2 days in Vilnius

Day by day

1. Day 1: Old Town walk: Pilies street to the Gate of Dawn and Vilnius Cathedral and Cathedral Square

   Old Town walk: Pilies street to the Gate of Dawn, Vilnius Cathedral and Cathedral Square, Gediminas' Tower and Castle Hill and Gate of Dawn, then Vokiečių street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Old Town walk: Pilies street to the Gate of Dawn

      It ends at the Gate of Dawn, the only surviving city gate.

   2. Late morning

      Vilnius Cathedral and Cathedral Square

      The freestanding bell tower can be climbed for views, and a tile in the square marked 'Stebuklas' (miracle) marks the end point of the 1989 Baltic Way human chain.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Potato dumplings

      Traditional Lithuanian restaurants in the Old Town and lunch canteens across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Gediminas' Tower and Castle Hill

      A small museum inside covers the castle's history, and the platform at the top gives the classic view over the Old Town's spires and the Neris.

   5. Late afternoon

      Gate of Dawn

      A chapel above the arch holds a revered painting of the Virgin Mary, and pilgrims from Lithuania and Poland come to pray before it. Entry to the chapel is free.

   6. Evening

      Vokiečių street

      A broad Old Town street of terraces, wine bars and cocktail bars, busy on summer evenings.

2. Day 2: Užupis and Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

   Užupis, Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, St Anne's Church and Vilnius University, then Old Town courtyards in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Užupis

      The bronze Angel of Užupis stands on a column in the main square.

   2. Late morning

      Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

      Routes lead through excavated medieval walls, reconstructed Renaissance and baroque state rooms, and displays of weapons, tiles and treasures from the period when Lithuania was one of Europe's largest states.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cold pink soup

      Cafés and restaurants from late spring through summer.

   4. Afternoon

      St Anne's Church

      According to legend, Napoleon wished he could carry it back to Paris in his hand. The larger Bernardine church stands behind it.

   5. Late afternoon

      Vilnius University

      A ticket gives access to a sequence of its 13 courtyards, the baroque St John's Church and the old library halls, and its bell tower offers a viewpoint over the Old Town. The Littera bookshop has ceilings covered in frescoes.

   6. Evening

      Old Town courtyards

      Craft-beer bars and pubs hidden in courtyards off Didžioji, Pilies and Totorių streets.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in MO Museum (Old Town): Combine it with lunch in the Old Town; the museum is a few minutes' walk from Vokiečių street.
• Swap in Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights (Gediminas Avenue): Allow time for the basement; it is the most powerful part of the visit and not suitable for young children.
• Swap in Energy and Technology Museum (Šnipiškės): Let children try the interactive exhibits after seeing the turbines and boilers.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–12 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.3 hours in December to 17.3 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Cathedral Square, the university, the Gate of Dawn and Užupis are all within a 15-minute walk of each other, though streets are cobbled and hilly in places.

More or fewer days

• One day in Vilnius
• 3 days in Vilnius

Questions travellers ask