Lithuania Travel Guide: All you need to know to visit Lithuania in 2023

Lithuania is the southernmost Baltic state. Like the rest of the Baltics, Lithuania is an underrated place, and many travelers are unaware of this gem. Lithuania is a cheerful, energetic, and affordable vacation destination.

This ultimate Lithuania travel guide will help you make the most of your Lithuania trip with practical and inspiring tips.

Document checklist for Lithuania

• Visa (if applicable)

• Valid passport (must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry and have two blank pages)

• Sufficient funds to cover your trip

• Return or onward ticket

• Proof of accommodation

• Travel insurance

Essential Lithuania travel information

• Currency - The currency of Lithuania is the euro.€1 is approx. $1.06.

• Daily budget for 1 person - On your trip to Lithuania, you should budget around €74 ($79) daily.

• Languages - The official language is Lithuanian, which is closely related to Latvian.

• Number of travelers per year - Two million tourists visited Lithuania in 2020.

• Socket type - Type C and F. Lithuania operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.

• Time zone - Eastern European Standard Time (GMT+2).

• Top 3 cities to visit - Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda.

• Top 3 landmarks/monuments - Gediminas Tower, The Lithuanian National Museum, and the Hill of Crosses.

Visa information for Lithuania

​Lithuania is a member of the European Union and Schengen Zone. Most visitors can enter Lithuania visa-free or with a Schengen Visa for a period of up to 90 days at six-month intervals.

Using the iVisa.com Visa Checker Tool, to determine whether your nationality requires a visa or is visa-exempt to visit Lithuania.

The Lithuanian Schengen Visa explained

The first step in entering Lithuania is obtaining the right visa for your purposes. The Lithuanian Schengen Visa is a travel authorization that allows for easy and quick travel between the 27 countries of the Schengen area.

Visa difficulty index for Lithuania

Accessibility: 5/5

The Lithuanian Schengen Visa is an electronic document that you can conveniently apply for online through iVisa.

Time to get your visa: 3/5

Although it occasionally takes up to 60 days, the processing time for a Lithuanian Schengen Visa is usually around 15 days.

Costs: 3/5

The fees for a Schengen visa for Lithuania depend on your nationality.

Typical costs and budget for Lithuania

A guide to what you'll spend on a daily basis traveling through Lithuania on a mid-range budget.

• Daily spending - You should budget approx. €74 ($79) per day when visiting Lithuania. This includes:

• Meals - Around €29 ($31) on meals for one day.

• Transport - Budget €9.35 ($10) on transportation daily.

• Hotel - The price of a hotel room in Lithuania for a couple is on average €35 ($37) per night.

The cost of a one-week trip for two individuals to Lithuania is about €1,030 ($1,104).

Transport and best ways to travel around Lithuania

There are many ways to get to and around Lithuania especially if you’re already in Eastern Europe. Here are some tips for navigating the country safely:

Flying to Lithuania

Besides Norwegian Air Shuttle, Wizz Air, and Ryanair, which also serve Kaunas, 16 European airlines serve Vilnius Airport, where most tourists arrive.

While there are few international buses from neighboring countries that travel to Vilnius and Kaunas, there are several routes from Latvia and Estonia.

Arrival and immigration tips for Lithuania

Arriving in a new country can be nerve-wracking, especially if you don’t know what to expect. So here are a few tips to make the immigration process smoother:

• Apply for your Schengen Visa in advance and have it with you upon arrival.

• Travelers carrying cash or readily convertible assets with a value of EUR 10,000 or more when entering or leaving the country must declare this amount at border checkpoints on the cash declaration form.

• If you have pets, make sure you are carrying your pet passports and veterinary entry documents.

Getting around Lithuania by bus

In Lithuania, buses offer an inexpensive way to travel and explore the country and its neighbors. A bus ride from Vilnius to Kaunas costs about €12 ($13) and takes only about 90 minutes. The trip from Vilnius to Klaipeda takes about four hours and costs €28 ($30).

Car rental in Lithuania

The country of Lithuania has well-maintained roads and inexpensive car rentals. Rental prices for several days start at €20 ($21) per day. Although a car offers much more freedom than traveling by bus, it is not always cheaper. To rent a car in Lithuania you will need an International Driving Permit.

Other transportation in Lithuania

Prices for cabs start at €1.30 ($1.40) and go up to €0.60 ($0.65) per kilometer for taxes. In Lithuania, trains run quickly and comfortably.

All major cities in the country can be easily reached by train. While the four-hour trip from Vilnius to Klaipeda costs €22 ($24), the 70-minute trip from Vilnius to Kaunas costs about €8 ($9).

Safety in Lithuania

Lithuania is generally a safe place to visit. Although Lithuania has a moderate crime rate, there are no particularly risky neighborhoods that you should avoid. That said, keep the following in mind:

• Be careful if small children suddenly approach you or if someone starts a conversation with you while trying to sell you something on the street. Someone may reach for your wallet while you are giving them your attention.

• In general, solo female tourists should feel safe here, but the usual safety measures still apply meaning you shouldn’t leave your drink unattended in the bar, go through dark alleys or go home drunk alone.

• Never leave anything valuable in a rented car overnight. Despite the rarity of burglaries, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Weather in Lithuania

Despite Lithuania's relatively chilly summers, the weather in this season is nevertheless the most comfortable for travel.

On the other side, warm weather and sporadic thaws characterize winter. While the average air temperature in the winter is 3°C (37°F), the average air temperature in the summer does not surpass 20°C (68°F).

Must do and see in Lithuania

Lithuania has a lot to offer to both luxury and budget travelers. From visiting the stunning medieval capital of Kernave to visiting national parks, there’s always something to do.

Don’t miss these awesome sights on your holiday to Lithuania:

• Vilnius old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located where two of Lithuania's most important rivers meet. Due to its remarkably well-preserved structures and Gothic, Renaissance, and Neoclassical architecture, it is considered one of the best medieval cities in Europe.

• If you want to get out of the city, Trakai, a seaside resort and historically significant city, near Vilnius is a good choice for a day trip. The Trakai National Historical Park was founded in the thirteenth century. The Trakai Castle Festival is held at the island castle, one of the city's main attractions.

• The Devil’s Museum is one of the most interesting museums in Kaunas. It offers an extensive collection of artworks depicting the devil, witches, and a variety of other malevolent legendary creatures. Some 3,000 different objects can be found here, and guests can even contribute items to the collection.

• St Anne's Church in Vilnius is one of the most attractive buildings in Lithuania with its charming brick towers and rose windows. Inside the church, you will find carved pews and high ceilings. The towers date back to 1501 and were built in the Gothic style.

• Curonian Spit & Kursiu Nerija National Park is a must-see. The vast expanse of sand between the Curonian Lagoon and the Great Baltic Sea is known as the Curonian Spit National Park. The northern side of the spit is in Lithuania, and part of it is in Russia.

Typical Lithuanian food to try

If this is your first visit to the Baltic nation, here are some dishes that you absolutely must try.

• Cepelinai - The national dish of Lithuania, are huge dumplings filled with pork and topped with a ladle of sour cream and bacon sauce. They are made from a mixture of raw and cooked potato dough.

• Kepta duona - Dark rye bread fried in oil, seasoned with salt and garlic, and served with cheese sauce. For many Lithuanians, fried bread is a favorite comfort food that brings back warm memories and is usually eaten as a snack with beer.

• Beetroot soup - A hearty, nourishing dish cooked with beets, onions, carrots, and celery blended with meat stock (often pig) and seasoned with salt, pepper, and dill.

Vaccine information for Lithuania

It's important to know what routine vaccines and COVID-19 measures are required to enter Lithuania before booking your trip. We advise you to check the CDC website for more info about all vaccine requirements and any recommended guidance or medicine lists.

Visit the Sculpture Park in Lithuania

A fantastic open-air museum called Sculpture Park in the Center of Europe, or EUROPOS PARKAS, is located 20 kilometers outside Vilnius in the beautiful surroundings of the outskirts of the city.

The park is an elite open-air exhibition of sculptures by Lithuanian and international artists. All the sculptures are a wonder to see and most of the sculptures were made especially for the park and are on permanent display there.

They are surrounded by rolling hills and wooded areas interspersed with ponds and natural springs. Artists from Lithuania and around the world, who come to the park to contribute their works, also ensure that the exhibition is always changing.

You'll enjoy strolling through the woods and looking at everything from ancient sculptures to cutting-edge works of art. When you are exhausted, you can buy coffee or whole meals at the museum café, unusual memorabilia, and postcards from the post office nearby.

From Vilnius, a number of companies, including Lithuanian Tours, offer this 3-hour tour.