Top 5 Things to do in Vilnius for every traveller

Blog created at Last updated February 5, 2024

You've just arrived in Vilnius, and after a short journey from Vilnius Airport to the city, you've successfully checked into your hotel or hostel. What to do now?Now, if you're one of those travelers who kinda forgot to plan day one, no problem! We are here to help you! Here we offer TOP 5 things to do in Vilnius.

 

Join Vilnius free walking tours

A group of Vilnius Free Walking Tour
A group of happy travellers at the beginning of Vilnius free walking tour around Old Town & Uzupis ready to explore Vilnius

One of the best things to do in Vilnius at the beginning of your stay is to join professional local guides from our team to get a perfect introduction into this beautiful city. We have been running Vilnius free walking tour since 2009, making it an ideal option to kickstart your Vilnius sightseeing adventure. During those years, we've packed most of the highlights of Vilnius Old Town, Užupis (a district of artists), and stories from local people's lives into approximately 2 – 2.5 hours of a walking tour. It will give you a great introduction to the city, and our local guides will share stories that you won't find in Vilnius guide books. Later, you can revisit the explored places and explore them yourself. The Vilnius free walking tour of Vilnius Old Town & Užupis kicks off every day at 11 AM from Vilnius Town Hall (Didzioji g. 31).

If you have done Vilnius free walking tours already, but you are still interested in learning more about Lithuania and Vilnius, check out other tours we organise. Our professional local guides in Vilnius will give you the best experience in the city!

Explore the courtyards in Vilnius Old Town

Talking about the statute on Vilnius free walking tour in on of the courtyards of Vilnius
One of Vilnius with Locals tours guides telling the story of this lady riding a bear on Vilnius free walking tour

 

Vilnius Old Town is more than just its main streets – it's got these awesome hidden courtyards you shouldn't miss. Back in the day, you could practically wander through the whole place via these secret spots. While that's not entirely doable now, some courtyards are still open for everyone. So, when you're exploring Vilnius Old Town, take a break from the main streets and discover the cool surprises tucked away in these courtyards. It's a different side of the city waiting to be uncovered!

Make sure you complete all the tasks from our list of “Things to do in Vilnius courtyards” below:

  • Find a lady riding a bear (hint : it's in Stiklių str.)
  • Have a chess match in the backyard of the Presidential palace (hint: it's in University str.)
  • Feel Italian spirit in Alumnatas Courtyard (the same University str.)
  • Smell the flowers in Bokšto square (hint: Bokšto str.)
  • Take a selfie with Martin Luther (hint: Vokiečių str.)
  • Find a man reading a book (hint: it's in Stiklių str)
  • Try not to get lost in 13 courtyards of Vilnius University
  • Find a sculpture of lying down Jesus Crist (hint: it's in Dominikonų str.)

 

Admire panorama of Vilnius from different view points

 

©Go Vilnius. Laimonas Ciunys, Gediminas Tower

Even though Lithuania is a pretty flat country and you cannot find actual mountains here, Vilnius is a hilly city. You can find a few hills that provide a lovely panoramic view.  Probably, the most popular one is Gediminas hill with Gediminas tower. It is definitely a must see attraction in Vilnius. To go up the tower costs 6-8 EUR (depending on a season), but you can go up the hill for free. By the way, locals actually call this hill a mountain!

Even better option for you is the hill of three crosses. It is said that the first crosses appeared there to pay a tribute to Christian monks that came here in the 14th century to spread Christianity and who were brutally killed here by local Pagan Lithuanians. Today it is a popular viewpoint of Vilnius to watch beautiful sunsets. You can get there through Hills’ park free of charge.

Hills are natural places for panoramic views, but there some cool spots that humans created. Our favourite one in summer is the Bell tower of St. John’s church – a 68 meters in height, it is the tallest building in Vilnius old town. It is situated in the very middle of the Old town. From the top you can admire the narrow winding streets of the old town, the courtyards and even more. Just check the opening times as usually the tower is open from April till October.

We feel like looking at Vilnius from the top is one of the must things to do in Vilnius. If you feel the same, check our blog post about the best viewpoints in Vilnius to find more cool places in Vilnius to admire a panoramic view.

Taste the best of traditional Lithuanian cuisine

The most famous traditional Lithuanian dish - cepelinai
A bowl of  'cepelinai' - the most famous traditional Lithuanian dish every traveller should try

You did Vilnius free walking tour, wandered around courtyards, went up the hill to see a panoramic view. It is time to refresh and check out some cool local dishes so you would have energy to keep exploring Vilnius. Tasting local food is one of the best ways to experience Vilnius. Not sure what to eat?.Check our blog post about the most popular traditional Lithuaian dishes. You should definitely put trying Cepelinai as one of your things to do in Vilnius.

You can find a bunch of traditional local restaurants in Vilnius Old Town. Unfortunately most of them are a bit touristy and overpriced even though the food is still good in most of them! If you do not mind walking a bit, we really recommend checking Žemaičių ąsotis not too far away from Vilnius Old Town (around 15 min walk). The portions are huge and the prices are good! Avoid getting there during the lunch break during weekdays as it gets pretty busy with locals working close by.

If you are not so much into trying traditional Lithuanian cuisine (as it might be quite heavy & fat ), you can check our blog posts Vilnius with Locals tour guides recommend.

Visit Vilnius Museums.

Vilnius has quite a few museums to offer, adding to the list of what to do in Vilnius. However, it's important to keep in mind that many of these museums close their doors on Mondays and, in some cases, on Tuesdays as well. So, when planning your visit, definitely check their opening hours to ensure you get the most out of your museum-hopping experience in Vilnius!

Probably, the most popular among travelers is a museum of occupation and freedom fights (aka KGB). Visit a building that was the headquarters of the KGB in Lithuania during the Soviet occupation and take an opportunity to learn about what Lithuania went through under the Soviet regime. ATTENTION: museum if closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and on National holidays!

MO museum is probably the most popular museum in Vilnius among locals. It offers temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. Check their website to see what exhibition is on during your visit.

Newest museum in Vilnius is The Museum of Culture and Identity of Lithuanian Jews. Opened in January 2024, it is the first museum in the country dedicated to showcasing Lithuanian Jewish history, culture, customs, and various scenes from everyday life in a diverse and comprehensive manner.

However, there are a lot more. If you want to learn more about medieval history, check out Grand Dukes palace. Interested in art? National Art Gallery is for you. Finally visit slightly random museums like Museum of Illusions, Money museum or Toy museum. You can find more detailed information about these museums here.


We hope those top 5 things to do in Vilnius will help you to get the most of the city during your visit. However if you want to do more things in Vilnius, you can check other blog posts about things to do in Vilnius. If you are travelling on a budget, learn about free things to do in Vilnius during your stay.

Hope this helped with your first day in Vilnius! See you in our tours!