Where the ships dock
Riga's cruise berths are at the Riga Passenger Terminal, run by Riga Passenger Port, at Eksporta iela 3A. It sits on the right bank of the Daugava, downstream of the Old Town and close to the Vanšu cable-stayed bridge, so the spires of Old Riga are in view from the deck.
Cruise traffic is growing. The Freeport of Riga counted 85 cruise calls in 2025 and expected around a hundred in 2026, from more than twenty cruise lines. The largest ship it has taken so far is about 319 metres long, and a new berth for bigger ships is planned further along the port.
If you have read that the Stockholm ferry docks here too: it used to. Tallink's Riga to Stockholm route stopped in 2020 and has not returned. Talks between the Latvian government and Tallink resumed in July 2026, but no restart date has been announced. For now, the only ships arriving in Riga with passengers are cruise ships, and the ferries to Sweden leave from Tallinn, or from Ventspils on the Latvian coast.
Two practical notes from the port itself: there is no cash machine in the terminal building, and taxis are best booked in advance rather than expected at the kerb on a busy day. Card payment is accepted almost everywhere in Riga, so the missing ATM matters less than it sounds.
Walking into the Old Town
Walking is the simplest way in, and on a dry day it is the best. Head south from the terminal with the river on your right. After about a kilometre you reach Riga Castle and the northern edge of the Old Town, and Town Hall Square with the House of the Blackheads is roughly twenty minutes from the gangway at an easy pace.
The route is flat and on pavement throughout. Inside the Old Town the streets turn to cobbles, which are uneven enough to matter for anyone unsteady on their feet or pushing a wheelchair.
Two other walks start just as easily from the ship. The Art Nouveau district around Alberta iela is about two kilometres away, inland and to the north of the Old Town, so it can be done on the way out or on the way back. The Central Market, in five former zeppelin hangars, is on the far side of the Old Town, roughly half an hour on foot from the terminal.
Tram, taxi or car
Tram 5 runs from stops a short walk inland from the terminal, including Ausekļa iela, along the edge of the Old Town: Nacionālais teātris, Nacionālā opera, 13. janvāra iela and Grēcinieku iela. It is useful for the return leg if your feet have had enough, less so on the way in, when walking is barely slower.
Rīgas satiksme, the city transport company, sells tickets in its app and at its outlets. A single ticket bought on board costs EUR 2.00. Validate it on the tram; inspections do happen.
Taxis reach the edge of the Old Town in a few minutes, and many of its inner streets are closed to ordinary traffic, so expect to be dropped at the edge and walk the rest. For anything beyond the city, a car with a driver is the realistic choice: Rundāle and Sigulda are poorly served by public transport on a cruise timetable, and a missed bus is not something you can absorb.
What fits in a six to eight hour call
Riga rewards staying in the city. The strongest day, and the one we recommend for most first visits, is the Old Town in the morning, the Central Market at lunch, and the Art Nouveau streets in the afternoon on the way back to the ship. All three are on foot, with one short taxi if you want it.
In the Old Town, give yourself two to three hours: Town Hall Square and the House of the Blackheads, St Peter's Church, the Dome Cathedral, the Three Brothers, and the Swedish Gate. Alberta iela needs about an hour if you want to look properly at the facades, and the Art Nouveau Museum at number 12 is worth the time if you have it.
If six hours is all you have, drop the market or Alberta iela rather than rushing all three. Our guide to one day in Riga has the full city route, and on a longer call or an overnight it becomes a very good day indeed.
What needs more time: Rundāle, Jūrmala, Sigulda
Jūrmala is the easy one. The beach resort is about half an hour west by train from Riga Central Station to Majori, with departures through the day, or around the same by car. Wooden villas, pine woods and a long white beach make it a gentle half day, and it fits a six-hour call if you keep the rest of the day short.
Rundāle Palace is the most rewarding and the most demanding. The palace is about 79 km south via Bauska, which means roughly an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half each way by car, plus two hours or so for the palace and gardens. It needs a call of at least seven to eight hours, and we would not attempt it by bus.
Sigulda and the Gauja valley are about 53 km northeast: Turaida castle above the river and the sandstone caves on the valley floor. By train it is about an hour each way; by car a little less. It makes a full day and suits a call of eight hours or more.
As a rule of thumb, anything outside Riga turns a relaxed day into a timed one. That is fine, as long as the timing is decided before you leave the ship.
Back for all-aboard
Work backwards from the all-aboard time printed in your ship's daily programme, not from the departure time. Allow at least thirty minutes of buffer at the terminal, more if several ships are in port, and add the walk or drive back from wherever you will be at the end.
From the Old Town, twenty minutes on foot is reliable. From Jūrmala or Sigulda, traffic coming into Riga in the late afternoon can add time, and the trains run to a timetable that will not wait for you. If you are on an independent excursion, the ship has no obligation to wait if you are late.
This is why our Riga shore excursions agree the return time before setting off and build a ninety-minute buffer into the plan. The details are on the Riga shore excursions page, and the wider comparison of Tallinn, Riga and Klaipėda is in our Baltic cruise port days guide.
- Where do cruise ships dock in Riga?
- At the Riga Passenger Terminal, Eksporta iela 3A, on the Daugava just north of the Old Town. The northern edge of the Old Town is about a kilometre away.
- Can you walk from Riga cruise port to the Old Town?
- Yes. Head south with the river on your right: Riga Castle is about a kilometre away and Town Hall Square roughly twenty minutes on foot. The route is flat; the Old Town streets themselves are cobbled.
- Is there still a ferry from Riga to Stockholm?
- Not at the moment. Tallink's Riga to Stockholm service stopped in 2020. Talks on bringing it back resumed in July 2026, but no restart date has been announced, so the terminal currently serves cruise ships.
- Is there an ATM at Riga cruise terminal?
- No. The port says there is no cash machine in the terminal building. Cards are accepted almost everywhere in Riga, and there are ATMs in the Old Town.
- Can I visit Rundāle Palace on a Riga cruise stop?
- On a call of seven to eight hours or more, yes, by car. The palace is about 79 km south, roughly an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half each way, plus around two hours there. On a shorter call, stay in the city or go to Jūrmala instead.
Make this part of your Latvia trip.
Tell us your dates, interests and the pace you have in mind. We will suggest how this could fit your route.