A plan for Vilnius

Vilnius has been central to the country's life for as long as there has been Lithuania, but that has often been a tragic tale. Its Neolithic people traded in Baltic amber. In the early Middle Ages five petty kingdoms combined into two then one, when Mindaugas in 1253 became Lithuania's first king and noble Christian convert. The country splintered after his assassination but was re-united under Gediminas, who established Vilnius castle — in legend on the site where a wolf in a dream told him to build. But the real wolves were his neighbouring countries, and finding a powerful ally meant adopting their religion. Poland was the best bet and a dynastic marriage in 1486 united the crowns, later the nations, and Lithuania became Roman Catholic. Vilnius Old Town was largely built in the following 150 years.

This united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth grew almost to the Black Sea, but all the power and money shifted to Poland. Like Hungary in the Austro-Hungarian Empire or Ireland within Britain, Lithuania was the poor country cousin. And then Poland fell, with its territory carved up between Prussia, Austria and Russia, and others snatching what they could. Lithuania became a territory of the Russian Empire. Poland and Lithuania only regained independence after the First World War, and almost at once were at war with each other and with Russia. Vilnius was captured and from 1920 was a Polish exclave, and the Lithuanian capital moved to Kaunas. In the run-up to the Second World War Russia (as the Soviet Union) again seized the territory. This history meant that when Nazi Germany invaded in 1941, they found many local supporters, and the Jewish population of Vilnius was slaughtered.

Vilnius Pass is a tourist discount card which in 2023 costs €37 for 24 hours, €47 for 48 hours and €56 for 72 hours. This excludes public transport and is frankly poor value; you'll struggle to break even.

Old town north

This starts from the castle and cathedral, and stretches south along Pilies gatve. Halfway down the main street becomes Didžioji, and this area is described below as Old Town south. In 1994 the entire Old Town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

1 Gediminas Castle, Arsenelo 5 (Lane from south or funicular from north side), ☏ +370 5 261 7453. Daily 10:00-20:00. This is the Upper Castle of a complex of three built from the 13th century, much bashed about, and abandoned from the 16th. (The Lower Castle became the site of the Arsenal, Palace and Cathedral, and the "Crooked Castle" was destroyed in 1394.) You can ascend the cobbled lane and enter the courtyard free for views of the city, and the Three Crosses on the hill east. The ducal palace east side of the courtyard is just a shell, converted into a performance space. West side is the three storey red brick tower, now a museum. Tower adult €8, conc or child €4. (updated Feb 2023)

2 Old Arsenal, Arsenalo 3. Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00. This arsenal in the Lower Castle was built in the 15th century and stored heavy artillery. It's now part of the National Museum, displaying the country's pre-history and early history until the arrival of Christianity in the 11th century. Adult €5, child €2.50. (updated Feb 2023)

3 Museum of Applied Arts & Design (Taikomosios dailės ir dizaino muziejus), Arsenalo g 3a, ☏ +370 5 262 8080. Tue We & Fri 10:00-18:00, Thu 10:00-20:00, Sun 11:00-16:00. This arsenal in the Lower Castle was built in the 15th century and stored heavy artillery. It's now part of the National Museum, displaying the country's pre-history and early history until the arrival of Christianity in the 11th century. (updated Apr 2025)

4 New Arsenal, Arsenalo 1, ☏ +370 5 262 9426. Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00. The New Arsenal was established in the 18th century and mostly served as a barracks. It's now part of the National Museum displaying Lithuania's history and cultural heritage. As of October 2025, it is closed for major restructuring work. Adult €5, child €2.50. (updated Oct 2025)

1 Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre, A. Vienuolio 1, ☏ +370 5 262 0727. Grand ornate opera house with three or four weekly performances. (updated Feb 2023)

2 Oskaras Koršunovas Theatre (OKT), Ašmenos 8, ☏ +370 5 212 2099. Avant garde theatre southwest edge of Old Town,. (updated Feb 2023)

3 Old Theatre of Vilnius, Jono Basanavičiaus 13, ☏ +370 5 262 7133. Creaky but atmospheric old theatre with performances mostly in Russian. (updated Feb 2023)

Football: 4 LFF Stadium (capacity 5000) is 500 m east of the railway and bus stations, and hosts the men's national soccer team. It also hosts FK Žalgiris, who play in A Lyga, the country's top tier; the playing season is March-Nov. "Žalgiris" means green field and commemorates the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, when Poland-Lithuania smashed the Teutonic Knights. Also playing here in A Lyga is FK Riteriai, who relocated from Trakai in 2019. The stadium is too small for European fixtures and is being rebuilt to hold 8000.

5 Avia Solutions Group Arena was Siemens Arena until rebranded in 2020. It's multi-purpose, and capacity varies with event. For basketball (capacity 10,000) it hosts Rytas Vilnius, the country's leading team. Other regular events are ice hockey games and rock concerts.

6 Lindyhop Klubas, Geležinkelio 6 (by railway station), ☏ +370 647 71111, info@lindyhop.lt. Mon-Fri 18:00-21:00, Sun 20:00-23:00. Lindy Hop is a US swing / jazz dance style that evolved from the 1930s and is now enjoying a revival, with clubs and lessons, retro gear optional. (updated Feb 2023)

Go Karts: 7 Kartlandas Elektrokart is on Dariaus ir Girėno 500 m west of the railway station. It's a battery-powered kiddy affair. 8 Plytinės is a full-scale outdoor track 5 km northeast of city centre.

Hot air balloons take to the sky above Vilnius and elsewhere in Lithuania. Operators include Oreiviai and Smile. In 2023 you might pay €140 per person.

Budget

1 Vegafè, Augustijonų 2-3. Vegan cafe. (updated Sep 2025)

2 Pilies kepyklėlė, Pilies St 19, ☏ +370 673 18248, pilieskepyklele@gmail.com. Daily 09:00-21:00. Café-bakery in the university building near Saints John. (updated Feb 2023)

3 Kamikadzė Japonų virtuvė, Klaipėdos 1, ☏ +370 675 56242. Japanese restaurant with the usual offerings. (updated May 2022)

4 Plus Plus Plus Gastrobaras, Vilniaus 39 (opposite St Catherine's Church), ☏ +370 645 17764. Sun-Wed 17:00-00:00, Thu 17:00-02:00, Fri 17:00-04:00, Sat 16:00-04:00. This is the most central of a fast-food chain. (updated Feb 2023)

5 Dėvėti, Sodų 3, ☏ +370 607 75964. Sun-Wed 16:00-00:00, Thu-Sat 16:00-01:00. Calls itself a gastropub, more like a bar with pizza and pita bread sandwiches. (updated Feb 2023)

6 RadhaRane, Gedimino pr 32, ☏ +370 614 23332. Mon-Sat 11:00-20:00, Sun 12:00-18:00. Vegetarian Indian restaurant with a good menu choice. (updated Feb 2023)

7 Wok to Walk, Vilniaus 19 (by Da Antonio, near Novotel), ☏ +370 655 91919. Mon-Thu 11:00-22:00, Fri Sat 12:00-15:00, Sun 12:00-21:00. This is the main outlet of an Asian cuisine franchise. (updated Feb 2023)

8 Fėjų kepyklėlė (Little Bakery Of The Fairies), Basanavičius 37 (corner with Švitrigaila), ☏ +370 685 25157, info@fejukepyklele.lt. Mon-Thu 07:30-19:00, Fri 07:30-18:00. Bakery-cafe with pastries, snacks, pizza and ice cream. It's infested with Lithuanian fairies, which you'll either adore or upchuck over. (updated Feb 2023)

9 Buga Sotu, Asanavičiūtė 17 (by TV tower), ☏ +370 5 240 2400, valeika@pinsita.eu. Mon-Thu 08:00-23:00, Fri 08:00-01:00, Sat 09:00-01:00, Sun 12:00-22:00. Trad food: chicken, dumplings, kibinai, pizzas and carp. Live music on Friday and sometimes on Saturday. You'd most likely eat here if you visited the TV Tower and baulked at their restaurant prices. (updated Feb 2023)

Mid-range

10 Amatininkų užeiga, Didžioji 19/2 (Town Hall square), ☏ +370 687 22366. Daily 11:00–03:00. Lithuanian and international food. (updated Feb 2023)

11 Cozy, Dominikonų 10, ☏ +370 5 261 1137. Daily 10:00-01:00. Well-named place, with laid-back restaurant upstairs, DJ-bar downstairs, serves hearty modern food with a few vegetarian options. (updated Feb 2023)

Coffee/Tea

1 Kiras, Totorių 7, ☏ +370 673 22563, labas@kiras.lt. Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00, Sat Sun 11:00-20:00. Café in 1970s style, with happy memories of Soviet days: "chaika" a tea-house is a pun on "cheka" the secret police. They have another café at Pylimo 21b. (updated Aug 2024)

Alcohol

Beer: the most popular local brand is Švyturys, meaning lighthouse; "Ekstra" is their lager. Other major brands include Kalnapilis, Tauras and Utenos.

Vodka in Lithuanian is degtinė. Popular brands include Auksinė and Gera. The town distillery doesn't offer tours.

Liqueurs include Midus (honey) and Trejos Devynerios (Three Nines, written as 999).

2 Alaus Namai, Goštauto 8, ☏ +370 5 260 9637. Mon-Thu 12:00-23:00, Fri 12:00-00:00, Sun 15:00-00:00. Big saloon offering beer from less-known Lithuanian brands. (updated Feb 2023)

3 Artistai, Šv Kazimiero 3 (behind Imperial Hotel), ☏ +370 5 212 1268, info@artistai.lt. Mon 11:00-00:00, Tue Wed 11:00-01:00, Thu Fri 11:00-16:00, Sat 12:00-17:00, Sun 12:00-00:00. The large courtyard is a great place to relax and watch the sunset. Friendly service, live music. (updated Feb 2023)

4 Šnekutis, Šv Mikalojaus 15 (behind Museum of Illusions), ☏ +370 656 99459. Daily 11:00-23:00. Long-table like a beer hall, with trad beer and food. (updated Feb 2023)

5 BIX, Etmonų 6, ☏ +370 5 212 1269. Sun-Tue 11:30-23:00, Wed Thu 11:30-02:00, Fri Sat 11:30-04:00. Bar founded by BIX rock band. Live rock / metal bands on Friday nights, karaoke on Thursdays, and rock music any time on the dance floor. Surprisingly good food. (updated Feb 2023)

6 Soho Club, Švitrigailos 7, ☏ +370 699 39567. Fri, Sat 22:00-07:00. LGBT club, gets very crowded. (updated Feb 2023)

On foot

Walking is your only choice in Old Town. The old streets are pedestrianised, and even taxis avoid it.

By bus

JUDU is the portal for city buses and trolleybuses, with timetables, route maps and travel planners in English. There are no trams or metro / suburban railways, but see above for the airport train.

For an overview of the routes, see the Vilnius City Public Transport Map. There are some 90 standard bus routes (marked in blue; numbers mostly between 1 and 100), six express buses (in green; from 1G to 6G) and 14 trolleybuses (in red; between 1 and 20). The numbers overlap, but e.g. bus 3, express bus 3G and trolleybus 3 run entirely different routes. They run 05:30-23:00. There are separate night buses including the route 88N cross-town from the airport via Railway station to Europa Square.

A single ticket for bus or trolleybus costs €1.25 in 2025, purchased by contactless payment only and no discounts. It is valid for 60 minutes.

There are two mobile apps available for the purchase of public transportation tickets: m.Ticket (requires a local phone number) and Trafi. Single tickets cost €1 for 30 minutes or €1.25 for 60 minutes of validity. Trafi is available in English and you can register a foreign debit/credit card (as long as the SMS confirmation code comes through). Minimum purchase in Trafi is €5. You can load up on several single tickets in Trafi (e.g., 10 x 30-min single tickets for a total of €8.50) and you can also activate several tickets at the same time (for a group). You can also buy a 24-hour ticket for €7.50, a 72-hour ticket for €13.50, 30-day ticket for €38 etc.

If you are a person of colour, you may get weird looks or otherwise be looked down upon from the locals.

Emergency numbers

Police (Emergency only), ☏ 112. If you are unsure which emergency number to call, 112 is the central for all such rescue services and will put you in contact with the correct department.

Police (Emergency only), ☏ 03. Phone number analogous to 112.

Fire (Emergency only), ☏ 01.

Emergency Medical Services (Ambulance), ☏ 03.

Crime

Vilnius is a relatively safe city, but use common precautions like safeguarding valuables and not flashing them in the public. It is advised to not stay in the central parts of the city, as well as the railway and bus station areas at night, as crime is more likely to occur around these areas.