In short
Riga: most ships berth at the Passenger Port on the Daugava, 15 minutes on foot from the edge of the Old Town; the largest use Krievu sala, with a shuttle into town. Four hours covers Dom Square, the House of the Blackheads and St Peter's tower; six adds the Central Market and Alberta iela's Art Nouveau; a full day, Jūrmala.
Where do cruise ships berth in Riga, and how do you get into town?
Usually at the Riga Passenger Port, on the right bank of the Daugava and close to the centre. From the quay it is about 15 minutes on foot to Riga Castle, where the Old Town begins, and about 20 to Dom Square. The very largest ships use the cargo quays on Krievu sala, an island further downriver: from there you cannot walk into town and need the shuttle or a taxi.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where the ship berths | The Riga Passenger Port (Rīgas pasažieru osta, Eksporta iela 3a), on the right bank of the Daugava just downriver from the Vanšu Bridge. The largest ships berth at Krievu sala, in the industrial part of the port on the opposite bank. Yours is in the daily programme. |
| Into town from the Passenger Port | On foot: Riga Castle at the edge of the Old Town in about 15 minutes, Dom Square in about 20, Town Hall Square in 20–25. Alberta iela and the Art Nouveau quarter are 10–15 minutes east of the terminal. There is a taxi rank at the terminal. |
| Into town from Krievu sala | Not walkable: it is a closed industrial area on the left bank. Cruise lines usually run a shuttle to the riverside by the Old Town — about 20 minutes each way, longer in traffic; otherwise take a taxi. Check the shuttle times and the last run. |
| Typical call | Usually 7–10 hours, in a season that runs roughly from May to October. The ship comes in from the Gulf of Riga and up the Daugava through the whole port. Exact times are in the daily programme. |
| Time zone | Eastern European Time — the same as Tallinn and Helsinki, one hour ahead of Germany, Denmark and Sweden. If you sailed from Kiel, Copenhagen or Stockholm, check whether the ship has changed its clocks. |
| Money and language | Euro; cards are accepted almost everywhere. Latvian; English gets you by easily in the centre. |
| Documents | Latvia is in the EU and Schengen. If the ship comes from a Schengen port (Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland or Estonia, for example), there is usually no separate check; if it comes from the UK or elsewhere outside Schengen, checks take place on board or at the port. Carry the document your cruise line asks for (what to check). |
| All aboard | Usually 30–60 minutes before departure. Allow 20–25 minutes on foot from Town Hall Square back to the Passenger Port and about 30 from the Central Market; from Jūrmala, at least an hour and a half. From Krievu sala, plan around the shuttle. |
- Wind23 km/h
- Sea12°
- Sunset18:03
- Thu13°10°💧0%
- Fri11°10°💧99%
- Sat13°9°💧8%
- Sun12°6°💧63%
- Mon11°7°💧74%
- Tue12°6°💧16%
- Wed11°5°💧22%
Forecast by Open-Meteo, updated hourly. Check the forecast again the day before your stop.
What can you fit into a day in port in Riga?
Old Riga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, starts a quarter of an hour's walk from the ship, and the Art Nouveau quarter lies right between the port and the centre. Four hours covers the medieval streets; on a longer call, add the Central Market, the Art Nouveau facades or the beach at Jūrmala.
Dom Square, the Blackheads and St Peter's
Enter the Old Town by Riga Castle and walk to Dom Square: Riga Cathedral (entry with a ticket) holds a Walcker organ of 1884 with 6,718 pipes. Nearby stand the Three Brothers, three medieval houses side by side. On Town Hall Square, the House of the Blackheads with its ornate gable was destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt in 1999. Behind it is St Peter's Church, where a lift (with a ticket) takes you to a viewing platform at 72 m — from the top you can often see your ship.
The Central Market and Art Nouveau
From the Old Town it is about 10 minutes to the Central Market: five pavilions of 1930 built from the frames of German First World War Zeppelin hangars, listed by UNESCO together with Old Riga. Smoked fish, rye bread and, in summer, berries. On the way back, pass the Freedom Monument and the Bastejkalns park to Alberta iela and Elizabetes iela: facades by Mikhail Eisenstein and others, full of masks, faces and ornament. From there it is 10–15 minutes to the ship.
Jūrmala and the Baltic beach
From Riga Central Station, next to the market, trains towards Sloka, Ķemeri or Tukums reach Majori in 30–35 minutes. Jūrmala is a long white-sand beach backed by pines, with wooden villas from the 19th and early 20th centuries and the pedestrian street Jomas iela. Buy your ticket at the station and check the return train in advance; allow 4–5 hours including the journey.
Rundāle Palace or the Art Nouveau Museum
Rundāle Palace, a baroque palace by Bartolomeo Rastrelli built between 1736 and 1768, lies about 80 km south of Riga — around an hour and a half by coach each way, so a ship's excursion is the easiest way to go. If you would rather stay in town, visit the Riga Art Nouveau Museum at Alberta iela 12: an early 20th-century apartment and a famous spiral staircase.
Places on the map
The places from this guide, ready for your phone. The numbers on the map match the list. “Map” opens Google Maps; “Walk from the pier” shows the walking route from where ships usually dock.
Map images are loaded from OpenStreetMap servers. Your choice is remembered in this browser.
- ⚓Cruise pierMap
- 1Riga Cathedral (Dom Square)MapWalk from the pier
- 2House of the Blackheads (Town Hall Square)MapWalk from the pier
- 3St Peter's Church (tower lift)MapWalk from the pier
- 4Central MarketMapWalk from the pier
- 5Freedom MonumentMapWalk from the pier
- 6Alberta iela (Art Nouveau)MapWalk from the pier
- 7Jūrmala (Majori)Map
- ⏱Will I make it back?Plan your day here by the minutePlan →
- 🧭On your own or a ship excursion?Check what you can see here without a tourCheck →
Which pier your ship uses depends on the day: check the daily programme.
Passenger Port or Krievu sala — and what to watch from deck on the Daugava?
Riga is a river port: the ship turns off the Gulf of Riga into the Daugava and sails up to the city. Your berth shapes the start of the day; the river gives you the best views of the skyline.
- The Passenger Port. Where most ships berth: the right bank, just below the Vanšu Bridge. Walk out of the port gate and you are in town; no shuttle needed.
- Krievu sala. Cargo quays on an island downriver, on the left bank, for the very largest ships. It is a working port, and you cannot walk anywhere from there, so the shuttle is your link to town.
- The Daugava on the way in and out. Stay on deck: along the river line up the spires of St Peter's and the cathedral, Riga Castle, the cable-stayed Vanšu Bridge and, on the left bank, the National Library of Latvia — the dark glass «Castle of Light» by Gunnar Birkerts, opened in 2014.
- Art Nouveau on the way back. Riga has one of the largest collections of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe, and some of the best streets — Alberta iela, Elizabetes iela, Strēlnieku iela — lie between the port and the Old Town. Walk back to the ship that way.
On your own or on a ship's excursion?
Riga is easy to do on your own: the Old Town, the market and the Art Nouveau streets are all walkable, and the train to Jūrmala is straightforward. Taxis wait at the terminal, and ride-hailing apps work in town.
A ship's excursion makes more sense if you are berthed at Krievu sala on a short call, if you want to see Rundāle Palace or the Gauja National Park around Sigulda — about an hour by coach — or if you would like a guided walk without any preparation. The ship generally waits for its own excursions if they run late — it does not wait for independent passengers.
How do you make sure you are back on board in Riga?
- Mind the time zone. Latvia is one hour ahead of Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Check in the daily programme whether all-aboard time is given in local or ship's time.
- Know your berth. The Passenger Port (Eksporta iela 3a) and Krievu sala are on opposite banks. Give the taxi driver the exact place.
- The last shuttle. From Krievu sala, queues build up at the shuttle towards the end of the call. Do not wait for the last run.
- Trains to Jūrmala run to a timetable. They do not leave every few minutes. Choose a return train with time to spare, and allow another half hour on foot or a taxi from the station to the Passenger Port.
- What to take. Your cruise card, the document your cruise line asked for, a windproof layer — it is breezy on the Daugava even in summer — comfortable shoes for the cobbles and a phone with the ship's emergency number.
Where do cruises calling at Riga start?
Riga is a port of call on Baltic cruises: the ship spends a day here between Tallinn or Stockholm and ports in Germany or Denmark, and you board in another port on the route. Departure ports:
- Cruises from Kiel — Baltic itineraries, sometimes with a call in Riga.
- Cruises from Warnemünde — the Baltic capitals, Riga among them.
- Cruises from Copenhagen — the Baltic, starting in Denmark.
- Kiel or Copenhagen? — the two start ports for Baltic cruises compared.
- Baltic cruises — season, routes and ports.
Often on the same itinerary: Tallinn in a day, Helsinki in a day and Stockholm in a day.
Common questions
Where do cruise ships dock in Riga?
Usually at the Riga Passenger Port (Eksporta iela 3a), on the right bank of the Daugava, close to the centre. The largest ships berth at the cargo quays on Krievu sala, an island downriver; cruise lines usually run a shuttle from there. Your berth is in the daily programme.
Can you walk from the Riga cruise port to the Old Town?
From the Passenger Port, yes: Riga Castle is about 15 minutes away, Dom Square about 20 and Town Hall Square 20–25. Alberta iela, with its Art Nouveau buildings, is 10–15 minutes away. From Krievu sala you cannot walk; you need the shuttle or a taxi.
What can I see in Riga in 4 hours from a cruise ship?
In 4 hours in Riga you can see Dom Square and the cathedral, the Three Brothers, Town Hall Square with the House of the Blackheads, and take the lift up the tower of St Peter's Church. On the way back you can walk along Alberta iela. Keep the Central Market and Jūrmala for a longer call.
How do you get from the ship to Jūrmala?
Go to Riga Central Station (about 30 minutes on foot from the Passenger Port, or by taxi) and take a train towards Sloka, Ķemeri or Tukums. Majori is 30–35 minutes away. Check the return train in advance: with the journey, the trip takes 4–5 hours.
What time zone is Riga in, and does it matter on a cruise?
Latvia is on Eastern European Time — one hour ahead of Germany, Denmark and Sweden, the same as Tallinn and Helsinki. If the ship has not changed its clocks, ship's time may differ from local time. Check in the daily programme which time all-aboard is given in.
Do I need my passport to go ashore in Riga?
Latvia is in the EU and Schengen. If the ship comes from a Schengen port, there is usually no separate passport check; if it comes from the UK or elsewhere outside Schengen, checks take place on board or at the port. Take ashore the document your cruise line asks for.
How the club fits in
Cruises calling at Riga that are available in the club work on the same terms as any other route. You choose one way to pay per booking: the member price (INsider Pricing), roughly 17% below the listed price, or your Reward Points, which can cover up to half of the cruise price. They do not add up. To pay up to 100% with points, you need to have accumulated enough points and book 270 days or more before departure.
Not every cruise line can be booked through the club: check the specific sailing in the club's search, or ask us and we will tell you which itineraries calling at Riga are available in the month you have in mind.
How booking with points works →
Practical port information is summarised from public sources as of October 2026: berths, call times, timetables, entry rules and visiting arrangements may change. Before you travel, check the ship's daily programme and the requirements for your passport. Percentages describe the club's rules and are indicative. Reislite is an independent information site run by partners, not a website of inCruises.