Things to do · Vilnius · Lithuania
19 best things to do in Vilnius
19 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Scotch Mist, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Vilnius are Old Town walk: Pilies street to the Gate of Dawn, Vilnius Cathedral and Cathedral Square and Gediminas' Tower and Castle Hill. Of the 19 picks below, 11 are free, 5 work on a rainy day and 4 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Old Town walk: Pilies street to the Gate of Dawn
- Free sights
- 11
- Good on a rainy day
- Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town walk: Pilies street to the Gate of Dawn | Old Town | Half a day | Free |
| Vilnius Cathedral and Cathedral Square | Old Town | 1 hour | Free |
| Gediminas' Tower and Castle Hill | Old Town | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Gate of Dawn | Old Town | 20–30 minutes | Free |
| Užupis | Užupis | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania | Old Town | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| St Anne's Church | Old Town | 20 minutes | Free |
| Vilnius University | Old Town | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Church of St Peter and St Paul | Antakalnis | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Hill of Three Crosses | Kalnai Park | 1 hour | Free |
| MO Museum | Old Town | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights | Gediminas Avenue | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Jewish Vilnius and the Choral Synagogue | Old Town | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Bernardine Garden | Old Town | 45 minutes | Free |
| Vilnius TV Tower | Karoliniškės | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Pavilniai Regional Park and Puckoriai outcrop | Antakalnis | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Vingis Park | Žvėrynas | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Hot-air balloon flight over the Old Town | Old Town | 3–4 hours including transfers | Expensive |
| Energy and Technology Museum | Šnipiškės | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
The 19 best things to do
Neighbourhood · Old Town
1.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. It ends at the Gate of Dawn, the only surviving city gate.
Detour into the courtyards behind street arches; many hold cafés and are open to walk through.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Religious site · Old Town
2.Vilnius Cathedral and Cathedral Square
Rebuilt in neoclassical style by Laurynas Gucevičius at the end of the 18th century, the cathedral has a temple-like portico and, inside, the baroque Chapel of St Casimir. 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.
Find the Stebuklas tile between the cathedral and the bell tower, then climb the tower for a view over the square.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Castle · Old Town
3.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. 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.
Go up in the late afternoon for the best light over the Old Town roofs.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
_Vilnius.jpg){kind=link}
Religious site · Old Town
4.Gate of Dawn
Built in the early 16th century as part of the city walls, the Gate of Dawn (Aušros vartai) is the only one of the original gates to survive. 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.
Climb the stairs to the chapel quietly, as services are frequent, and look back at the gate from the outside for its Renaissance attic.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
Neighbourhood · Užupis
5.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. The bronze Angel of Užupis stands on a column in the main square.
Look for the constitution plaques in your own language, then follow the Vilnia upstream past the riverside cafés.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Couples
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Palace · Old Town
6.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. 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.
Start with the archaeological route in the basement, which shows the original walls the reconstruction rests on.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Religious site · Old Town
7.St Anne's Church
A late 15th-century masterpiece of Flamboyant Gothic, St Anne's facade is built from more than 30 different shapes of brick in a lacework of arches and pinnacles. According to legend, Napoleon wished he could carry it back to Paris in his hand. The larger Bernardine church stands behind it.
See it at dusk, when the brickwork glows, and then cross into Užupis over the nearby bridge.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Couples
Historic site · Old Town
8.Vilnius University
Founded by the Jesuits in 1579, Vilnius University is one of the oldest universities in Central and Eastern Europe. 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.
Start at the Great Courtyard and finish in the Littera bookshop, which is free to enter.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Rainy day
Religious site · Antakalnis
1.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. A chandelier shaped like a ship hangs in the nave.
Walk there along the Neris in about 25 minutes from Cathedral Square, or take a bus, and visit outside service times.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Art
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Kalnai Park
2.Hill of Three Crosses
Three white crosses stand on a wooded hill in Kalnai Park above the Vilnia. The original monument was demolished in Soviet times and rebuilt in 1989, and the hilltop gives one of the widest views over the Old Town's domes and towers. Paths climb up from the river through the park.
Come for sunset, when the Old Town glows below, and bring a torch for the path down.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Photo spot
Gallery · Old Town
3.MO Museum
Opened in 2018 in a white building designed by Daniel Libeskind on the edge of the Old Town, the MO Museum shows Lithuanian art from the 1960s onwards, including works made under Soviet censorship, alongside changing temporary exhibitions.
Combine it with lunch in the Old Town; the museum is a few minutes' walk from Vokiečių street.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Gediminas Avenue
4.Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights
Housed in the former KGB headquarters on Gediminas Avenue, this museum covers the Soviet and Nazi occupations, deportations to Siberia and the post-war partisan resistance. The basement prison cells and execution chamber are preserved, and the names of victims are carved into the outer walls.
Allow time for the basement; it is the most powerful part of the visit and not suitable for young children.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Historic site · Old Town
5.Jewish Vilnius and the Choral Synagogue
Before the Second World War, Vilnius was a centre of Jewish learning known as the 'Jerusalem of Lithuania'. A walk through the former ghetto streets around Žydų, Gaono and Rūdninkų streets passes the monument to the 18th-century scholar the Vilna Gaon, and the Choral Synagogue on Pylimo street, completed in 1903, is the only pre-war synagogue in the city still in use.
A guided walking tour adds context to sites that are easy to miss, such as former synagogue locations and ghetto gates.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Architecture
Park · Old Town
6.Bernardine Garden
Between Castle Hill and the Vilnia river, the restored Bernardine Garden has a musical fountain, rose and botanical beds, chess tables, a playground and paths along the river. It is the most central place in the city for a picnic or a break from sightseeing.
Walk through it between Cathedral Square and Užupis, and let children play by the fountains on warm days.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
Viewpoint · Karoliniškės
7.Vilnius TV Tower
The 326-metre tower west of the centre was a site of the 13 January 1991 events, when Soviet troops seized it and 14 civilians were killed; a memorial stands at its foot. A lift rises to a revolving café at about 165 metres with views across the city and forests.
Read the small exhibition about 1991 at the base before going up, and choose a clear day for the view.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- History
- Kids
Nature · Antakalnis
8.Pavilniai Regional Park and Puckoriai outcrop
Just east of the centre, the Vilnia river cuts a wooded valley through Pavilniai Regional Park. Trails lead past old mills at Belmontas to the Puckoriai outcrop, a high sandy bluff with a viewing platform over the river and forest.
Walk from Užupis upstream along the Vilnia to Belmontas, then continue to the Puckoriai platform for the view.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
- Views
Park · Žvėrynas
9.Vingis Park
Vilnius's largest park fills a bend of the Neris west of the centre with pine woods, cycling and running paths, playgrounds and a large open-air stage used for concerts and the Song Festival. A footbridge links it to the Žvėrynas district.
Rent a bike and loop through the park and along the Neris riverside path back towards the centre.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Active
Experience · Old Town
10.Hot-air balloon flight over the Old Town
Vilnius is one of the few European capitals where hot-air balloons fly over the historic centre, usually in the calm hours around sunrise and sunset in the warmer months. A flight drifts over the Old Town's domes, the rivers and the surrounding forests and typically lasts about an hour.
Book with a flexible date: flights are often cancelled at short notice for wind or rain.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours including transfers
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Flights must be booked in advance with a licensed operator and depend on the weather.
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Museum · Šnipiškės
11.Energy and Technology Museum
Housed in the city's first power plant, built in 1903 on the bank of the Neris, this museum keeps the original turbines and boilers and adds hands-on displays on electricity, engines and transport, including vintage cars. It is one of the better rainy-day options for children.
Let children try the interactive exhibits after seeing the turbines and boilers.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Užupis, Church of St Peter and St Paul, MO Museum and Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights |
| History | Old Town walk: Pilies street to the Gate of Dawn, Vilnius Cathedral and Cathedral Square, Gediminas' Tower and Castle Hill and Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania |
| Views | Gediminas' Tower and Castle Hill, Vilnius University, Hill of Three Crosses and Vilnius TV Tower |
| Outdoors and nature | Hill of Three Crosses, Bernardine Garden, Pavilniai Regional Park and Puckoriai outcrop and Vingis Park |
| With children | Bernardine Garden, Vilnius TV Tower, Vingis Park and Energy and Technology Museum |
| On a rainy day | Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Vilnius University, MO Museum and Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights |
What to book ahead
- Hot-air balloon flight over the Old Town: Flights must be booked in advance with a licensed operator and depend on the weather.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Vilnius?
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.
+What can you do for free in Vilnius?
Old Town walk: Pilies street to the Gate of Dawn, Vilnius Cathedral and Cathedral Square, Gate of Dawn, Užupis and St Anne's Church. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Vilnius when it rains?
Head indoors to Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Vilnius University, MO Museum and Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights.