A week ago, I was looking for cheap travel tickets from Amman and found a flight ticket for just 32 Jordanian Dinars to Vilnius, Lithuania. I went to the office where I work and asked my colleagues who have a Schengen visa. One of my friends told me she has a Schengen visa, and we booked the ticket right away!
After extensive research online about tourism in Vilnius and consulting some friends who once lived there, we packed our bags and set off for a two-and-a-half-day adventure in Vilnius!
Do you also live abroad and want to share your experience with the readers of “Exploring Earth’s Wonders”? It’s simple, just send me a quick email 🙂
First Things First: Logistics
- Location: Europe
- Visa: Schengen
- Currency: Euro
- Airline: Ryanair
- Transportation: There are buses everywhere in Vilnius, and apps for taxis like Uber, Bolt, and Yandex.Taxi are also available.
Accommodation: As usual, we stayed in an Airbnb. One great aspect about Lithuania is that prices are relatively cheap, so you can find apartments and hotels that fit your budget. We found an apartment in the Old Town, which is the city center, for only 100 Euros for three nights. The apartment accommodates four people and was very modern and equipped with everything you might need while traveling.
Drinking Water: The tap water is very clean and safe to drink.
Day One
First day breakfast
Breakfast: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I have no problem eating it four times a day at Panama Food Garden. The restaurant is essentially a greenhouse, and the food is incredibly delicious. The decor is unique and distinctive, filled with plants, flowers, and wood, and the best thing is that it feels very warm in winter.
Exploring Tourist Attractions in Vilnius
We started our first day with a Free Walking Tour, a free guided walking tour usually available in most European cities. For those unfamiliar with the concept, the idea is to announce the meeting point online on the Walking Tour’s website, with the tour lasting about two to two and a half hours. You can choose from several tours, which are led by an experienced local guide, and at the end of the tour, you can give a tip to the guide.
The wonderful thing about this tour is that you get to know a local guide who is knowledgeable about the area’s history, the best local restaurants, and the best streets for sightseeing and shopping!
Some important places you’ll visit during the tour include:
Vilnius Old Town
Very beautiful, filled with most of the historical and tourist landmarks that can be seen in Vilnius.
Literatu Street
One of the most famous streets in Vilnius, located in the Old Town, dedicated to Lithuanian authors and poets.
St. Anne’s Church
Built in 1495, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
St Bernardine Church
Užupis Republic
One of the most enjoyable places to visit in the Old Town, it declared independence in 1997 and has its own constitution, president, ministers, and national anthem.
Once home to poor poets and artists, it is now one of the wealthiest and most famous areas in the city.
Jewish Quarter
Gediminas Castle Tower
I always recommend everyone to join this free tour because interacting with the local guide and other tourists is a wonderful experience, and you won’t experience the city the same way if you just read about places on Google before visiting!
Lunch
After our tour, we were very hungry, so we decided to eat at a famous local restaurant called Etno Dvaras. One of the tastiest dishes I had in Lithuania was fried bread topped with melted cheese. This Lithuanian dish can be found in most restaurants there, and it is absolutely delicious!
After lunch, we decided to visit a famous library in the Old Town called Mint Vinetu. The library is very beautiful and has a small coffee shop where you can enjoy a warm drink while browsing the many books and vinyl records available.
We continued exploring tourist attractions in Vilnius, such as:
Church of St. Casimir
Gate of Dawn
Hales Turgus Market:
A food market in Vilnius, containing several restaurants, seasonal and local produce stores, butcher shops, and Lithuanian cheese shops. If you’re someone who enjoys food-related gifts, you’ll love this place. You can buy some excellent cheeses and delicious cold and smoked meats.
The Hill of Three Crosses:
The path to the Three Crosses is stunning and located on a hill within a large public park that runs along a beautiful river.
My advice is to visit there at sunset because the view from the top of the hill is breathtaking! The golden sun and pink clouds setting over the Old Town provide an unforgettable scene!
Kava Tau Café Not long after sunset, we went to a small café called Kava Tau, located on another hill in Vilnius. The great thing about this café is that all the walls are glass, allowing you to see the view from all sides. In summer, they usually have outdoor seating where you can enjoy the warm sun and sip a cup of coffee while taking in the fantastic views of the city from above!
Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre:
Five days before our trip, I discovered the website for the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, and luckily, there was a major ballet performance happening during our stay in the city. For me, this was one of the highlights of the trip! The show lasted three hours, with short breaks. From the ballet dancers to the orchestra, costume design, stage décor, and lighting, it was incredible, and I had never seen anything like it before!
For dinner, we decided to go to the famous Italian restaurant Vapiano. As I write this blog, I’ve realized that in most of my travel blogs, I mention eating there haha. Trust me, I’m not being paid for advertising; I just genuinely love the restaurant!
After a long day of sightseeing in Vilnius, we decided to head home for some rest to recharge for the adventures awaiting us the next day.
Day Two:
Breakfast
Daily Poison restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes like omelettes, smoothie bowls, acai bowls, avocado toasts, oatmeal bowls, and other tasty healthy foods. After eating and feeling full, we set off for Trakai Castle!
Trakai Island Castle
Located near Vilnius, Trakai Castle is just a half-hour away from the capital. However, the nature there is truly different from Vilnius, with a very distinct feel away from the capital’s hustle and bustle. The town is tiny and quiet, filled with beautiful wooden houses surrounded by rivers, marshes, and trees.
You can reach Trakai Castle from Vilnius by bus, train, or car. The journey takes between 25 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic and the mode of transportation. It’s worth noting that the bus station in Trakai is 2.5 km from the castle, and you will need to take another shuttle bus or taxi to get there.
The castle is situated on an island (officially known as Trakai Island Castle) and was built in the 14th century. It is one of the most significant historical landmarks in Lithuania. Inside, the castle functions as a museum, and all the rooms are well-heated in winter.
The beautiful part is that you can see water from almost every window since the castle is built on an island, surrounded by the river!
After that, we headed to restaurants overlooking Trakai Castle, where we warmed up and enjoyed soup and their famous fried bread with melted cheese.
In my opinion, the trip to Trakai requires only half a day!
Do you also live abroad and want to share your experience with the readers of “Exploring Earth’s Wonders”? It’s simple, just send me a quick email 🙂
Shopping
Personally, I am a shopping enthusiast and take every opportunity to shop whenever I travel. After a day filled with historical sightseeing, we visited a large mall called Akropolis in Vilnius. The mall is enormous and hosts most international brands. I should also mention that there are two shopping streets in the city center: one for international brands like Zara and H&M, and one for luxury and high-end brands like Burberry.
What to Do in Vilnius at Night?
Interestingly, while we were there, a Light Festival was happening at the same time!
The festival was unique in that each art installation was located in a specific place in the city and everyone was provided with a map of the installations, creating a treasure hunt-like atmosphere where everyone was trying to find them!
Two wonderful days full of tourism, exploration, and relaxation. The city is small and charming, with just the perfect amount of things to do on a weekend getaway.
If you’re looking to change your scenery for a few days… book a trip to Lithuania!
