Yep, that’s right, more delicious overland travel adventures from my Eastern Europe extravaganza trip this summer!
Today I’m all about the journey I made from Tallinn, Estonia to Riga, Latvia.
Because despite the two countries being right next to each other on the map, there’s not an easy direct train you can get between the capital cities and it’s not mega cheap to fly. So I figured my only option was the 5 hour coach. Which, y’know, is fine. But then I discovered the Tallinn To Riga Sightseeing Tour Bus by Traveller Tours & Day Trips!
It takes a little longer than the coach but makes regular stops throughout rural Estonia and Latvia on the way so is a bit more exciting. Plus it’s pretty affordable at €65. Much better.
Here’s how I got on…
Tallinn To Riga Sightseeing Tour Bus
The tour departed Tallinn’s Old Town at 9am and kicked off with a 2 hour drive. So if you’re thinking of doing this tour, definitely bring lots of drinks and snacks and plug in a podcast. Or y’know actually be social and get to know your tour pals! (But obvs I opted for the former.)
Stop 1: Viljandi, Estonia
We made the first stop of the day at Viljandi, a bohemian town in Estonia.
The main attraction in Viljandi is a former 13th century convent, now existing as castle ruins, so that’s where we headed first. The castle is on lovely grounds so it was really nice to just wander around on a sunny day and see some nice views. It also has a stage area the locals use for concerts and is surrounded by lots of lush countryside.
Oh and a cool thing there is a large wooden swing that Estonians apparently invented hundreds of years ago. I mean this is the country that invented kiiking, aka extreme swinging (they do full 360’s!). This one isn’t quite as extreme but my tour group got on to have a go, standing up on either side and taking it in turns to squat so that the swing gains momentum.
I didn’t go on as I was about 10 weeks pregnant at the time and I’m actually glad I didn’t because it looked pretty scary! Funny to watch though!
Stop 2: Valga, Estonia
After exploring Viljandi, we jumped back in the minibus for an hour drive to the next location, Valga. Valga is a border city so half is on the Estonia side and half is on the Latvia side!
It’s on the Estonian side that we stopped for lunch, followed by a visit to the Estonian history and military museum. The museum seemed quite random but it was actually really interesting to learn a bit about the Independence War of Estonia (1918-1920) as well as both Estonia and Latvia’s part in the Second World War.
I should mention our tour guide was a babe and very well-versed on the history of this region so could answer any questions we had.
Oh and on arrival the woman who worked at the museum mentioned something about them having some kind of Germany vs. Russia laser tag on the premises…? We didn’t get a chance to do anything like that but it made the place seem quite eccentric!
Stop 3: Gauja National Park, Latvia
Another hour in the minibus and we arrived at Latvia’s Gauja National Park.
I really liked this stop as it was quite chilled. We took a little hike through the forest and then along the Sietiņiezis sandstone cliffs where local teenagers come to engrave their names and declare their love. It’s an easy hike and relatively short but after spending the previous few days in Tallinn, it was nice to get a bit of fresh air and see some of Latvia’s natural beauty.
Although word to the wise – bring insect repellant.
Stop 4: Cēsis, Latvia
Just 20 minutes drive and we arrived in Cēsis, a medieval Old Town. It’s here that we went off on our own to explore the castle and surrounding park.
I won’t lie, by this point in the day I was pretty tired, so we didn’t explore much. Josh and I just used this stop as some free time to buy an ice-cream and sit by the lake, taking in the view of the castle. Pretty nice.
There was also a couple that had just gotten married at the castle so we watched their photo shoot on a cute bridge. A nice way to spend late afternoon!
Stop 5: Sigulda, Latvia
Ok, time for the last stop! Just 40 minutes drive and we were at the Bobsled Track in Sigulda! It was built in 1986 for the Soviet team and visitors can now head up to the top for a view of the Gauja River Valley, as well as being able to walk down part of the track!
Again, quite a random place but it was fun to walk down the bobsled track, so I enjoyed it.
We arrived in Riga 20 minutes later at about 8pm.
So I mean, it’s a long day and there is a lot of driving involved for a day tour. But really I think you need to think of this as an overland journey between two cities with some cool stops on the way, y’know? It kind of felt more like a road trip where you stop off at stuff that looks pretty neat, rather than going out of your way to tourist attractions.
And there definitely weren’t many tourists at these stops! Although the places we visited did seem a bit random sometimes, it felt like we were seeing real Estonia and Latvia. We were seeing parts of these countries that travellers normally don’t glimpse. And that really is the beauty of overland travel I think.
Would you do a tour like this?
Let me know what you think in the comments below or head on over to my Instagram or Twitter accounts for regular updates on my travels and life in general.
Total Blogger Transparency: I accepted a media discount on this tour but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I wouldn’t play you like that, shorty.