In August 2025 we flew to Riga with both boys, Damian (12) and Marc (9), because Marc’s U11 team was playing the Krauklis Cup, a youth basketball tournament held every August. They came home with 3rd place. We arrived a day before the first game and stayed on after the last one, and that’s how a tournament turned into our first proper look at Riga with kids.
Short version: Riga is an easy, walkable, good-value city for families. The Old Town is compact enough for kids’ legs, there’s a lift (not stairs) up St Peter’s tower, and our flights and hotels for four came to €1,826.82. That total includes the onward flight to Moldova, where we went next.
Quick answers
- Is Riga good with kids? Yes. It’s compact, flat, and the Old Town is mostly pedestrian.
- How many days? Two full days covers the Old Town and Central Market. We had 4 nights, but most of the daytime went to basketball.
- What did it cost? €1,826.82 for flights and hotels for four (€456.71 per person), including Riga → Chișinău and the flight home.
- Where to stay? Old Town if you’re sightseeing. Near your venue if there’s a tournament. We did one night of each.
Short on time? Our top 3 picks in Riga
Bellevue Park Hotel Riga – 4-star next to Uzvaras Park, across the river from the Old Town. Free parking.
Rija VEF Hotel – 3-star with breakfast, tram stop at the door, 2 stops from the courts.
Wellton Riverside SPA Hotel – 4-star on the Old Town riverfront. We didn’t stay here.
Things to do in Riga Old Town with kids
Riga’s Old Town (Vecrīga) is small: you can walk from one end to the other in about 15 minutes. That’s the best thing about it with kids. You never commit to a long trek, and there’s always a square or a café a few minutes away.
1. St Peter’s Church tower: the view, without the stairs
If you only pay for one thing, make it this. A lift takes you up to a viewing platform at 72 metres, with red roofs, the Daugava and the whole Old Town below you. Tickets are around €9 for adults and free for under-7s (check before you go). Go before 11am in summer, when the lift queue is short.
2. House of the Blackheads and Town Hall Square
The most photographed façade in Riga. It was destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt in the 1990s, which is a good story for kids who assume everything old is original. The square around it is where the street musicians are.
3. Riga Cathedral (Doma baznīca)
Riga’s main cathedral, with one of the largest historic organs in Europe. The square outside is a good place to stop for a drink.
4. The Three Brothers
Three houses side by side, each built in a different century. It takes two minutes, and kids like guessing which one is the oldest.
5. Freedom Monument and Bastion Hill park
Just outside the Old Town. The park along the canal is where kids can run, which they need after a morning of cobbles.
6. Riga Central Market
One of Europe’s biggest markets, inside old Zeppelin hangars. Go hungry. It’s the cheapest lunch in town, and the smoked-fish hall is an experience in itself.
7. Museum of Illusions
An indoor, hands-on museum with mirror rooms and optical tricks. It was the right thing after a long tournament day, when the boys had energy left but no interest in another church.
8. A sunset walk along the Daugava
August evenings are long this far north. The river promenade at sunset was free, calm, and one of our favourite hours of the trip.
Where we ate
- Lido: a Latvian buffet chain where kids point at what they want. It’s cheap and fast, and nobody leaves hungry. With two basketball players, that mattered.
- Domini Canes: sit-down Latvian and European food near St Peter’s.
- Rocket Bean Roastery: proper coffee for us, pastries for them.
- Street Fries Kitchen: a quick bite between games.
Where to stay in Riga with kids
We split our stay, and I’d do it the same way again.
Night 1: Bellevue Park Hotel Riga, a 4-star on the left bank of the Daugava, next to Uzvaras Park, with free parking and trams across the river to the Old Town. It’s a comfortable first night after a flight. Check prices at Bellevue Park →
Nights 2–4: Rija VEF Hotel, a 3-star on Brīvības gatve with breakfast included and a tram stop at the door. It was two tram stops from the tournament venue. Once games started, being close to the courts mattered more than being close to the Old Town. Check prices at Rija VEF →
My advice from 14 years on the hotel side: if you’re in Riga only to sightsee, stay in or right next to the Old Town and walk everywhere. If there’s a tournament, book near the venue first and add an Old Town night on either end. In mid-August the central hotels fill and prices go up, so book early with free cancellation.
What our Riga trip cost (August 2025, family of four)
| Item | Total (4 people) | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Flights Barcelona → Riga | €372.96 | €93.24 |
| Flights Riga → Chișinău (airBaltic) | €432.96 | €108.24 |
| Flights Chișinău → Barcelona | €533.96 | €133.49 |
| Flights total | €1,339.88 | €334.97 |
| Hotels, 4 nights (1 × Bellevue Park, 3 × Rija VEF) | €486.94 | €121.74 |
| Flights + hotels | €1,826.82 | €456.71 |
The hotels averaged €121.74 a night for the four of us, including breakfast at Rija VEF. That’s good value for a European capital in August. Food, trams and tickets aren’t in the table.
Getting around: trams and buses run on a 90-minute ticket at €1.50, valid across routes. You validate it every time you board.
Riga in August: what to pack
August is warm in the day and cool in the evening. Pack a light jacket for the river walk. The cobbles in the Old Town are hard work for small wheels, so leave a scooter at home.
Onward from Riga: we flew to Moldova
From Riga we flew airBaltic straight to Chișinău, about two hours, to spend the rest of the summer with family. Here’s our airBaltic Riga → Chișinău flight review, and our three weeks in Moldova.
Would we go back?
Yes, and next time without a match schedule. Riga turned out to be one of those cities that’s easier with kids than you expect: small, safe-feeling, cheap to eat in, and full of things they actually want to see. For basketball families, the Krauklis Cup is a good excuse to go. More tournament trips: basketball family travel.
Planning Riga? See family hotels in Riga →
Riga with kids: FAQ
Is Riga good for a family trip with kids?
Yes. Riga’s Old Town is compact, flat and mostly pedestrian, so it’s easy with kids of any age. We visited in August 2025 with a 9- and a 12-year-old.
How many days do you need in Riga with kids?
Two full days is enough for the Old Town, St Peter’s tower and the Central Market. Add a day if you want a slower pace or a day trip.
How much does a family trip to Riga cost?
Our flights and 4 hotel nights for four came to €1,826.82 in August 2025, or €456.71 per person. That included an onward flight to Chișinău and the flight home to Barcelona.
Is Riga expensive?
Not by Western European standards. Our hotels averaged €121.74 a night for four, and a 90-minute public transport ticket costs €1.50.
Can you fly from Riga to Chișinău?
Yes. airBaltic flies direct from Riga to Chișinău in about two hours. We took that flight in August 2025.
2 Comments