5 | 18 reviews

Sigulda Day Trip from Riga | Gauja National Park, Turaida & Gutman’s Cave

Sigulda medievals castle ruins
Admire the Gauja Natioanal Park
Step inside Gutman’s Cave
Visit Turaida Castle
Day trip from Riga to Sigulda with Gauja valley views, medieval castles, the aerial cableway, Gutman’s Cave and Turaida Museum with castle.

Tour Type

Sightseeing Tour

Tour Duration

~7 Hours

Location

Vidzeme - Central Latvia

Tour Season

Whole year

From 75 EUR per person
Inquire / Book

Escape Riga for a day and discover the beauty of Sigulda — one of Latvia’s most scenic and iconic destinations. This tour combines breathtaking views over the Gauja valley, medieval castles, the famous aerial cableway, Gutman’s Cave and the historic Turaida Museum Reserve for a relaxed and memorable day in nature.

About The Tour

Tour Description

Day trip from Riga to Sigulda — one of the most beautiful and scenic places in Latvia. Located in Gauja National Park, Sigulda is a perfect choice for travelers who want to experience castles, nature and some of the most iconic views outside Riga in just one day.

Only about one hour from the capital, Sigulda offers an easy escape into the green heart of Latvia. During the tour, discover the medieval Sigulda Castle ruins, enjoy panoramic views over the Gauja valley, travel across the river on the famous aerial cableway, visit Gutman’s Cave and explore the impressive Turaida Museum Reserve with its historic castle.

This tour is a great combination of nature, history and sightseeing. It is ideal for travelers who want a classic and memorable day trip from Riga with beautiful scenery, cultural landmarks and a relaxed pace.

Why choose this tour

Beautiful nature and castles in one day
Stunning Gauja valley views
Sigulda’s most iconic sights
A relaxing trip from Riga

Best for

First-time visitors who want Latvian nature outside Riga
Travelers who enjoy sightseeing, walking and beautiful photo spots
Couples and families who want an easy and memorable day trip
Travelers looking for a classic mix of castles, nature and scenic views

Tour Highlights

Discover Sigulda and Gauja National Park on one of the most classic day trips from Riga, combining medieval castle ruins, Turaida Castle, Gutman’s Cave, panoramic valley views, the aerial cableway and the famous bobsleigh track.

Gauja National Park Scenery

Experience one of Latvia’s most beautiful nature areas, with forested hills, river valley views and peaceful landscapes just outside Riga.

Sigulda Castle Area

Walk around the medieval Sigulda Castle ruins and see the nearby New Castle park surrounded by Gauja valley scenery.

Aerial Cableway over the Gauja Valley

Ride across the Gauja River valley by cableway and enjoy one of the most memorable panoramic views in Sigulda.

Gutman’s Cave and Local Legend

Visit the largest cave in Latvia, see historic inscriptions in the sandstone and hear the famous legend connected with this place.

Turaida Museum Reserve and Castle

Explore one of Latvia’s most important heritage sites, with Turaida Castle, cultural monuments and optional tower views over the valley.

Sigulda Bobsleigh and Luge Track

See the famous track used for luge, bobsleigh and skeleton training and competitions, one of Sigulda’s most unusual sports landmarks.

Route at a Glance

A scenic route from Riga to Sigulda and Turaida, connecting Gauja National Park viewpoints, the bobsleigh track, Sigulda Castle area, the aerial cableway, Gutman’s Cave and Turaida Museum Reserve.

1

Gauja Valley Viewpoints

Panoramic national park views

2

Bobsleigh Track

Sigulda sports landmark

3

Sigulda Castle Area

Medieval ruins and New Castle park

4

Lunch Break

Optional local stop

5

Aerial Cableway

Ride over the Gauja valley

6

Gutman’s Cave

Sandstone cave and legend

7

Turaida Castle

Museum reserve and heritage site

Explore the Stops
1

Gauja Valley Viewpoints

Start the sightseeing route with views over the impressive Gauja River valley. The forested hills, river bends and open landscapes help explain why Sigulda is often called one of Latvia’s most scenic destinations.

2

Sigulda Bobsleigh and Luge Track

Visit the famous Sigulda bobsleigh and luge track area, a training and competition venue for luge, bobsleigh and skeleton. It adds an active and unusual sports-history stop to the day.

3

Sigulda Medieval Castle Ruins and New Castle Park

Walk around the 13th-century Sigulda Castle ruins and the surrounding park. You will also see the nearby New Castle from the outside while enjoying the historic atmosphere and views toward the Gauja valley.

4

Lunch Break

Take an optional lunch break at a local venue in Sigulda. This gives the day a comfortable pace before continuing with the cableway, nature walk and Turaida part of the route.

5

Aerial Cableway over the Gauja Valley

Ride the aerial cableway across the Gauja River valley. The short ride gives a beautiful elevated perspective over the river, forests and the wider national park landscape.

6

Gutman’s Cave and Gauja National Park Walk

After the cableway, enjoy a peaceful walk through Gauja National Park toward Gutman’s Cave. At the cave, see the sandstone walls, old inscriptions and hear the local legend connected with this famous natural site.

7

Turaida Museum Reserve and Turaida Castle

Finish the main sightseeing route at Turaida Museum Reserve, one of Latvia’s most important heritage sites. Visit Turaida Castle, explore the historic area and, if you wish, climb the tower for panoramic views.

Tour itinerary

1

Pick-up in Riga

We will meet you in Riga at your hotel or other accommodation. and start your day trip to Gauja National Park and Sigulda

2

Scenic drive to Sigulda

Transfer to Gauja National Park and Sigulda.

Approx. 1 hour.

3

Viewpoints over Gauja valley

Approx. 20 minutes.

4

Sigulda bobsleigh track and a viewpoint visit

Approx. duration: 30 minutes.

5

Sigulda Medieval castle ruins and the New Castle park

Visit to 13th century castle ruins and see the 19th century New Castle while walking through a park.

Approx. duration: 40 minutes.

6

Lunch break (optional)

Have a lunch at a popular local venue.

Approx. duration: 45 minutes.

7

Viewpoint over the Gauja river valley

Approx. duration: 15 minutes.

8

Aerial cableway ride

Approx. duration: 10 minutes.

9

Walk through the Gauja Natioanal park

After the cableway ride have a peacefull walk to the Gutman's cave through the Gauja National park

Approx. duration: 30 minutes.

10

Gutman’s Cave

See the largest cave / grotto in the Baltic countries, admire the ancient inscriptions on the walls and hear its fascinating legend

Approx. duration: 15 minutes.

11

Turaida museum reserve and the medieval castle

Approx. duration: 2 hours

13

Return to Riga

After the visit to Turaida, return drive to Riga. Drop off at your hotel or accommodation.

Approx. duration: 1 hour.

Additional information

  • Tour includes moderate amount of walking, please wear flat shoes suitable for walking.
  • The tour operates in all weather conditions, please dress according to the weather and wear proper shoes for walking.
  • This tour is not recommended for people with limited mobility.
  • You will have to climb 100 steps to reach the top of the Turaida medieval castle tower (optional visit)
  • Infant seats are available on request during the booking.

Map of the tour

Tour Price and Booking

From 75 EUR*
Price includes:
  • Hotel pick up and drop off
  • Transportation
  • Entrance tickets
  • Guide
*Price is provided for the complete groups! To get quote for your group size click "+Inquire / Book"!
From 50 EUR*
Price includes:
  • Rental car with unlimited mileage
  • Detailed itinerary
*Price is provided for the whole tour program!
Learn more about Self Guided Tours!
i Select "YES" if you want the tour without other travelers
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

The tour lasts around~7 Hours, with pick-up and drop-off in Riga. It is designed as a full but comfortable day trip, giving you enough time to enjoy Sigulda, Turaida and Gauja National Park.

The tour includes Sigulda, Gauja National Park, the aerial cableway, Sigulda Castle ruins, Gutman’s Cave, Sigulda bobsleigh track visit and Turaida Museum Reserve.

Yes, Sigulda is only about one hour from Riga, which makes it one of the easiest and most scenic day trips outside the city.

Yes, it is a great choice for first-time visitors who want to see Latvian nature, medieval castles and one of the country’s most famous sightseeing areas in one day.

The tour includes a moderate amount of walking, so comfortable flat shoes are recommended.

No, this tour is not recommended for people with limited mobility.

If you want to visit the top of the Turaida medieval castle tower, you will need to climb ~100 steps. This part is optional.

Yes, the tour runs in all weather conditions, so it is best to dress according to the weather.

Yes, families can join the tour, child and infant seats are available on request during booking.

Yes, private tour options are available. This is a great choice if you would like a more personal experience and a flexible pace during the day.

The tour runs from April to November. It is especially enjoyable in the warmer months, when Gauja National Park, the castle surroundings and the old towns are at their most beautiful.

You may also like

Alternative Latvia day trips from Riga
Sigulda Day Trip from Riga | Gauja National Park, Turaida & Gutman’s Cave

Sigulda Day Trip from Riga | Gauja National Park, Turaida & Gutman’s Cave

A scenic day trip from Riga to Sigulda with Gauja valley views, medieval castles, the aerial cableway, Gutman’s Cave and Turaida Museum Reserve.

Duration: ~7 Hours
Whole year
Price from:
75 EUR
Sigulda, Cesis and Turaida Castle Day Tour from Riga

Sigulda, Cesis and Turaida Castle Day Tour from Riga

Full day tour in Latvia to the ancient Cēsis town and Switzerland of Latvia - Sigulda and Gauja National Park.

Duration: ~10 Hours
April - November
Price from:
75 EUR
Hill of Crosses & Rundāle Palace Tour from Riga

Hill of Crosses & Rundāle Palace Tour from Riga

Visit the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania and elegant Rundāle Palace, then enjoy a relaxing walk through the beautiful French Garden.

Duration: ~8 Hours
March - November
Price from:
80 EUR

About this region of Latvia - Vidzeme

EDEN 2011 Turaida and sigulda

Vidzeme (Northern Latvia)

Reviews of this tour on TripAdvisor

"Bog Boardwalk in Kemeri National Park and Baltic Seaside Tour & Tour to Sigulda"

Reviewed March 25, 2024
Richard from UK

Due to the lack of snow the Huskie Ride was cancelled. We were disappointed, but Rihards rearraigned everything for us. Both tours were outstanding , to be able to witness the beauty of Latvia remains with us. Rihards was outstanding as a guide and so helpful, we cant thank him enough for making our Latvia trip so memorable.

Visited March 2024

"Customized tour"

Reviewed July 16, 2022
Todd from USA

They made it easy to organize a customized day tour. Excellent communication leading up to our event.
Met us shipside. Could have told us to meet them outside the port, but Rihards went the extra mile and sought out permission to come into the port to meet us right off the gang way. Made it so much easier.
Rihards Was an excellent guide. Had a lot of information and folklore to share with us during the entire day. Took us to all the requested stops and added in a few more as time allowed.
Absolutely recommend this company for your tour needs.

Visited July 2022

"Excellent trips from Riga"

Reviewed July 21, 2020
Andrew from UK

Great experience. We took the Jurmala, Rundale and Sigulda trips. Very beautiful countryside, castles and palaces. Our guides Rihards and Ilse were very knowledgeable, patient and relaxed.

Visited July 2020

"Sigulda private tour from Riga"

Reviewed June 20, 2019
Helen from UK

We had pre-booked a private day tour for 4 of us to visit Sigulda. Our guide Rihards picked us up from our hotel reception at 10am and was full of interesting knowledge for the whole day. It was an hour’s drive through lovely countryside and we stopped at a couple of view points over the valley before visiting the bob sled track then Sigulda castle. We then went for lunch in a little serve yourself café where the food was excellent and quite cheap, especially for the quality. All the information was in Latvian but the staff spoke good English and told us what everything was. We then moved onto some more view points and the cable car. Once off the cable car we walked down to Gutman’s Cave and then went on to Turaida Castle. The weather was very warm apart from about 1 hour of torrential rain when we got soaked but then the heat dried us out again! We were dropped back off at our hotel at about 5.15pm after a lovely day out!

Visited June 2019

"Best tour in Latvia"

Reviewed March 1, 2017
Duncan from UK

Rihards is an excellent tour guide and from the moment he picked us up from the hotel Metropole to dropping us off he provided a full commentary on Latvian history, Riga, land marks, random facts and where were we're going and what we would see.

We had a complete private tour with just me and my wife taking up the Sigulda tour as the snow was melting and unable to undertake the husky rides.

The scenery was amazing, and Rihards kept us fully informed of what was around us. Visiting the ski slopes and seeing people skiing and snowboarding was great. The bobsleigh track was an interesting facility and the castles at Sigulda and Toraida were lovely to see in the snow. Pity the cable car was not running due to maintenance, but this was reflected in the price we paid and not the fault of Rihards.

We stopped for lunch at a small cafe and it was an excellent value buffet, and tasty too.

Fully recommend Discover Latvia tours, fantastic value for money and. Great day out.

Thank you Rihards.

Visited February 2017

"A brilliant day - can't recommend enough"

Reviewed February 22, 2017
Alexa from UK

We did a tour to Sigulda with Rihards today and can honestly say it was excellent. In both the emails we exchanged prior to booking and then on the tour itself he was honest, friendly and very knowledgeable. You often see "private" tours advertised but this one really was - with just the 4 of us (we all travelled together) and him in the car. At one point we asked if we could book in a bobsled ride at the last minute. He was happy to alter the plan for the day and sorted the ride out for us over the phone in a couple of minutes. (I'd highly recommend a bobsled ride to anyone visiting Sigulda - we thought it was well worth the 50 Euro fee per person). On the tour Rihards made sure we saw the best of everything Sigulda has to offer and when we found that the cable car was closed he recommended a nature walk instead which we really enjoyed. We've had a great day and would definitely book another tour with Discover Latvia.

Visited February 2017

"Tour to Sigulda"

Reviewed December 19, 2016
Sophie from UK

We went on the tour to Sigulda which was amazing. It was great to see somewhere other than Riga whilst in Latvia and the sites were beautiful despite the heavy fog, which actually added an eerie charm to our surroundings (we visited mid December). Rihards was fantastic and very knowledgeable. He went out of his way for my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary by meeting us 15 minutes early so that we could decorate the bus, and suggesting we toast with champagne at the Gutmanis Cave after hearing about a love story that took place there. Also my grandparents aren't the best walkers as their little legs get sore after a while but Rihards was very patient and allowed us to go at our own pace. We had a really lovely day exploring castles, caves, bobsleigh tracks, ski slopes and many wonderful viewpoints so I would definitely suggest booking with Discover Latvia.
Thank you!

Visited December 2016

"Great experience"

Reviewed October 5, 2016
Victor from Taiwan

Rihards is extremely friendly and knowledgeable, trough the tour, he basically fed me with all the history and geography I need or want to know( also some traditional Latvia sweets). For traveler who want to see and know Latvia better, this tour is highly recommended!


Visited September 2016

"Very enjoyable tour to Sigulda!"

Reviewed September 2, 2014
William from Columbus, Ohio, USA

I went on the Sigulda tour and it was everything I expected and more. Rihards was an excellent, thoughtful guide with a great deal of knowledge about Latvia - its people and history. We visited some very interesting sites and I had the chance to see some of the amazing Latvian countryside. The aerial tram over the Gauja river was breathtaking, as were the views from the top of the tower in Turaida. Lunch was at a very nice traditional restaurant in Sigulda. Along the way we enjoyed Latvian sweets, which was a nice touch. I would highly recommend this tour!

Visited August 2014

"Outstanding tour"

Reviewed September 1, 2014
Glenys from Sidney, Australia

My husband and I were lucky enough to be the only people on our tour to Sigulda and had a most enjoyable and informative day with Rihards. We visited all the places listed on the itinerary, which were most interesting. But we also learnt a lot about Latvia, a country of which we have little knowledge. Our lunch stop was at a place with good food, at very good prices. Rihards was most considerate about what we could do or not do, as I have a bit of a knee injury. He also told us a number of lovely stories relating to the places we visited. The car was very comfortable and we were provided with not only a bottle of water each, but also lots of delicious Latvian sweets. We were picked up promptly at the designated time and returned to our hotel, a service we greatly appreciated.
We thoroughly recommend this tour and especially recommend Rihards as a guide.

Visited August 2014

"Amazing 2 tours of Kuldiga and Sigulda"

Reviewed Aaugust, 2014
Chandni from Nairobi, Kenya

2 really awesome tours with Rihards. Not only was he very knowledgeable about the places, but was a great conversationalist too! Not a boring moment on the tour even whilst on the road driving. I particularly liked the extra touch of bringing along Latvian sweets for us to eat during the day. Absolutely recommend the Kuldiga tour and the hiking in Sigulda tour.

Please ask Rihards about the project to name cows across the world :)

Visited August 2014

"Amazing day trip with Rihards!"

Reviewed July 2, 2014
Gretchen from Friendswood, USA

We took the Sigulda tour with Discover Latvia Tours, and we're so glad we did! Rihards is an excellent guide--perfect English, interesting, and most of all, FUN! My family of 4 really enjoyed visiting Sigulda!

Visited June 2014

"Tour to Sigulda"

Reviewed June 10, 2014
Meir from Tel Aviv, Israel

Family of 4 persons, we booked the "Tour to Sigulda" tour by the Email and contact with Rihards from the agency. The tour was wonderful and Rihards is a good guide. I recommend "Discover Latvia Tours" to you all.

Visited May 2014

"Amazing day tour"

Reviewed October 14, 2013
Luisa from Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

We went for a 6 hour tour in Sigulda, we had an amazing time!! Our guide Rihard was a very polite and nice person, he was very nice w/ us! I was in touch w/ him by email and everything went great! I would recommend this tour and any other tour w/ the company. Very professional people. Perfect day!

Visited Ocotber 2013

"Two great tours with Discover Latvia"

Reviewed October 5, 2013
Colleen from USA

Rihard was an excellent guide when I took two of their castle/palace tours in October 2013. The fall colors were at their peak and I really enjoyed the Latvian "golden autumn." I decided to visit Latvia on a whim and was very impressed with everything I saw and with the quality of these tours! Rundale Palace, Segulda and Turaida castles were well worth the trip.

Visited Ocotber 2013

"Sigulda"

Reviewed October 5, 2013
Lorraine from London, UK

We were taken for the day to this beautiful place by a very helpful and polite young man called Rihards. He was very informative about the area and the sights he took us to and spent alot of time showing us around nothing was too much trouble. Sigulda in the autumn with the trees turning multicolours is very beautiful to see. The castle was very interesting, the cable car ride was fun, the bobsleigh run was interesting and the scenery stunning. I would highly recommend everyone visiting Riga to take this tour.

Visited Ocotber 2013

"Discover Latvia"

Reviewed May 31, 2013
Frances from Denver, Colorado, USA

I booked three tours with Discover Latvia, a small, relatively new tour company in Riga. I was most impressed with Rihards, who was very knowledgeable and accommodating, and with his associate Yuris. The first tour was a walking tour with Maija, who took me to all the main attractions of old town Riga. The next day Rihards took me to Sigulda, and we were joined on the following day by Yuris for a tour of Kuldiga. My guides were excellent and the venues extremely interesting. Good value for money on these private tours. I highly recommend this company.

Visited April 2013

Autumn in Sigulda"

Reviewed October 31, 2011
Lily from Sao Paulo, Brasil

I recommend tour to Sigulda in fall. The season makes the environment one of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever seen. We walked in the Gauja National Forest, in the caves of Sigulda, visited castles and met some of the history of Latvia. In addition, Rihards and Sergejs are friendly, pleasant and very funny. I really loved the tour.

Visited October 2011

From 75 EUR per person
Inquire / Book Read reviews