quite eerie interesting, different and moving. The stop off at Jelgava was enjoyable to see another Latvian town. And the cake shop exceptional (although 1 WC is inadequate). Would 100% recommend.

The tour guide made this trip very special. He was friendly and informative, made sure he spoke with every guest and gave insightful historical references - he was not an encyclopaedia; he was history coming alive. The day itself started from Riga Cathedral, and we journeyed to the Lithuanian border. Here is a chance for pictures of the boundary lines and a rest stop 5 minutes down the road. Next stop: the hill of crosses. We stayed for an hour and honestly we could have stayed a little longer. We purchased a cross to stake into the ground, looked around the information centre gift shop and amber store. Next - back to Latvia to the historical city of Jelgava. We stopped at a beautiful blue-domed Orthodox Church before a late lunch over the river. The tour guide arranged the orders so we were eating soon. I would recommend the raspberry and white chocolate cheese cake - such good flavours and a new texture … we then headed to the former Courland Palace in Jelgava and had more historical insights. Then we journeyed back to Riga Cathedral and were dismissed. Cracking day, would 100% recommend!

We had an excellent trip to the Hill of Crosses with Janis. The whole experience was very well organised, comfortable, and informative from start to finish. Janis was friendly, professional, and extremely knowledgeable, sharing interesting history and local insights throughout the journey. The Hill of Crosses itself was a truly unique and memorable place to visit, and we appreciated having plenty of time to explore and take everything in. Janis made the trip enjoyable and relaxed, and his helpfulness and enthusiasm really added to the experience. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area.

We had a fantastic day. The Hill of Crosses is so worth a visit! Janus was a brilliant guide, full of knowledge on Latvia and Lithuania (and more), and a nice understated sense of humour testing if we were listening :) He made the day feel very relaxed and not rushed at all. yet perfectly on time too. Thanks for a wonderful day!

Perfect tour to pick if you just want to see the Hill of Crosses - very relaxing. The best part was we were the only group (16 total) at the Hill of Crosses when we arrived. The other big groups came later

We had a wonderful experience on the Hill of Crosses and Jelgava tour. The timing was perfectly planned, allowing us to enjoy each location without feeling rushed. The guide was highly knowledgeable and shared a wealth of interesting information throughout the trip. What stood out most was the depth of conversation—we learned a lot and truly engaged with the history. Overall, a very enriching and well-organized tour.

Nice trip to an intruiging place. Quite some driving but the guide gives some additional info every now and then so it passes smoothly.

Very enjoyable full day excursion crossing the Lithuania border where we stopped for a photo opportunity before making our way to the Hill of Crosses. After we visited Jelgava to see a Russian Orthodox Church and The Palace grounds. Our guide Zane was excellent, given us history and insight to Latvian life, allowing ample time for any questions the group had.

Unfortunately this trip didn't live up to expectations having read lots of glowing reviews. We were in the minibus for long periods and there was little to see particularly from the rear seat which has a more restricted view. Our host was enthusiastic but stopping at service stations is not something that I can muster such effusive glee for. There was no cohesion of the day and when the minibus got stifflingly hot our pleas for air con were ignored. I wish we'd spent the day exploring Riga rather than sat in traffic in a minibus for hours. We departed before 9am and didn't get our lunch until almost 3pm, which is a ridiculously long time.

Really interesting visit. Our guide, Tomas, was excellent - very informative, friendly, and knowledgeable. It's amazing to see how old some of the original crosses that marked the place on this pilgrimage site are, and just how many have been left by other pilgrims and visitors over the centuries. Well worth the trip.

Excellent and informative day trip with plenty of opportunities to see things outside Riga. The visit to Jelgava was great, as were the cakes at the lunch stop. The transport was comfortable and Maris (our guide and driver) knew all the good coffee stops.

We really enjoyed this tour and it was made all the more special by Janis. He was very knowledgeable and patient with the group throughout. We loved the visit to the Hill of Crosses which was an interesting experience. The travel in the minivan was also very comfortable which meant we had a very smooth journey. 10/10 would recommend this trip.

We had a great time the vehicle was super comfortable with plenty of room which was a relief as its a long trip especially when your 6ft 3" The guide was super knowledgeable and entertaining. Well worth the price would highly reccomend

Morris was fantastic, very knowledgeable I would definitely recommend this trip!! Great lunch spot as well and felt very safe and relaxed.

Full day with ample time at Hill of Crosses. Wish lunch was a bit earlier and that guide/driver had a mic in the van. Otherwise, good especially considering the price!

Recommended- nice feeling, an proffesional and interessting guide.

Marius was an excellent guide. It was a great day I highly recommend . The crosses were impressive and Jelgava was a lovely place.

This was the best tour I’ve ever been on. They arrived promptly and the vehicle was really comfortable, a nice Mercedes. The driving was smooth and the guide, Erlens, went right out of his way to make sure everyone’s every need was met. He was knowledgeable and blended the right amount of guided time/personal time. The food places they chose were scenic, reasonable and great food. All in it was incredible value for money, we saw a few great places and it has left a beautiful memory with my daughter etched indelibly in our memories. Thank you so much.

I cannot recommend this day trip enough. Ermand, Armand? (sorry if I misspelled it) was a fantastic tour guide, explaining the history and significance of each place we stopped at and even places we passed by, while answering questions posed by us. The places you visit are fascinating, beautiful sites. The value for money is amazing, I loved my day trip. Thank you so much!

Excellent tour and very well looked after by Erland (hope I spelt the name right). Gave us lots of interesting information and made sure everyone was included