Culinary Kickstart Tour: Riga in Riga - Riga_Food_Tour
4.8

Culinary Kickstart Tour: Riga

  • 2 hours
  • Food Tours
  • Riga
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Choose one of 4 locals available

Experience hosted by Margita, Eva & other locals

  • Private Tour
  • Carbon Neutral

The way to a city's heart it's through its food! And on this private food tour, you'll get to know Riga through its cuisine and the tastings favorite of the locals. A local food expert is ready to give you a taste of the real Riga satisfying your cravings for local food and city highlights.

Destination
Riga, Latvia
Category
Food Tours
Duration
2 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
English, Latviešu, Русский
Included
  • Private Guide
  • 6 Local Food & Drink Tastings
  • Vegetarian Options Available
  • All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
Excluded
  • Entrance to attractions

6 reasons to book this tour

  • Kickstart your stay through the city's food scene
  • Try classic tastings typical of the local culture
  • Enjoy Latvian Honey Cake & Piragi
  • Get to know the best food local hotspots in Riga
  • Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
  • Avoid tourist food traps during the rest of your stay

What you can expect

Culinary Kickstart Tour: Riga in Riga - Riga_Food_Tour

With so much Latvian food to choose from, where to begin?! Get a taste of the culinary scene of Riga on a private tour that will open your appetite to the best food and drinks the city has to offer.

Kickstart your flavorful journey in Riga with the help of a local foodie that will introduce you to typical and classic tastings beloved by the locals. Try from Latvian Honey Cake to Piragi and more to get an idea of what to eat for the rest of your stay. The best way to start your Riga trip, with tasty food and a local connection!

But that's not it! On this private tour, food and city highlights are all part of the menu. Between food stops, your host will show you Riga Cathedral, House of the Blackheads, and other remarkable spots in the area, making it the perfect Riga overview. After this private food, you're set to continue enjoying Riga like a local, with food and city recommendations.

The local hosts are natural storytellers, each with a different background ranging from local cuisine to city lifestyle. They can't wait to share some of their unique stories and personal anecdotes with you! Feel like changing the route a bit? No problem, the hosts will be happy to personalize the tour to your wishes and make their Riga, your Riga!

Choose your local

Get to know these 4 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

  1. Meeting point

    Meet at By the Latvian Riflemen Monument - Riga to start your journey

  2. Itinerary

    This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

  3. Food Introduction

    This culinary kickstart tour is short and sweet! A perfect way to get acquainted with the local cuisine, its best tastings, and where to find them - all with the help of a local food expert
  4. Locals’ Favorites

    Kickstart your time in Riga by discovering the local cuisine. Try some of the ultimate locals’ favorite food treats like Latvian Honey Cake and Piragi picked by your local host and hear why the locals love them so much!
  5. City Highlights

    This tour is more than just food; it’s a cultural experience! In between food stops, discover city highlights for a well-rounded experience that will satisfy your appetite for Riga. Check out House of the Blackheads, Riga Cathedral and more city highlights along the way
  6. Food Recommendations

    With this private food tour, you’ll be set to keep enjoying the most authentic food and drinks in Riga. Your food expert host knows where to go and what to order and will give you recommendations based on your likings and dietary preferences
  7. Special Diet or Allergies?

    If you follow a special diet or have an allergy to a specific food, let your host know! They’ll make sure to consider that so you can have an enjoyable and safe experience
  8. Make it yours

    Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

    Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

    Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

  • Feel confident booking

    Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

  • Change of plans?

    Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

  • Loved by travelers worldwide

    Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

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Amanda🇧🇪 Belgium
(About local )
26 July 2025
Informative tour from a friendly local. Margita helped us learn about the history and local area, while highlighting the architecture and styles. Delicious food from Lido, and local ice cream with a tour of Old Town in between. Highly recommend! Delicious food tour
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Lynn
(About local )
16 July 2025
Margita is a warm and knowledgable guide who is simply lovely to spend time with. She gave us lots of good information; it was a very enjoyable tour and she tailored the experience to the things we were interested in. Highly recommend!Wonderful afternoon with Margita
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Scott🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
11 May 2025
Margita was a wonderful guide that showed my wife and I the great food scene of Riga and Latvia. She also provided the history of Latvia which made understanding the food scene much easier. I would highly recommend her tour for anyone visiting Riga! Great tour of Riga
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Jennifer🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
2 May 2025
We had a fantastic time with Margita. She showed us some very delicious local food and shared some interesting insights about the old town. Awesome little food and history walk
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Monique
(About local )
31 March 2025
Margita was a wonderful guide who introduced us to many local foods. She was very personable, professional and knowledgeable. She answered our many questions on traditions, education, family life and religion. Margita recommended restaurants and sites to visit on our own including the really fun folk club. Margita gave us far more than just a food tour and we would highly recommend a tour with her to start your visit to Riga. Fantastic food tour and insight into Riga
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Ken🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
23 March 2025
margita is a true local with years of experience and knowledge. She customized the tour based on my interests and accommodation location. She provided me with a list of places to see and things to do for the remainder of my stay. I highly recommend her!!!Margita is amazing
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Claudia🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
26 October 2024
We decided to do this tour right at the beginning of our trip. It was perfect. Janis told us a lot about the history and answered all of our questions. We tried traditional foods and drinks. He showed us bars where locals go, some old fashioned and even modern food spots. I highly recommend the tour with Janis.Perfect start to Riga
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Andrew🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
24 August 2024
This tour with Margita was one of the highlights of our stay in Riga. She brought real depth and history to it so the places we went were special, and not the same places that "everybody else" goes. Well done Margita you one of the best tour guides we have been with.Highly recommmended food tour by a local
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Felix 🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
18 August 2024
Janis is a very nice guy and passionate about his hometown! Unfortunately we had hoped for a tour of several restaurants to get to know different hot and cold Latvian dishes, but instead we went to a shopping center and ate pizza. It was explained that this is the modern way of food in Latvia. Afterwards, we went to an unspectacular bakery where everyone got 3 small traditional baked goods. We also had a drink and a shot Riga Black Balsam, the tour guide ordered something for himself and ate it too, at our expense. In the end, we were neither full nor did we have the impression that we knew what traditional Latvian cuisine was, at a cost of 70€ pP way too much. The tour guide at least gave us an informative tour of the old town, which worked really well and he really has a lot of knowledge!Tourguide great, food tour bad.
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Todd🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
19 June 2024
Janis was a great guide - we learned a lot about Riga old town’s sights. Janis knows the area intimately. We started off with some local refreshments, sampled Riga’s best pizza at a cool food court, then finished up with a selection of Latvian savory and Sweeney bakery items. Riga Walkabout & Snacks
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Konrad🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
23 March 2024
Margita is a true gem and very charming and funny! One thing that prevented the perfect score: we thought that we can taste more of the local bites - in the end it was mainly cake in one coffee place. According to the description we expected to go to different places and taste more than just sweets. For that, 50+ euro/ person is a bit price heavy. But Margita is a perfect guide!Good tour with charming guide
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Birgit🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
25 February 2024
I booked the tour by myself, so I was a bit worried that it might be awkward with just me and the guide. But Margita was so friendly and open that I had nothing to worry about! She really knows her history and has lots of interesting tidbits about the city and the country and made sure it's presented in an engaging way while we enjoyed a walk through the city. Thank you for the wonderful two hours together, it was great getting to know you and I had a fantastic time.Margita is a wonderful guide
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Mike🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
22 December 2023
Margita was a great guide that gave our family an excellent introduction to Latvia. She was warm, knowledgeable and easy to talk to. It was great to get the perspective of a local to start out our time in the beautiful city of Riga!Great Introduction to Latvia
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Simon🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
29 July 2025
Margita gave us an interesting tour of Riga Old city, covering its history, georgraphy, conquests and other insights. Margita also took us to a couple of shops that she recommended, and gave us some restaurant recommendations.Private Tour of Riga Old City
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Simon🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
29 July 2025
Kristine gave us an interesting and insightful tour of Riga's Art Nouveau district, taking us to the main sights, and also to some buildings off the beaten track. Tour of the Art Nouveau district
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Anna-Sophia
(About local )
28 July 2025
We had a fantastic time exploring Vilnius with Janis. He was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and full of interesting stories about the city’s history and culture. What really stood out was how patient and understanding he was – we were traveling with our baby, and Janis was super considerate throughout the tour. He adjusted the pace without ever making us feel like it was a problem. The whole experience felt relaxed, personal, and very enjoyable. We also got great tips for local spots to eat and explore on our own. Highly recommended if you want to discover Vilnius with a kind and passionate local guide!Wonderful Tour of Vilnius with Janis!
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Claus🇩🇰 Denmark
(About local )
28 July 2025
We had the pleasure of beeing guided and transported around in Riga for half a day with Janis. He picked us up at the cruiseport and had prepared a tour based on our requests. It was a very pleasent trip, Janis has huge knowledge about Riga and is are really pleasent guide. We hope to come back and see Rega and Janis again.Amazing trip in Riga with Janis
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Skyler🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
11 July 2025
Had we not taken this tour, we would have missed some of the most incredible architecture in Riga. This is a great way to see something that many visiting the city miss. Margita is a native to this part of Riga and gives an excellent tour of her home turf. Do not miss this part of Riga
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Skyler🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
9 July 2025
This was a great way to get an introduction into cuisine and culture in Riga - it was one of the first things we did upon arriving. We tried local meats, cheeses, candies, pastries, and beers. Margita is an excellent host and spokeswoman for her city. Her local knowledge really makes this tour special. Interesting & Tasty
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srinivas
(About local )
1 July 2025
Our guide/driver Kristen was knowledgeable and friendly. When we told her that we wanted to both Latvia and Lithuania, she designed a perfect itinerary and picked us up at the airport and drove straight to Lithuania and drove us back to Riga after Lunch for a walking tour of old city. She even made us dinner reservations, so we won’t lose any time. Overall, very good experience. Highly recommended One day, two countries, great time
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David🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
30 June 2025
Janis was excellent. Very knowledgeable yet delivered his stories with lightness and with humour. Pleasant llfew hours in Riga
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Henry🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
23 June 2025
Nice Kristine, besides the gems of Riga we learned a lot about history, culture and locals of Riga. Closure with great coffee Riga it isGraat tour
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beate🇩🇰 Denmark
(About local )
18 June 2025
If you’re looking for a guided tour that rises far above the ordinary, book one with Margita. She is not only eloquent and knowledgeable – she is a true storyteller with heart, humor, and deep insight. With a rare ability to balance facts and emotions, she took us on a journey where we saw the city with fresh eyes and felt deeply connected to its soul. She opened doors to hidden places and untold stories, engaged us with respect and curiosity – and created an atmosphere that made us both wiser and happier. Margita does what few can: she brings history to life, makes culture resonate, and turns language into a living experience. We left with new perspectives and wide smiles. Thank you for an unforgettable experienceA guided experience beyond the ordinary
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g46p6xjhrt
(About local )
15 June 2025
Wonderful early morning tour with janis. He was knowledgeable and engaging which made it a most enjoyable few hrs. For those interested in architecture and design , I would look to use Janis. He also does other tours ranging from Jewish history , savory history and others You won’t be disappointed Archtectutal tour of Nuveau riga
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Arnhild🇳🇴 Norway
(About local )
8 June 2025
We had a very nice guided tour with Janis in Riga old town. He was very knowledgeable about history, architecture and gave us recommendations for restaurants and cafes. He even sent me a message saying ‘happy independence day’ (Norwegian independence from Sweden) after the tour.Great guided tour with Janis
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johan.sverker🇸🇪 Sweden
(About local )
4 June 2025
With good knowledge but not neutral when describing the history of Riga. Much better when explaining about architecture and everyday life. We expected more than just a small bottle of local spirits for a few euros as s treat. For the money we also expected a more comprehensive progrmme. Knowledgeable but tendentious
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Tomas🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
3 June 2025
We had a very enjoyable afternoon tour with Janis 4-7pm, he is very approachable, fun, engaging, flexible to accommodate personal interests. He has a vast knowledge about history beyond Riga. We did the Old Town & Art Nouveau tour, he also gives Jewish Heritage Tours. Lovely tour with Janis
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Philippe
(About local )
2 June 2025
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Michelle🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
13 May 2025
Margita is a lovely person and a great food guide who explained all the different ingredients and traditions behind Latvian cuisine. Great food tour in Riga
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Karen
(About local )
10 May 2025
Great informative walk around the central area of Riga. Margarita was well informed and very welcoming A lovely intersting tour
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William🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
26 April 2025
Went on a food tour with Janis. He was amazing, knowledgeable, and personable. The problem was the tour itself. We usually go on food tours when we visit new cities and the problem was this - there wasn't much food! We heard a lot about typical latvian dishes, but never got to try them - black balsam, kvass, dumplings, rye bread pudding. The food we did eat was great, but the portions were so much smaller than we expected. We have left other food tours actually stuffed! But this food tour was more like a handful of snacks. Again, great guide, mediocre tour!Great guide! Mediocre Tour!
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Dina🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
24 April 2025
Very patient, informative, and generous with sharing stories. Great tour end-to-end! Thank you!Amazing!
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Sofia
(About local )
14 April 2025
Art noveau walk
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Maria🇫🇷 France
(About local )
13 April 2025
We had a great tour with Janis, he was flexible and agreed to meet us a different location than proposed initially. Also took note of our ideas to end a bit early in local bar - this as it was a really cold and windy day. He gave us interesting information according yo our interest and question and it was a good way to get an introduction to the city and to the Latvian spirit and culture. We can recommend this tour to anyone visiting Riga the first time,and the price was really reasonable for a 2h tour.Great kick-start tour with Janis
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Anne Marie
(About local )
11 April 2025
We spent two very enjoyable mornings in Margita’s company. Her love of Riga really shone through. She was knowledgeable, interesting and fun to be with. She is a charming host in a fascinating city. Marvellous Magrita
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jonas1915
(About local )
29 March 2025
Great Tour, showed interessing places. Had a good time with Janis! Perfect mix of history and cold drinks. Every time again. Zum Beispiel - Cheers!Every time again with Janis 🥳
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Amy
(About local )
16 March 2025
Really interesting and fun tour with a great guide. Janis was very informative and helpful and have lots of advice on things to do locally. Great Tour
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gb5vbtkdjx
(About local )
8 March 2025
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Jamie
(About local )
21 February 2025
We had a lovely time walking to the market and devouring some unique Latvian food. A great addition to the tour was stopping at the National Library too. A great time. Great food tour and history
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Alice
(About local )
17 February 2025
We had a fantastic tour with Kristine. It was our first day in Riga and it gave us a great overview of the city. Really interesting facts and insights about the city. Great introduction to Riga
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Carolyn🇸🇪 Sweden
(About local )
19 January 2025
We had an amazing afternoon with Margita! The food she selected was varied and delicious. On top of learning about the food culture of Riga and Latvia she gave us many insights into the history, architecture and culture of the country. She also gave us many recommendations of restaurants to try and places to visit which made our trip so much more special!An amazing afternoon
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Kathryn
(About local )
7 January 2025
What a fantastic introduction to Riga! Janis was knowledgable and friendly- an all-around great guide. The walk around Riga Old Town was the perfect way to learn about the history of the city while admiring the beautiful architecture. I recommend booking a tour with Janis on your next visit to Riga.Highly recommended!
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Del
(About local )
7 January 2025
Margita was very personable - we enjoyed our time together. The information she shared with us gave us a great overview for our short stay in Riga. We loved the wide boulevards and the Christmas Market still in operation during our stay. We were able to wander around looking at some of the museums she suggested. The art nouveau recommendation was perfect. A great "taste" of Riga
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louise🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
27 December 2024
We had a lovely time walking with Margita. It was cold but Margita kept us moving and we enjoyed all the facts about Riga she gave us.Great Tour
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Claudia🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
19 December 2024
Janis was really friendly, very knowledgeable about the history of Riga. He made us feel very welcome, almost as if we were friends walking around the city, rather than a guided tour.
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Ingibjörg🇮🇸 Iceland
(About local )
10 December 2024
We spent 3 hours with Margita, tasting various foods and hearing about history of Riga and Latvia. It was a lovely time and always gives you a different insight into the place you are visiting.Very knowledgeable and lovely
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Gabriele
(About local )
7 December 2024
Margita is an excellent guide with a great knowledge of her home city Riga, historically as well as contemporary. She has a good feeling of which areas, buildings, shops, spotlights are of interest for her guests. We achieved a very good impression of a wonderful city in a 3 hour walk. Thank you, Margita for this exceptional experience!Best of Riga
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Henrik🇩🇰 Denmark
(About local )
1 December 2024
We had a great trip round the city. Janis is a very good and storytelling guide. Thanks for all the fun fact as well.Great experience
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Corinne🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
27 November 2024
Margita is such a good guide. She really loves Riga and is eager to show the hidden gems of this beautiful city. It was the second time I booked her and it felt like coming back to a friend.What a wonderful tour in the rain
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Diane🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
25 November 2024
We did two tours with Margita in Riga—The 10 Tastings of Riga and Highlights & Hidden Gems of Riga—on consecutive days, and both were excellent! Margita has incredible knowledge of Riga, showing us all the highlights of Old Town and the Art Nouveau neighborhoods while sharing fascinating insights. Her English is excellent, and her passion for her city really shines through. The tasting tour was a highlight—stopping at spots like Lido in Old Town and exploring the market, where Margita picked out local foods to create a delightful picnic for us. It was a fun and unique way to experience Riga’s food culture. Margita has lived in Riga her entire life, and her deep connection to the city makes her tours truly special. I highly recommend booking with her for an engaging and memorable experience!Fantastic Tours with Margita

Withlocals experiences
are always

Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.

Other Food tours in Riga

€47.06per person