From Riga: Rundāle Palace, Bauska Castle & Ķemeri Bog Boardwalk
- 10 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
A ten-hour day excursion - Rastrelli's baroque palace, medieval Bauska Castle, the Great Ķemeri Bog boardwalk, food & drinks tasting in the van - women led tour with live commentary. The architectural highlight of the day is Rundāle Palace, designed by Francesco Rastrelli. It’s often called the Versailles of the Baltics. I accompany you through the palace myself and fill you in with the palace gossip from the 18th century, supported by a digital audio guide provided by the palace. Then Bauska Castle, a 15th-century Livonian Order fortress at the meeting of two rivers. The atmosphere is completely different from the palace — stone, wind, and a turbulent borderland history We make our way to the Great Ķemeri Bog, one of the largest and best-preserved raised bogs in the Baltics. rom the boards you’ll see soft sphagnum moss, dwarf pines that may be 200 or 300 years old, and dozens of small dark bog pools. I’ll point out the carnivorous round-leaved sundew right beside the boards.
Inclusions
What's included
- Live cultural commentary throughout the day
- Hand-picked Latvian drinks, snacks and sweets — a curated tasting in the van
- Bauska Castle visit
- Pickup and drop-off in central Riga (fixed meeting points)
- Guided full-day excursion (approx. 10 hours)
- Licensed Latvian guide, English- and Latvian-speaking (Russian, German, or French on request)
- Guided Ķemeri Bog boardwalk visit (on-boardwalk only) with all national park access
- Hosted visit to Rundāle Palace with licensed palace guide included free when available
- Comfortable, air-conditioned minibus
- Rundāle Palace and gardens entry tickets
- Hosted visit to Rundāle Palace with digital audio guide
What's not
- Lunch & drinks (you order from the menu and pay the restaurant directly)
- Personal purchases and souvenirs
- Tips or gratuities (appreciated but not expected)
Itinerary
Our day begins with a comfortable drive south from Riga in an air-conditioned minibus. Along the way, I share stories that help bring the landscape to life — the rise of Baltic German nobility, the ambitions of dukes and empires, and the everyday lives of people who lived in the shadow of great estates.
The highlight of the day is Rundale Palace, often called the “Versailles of the Baltics.” I accompany you through the palace myself, with the visit supported by a digital audio guide hired on site. On some dates, if a licensed palace guide is available, we may also arrange one to join our group at no extra cost. When that happens, please see it as a complimentary enhancement rather than a guaranteed inclusion, as availability can depend on palace logistics rather than cost considerations on our side.
After the palace visit, we stop for a relaxed sit-down lunch with a drink, giving you the chance to unwind and enjoy local flavours. Customers pay for their own food and drinks, directly to the restaurant. I would be on hand to guide you through the menu and be able to recommend local delicacies if you require assistance.
From there, we continue to Bauska Castle, where the atmosphere shifts from elegance to strategy. This medieval fortress once guarded important trade routes and river crossings, and its ruins reveal the region’s turbulent borderland history.
About one hour on the wooden boardwalk into the Great Ķemeri Bog (Lielais Ķemeru tīrelis) — one of the largest and best-preserved raised bogs in the Baltics. We stay on the boardwalk the whole time, no off-boardwalk walking. From the boards you’ll see sphagnum moss, dwarf pines that may be 200 or 300 years old and still no taller than a Christmas tree, and dozens of small dark bog pools. Daiga points out the carnivorous round-leaved sundew right beside the boards (Charles Darwin’s favorite plant).
By then, I hope you leave feeling you have used your day well, seen something special, and made warm memories of Latvia’s history, landscapes, flavours, and stories.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 51
- 40
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 1 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Pickup
- Pickup is included for everyone.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 12 travellers
- Operated by
- Barefoot Baltic
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with limited mobility
- Not recommended for travelers with walking difficulties
- Not recommended for travelers prone to motion sickness
How it compares in Riga
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 63 day trips we list in Riga.
- It is longer than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 44 of 63.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Riga
Riga, Latvia's capital on the Baltic, is a Hanseatic city of medieval spires and streets of Art Nouveau façades.
Riga was founded in 1201 and grew rich as a Hanseatic trading port on the Daugava River. Its old town, listed by UNESCO, has cobbled lanes around the Dome Cathedral, with a famous organ, and the spire of St Peter's Church, which has a viewing platform. The House of the Blackheads, a gabled merchants' guild hall, and the Three Brothers, among the oldest houses in the city, stand in the heart of the old town.
Top-ranked sights in Riga: Riga Cathedral (Rigas Doms), Riga Town Hall Square (Ratslaukums), St Peter's Church.
Special offers in Riga
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
