• Private Tour
• Family Friendly
• Carbon Neutral

"Maskachka" is a suburb of Riga or a precursor to the city, situated in the direction of Moscow.. It has a complex history, yet at the same time, it's a destination to explore numerous churches and savor some intriguing flavors

Destination

Rīga, Latvia

Category

Off The Beaten Track

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Latviešu

Included

• Private guide

Excluded

• Because of ancient rules of courtesy please have some cash to donate at the 4-6 churches that you will be able to visit.

What you can expect

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 Janis.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Latvian Academy of Sciences - Rīga to start your journey

   View on Maps

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. Start at Latvian Science academy building

   The famous example of Stalin time architecture

4. Visit Riga Jesus church

   The largest and oldest wooden construction house in Riga

5. Visit ruins of Riga Choral synagogue

   Learn about Riga's largest Jewish synagogue

6. See the oldest synagogue

   True hidden gem of Riga

7. Cafee

   Have a fantastic coffee and some cakes in a surprising place

8. The Grebenscikov Oldbeleviers temple (outside visit)

   Find about Oldbelievers and how they wind up here

9. Visit the place of Riga Ghetto

   The place of Riga Ghetto - a very challenging place of the history of Riga

10. Visit St.John's russian Orthodox church

    One of the rare churches that are made at the time of Art Nouveau

11. Visit russian Orthodox church of All Saints

    Perhaps the spiritual hub of the Russian Orthodox Church

12. Visit St. Francis roman Catholics church

    Probably one of the most beautiful churches of Riga

13. 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.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

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

Kiki🇧🇪 Belgium

18 November 2024

Janis’ deep knowledge of Riga’s history truly enriched our visit. He was open to all of our questions, even if we went off-topic. He provided insightful answers with a personal touch. Finally, his friendly and approachable nature made the tour both enjoyable and engaging. Highly recommend!

Kathryn

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!

Claudia🇦🇺 Australia

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.

Henrik🇩🇰 Denmark

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

Benedicte

20 November 2024

We had a great time with Janis! Bikes were steady and he showed us all the sites to see. Janis is proud of his city and has a lot of knowledge, a good ambassador for Riga. Would absolutely recommend this form of sightseeing where you get a good experience, lots of fresh air and exercise all in one.Lovely experience

Tinna🇮🇸 Iceland

17 November 2024

We had an absolutely outstanding experience with Janis during our recent trip to Riga. He guided us through two exceptional tours: Hidden Gems of Riga and 10 Tastings of Riga, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. From the very beginning, Janis went above and beyond to accommodate our family’s needs, even providing a wheelchair for a family member, which made the entire experience stress-free and enjoyable. His flexibility and genuine care for our comfort stood out, but what truly set him apart was his incredible knowledge of Riga’s history, architecture, and culture. On the Hidden Gems of Riga tour, Janis introduced us to parts of the city we would never have discovered on our own. His passion for Riga shone through in every story and detail he shared, making the city’s past and present come alive for us. The 10 Tastings of Riga tour was equally unforgettable. Janis curated a perfect mix of traditional and modern flavors, and each tasting came with fascinating insights about Riga’s culinary traditions and the local food scene. Janis's warm and friendly personality made both tours feel like we were exploring the city with an old friend. He struck the perfect balance between being professional and personable, and his enthusiasm was contagious. If you’re planning a trip to Riga, do yourself a favor and book a tour with Janis. He’ll make your visit unforgettable, just like he did for our family.A family trip to Riga

Aykut🇹🇷 Turkey

29 October 2024

We were a group of friends and spent really high quality 3 hours with Janis. He has a lot of nice and detailed information about the city that impressed all of us. It is obvious that he likes what he is doing. Moreover, he attracted all of our attention during the tour with cool and funny stories about the city. A real professional

Claudia🇩🇪 Germany

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

Ella

23 October 2024

Janis met us on time with snacks and a smile. He knew so much, we constantly asked questions and learnt so much. We had small kids and so he changed the route to end up at our hotel. He was funny too. He really brought Riga and Latvia to life, we appreciate the city and it's history so much more. He also gave us great tips on how to entertain the kids in the city. An EXCELLENT guide. Thank you/Paldies.Informative, funny and patient guide.

Cilian 🇮🇪 Ireland

13 October 2024

Janis was an excellent guide and gave us a great overview of the city, all 10 of us thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommendExcellent walking tour!

Richard🇬🇧 United Kingdom

8 October 2024

We were taken on a tour of the city with stops to either buy or taste food, including a trip to the Central Market. Janis was brilliantVery knowledgeable and pleasant guy

Christiane🇩🇰 Denmark

5 October 2024

Wir hatten drei sehr interessante Stunden mit Janis. Er hat uns viel gezeigt, Hintergründe erklärt und uns viele Tipps für den weiteren Aufenthalt gegeben. Wir haben etliche von seinen Restaurantempfehlungen ausprobiert und waren nicht enttäuscht. Abwechslungsreiche drei Stunden

Dr. Karl Walter🇩🇪 Germany

29 September 2024

Janis was knowledgeable, funny, even witty and over two hours informed us about historic facts, the electoral system, current affairs, but he also mentioned details a normal tourist would not discover and even gave personal advice concerning nice bars and good restaurants. Most intersting and also entertaining.

Ylva🇸🇪 Sweden

26 September 2024

Fantastic and very interesting to see another part of Riga. Very nice tour!

Monica🇺🇸 United States

22 September 2024

We enjoyed our tour of Riga with Janis. He was very knowledgable of the history and buildings of Riga. He was a joy to be with and gave us many recommendations for restaurants and other things to see. We would definitely do another tour with him when we go back, and we plan to go back to that beautiful city!very knowledgable and friendly

Rachel🇺🇸 United States

26 August 2024

We had a wonderful food tour with Janis! He did a great job of talking about the foods as well as explaining the history of Latvia and more so Riga. He was easy to communicate with prior to the tour and was able to work around our allergen needs (gluten free). We highly recommend scheduling a food tour with Janis!Great Food Tour!

Lorraine 🇺🇸 United States

24 August 2024

We enjoyed our time with Janis- he was easy going, knowledgeable and friendly. He customized our tour and helped us to get into a sold out museum. I’ve would recommend him!An Interesting Tour of a Beautiful City-

Felix 🇦🇹 Austria

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.

Verle🇺🇸 United States

17 August 2024

Janis was waiting for us at the agreed upon meeting spot. He immediately told us what he had planned for our tour and asked if it was alright. Openly answered all of our questions about Latvia and their relationship with Russia today. Would recommend him to other Riga visitors. Janis Delivers!!

Karen🇩🇪 Germany

2 August 2024

Nice stroll through the capital with interesting conversations about Latvian life and historical experiences. Visit to the market where we could enjoy traditional Latvian food Got to know a lot about Latvian life

Steffen🇩🇪 Germany

20 July 2024

Janis is a very knowledgeable guide who adjusts the tour per individual preferences and requirements. We did the 3h tour and learned about Riga.Great experience

Ingrid

5 July 2024

Great Tour with the experienced guide Jannis. We would recommend it to anybody to get a good impression of the city.Worth Booking

Monika

25 June 2024

We had a great walk - Janis was knowledgeable and also understood our interest and needs. We see Riga very different now! Hopefully we will be back and take another walk with Janis.Great time with Janis

anna🇦🇹 Austria

21 June 2024

We started off the afternoon tour right by our lobby which was convenient and efficient — immediately we were presented with traditional spirit made from 27 herbs and proceeded with the excursion. We touched base upon most, if not all significant buildings in the Art Nouveau sector of the old town, followed by a short visit to the museum of that respective area and continued our visit to the inner quarters. Throughout the entire duration of our time together, Janis was informative, kind and engaged. Apart from going above and beyond with his knowledge, Janis’ interactions with locals catapulted our experience to new heights as we tasted our way through the Rigas Food Market one stall at a time — here we grew more and more fond of what the culture, its history and townspeople have to offer making this the most memorable guided excursion we have undertaken. Thank you, Janis!Great Host Janis

Todd🇺🇸 United States

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

Samata🇺🇸 United States

20 May 2024

Janis was a wonderful guide; braving the inclement weather to provide a full day tour all around the city for my first foray into Riga! He had a vast knowledge of the city and pointed out unique aspects of the beautiful art nouveau buildings and veered off common tourist areas to point out rarer sights. Would highly recommend him to anyone interested in getting to know this beautiful city in greater depth in a short amount of time.Great individualized tour with Janis

Heather

22 April 2024

Janis was a great guide - it was a cold and windy evening for our tour, but he made the weather bearable and we thoroughly enjoyed the tour! We did this on our first day in Riga (just two hours after we arrived) and it was a great choice - it made the rest of our experience that much more meaningful having had a fun and interesting 'kick start' tour. I would recommend Withlocals and Janis to anyone!Great way to introduce yourself to Riga!

Lucas🇳🇱 Netherlands

8 April 2024

Janis is a very friendly and fun tourguide. He speaks good english and has many stories to tell. A great way to to get a quick understanding of the city, culture and history of Riga. Absolutely worth it.Very nice

Eva🇩🇪 Germany

3 February 2024

Janis doesn’t only know about all the historical background facts you need to know when looking at the great old buildings of the old part of town, but he also showed us cute places like hidden cafés and restaurants which we would never have found. He also recommended current events that are worth to be visited. very nice and competent guide

Andy🇬🇧 United Kingdom

25 November 2023

We had a great tour of Riga with Janis. Very friendly and knowledgeable about his home city. Saw some off the beaten track things alongside the main tourist sites. Janis was also helpful with which places of interest we should visit. Excellent guide Janis is an excellent guide

ma

28 October 2023

Janis was an excellent and experienced guide. Very easy to speak to and with great historical and architectural knowledge of Riga. He showed us all the hidden gems of the city, including the best cafes.Excellent guide, very knowledgeable!

Thomas

16 October 2023

Was a very nice, educational and fun tour with Janis. Anytime again, thank you Perfect Tour

Julia🇬🇧 United Kingdom

12 September 2023

Janis took us on a highly informative and entertaining journey through the city of Riga. As a family, we learnt so much and were especially impressed by all of the hidden gems and messages that Janis pointed out along the way. One of our favourite parts was our cake stop - we plan on going back before our trip is over. Communication, detail, and value for money was all second to none. An informative journey through Riga

David🇨🇭 Switzerland

1 September 2023

I recommend the tour because of Janis' extensive knowledge and friendliness. Great way to start to get to know Riga.Great tour with Janis

Kyle🇺🇸 United States

6 August 2023

Janis was great. He arranged for special tastings at Central Market, then showed us around Old Town despite a surprisingly persistent rain. A very nice experience. Tastings and tour of Old Town

Jeroen🇳🇱 Netherlands

24 July 2023

Janis hosted a tour for our group of ten persons and he did an excellent job. Not only does Janis have great knowledge of Riga, but he was also very pleasant and he blended into our group perfectly. If you are looking for a relaxed tour in Riga and at the same time want to discover all landmarks in the city, you should definitely choose for Janis. At the end of the tour Janis brought us to Riga Central Market for a beer tasting, which was a great experience as well.Amazing guide

Alexis🇨🇭 Switzerland

23 May 2023

Antony

17 May 2023

Janismet us at our hotel. He arrived early and was well prepared including hand wipes. He visited the market the prior day to ensure everything was arranged for us. Our tour was scheduled for a slow day when many vendors are not open. We were able to try a variety of tasty foods ranging from smoked mets, cheeses, breads, fruit and candy. We partook of drinks, Samohonka (alcoholic) and Kvass (non-alcoholic). Janis took us behind the scens into the inner workings of the market basement.Great Tour with Janis

Monika

4 May 2023

Excellent private tour in Riga Central Market. Janis was very friendly and gave us a fantastic time in the market. We learnt about the history, architecture and traditional Latvian food. It is highly recommended to go with empty stomachs because during the tour you will have a lot of stops with various smells and tastes. It was extremely interesting tour and I highly recommend it! Highly recommend it! Excellent tour

G.S.

28 January 2023

We really enjoyed our tour! Warmest thanks to Janis, he was a great and knowledgeable guide. The balsam tasting was a warming experience while it was cold outside.Thank you Janis