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How many days in Vilnius? 3 days, Old Town, Užupis and Trakai castle
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Vilnius has one of the largest surviving baroque old towns in Central and Eastern Europe, on the UNESCO list since 1994, and it is small enough to cross on foot in 20 minutes. Give it three days: one for the Old Town churches and courtyards, one for Užupis, the Soviet-era history and the markets, and one for the red-brick Trakai Island Castle on its lake.
Short answer
Two days covers the Old Town, Užupis and the KGB museum. The third adds Trakai, 30-40 minutes away by bus or train, and slower evenings in the courtyard bars.
The 3-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Cathedral Square, Gediminas Tower and the Old Town
Morning. Start at Cathedral Square, with the white neoclassical cathedral and its free-standing bell tower; look for the 'stebuklas' (miracle) tile in the paving where the 1989 Baltic Way human chain began. Walk up to Gediminas Tower on Castle Hill, about 10 minutes on foot or by funicular, for the view over the roofs (about €8-10).
Afternoon. Visit the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania behind the cathedral (about €10-12), rebuilt and reopened in 2013. Then walk down Pilies Street to Vilnius University, founded in 1579, whose 13 courtyards and the frescoed Littera bookshop can be visited for a few euros.
Evening. Cross to Literatų Street, whose wall is covered with small artworks dedicated to writers, and eat in one of the Old Town cellars. A dinner of cepelinai and a local beer costs about €12-18.
Vilnius University's St John's Church bell tower has a viewing platform, usually quieter than Gediminas Tower and with the cathedral in the frame.
Day 2: Gates of Dawn, Užupis and the KGB museum
Morning. Walk to the Gates of Dawn (Aušros Vartai), the last surviving city gate, where a chapel above the arch holds a revered icon of the Virgin Mary; entry is free. Head back up Didžioji Street past the Orthodox and Catholic churches to St Anne's Church, a Gothic façade of 33 kinds of brick that Napoleon reputedly wanted to carry to Paris.
Afternoon. Cross the little bridge over the Vilnia into Užupis, the artists' district that declared itself a 'republic' in 1997. Read its tongue-in-cheek constitution, translated into dozens of languages on Paupio Street, and see the bronze angel on the square.
Evening. Spend 1.5-2 hours at the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights in the former KGB building on Gedimino Avenue (about €6-8), with prison cells and an execution chamber in the basement. Then walk the length of Gedimino Avenue for dinner.
The KGB museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the basement is distressing; it is not recommended for young children.
Day 3: Hales market and Trakai Island Castle
Morning. Start at Hales Market, a 1906 market hall near the railway station, for smoked meats, cheese, pickles and black rye bread; it is busiest on Saturday mornings. Then take the train or bus to Trakai, about 30-40 minutes for €2-3.
Afternoon. Walk 25 minutes from Trakai station through the village of wooden Karaim houses to Trakai Island Castle, a 14th-15th-century red-brick fortress on Lake Galvė (about €10-12). Rent a pedal boat or join a lake cruise, about €10-20, for the view of the castle from the water.
Evening. Eat kibinai, crescent-shaped pastries filled with lamb or mushrooms, brought by the Karaim community, at Kybynlar or another of the village cafés. The last buses back to Vilnius leave around 21:00-22:00.
Trakai is very busy on summer weekends; go on a weekday morning, or arrive after 16:00 when coach groups have gone.
Only have 2 days?
With 2 days, do Day 1 as written and Day 2 with the Gates of Dawn, Užupis and the KGB museum. You lose Trakai and the Hales market.
Got extra days?
A 4th day can go to Kaunas, the interwar capital, with its modernist buildings and the Ninth Fort (about 1h15 by train), to the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai (about 2.5 hours), or to the Curonian Spit dunes on the coast.
Where to stay in Vilnius
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Old Town hostels near Didžioji Street | Cheap beds inside the walls, 10 minutes from the station. | €35-60 |
| Mid-range | Old Town (Pilies / Vokiečių Streets) | Walk everywhere, between the cathedral and the Gates of Dawn. | €80-140 |
| Mid-range | Užupis | Quieter, artistic, by the river, 5 minutes from St Anne's. | €75-130 |
| Comfort | Old Town boutique and five-star hotels | Restored palaces and courtyard hotels near the cathedral. | €160-300 |
Getting around
The Old Town is small and best on foot, though its cobbles are hard on wheeled suitcases. City buses and trolleybuses use the Trafi or m.Ticket apps; a 30-minute ticket costs about €1. From Vilnius Airport, about 6 km south, bus 88 or the train takes 10-20 minutes to the centre, and a Bolt taxi is about €8-12. Trains to Trakai and Kaunas run from the main station.
What to eat in Vilnius
Lithuanian food is hearty. Try cepelinai, large potato dumplings filled with meat and topped with sour cream, šaltibarščiai, a bright pink cold beetroot soup served in summer, and kepta duona, fried rye bread with garlic and cheese sauce, the classic beer snack. Mains in Old Town restaurants cost €10-16; a lunch special in cafés is about €7-9. Vilnius also has a strong new-Baltic restaurant scene and many craft-beer bars.
Best time to visit
May to September, with highs of 18-24°C and long evenings; in June it stays light until after 22:00. Winters are cold, often -5 to -10°C with snow, but the Christmas tree on Cathedral Square and the market in December are popular. Spring and autumn are cool, quieter and cheaper.
Month-by-month weather for Vilnius →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | €25 | €55 | €110 |
| Food & drink | €20 | €35 | €70 |
| Sights & tickets | €10 | €25 | €40 |
| Local transport | €3 | €8 | €20 |
| Total per person, per day | about €60 | about €125 | about €240 |
Approximate 2026 prices; Vilnius charges a small city tax on accommodation of roughly €1-2 per person per night.
Before you go
Common questions
Is Vilnius expensive?
It is one of the cheaper capitals in the eurozone. A main course costs €10-16, a local beer €4-6 and a coffee €3-4, and the big sights rarely cost more than €10-12. Hotels in the Old Town are reasonable outside summer weekends and major events, so a comfortable trip costs much less than in Western European capitals.
Is 3 days in Vilnius too long?
Not if you include Trakai. The Old Town alone can be seen in a long day, but the city rewards slower time: courtyard cafés, the Užupis river bank, the market, and the history museums. Many visitors combine 3 days in Vilnius with Riga and Tallinn for a 9-10 day Baltic trip.
How do I get from Vilnius to Riga?
By bus or train. Lux Express and FlixBus run coaches several times a day, taking about 4 hours for €15-30. Direct trains between Vilnius and Riga have been introduced as part of the regional rail upgrade but are less frequent, so check the LTG Link timetable. Flights take an hour but are rarely worth it.
Is Lithuanian hard to manage for visitors?
No. Most young people and hospitality staff speak good English, and older people often speak Russian or Polish. Menus in the Old Town are usually in English. Learning 'labas' (hello) and 'ačiū' (thank you) is appreciated. Signs are in the Latin alphabet, so finding streets and stations is easy.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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