Your guide to Vilnius — from baroque courtyards to cold pink soup.
Hand-written guides to the city — its viewpoints and hidden courtyards, its cepelinai and craft beer, its bohemian river republic. Written by people who live here.
1323First mentioned
1994UNESCO listed
40+Churches
5Hills to climb
1River republicWhere to begin
The guides we send friends first — the ones that capture what makes the city itself.
Best Things to Do in Vilnius
A first-trip shortlist of the best things to do in Vilnius — from Gediminas' Tower and the UNESCO Old Town to Užupis, the MO Museum, food halls and Trakai.
Read guide
Old Town (Senamiestis): Neighborhood & Where to Stay Guide
The complete guide to staying in Vilnius's Old Town: the UNESCO-listed historic core, what it's like to be based here, the trade-offs of cobbles and crowds, and how to choose your corner of Senamiestis.
Read guideThree steps to a good trip
You don't need a spreadsheet. Read a little, pick a base, and leave room to wander.
Get the lay of the land
Start with the Old Town and its viewpoints to see how the city fits together.
Pick your base
Old Town for walkability, Užupis for character, Šnipiškės for modern river views.
Build a loose plan
Follow a ready-made itinerary, then bend it around the weather and your appetite.
Ten ways into the city
See & Do
The non-negotiables — landmarks, museums, viewpoints and the experiences that define a Vilnius visit.
Best Things to DoA first-trip shortlist of the best things to do in Vilnius — from Gediminas' Tower and the UNESCO Old Town to Užupis, the MO Museum, food halls and Trakai.
Hidden GemsThe Vilnius hidden gems worth your time — quiet courtyards, lesser-known churches, art streets, atmospheric cemeteries, modernist corners and green spaces for slower, more local travellers.
The Best ViewpointsCompare the best viewpoints in Vilnius — Gediminas Tower, Three Crosses Hill, church bell towers, the TV Tower and rooftop bars — ranked by effort, payoff and the time of day to go.Eat & Drink
Cepelinai and cold beet soup, third-wave coffee, market halls and the city's deep beer culture.
Best RestaurantsA practical shortlist of the best restaurants in Vilnius — by neighbourhood, by budget, and by occasion. Lithuanian classics, modern Baltic cooking, date-night rooms, tasting menus, and where to find genuine value.
CepelinaiWhere to try Lithuania's national potato dumplings in Vilnius — what cepelinai are, portion sizes, vegetarian options, and where heavy comfort food fits into your day.
Coffee & CafésWhere to drink good coffee in Vilnius — manual brew bars, single-origin espresso labs, third-wave roasters and cosy corners with power outlets and reliable Wi-Fi, across the Old Town and beyond.Neighborhoods
From the baroque Old Town to bohemian Užupis, a street-by-street read on where the city lives.
Old Town (Senamiestis)The complete guide to staying in Vilnius's Old Town: the UNESCO-listed historic core, what it's like to be based here, the trade-offs of cobbles and crowds, and how to choose your corner of Senamiestis.
Užupis Neighborhood GuideA guide to Užupis, Vilnius's self-declared bohemian 'republic' across the Vilnia: its tongue-in-cheek constitution, galleries and sculptures, café-and-wine-bar afternoons, and how to spend time in the city's artistic heart.
City Center (Gedimino prospektas) GuideVilnius's City Center: the stately stretch of Gedimino prospektas between Cathedral Square and the Seimas, where ministries, embassies and cultural flagships sit beside five-star hotels, design boutiques and dignified public squares.Where to Stay
Pick the right base — Old Town for walkability, Užupis for character, Šnipiškės for river views.
Best Area to StayA decisive first-timer's guide to the best area to stay in Vilnius: Old Town for convenience, Cathedral/Gediminas Avenue for calm-central, Užupis and the riverside for romance, the New Town for nightlife, and the station district for value and rail.
Best HotelsA curated Vilnius hotel shortlist by area, budget, style, romance, family fit and rail access — how to pick the right base for a compact, walkable city.
Best Boutique HotelsDesign-led, heritage and art-filled Vilnius hotels in the Old Town, Užupis and Naujamiestis — how to find an intimate, characterful base for two.Itineraries
Ready-made plans, from a tight 24 hours to an unhurried long weekend.
One DayA focused one-day Vilnius route — the Old Town, Gediminas Tower, Cathedral Square, Užupis, a proper Lithuanian lunch and sunset from Three Crosses. Walkable, well-ordered, no backtracking.
A WeekendA Friday-to-Sunday weekend in Vilnius: where to stay, what to book ahead, the Old Town and a sunset on Saturday, Užupis and the riverside on Sunday, plus the best brunch, cocktail bars and a relaxed pace built for two.
Three DaysA three-day Vilnius itinerary that pairs the Old Town, viewpoints, Užupis and the MO Museum with proper food and one easy half-day trip to lakeside Trakai Castle — paced for couples who would rather know one city well.Romantic
Quiet courtyards, candlelit dinners and viewpoints made for two — Vilnius for couples.
Romantic Things to DoThe most romantic things to do in Vilnius for couples — sunset hills and river walks, bohemian Užupis, a hot-air balloon over the Old Town, Baltic spa time, candlelit cellars, wine bars and cosy winter corners.
Best Sunset SpotsWhere to watch the sunset in Vilnius: Three Crosses and Gediminas Hill over the Old Town, the bridges of the Neris, the TV Tower café in the sky, and quiet terraces that rarely draw a crowd.Vilnius Honeymoon GuideHow to plan a romantic Vilnius honeymoon: boutique and spa hotels, slow Old Town walks, a hot-air balloon at golden hour, a lakeside day in Trakai, fine dining and the Baltic add-ons worth a longer trip.Day Trips
Castles, memorials and forests within easy reach — Trakai, Kaunas, Kernavė and beyond.
Trakai Island CastleHow to visit Trakai Island Castle from Vilnius: tickets, opening hours, the bridge approach, the museum route, lake views, kibinai, and how to pace the whole island day.
Druskininkai from VilniusA guide to Druskininkai, Lithuania's leading spa town, from Vilnius: the Aqua Park, the year-round Snow Arena, forest walks, the Grūtas Park add-on, bus and car timing and whether to stay overnight.Best Day-Trip Tours from VilniusWhen to book a guided day-trip tour from Vilnius and when to go solo: Trakai, Kaunas, Kernavė, Paneriai, the Hill of Crosses and nature escapes, with the trade-offs that actually matter.Tips
Money, transport tickets, SIM cards, safety and the small logistics that smooth a trip.
Best Time to VisitWhen to visit Vilnius, season by season: weather and daylight, festivals and Christmas markets, food, day trips, crowds and hotel value — so you can pick the trip that suits you.Getting Around VilniusHow to get around Vilnius: walking the compact Old Town, JUDU buses and trolleybuses, taxis and Bolt, bikes and e-scooters, parking, and when not to bother renting a car.
Is Vilnius Safe?Honest, practical safety advice for Vilnius: the Old Town, the station area, nightlife, taxis, solo and female travel, winter pavements and the handful of scams to sidestep.By Month
What the city feels like month by month — weather, events and the best time to come.
Best Time to VisitWhen to visit Vilnius, season by season: weather and daylight, festivals and Christmas markets, food, day trips, crowds and hotel value — so you can pick the trip that suits you.
Vilnius in DecemberChristmas markets, the famous Cathedral Square tree, winter lights and deeply cosy cafés — December is Vilnius at its most magical and most romantic. Here's how to plan it.
Vilnius in JulySummer festivals, lakes, Trakai, hot-air balloons, outdoor dining and late-evening Old Town routes for Vilnius in July.Events
Festivals, fairs and seasonal happenings across the Vilnius calendar.
Kaziukas Fair GuideVilnius's huge spring craft fair: when Kaziukas runs, what to buy, the famous palm bouquets, the food, the crowds, the weather and how to plan around the Old Town's oldest tradition.
Culture NightA guide to Culture Night (Kulturos naktis) in Vilnius: the free all-evening burst of installations, music, performances and open venues across the city, when it happens, how to plan a route, and where to find a late drink afterwards.
Vilnius Light Festival GuideVilnius's winter light festival: when it runs, how the evening route works, the best installations and photo spots, and how to plan a deep-winter trip around three nights of light.Why the city is here
The Iron Wolf of Vilnius
Around 1323, Grand Duke Gediminas was hunting in the Šventaragis valley and, too tired to ride home, made camp where the Vilnia meets the Neris. That night he dreamt of an enormous iron wolf standing on the hill, howling with the voices of a hundred wolves. His pagan priest read the dream without hesitation: build a castle here, and the city that rises will ring with fame across the world.
— And so Gediminas did. The tower on that hill still carries his name.
Upcoming events
Hot-Air Balloon Flights over Vilnius
Vilnius is one of the very few capitals where you can drift directly over the Old Town by balloon, and the calm-weather season runs from late spring through early autumn.
Open Kitchen at Tymo Market
Vilnius's open-air street-food market runs through the warm season on weekends, gathering food trucks and city restaurants under the sky a short stroll from Užupis.
Joninės / Rasos (Midsummer)
Lithuania's pagan-rooted summer solstice celebration, with bonfires burning until dawn, flower wreaths floated downriver and ferns sought in the woods on the shortest night of the year.