Best Time to Visit Latvia: Month-by-Month Guide (2026)

Latvia is the middle Baltic state: a capital with what UNESCO calls the finest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe, a long sandy coast on the Gulf of Riga and river valleys of sandstone cliffs and castles inland. The questions are which season suits your trip, where to base yourself and how to get around without a car. Every date and price below was checked on 29 October 2026.

Latvia month by month

The climate is cool and northern: mild summers with very long days, and cold, dark, damp winters. The figures are LVĢMC’s 1991-2020 climate normals for the Rīga station. LVĢMC publishes the monthly average temperature (day and night combined), so daytime highs run a few degrees warmer and nights colder.

Riga is the warmest place in the country, with an annual average of 8.0°C against 6.8°C for Latvia as a whole, which LVĢMC puts down to the city’s heat island. Daylight swings hugely: LVĢMC counts roughly 300 hours of sunshine across Latvia in July and only about 25 in December. In Riga, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute’s sunrise data puts the sun up from about 04:29 to 22:21 on 21 June 2026, and from about 08:59 to 15:43 on 21 December 2026.

Best time to visit Latvia by trip type

Christmas markets (late November to early January)

Riga is the reason to come in winter. In European Best Destinations’ 2025-2026 Christmas market vote, which drew 803,258 travellers, Riga came third behind Craiova and Zurich with 72,804 votes, its first time in the top three, according to the Riga City Council. The main market is the Old Town Christmas Market (Vecrīgas Ziemassvētku tirdziņš) on Dome Square, and its organiser’s site counts down to a run from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Last season it had over 80 traders selling Latvian handmade crafts and food, with a carousel, pony rides, sheep, creative workshops and Santa’s cottage for children. Our Riga city guide has the details, and Christmas markets in Europe 2026 and where to go in December compare Riga with the rest of the continent.

Pack for damp cold: December averages just below freezing, with a raw wind off the Daugava and the gulf. Our Christmas market packing list, best winter boots for travel and best thermal base layers cover what matters.

Winter city break (January to March)

January and February average about minus 2°C in Riga, and inland towns run colder: LVĢMC’s normals put Alūksne in the eastern uplands at minus 5.1°C in February. Stick to Riga’s museums, the Central Market and the Art Nouveau district, where the Riga Art Nouveau Centre charges a winter price of 5 euros from 1 October to 30 April.

Summer (June to August)

This is the best time for most trips: Riga averages 16.7 to 19.3°C, the nights barely get dark around midsummer, and the coast fills up. July and August are also among the wettest months, so pack a light rain layer. See where to go in July for how Latvia compares with other summer trips.

Autumn (September and October)

September still averages 13.4°C in Riga, and it is the month for the valley of the Gauja around Sigulda and Cēsis, where the forest covers about 47% of the national park. October is cheaper and darker, with the Christmas market a month away.

Where to go in Latvia

Riga. The capital and the obvious base. The Historic Centre of Riga has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997: a Hanseatic medieval core, then 19th-century wooden and Art Nouveau districts beyond it. The Central Market, built from former zeppelin hangars and completed in 1930, sits just behind the Old Town. Our Riga guide compares the areas to stay in.

Jūrmala. Latvia’s seaside resort town on the Gulf of Riga, with a long sandy beach backed by pine forest and wooden villas. Live Riga puts it about 30 minutes from Riga Central Station by Vivi electric train; Majori is the central stop, nearest the main beach and promenade. It is a summer place, but the beach walk works in any season.

Sigulda and Gauja National Park. Latvia’s first and largest national park, founded on 14 September 1973 and covering 91,786 hectares, according to the Nature Conservation Agency. It protects the ancient valley of the Gauja river, with Devonian sandstone cliffs and caves, more than 100 km of walking paths and over 500 cultural monuments. Sigulda, about 1 hour 15 minutes from Riga by train according to the Enter Gauja tourism office, has a cable car across the valley and the Turaida Museum Reserve with its castle.

Cēsis. A medieval town further up the Gauja valley, with the ruins of Cēsis Medieval Castle and the Cēsis New Castle beside it.

Kuldīga. A small town in western Latvia whose old town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in September 2023, where the Venta river and the Alekšupīte stream meet.

How much does Latvia cost per day?

The fixed costs below come from official 2026 price lists and operators’ own pages. Hotels swing with the season and are highest on Christmas-market weekends, so compare Riga prices as soon as you have dates.

How to get to and around Latvia

By air. Riga Airport (RIX) is Latvia’s main airport. Bus 22 runs to the Grēcinieku iela stop by the Old Town and to Autoosta, next to the international bus station and a short walk from Riga Central Station, in about 40 minutes depending on traffic. Live Riga lists the fare at 1.50 euros with a ticket bought in advance (Narvesen, ticket machines, the Mobilly or Timey apps) or 1.81 euros paid to the driver by bank card. A taxi takes 15 to 25 minutes and costs about 10 to 25 euros.

By train. Vivi runs Latvia’s passenger trains from Riga Central Station, including the electric lines to Jūrmala and Sigulda. Buy in the Vivi app or at the ticket office: buying from the conductor costs extra when the station’s ticket office was open. Since 12 January 2026 Elron has run a direct train from Riga to Tartu and Tallinn, which at launch left Riga at 07:38 and reached Tallinn at 13:57, and LTG Link runs the daily train to Vilnius. Rail Baltica, the new standard-gauge line through the three Baltic states, is still under construction. For the next country north, see our Estonia guide and Tallinn guide.

In Riga. Trams, trolleybuses and buses run daily from about 05:30 to 23:30. A 90-minute ticket costs 1.50 euros and covers transfers; register it every time you board a new vehicle. Riders without a valid ticket face a fine of 15 to 30 euros.

Entry requirements, money and connectivity

Entry. Latvia is in the EU and the Schengen area, so the 90-days-in-180 rule applies across all member states; see our Schengen 90/180 rule guide. Non-EU visitors are registered by the biometric Entry/Exit System at the border, and ETIAS has not started yet: our EES and ETIAS guide tracks both.

Money and language. Latvia has used the euro since 1 January 2014, and cards are widely accepted in Riga. If a terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, choose euros to avoid a poor dynamic currency conversion rate. Latvian is the official language, and English is widely spoken in Riga’s hotels and museums.

Mobile data. EU roaming rules apply, and a Europe eSIM covers Latvia along with its neighbours; compare plans in our best eSIM for Europe guide. For plugs, check our travel adapters by country guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best time to visit Latvia?

June to August is the best time for most trips. The Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre’s 1991-2020 normals give Riga an average temperature of 16.7°C in June, 19.3°C in July and 18.3°C in August, and around midsummer the sun is up in Riga from about 04:29 to 22:21. Late November to early January is the second season, for Christmas in Riga, but December averages minus 0.3°C.

Is Latvia worth visiting in winter?

Yes, for a Riga city break rather than a road trip. Riga came third in European Best Destinations’ 2025-2026 Christmas market vote, and the organiser’s site counts down to the Old Town Christmas Market on Dome Square from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. January and February are the coldest months, at an average of about minus 2°C in Riga, and on 21 December the sun is up only from about 08:59 to 15:43.

How do you get from Riga to Jūrmala?

By Vivi electric train from Riga Central Station. Live Riga puts the trip at about 30 minutes, and Majori is the central Jūrmala stop, closest to the main beach and promenade. Tickets cost around 1.50 euros at a station ticket office and slightly less online in the Vivi app, and buying from the conductor costs more if the ticket office was open.

Does Latvia use the euro?

Yes. Latvia has used the euro since 1 January 2014, and cards are widely accepted in Riga. If a card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, choose euros to avoid a poor dynamic currency conversion rate.

Is Latvia in the Schengen area?

Yes. Latvia is in the EU and the Schengen area, so the 90-days-in-180 rule applies across all Schengen states. Non-EU visitors are registered by the EU Entry/Exit System at the border, which has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, and ETIAS was not yet in operation in 2026.

Can you travel between the Baltic capitals by train?

Yes. Since 12 January 2026 Elron has run a direct Tallinn-Tartu-Riga train, which at launch left Tallinn at 14:50 and reached Riga at 20:46, with tickets from 29 euros online or 32 euros on board. LTG Link runs the daily train between Riga and Vilnius. Rail Baltica, the new standard-gauge line, is still under construction.

Start planning your Latvia trip

For Christmas in Riga, aim for a weekday between late November and the first days of January; for the beach and long evenings, June to August. Riga is the gateway either way, so lock in your room once your dates are set.

Find cheap flights to Riga | Compare Riga hotel prices

More ideas: the cheapest European countries to visit in 2026, where to go in November and Christmas markets by train.