What to do in Vilnius with kids? Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is a still unknown but ideal destination to visit with (young) kids. Vilnius is known for its picturesque downtown, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Paved streets, beautiful churches and colorful buildings define the cityscape. The old center is completely car-free, making it delightful to stroll through the small streets. For families with kids, there is much to do. Despite paying with the euro here, the city is still a relatively affordable destination compared to other European cities. In this blog, we list the best children’s activities in Vilnius!
Best travel time Vilnius with kids
Vilnius is a fine year-round destination with kids. But we especially recommend going to Vilnius in the summer months or in the spring or fall. The winter months can get extremely cold. Vilnius has a moderately warm summer with temperatures between 20-25 degrees which makes it very pleasant to travel to Vilnius with kids.
Therefore, June through September are the best months to visit Vilnius. Keep in mind, of course, that July and August are the busiest months in the city in terms of tourists and prices of accommodations, for example, go up compared to the other months of the year.
Transportation to and in Vilnius
From the Netherlands, it is just over a 2-hour flight to Vilnius. From the airport, buses run directly to the city center. Public transportation is well established. Tickets are available through the Tradfi app or directly from the bus driver (cash only). You can also use your own debit card to buy tickets contactlessly. A 60-minute bus ride costs about 0.90 cents.
A day ticket valid for 24 hours costs only 5 euros. The center is uncluttered but large enough to explore most of it on foot. The old center is also completely car-free. Pretty nice with kids. If the distances are just a little too far, UBER cabs are also very common. Then download the app in advance and you can order a cab anywhere in the city.
If you also want to explore the Vilnius area with kids, we still recommend a rental car. You can easily rent a car at Vilnius airport through Sunny Cars. This company has a comprehensive insurance package and also good conditions regarding cancellation of the booking and refund of the deductible. So check online to rent a car at Vilnius airport.
Children’s activities Vilnius
#1 The glass district
When taking a city break to Vilnius with kids, be sure to visit the old town. The glass district, with its small narrow streets is perhaps one of the most beautiful areas of Vilnius. There are small boutiques, cafes and restaurants everywhere. Stores in Vilnius place great value on beautiful decoration on their facades.
Be sure to stop at the charming cafe Ponia Laime Stikliai and admire the beautiful restaurant/cafe Augustas ir Barbor. At both restaurants you can stop for delicious cakes, coffee and lunch. Besides the glass district, there are beautiful buildings and streets that should not be missed while visiting Vilnius with kids: Gate of Dawn, Street of Literature, University of Lithuania and Cathedral Square.
If you want some more background of Vilnius’ Old Town, you can choose to join a Free Walking Tour. You have several providers online where you can book these tours and they are given several times a day. The principle is the same on all these tours. You meet with a guide somewhere in the city and they lead you around for a few hours. Afterwards, you give the guide a sum of money what you thought the tour was worth.
#2 Uzupis
Uzupis is the smallest neighborhood in Vilnius, and its inhabitants declared their independence a bit out of sarcasm in the 1990s. It has since become a creative neighborhood for artists, entrepreneurs and intellectuals. Uzupis, like a normal country, has its own flag, constitution, president and even an army of 12.
They celebrate their not-so-serious independence every year on April 1. Bizarre to see and definitely a fun excursion in Vilnius. You’ll also find plenty of cool street art in this neighborhood. In Vilnius, you have many works of art that you can view in the city. You can find many routes online that take you past various street art in the city.
#3 Organized bicycle tour in the city
The center of Vilnius is definitely worth seeing. This is how Vilnius is called the city of churches. There are more than 100 churches and they are all beautifully decorated. Most are Catholic churches, also because the majority of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics. There are also a lot of Protestant and Orthodox churches. The most beautiful churches are St. John Cathedral, Vilnius Cathedral Saint Casimir Cathedral or the Franciscan monastery.
You can also see several of these churches and more sights in Vilnius with kids on a bike tour. You then go on a 2.5-hour guided tour of the city’s various highlights. These tours are with an English-speaking guide and the entire bike tour is about 12 kilometers, stopping at the various sights along the way.
Children will also do well on this bike tour, as there are children’s bikes available for children as young as 7 years old, and child seats for young children so they can sit on the back of the bike with their parents. This is a fun introduction to the city of Vilnius with kids, where you can see a lot in a short time. You can easily book this organized bike tour of Vilnius online.
#4 Museum of Illusions
You can also visit several family-friendly museums in Vilnius with kids. Museum of Illusions is a very nice activity with (young) kids should the weather be disappointing. You can find this museum in many of the major cities and the principle is basically the same everywhere. You can take fun pictures with kids in funny situations here. So you have a space where it seems the kids are bigger than the parents, for example.
In the museum’s fun 2d café, you can relax with a cup of coffee or ice cream. With fun experiments, old and young can enjoy themselves for an hour or 2. Kids up to age 3 are free. Adults pay 13 euros per person and kids between the ages of 3 and 6 pay 4 euros. Special family tickets are also available at this museum.
#5 Toy Museum
Another museum you can visit in Vilnius with kids is the city’s toy museum.The toy museum is the first complete children’s museum in Lithuania where everything revolves around toys. Here, therefore, everything may be touched, tested and played with. How nice is that! It is not a huge museum, but you will find a varied assortment of former toys from the past and toys from the present time.
You can have a great time here with kids for an hour or 2. Admission is 7 euros for adults. Kids pay 5 euros per person.
#6 Hill of the three Crosses
From Cathedral Square, it is only a short climb up to the monument of three crosses. From here you have a great view of the city. Depending on the events, the crosses are highlighted with a different color. Moreover, the Bernardine Garden and the Vilnele River are right at the foot of the hill. Here you can escape the crowds with kids for a while and have a nice stroll or picnic.
#7 Trakai Castle
Just a 30-minute drive from Vilnius, you may find one of the most touristy places in Lithuania, but at the same time one of the nicest. Trakai Castle is fairy-tale located on an islet surrounded by Lake Galva. As such, it is the only castle built on water in Eastern Europe.
The beautiful and picturesque setting with colorful wooden houses attracts many visitors every year. It is possible to walk around the castle. You can also take a boat ride or visit the castle inside. Entrance to the castle itself is 12 euros per adult and 6 euros for kids.
Every year around the end of August, the medieval festival takes place with a host of fun activities for young and old.
Other children’s activities Vilnius
In addition to the children’s activities in Vilnius described above, there are a number of things to do in the city. We briefly list the other children’s activities below.
#8 Adventica Amusement Park: if you are looking for a place for young kids in Vilnius where they can have fun indoors, this is definitely a good option. It’s kind of a big indoor playground, where young kids can do all kinds of things. Kids here can play with toys, climb on all kinds of equipment and drive around in electric cars,
#9 Zoopark: you can also go to an animal park in Vilnius with kids. Zoopark has mostly small animals that you can view inside. The park is not super big, but you are sure to have an hour of entertainment.
#10 Railway Museum: there are several more family-friendly museums in Vilnius that you can visit. For example, you have the Railway museum which is all about trains. Keep in mind, however, that there is not much information in English, so the information is occasionally a bit lacking.
#11 Museum of Energy and Technology: you can also visit a science museum in Vilnius with kids. This museum is in an old power plant and has a section where kids can do all kinds of experiments. They also give shows related to this topic. Don’t expect too much of it like the science museums of Western countries, but you can have quite an hour (or 2) of fun here with the kids.
#12 Bernardine Garden: you can also go to a nice city park in Vilnius with the family. Bernardine Garden is located right in the center and is fun to visit with kids because of the two large playgrounds you have in this park.
#13 Canal tour: you can also see Vilnius from the water with kids. You can book a cruise on the Neris River that runs through the city. The boat leaves several times a day and the tour takes about an hour. Kids pay half the adult price.
Family-friendly restaurant Vilnius
Vilnius is a great place to eat with your kids. There are also many restaurants and cafes with special children’s menus. Consequently, many restaurants have their own children’s corner. We list some of these family-friendly restaurants in Vilnius.
Urban Garden: Urban Garden is a scrumptious cafe serving fresh, tasty breakfast and lunch dishes. While you wait for your food, the kids can hang out in the sweet little play corner with treehouse. The food is mostly vegan and organic. Highly recommended are the pancakes with passion fruit and mint sauce. What a delicious combination.
Food Hall Paupio Turgus: Those who love food should not skip Food Hall Paupio Turgus. Just outside the old center of Vilnius you will find this renovated and beautiful food hall. Here you can order various international dishes from a large number of stalls. From traditional Lithuanian food to Asian dishes, and from burgers to Eastern European dishes. Definitely go try the fried banana with caramel, sesame, peanuts and chili pepper there. So delicious!
Casa del la Pasta: delicious fresh pizza and pasta dishes for big and small and with a special children’s menu. The restaurant is located in the city center and is easy to walk to. The service is very friendly and fast. In case it does take a little longer there is a playground behind the building to kill some time with the kids. For a large pizza, you pay an average of 10 euros.
Family-friendly hotel Vilnius
You can stay in Vilnius with kids just fine. You have plenty of family-friendly hotels in Vilnius that you can book. We list below some of the top rated family-friendly accommodations in Vilnius. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: AJ Chocolate Vilnius
Mid-range accommodations: Loft Inn SELF-CHECK IN
Luxury accommodation: NARUTIS Hotel – Small Luxury Hotels of The World
Also check out the full list of family-friendly accommodations in Vilnius.
