Season guide · Riga · Latvia
Riga in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Martin Thirolf, CC BY-SA 2.0 de
Quick answer
Slushy March gives way to fresh, bright May days; quiet streets and moderate prices. Expect highs up to 17°C (63°F) and lows around -3°C (27°F), with about 22 rainy days across March–May. May is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- -3°C (27°F) to 17°C (63°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 22
- Sea
- 1°C (34°F) to 10°C (50°F)
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4°C (39°F) | -3°C (27°F) | 8 | 11.6 h | 2/5 |
| April | 11°C (52°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 7 | 14.2 h | 2/5 |
| May | 17°C (63°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 7 | 16.5 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 11°C (52°F) against a yearly 11°C (52°F), and 22 of the year's roughly 111 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- May: Riga Marathon (usually mid-May)
- May: Museum Night — late openings across the city (usually mid-May)
Good choices for spring
Religious site · Old Riga
Riga Cathedral
Founded in 1211, the Dom is the largest medieval church in the Baltic states, mixing Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque elements around a peaceful cloister.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes, longer with a concert
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Market · Moscow Suburb
Riga Central Market
Visit in the morning, try the smoked fish in the fish pavilion and keep valuables zipped away in the crowds.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Food
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
Gallery · City Centre
Latvian National Museum of Art
The 1905 museum building on the Esplanāde reopened in 2016 after a renovation that added underground galleries and a glass rooftop terrace.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Architecture · Pārdaugava
National Library of Latvia
Walk across the Akmens Bridge from Old Riga and back for skyline photos in the late afternoon.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Views
- Rainy day
Gallery · Old Riga
Art Museum Riga Bourse
The richly decorated 1850s stock exchange building on Doma laukums now displays foreign art, from Dutch and Flemish painting to Asian and Egyptian collections, in gilded halls.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Day trips in spring
- Jūrmala (About 30 minutes by train) — A string of resort towns along a long, white-sand beach backed by pine forest, with hundreds of carved wooden villas.
- Sigulda and the Gauja valley (About 1 hour 15 minutes by train) — Sigulda sits above the forested Gauja river valley in Gauja National Park.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Riga?
Yes: May is among the best months. Slushy March gives way to fresh, bright May days; quiet streets and moderate prices.
+What is the weather like in Riga in spring?
Highs of up to 17°C (63°F) and lows around -3°C (27°F), with about 22 rainy days over the season.