Baroque old towns, dunes and quiet green forests
Lithuania is the southernmost Baltic state, with a baroque capital, a long sandy coast and lots of lakes and forest. Vilnius has one of the largest old towns in Central and Eastern Europe, while Kaunas is known for interwar modernist buildings. The Curonian Spit, a strip of high dunes and pine woods, is the summer highlight. It suits travellers who like history, cycling and good value.
Tap a card or a pin. Add a place to a day of your trip, or look for tours.
Vilnius Old Town is a large maze of baroque churches, courtyards and cobbled lanes. It is best seen on foot over a day or two.
A red brick castle on an island in Lake Galvė, reached by a wooden footbridge. The lakes around it are good for boating.
A thin strip of land between the Baltic Sea and a lagoon, with high shifting dunes and pine forest. It is shared with Russia's Kaliningrad region.
A hill covered by many thousands of crosses left by pilgrims. It became a symbol of quiet resistance in Soviet times.
Kaunas was the interim capital between the wars and has many modernist buildings from that time. It also has a compact old town and a castle.
An arty riverside neighbourhood that declared itself a playful republic, with its constitution on a wall. It has cafes, studios and street art.
A set of hill forts above the Neris River that was an early Lithuanian capital. A small museum explains the finds.
Lithuania's port city has German style half timbered houses and the gateway ferry to the Curonian Spit. It is the base for the coast.
Lithuania's main beach resort with a long pier and a botanical park. It is lively in July and August.
The country's oldest national park is full of lakes linked by rivers, with wooden villages. It is good for canoeing and camping.
A 19th century fortress later used as a prison and site of mass killings in the Second World War. The memorial and museum are sobering.
An outdoor collection of Soviet statues removed from towns after independence. It shows how propaganda shaped public spaces.
The white neoclassical cathedral stands next to a rebuilt royal palace museum. Together they explain the power of the old Grand Duchy.
A pine forest park with sandy soils, mushrooms and old wooden villages. Rivers here are good for slow canoe trips.
Housed in the former KGB building, it covers Soviet repression and Lithuanian resistance. The basement cells are preserved.
Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it: pick cities, add places to days, see the weather for your dates.
Each city with a guide opens its own page: map, where to stay, what to eat.
Baroque capital with the best food and museums.
history, food · Open the city guideModernist architecture and student life.
architecture · Guide comingPort city and gateway to the Spit.
gateway · Guide comingDune village on the Curonian Spit.
nature, beach · Guide comingLakeside castle town.
history · Guide comingSpa town in the south.
wellness · Guide comingThe main summer seaside resort.
beach, family · Guide comingA base for the Hill of Crosses.
pilgrimage, gateway · Guide comingCapital, castles and hill forts.
Vilnius Old Town, Trakai, Kernavė
Kaunas and farmland.
Kaunas, Ninth Fort, Hill of Crosses
Dunes, beaches and fishing villages.
Curonian Spit, Palanga, Klaipėda
The east and south, quiet and green.
Aukštaitija, Dzūkija, Druskininkai
Baltic beaches, lagoons and the dunes of the Curonian Spit.
Klaipeda, Nida, Palanga
Lakes, forests and old villages in the northeast.
Aukstaitija National Park, Anykščiai, Ignalina
Choose how long you have, then add the whole route to a trip as places and nights.
Best: May to September. Long daylight and mild weather suit the coast and city walks.
The Baltic coast is only warm enough for swimming in July and August.
January. Quiet season. Lower prices, fewer crowds.
25°F daily high, 20°F average, 2.1 in
Average of past years from NASA POWER, worked out at each city's position. A place far from these cities can be quite different.
The US State Department rates Lithuania Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions.
Buses and trains link the main cities well, and the country is compact.
Prices are lower than in Western Europe for food and stays.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Members see the rules for their own passport here.
Passport and visa rules change often and without notice. Always check the official pages before you book and again before you travel.
| Entry | Rules change, so check the EU's Your Europe page on entry rules for non-EU nationals and your own government's travel advice before you book. |
| Plugs | Type C, F; 220 V |
| Tap water | safe |
| Tipping | Leaving about 10 percent in restaurants is appreciated but not required. |
| Payments | Cards and contactless payment are accepted almost everywhere. |
| Emergency | 112 |
| Etiquette | Lithuanians can seem reserved at first but are warm once you talk. Bring an odd number of flowers if invited to a home. |
| Driving | On the right |
| Between cities | Buses are the main way between towns, with trains on the Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda line. Driving is easy on good roads. Bolt is widely used in cities. |
| Main airports | VNO, KUN, PLQ |
| Ride apps | Bolt, Uber |
In the 14th to 16th centuries the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was one of the largest states in Europe and later joined Poland in a commonwealth. It was absorbed by the Russian Empire, became independent in 1918, then was occupied by the Soviet Union during and after the Second World War. Lithuania declared independence again in 1990, the first Soviet republic to do so. It joined the EU and NATO in 2004 and uses the euro.
Researched 2026-10-13. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.