3 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 and Gediminas' Tower and Castle Hill, then Vokiečių street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Old Town walk: Pilies street to the Gate of Dawn

      A walk south from Cathedral Square along Pilies and Didžioji streets passes the Town Hall Square, baroque churches such as St Casimir's and the Holy Spirit Orthodox Church, and side lanes such as Literatų gatvė, whose wall is covered with small artworks dedicated to writers.

   2. Late morning

      Vilnius Cathedral and Cathedral Square

      Find the Stebuklas tile between the cathedral and the bell tower, then climb the tower for a view over the square.

   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

      The red-brick octagonal tower on Castle Hill is the surviving part of the Upper Castle of the Grand Dukes and flies the Lithuanian flag.

   5. Evening

      Vokiečių street

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

2. Day 2: Gate of Dawn and Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

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

   1. Morning

      Gate of Dawn

      Climb the stairs to the chapel quietly, as services are frequent, and look back at the gate from the outside for its Renaissance attic.

   2. Late morning

      Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

      Demolished in the early 19th century, the Grand Dukes' palace behind the cathedral was rebuilt on its original foundations and opened as a museum in the 2010s.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cold pink soup

      Cafés and restaurants from late spring through summer.

   4. Afternoon

      St Anne's Church

      See it at dusk, when the brickwork glows, and then cross into Užupis over the nearby bridge.

   5. Evening

      Old Town courtyards

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

3. Day 3: Užupis and Vilnius University

   Užupis, Vilnius University and Church of St Peter and St Paul, then Naujamiestis in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Užupis

      The 'Republic of Užupis' was declared by local artists on 1 April 1997 and has its own flag, president and a constitution whose articles, such as 'Everyone has the right to be happy', are displayed on mirrored plaques in dozens of languages on Paupio street.

   2. Late morning

      Vilnius University

      Start at the Great Courtyard and finish in the Littera bookshop, which is free to enter.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Kibinai

      Trakai's Karaim restaurants, and kibinai bakeries and cafés in Vilnius.

   4. Afternoon

      Church of St Peter and St Paul

      Plain from outside, this late 17th-century church in Antakalnis is filled inside with more than 2,000 white stucco figures of saints, angels, battles and allegories by Italian craftsmen.

   5. Evening

      Naujamiestis

      Live music, club nights and events in former industrial buildings such as the Loftas art factory.

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

With 3 nights, Old Town keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Užupis ($$) suits couples, solo travellers and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–13 hours of visiting over 3 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.

More or fewer days

• One day in Vilnius
• 2 days in Vilnius

Questions travellers ask