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Private Full-Day Tour of Cesis, Sigulda, and Turaida: Explore Medieval Castles and City Centers
4.4
28 Ratings
Cesis
Embark on a private full-day tour of Cesis, Sigulda, and Turaida to explore medieval castles and city centers. Discover the rich history and beauty of these enchanting destinations.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Cesis Medieval Castle - Visit the castle museum and explore the surrounding area. Stroll through the central part of the town.
- Araisi Lake Dwelling Site - The Āraiši lake dwelling site is a tourist attraction featuring both original and reconstructed remnants from Latvian prehistory. This nationally significant archaeological site includes remains of a 9th–10th century Latgalian fortified settlement. Today, the site is partially reconstructed, allowing visitors to view rebuilt prehistoric Latgalian wooden structures. Excavations uncovered remains of 151 wooden buildings, 3,700 artifacts, and around 100,000 pottery fragments. Using the collected data, ethnographic parallels, and replicas of ancient tools, 14 buildings from the initial construction period of the fortified settlement have been reconstructed. The site is a member of the EXARC organization, which includes open-air archaeological museums across Europe.
- Castle Of The Livonian Order In Sigulda - Tour the castle museum and its surroundings.
- Turaida Castle - Explore the Turaida castle tower, museum, and surrounding area.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Bottled water
- On-board WiFi
- English speaking driver
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
What's Not Included
- Museum entrance tickets
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Visit the medieval castles of Cesis, Sigulda, and Turaida, along with the charming city centers of Cesis and Sigulda.
Please note that a licensed guide service is not included in this tour. Our English-speaking driver will provide basic information, answer your questions, guide you to the ticket offices, and recommend the best local restaurants for lunch if needed. If you require a licensed guide, this can be arranged at the sites we will be visiting. Please inform us in advance if you need this service, and we will book it for you at an additional cost.
Please be aware that from November 1st to April 30th, the Cesis Castle museum and Āraiši lake dwelling site are closed on Mondays. During this period, we will only be able to view the castle from the outside and will take a walk through the old town part of Cesis.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Please bring your walking shoes
- Coffee stops and detours can be arranged with driver
- Driver will advice local restaurants for lunch
Location
Cesis Medieval Castle
Pils Laukums 9
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.4
(28 Ratings)
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Richard_w
Aug 22, 2024
Lovely Castle Day - Aldis was a fabulous guide and driver. He did everything to accommodate our needs and, when pressed, made suggestions for additional things to do. He took the position that it was our time and that he was completely at our service. He was knowledgeable about the country, the castles, the culture, and Mother Nature provided us with a beautiful sunny day to see the gorgeous scenery. We felt like we gained a great deal of knowledge about Latvia and made a friend in the process.
Review provided by Viator
Annette_e
Aug 11, 2024
Good tile - Was very good. Driver spoke English very well as well as Russian. Was very patient. Thanks Viator
Always with you.
Review provided by Viator
Davesf6462qp
Jul 26, 2024
Great day out of the capital - Driver picked up us from our hotel in Riga and we drove to visit three different castles. All of them had interesting museums inside and what a view from top of Turaida castle! Driver gave us some insights, we had a chat about local life and he advised superb local restaurant. Great day exploring out of Riga!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
770mortenk
May 12, 2024
Nice castle tour - We were on this trip at the beginning of May 2024. We were very satisfied. Our driver picked us up at our hotel in the center of Riga. The car was very clean and water was free to use. The driver spoke good English, he drove very nicely, he told a lot of interesting facts, both about the various sites, but also about Latvia and its history. He also recommended a restaurant on the trip which was really good, and it fit perfectly into the program. We visited all the stops on the tour and were driven back to our hotel again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lesleybird
Apr 19, 2024
Great day visiting castles and countryside - Trip was good value for money . Our driver Aldis was punctual and considerate . A careful driver . Very knowledgeable about the castles and historical sites we visited . Good recommendations for lunch and enlightening on Latvian culture .
Lovely day - Thank you
Review provided by Viator
Jonathonc263
Apr 19, 2023
Good tour, worth getting out the city - Normanse was a good companion and guide, very personable and knowledgeable. One of the sites was closed for repairs so he adjusted according to what I wanted to do.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
794katrinak
Apr 13, 2023
Great Tour - Our driver was an amazing guide. He was so informative and friendly. Also a very good driver and very professional. 5 stars for sure!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trek45430281358
Apr 10, 2023
Relaxing castle trip early Apr. - Quite nice day trip to Castles. The driver speaks good English and has wide knowledge to introduce Latvia and local life. Nice talking to him. He also took us to good cafe and bakery shops in Cesis as the Castle opens later during holiday. Thanks to the driver, we had our first taste of birch juice, I feel like a little bit taste of coconut juice. Unfortunately the castles are mostly ruins, not much to see, more like Parks.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Preethi_a
Dec 29, 2023
Not a nice trip - Our driver was a nice man but with no knowledge about the tour or about the places that we visited.Firstly it was mentioned to him as 2 passengers when it was 3 passengers. The entire tour was with no commentary from the driver. He did not explain about the places, history nothing at all. I felt like I went with a taxi driver and back. He would drop us at the parking and asked us to go around ourself without explaining anything about the place or history.Cesis was closed for a visit, we just went around the castle in the snow and that’s it. I strongly advice you not to book from this operator.
I am coming from India and I can be travelling to this place everyday so I am more than disappointed to have booked this tour in Viator.
Review provided by Viator
Texascountess
Sep 9, 2023
Horrible day - This was a disaster from start to finish. The driver arrived 30 minutes late in a van with dirty windows, no Wi-Fi, no water, and did not speak one word of English. Once on the road, he drove 138 km an hour with a speed limit of 110kph. It took my husband some time to communicate to him while he was driving that we wanted him to slow down. We didn’t even see Sigulda because we couldn’t understand where it was. It just seemed to be a reconstruction of an old farm. This was in no way a tour since it was impossible to communicate with the driver. II would like my money back.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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