Hill of Crosses Tour from Riga – Explore Baltic Heritage & Rundāle Palace

Join our unforgettable one-day tour from Riga to the Hill of Crosses and Rundāle Palace, two of the most impressive cultural landmarks in the Baltic region. Discover the unique Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, a famous pilgrimage site filled with thousands of crosses and a powerful symbol of faith, history, and tradition.

Continue your journey through the beautiful Latvian countryside to Rundāle Palace, a stunning Baroque and Rococo masterpiece known for its elegant interiors, royal history, and magnificent gardens. Enjoy a comfortable guided day trip with time for sightseeing, photos, and a local lunch experience.

This Hill of Crosses and Rundāle Palace tour from Riga is perfect for travelers looking to discover Latvia and Lithuania’s history, culture, architecture, and hidden gems in one memorable Baltic adventure.

8.30 AM – 10.30 AM: Transfer Riga – Hill Of Crosses

10.30 AM – 11.00 AM: Hill Of Crosses

 Is a historical and architectural monument, a unique ensemble of folk art. Its peace, spirituality, authenticity, and sacred nature attracts visitors. The oblong mound, somewhat similar to a saddle, stands on a plain and is surrounded by the valleys of Kulpė stream and its nameless tributary. The hill itself sits on the Jurgaičiai-Domantai mound with a former ancient village dating back to the 13th-14th centuries. It became a sacred site in the 19th century. It is said that the first crosses were erected here by the next-of-kin of the rebels that fell in the 1831 rebellion. The family members erected the crosses at this site because the Tsarist reign did not allow them to pay proper tribute to the graves of their relatives. Even more crosses were put up after the rebellion of 1863. At that time, the tradition of visiting and erecting crosses on the hill began to emerge.

11.00 AM – 12.00 AM: Transfer  Transfer to Rundāle palace.

12.00 AM – 2.00 PM: The Rundale Palace is set amidst the fertile Zemgale Plains in the south of Latvia. Most of the interior decorations were created between 1765 and 1768 when a sculptor from Berlin Johann Michael Graff, and Italian painters from St. Petersburg Francesco Martini and Carlo Zucchi worked at the palace.