Compared to Tallinn or Budapest, Riga is unassuming.

Most people end up in Riga while doing an Eastern Europe tour. The bus ride from Tallinn to Riga is only 4 hours and ~ €20 one-way. I would highly recommend the comfortable buses of Lux Express for this journey.

Day 1

I started my day with a walking tour. If, like me, you are coming from Tallinn, then don’t have high hopes, as there isn’t a lot to see in the walking tour.

Latvia Academy of Sciences building was designed as a gift to Stalin during the soviet occupation, It was converted into a secular building.

The three stars in the Latvian flag represent three regions of Latvia.

This site claims to be the first Christmas Tree celebration.

In the evening, do check out The Armoury Bar, where in lieu of buying drinks, you get to play with unloaded guns.

Day 2

I started the day with a trip to Walters Sautuve, where for €30 I was able to practice with a Glock and an AR-223 rifle.

Then, I headed to Drifa Halle where I rode a Drift Trike for €12 every 10 mins of ride. This is similar to go-karting, except it is more fun as the Trike drifts much more.

This was a short day for me, as I had to continue my eastern European journey to Vilnius, Lithuania.

Note

1. Credit cards are widely accepted
2. Riga, like a typical Eastern European city is much cheaper than Southern Europe or the nordic countries.