Riga, along with the other cities in the Baltic states, is an often overlooked destination in Europe. This includes for people travelling with a dog, particularly as Latvia isn’t the easiest place to reach with a dog and without your own car.
But after visiting Riga in the summer of 2018, I heartily recommend spending a weekend or longer here. There’s a wealth of gorgeous art nouveau architecture, not to mention it’s charming old town and affordable dining. It’s also quite a dog-friendly destination. Find out more about visiting Riga with a dog…
Dog-Friendly Sightseeing in Riga
While visiting Riga, I recommend adding the following dog-friendly sightseeing options to your itinerary.
#1 Take in the Art Nouveau Architecture
The highlight of my visit to Riga was admiring the city’s magnificent art nouveau buildings – a key reason for the city’s World Heritage listing. In Riga, this style is also known by the German term
“Jugendstil”.
The greatest concentration of the art nouveau buildings are located outside of the Old Town, in a newer area that was developed during the early 20th century. Head to Alberta iela, Strelnieku iela and Elizabetes iela.
Viewing Riga’s art nouveau architecture is a great activity to do with your dog, mainly because most buildings are privately owned, so can only be viewed from the outside. Both yourself and your dog have to stay out on the street.
The main building you can enter is the Riga Art Nouveau Centre, which naturally doesn’t allow dogs inside. However, I recommend popping briefly just inside the building to check out the beautiful stairwell at the entrance. There’s also a terrific art nouveau shop nearby that was okay with my small dog joining me inside.
#2 Explore the Old Town
For more art nouveau gems, don’t also miss exploring the Old Town proper in Riga. Although this section of the city is also home to a wealth of architecture from many different eras.
My favourite building was probably the re-built House of the Blackheads. Unfortunately, I didn’t visit the interior. (Not surprisingly, pet dogs can’t accompany you inside.) However, it’s a must to admire its magnificent facade.
#3 Hang Out in the Parks
Weaving through the centre of Riga is the Pilsētas Kanāls, or City Canal. You’ll pass over this when walking between the Old Town and the main art nouveau district or the rest of Central Riga. It’s the remains of the city’s former moat, and these days is lined with multiple parks.
During the summer months, it’s a beautiful area to retreat to and enjoy the plentiful shade and greenery, ideally with an ice cream from the many vendors. While there are no off-leash dog areas amongst the parklands, it’s still a great spot to walk with your pup, keeping them on a leash.
Dog-Friendly Parks in Riga
For an off-leash dog park in Riga, it’s best to head further north to Viesturdārzs Park. Next to the formal park, in between Eksporta iela and the trainline, is a large off-leash dog park including agility equipment, one of the best dog parks in Riga.
Dogs on Public Transport in Riga
Dogs are allowed to join you on public transport in Riga. Small dogs in a carrier carried as hand luggage are allowed to ride for free. For larger dogs you’ll need to buy a single pets’ ticket for €1.50. Larger dogs need to be kept on a short leash and no more than two dogs are allowed per person.
Dog-Friendly Dining in Riga
While staying in Riga, we dined out multiple times at restaurants that allowed our dog inside. However, we always made sure to ask first, and it didn’t seem that common for dogs to join their owners. In summertime, there are many outdoor dining terraces, usually covered, and I recommend sticking to them.
Dog-Friendly Accommodation in Riga
Roughly fifty-percent of hotels in Riga allow pets to stay with you, according to the survey that I did of hotel pet policies across Europe. This ranks Riga ahead of cities such as Paris. Always check to see if any additional rules apply, such as limits on size or number.
Travelling to Latvia with a Dog
The Baltic states including Latvia tend to be less well connected to the rest of Central and Western Europe, despite having been part of the EU for many years. Find out about the transport options for travelling to Latvia with a dog, if you aren’t driving a car.
Flying to Latvia with a Dog
The easiest and quickest way to travel to Latvia from elsewhere in Europe with a dog is by flying. There are many European airlines that will fly your dog in the cabin to Latvia, including the Latvian flag-carrier, airBaltic.
airBaltic accepts pets for travel in the cabin, as well as in the hold. You need to book in advance and standard pet rules apply, including a maximum weight limit of 8kg. There is a fee of €70 pet pet charged for each one-way flight. Click here for the full airBaltic pet policy.
After visiting Riga, we flew from Riga to Warsaw with our dog on an airBaltic flight and thoroughly enjoyed it. While it is a budget airline and food and beverages cost extra, the prices were reasonable and the food we ordered high in quality.
Riga Airport is easily accessible by a regular bus from the city centre, with standard ticket prices and rules for pets applying. Note that pets in the airport are required to stay in their pet carrier, not be walked around merely on a leash.
Taking a Train to Latvia with a Dog
The Baltic region including Latvia isn’t well connected to each other or Central Europe by trains, at least not until a new project for a high speed railway connection from Poland is complete, Rail Baltica – but the planned completion date is currently 2030.
However, the slow train services that connect the Baltic capitals have improved in recent years. There is now a daily train connecting Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, plus another daily train between Riga and Tallinn. Both include a simple change at the Estonian border town of Valga. For the latest timetable, see Man in Seat 61.
The trains on this service within Latvia are operated by LTG-Link (Lithuanian Railways), but I believe the rules of Vivi (Latvian Railways) apply between Riga and Valga. Larger dogs not in a carrier bag need to wear a muzzle and be on a short leash, plus you need to carry your dog’s papers. There is a fee for dogs, depending on the distance, plus a limit of 10 dogs per wagon.
In Estonia, the trains are operated by Elron. Their rules for travelling with pets state pets are only allowed in the train’s C area (the vestibule) in second class (where seating is unassigned) (although this wasn’t enforced for our small dog in a carrier). Dogs need to be either in a carrier or wearing a leash and muzzle, with no pet ticket required.
In Lithuania, the trains are operated by LTG-Link. Their pet rules state that small dogs under 8kg in a carrier travel for free, while larger dogs or dogs not in a carrier have a 50% ticket. Larger dogs should be leashed and wear a muzzle if not socialised. Pets cannot travel in first class.
Can You Take a Bus to Latvia with a Dog?
Many visitors to the Baltic states without their own car rely on buses, both to reach the region and to travel between the cities of Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius. However, this isn’t an option if you’re travelling with a dog.
I investigated every bus company that operates in the region, and I couldn’t find any that allows pets onboard, even small pets in a carrier. This is similar to most long-distance buses throughout Europe. There is a chance that some bus drivers would allow a small dog on board, but I wouldn’t rely on this.
Can You Take a Ferry to Latvia?
The neighbouring Baltic country, Estonia, is well connected to Scandinavia with regular ferries from Helsinki and Stockholm. However, this doesn’t apply to Latvia.
Up until a few years ago, there was a regular ferry that ran from Stockholm to Riga. This 16-hour ferry trip was operated by Tallink Silja Line and offered pet-friendly cabins. I travelled on a similar ferry with my dog between Stockholm and Helsinki.
However, in 2020 this ferry service was cancelled, and as of late 2023 all mentions of this crossing have been removed from their website. It may be reinstated one day, but definitely not anytime soon.
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About the Author
Shandos Cleaver is the founder of Travelnuity: Dog-Friendly Travel. She has travelled extensively with her Miniature Dachshund, Schnitzel, including to 33 countries across Europe, every state and territory of Australia except Tasmania, and 10 of the United States. She’s passionate about providing inspiration and information to others wanting to travel with their dogs, whether close to home or internationally.
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I traveled to Riga with my Westie dog in July 2019. The parks were amazing. We then took the overnight ferry from Riga to Stockholm which was great.
You can take a well behaved dog with you to the modern art gallery Zuzeum in Riga.
Thanks for sharing!