In this guide
- Free museum days: The Palace of the Grand Dukes and Gediminas Tower are free on the last Sunday of each month.
- Free to enter: Vilnius Cathedral, St Anne’s Church, the Gate of Dawn chapel, and the Republic of Užupis.
- Free viewpoints: The summit plateau of Castle Hill and the Three Crosses monument in Kalnų Park cost nothing.
- Or book a tour: Vilnius: Sightseeing Audio Tourad (from €17, 4.1 stars from 435 reviews) is an audio-guided introduction to the city, 1 hour long, for a first look at the centre.
The Old Town is UNESCO-listed and walkable, and much of it costs nothing: the Gothic brickwork of St Anne’s, baroque church interiors, the sculptures of Užupis and the hilltop viewpoints.
Time your visit for the last Sunday of the month and the Palace of the Grand Dukes and Gediminas Tower are free too.
Literatų Street. Photo: Jodkovska, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Last-Sunday free museum days
The Palace of the Grand Dukes and the National Museum of Lithuania’s sites, including Gediminas Tower, are free on the last Sunday of each month:
- Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania (Valdovų rūmai): Saves €17.00 per adult on all four exhibition routes, including the excavated medieval ducal cellars and Renaissance throne rooms (valdovurumai.lt).
- Gediminas Tower (Gedimino pilies bokštas): Save €8.00 per adult on entry to the Upper Castle museum and its 360-degree rooftop viewing platform (lnm.lt).
Practical tip: Arrive around opening time (typically 10:00 or 11:00) on free Sundays. Both sites get busy by early afternoon.
2. Churches
Nearly all Vilnius churches are active places of worship and are free to enter outside services.
Vilnius Cathedral (Vilniaus katedra)
The neoclassical Vilnius Cathedral stands where the Old Town meets Castle Hill and is free to enter daily. The early baroque Chapel of St Casimir, built from Swedish sandstone and Italian marble, holds the silver sarcophagus of Lithuania’s patron saint beneath frescoes by Michelangelo Palloni. The crypts and the detached Bell Tower need separate tickets; the main nave is free.
St Anne’s Church (Šv. Onos bažnyčia)
St Anne’s Church is on Maironio street and is built of red brick in Flamboyant Gothic style. The facade uses thirty-three different brick shapes to form flame-like arches and pinnacles, and has stood virtually unchanged since 1500. The nave is free. Behind it the adjoining Bernardine Church and Franciscan Monastery has Gothic ribbed vaults and old wooden altars.
The Gate of Dawn Chapel (Aušros vartai)
The Gate of Dawn is the only surviving gate of the sixteenth-century city wall. The chapel above the arch holds the painting of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy. Climb the staircase from the church courtyard to see it framed by silver votive offerings (votos) left by pilgrims over four centuries.
Church of St Peter and St Paul (Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Povilo bažnyčia)
In the Antakalnis district, a 20-minute walk from Cathedral Square along the Neris, this seventeenth-century church has a baroque interior. Over 2,000 white stucco figures of cherubs, angels and mythological beasts cover the walls, ceiling and domes, beneath a crystal ship-shaped chandelier. Admission is free.
Fountains and walking paths inside Bernardine Garden. Photo: Jodkovska, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. Parks and nature
Bernardine Garden (Bernardinų sodas)
Bernardine Garden lies between the foot of Castle Hill and the Vilnia River. Laid out in the nineteenth century, it has restored flower beds, fountains, gravel paths under old oak trees, outdoor chess tables and benches. It is open daily from 07:00 to 22:00 and free.
Vingis Park (Vingio parkas)
Vingis Park covers 162 hectares in a horseshoe bend of the Neris River, with paved forest avenues for jogging, rollerblading and cycling under tall pines. The open-air amphitheatre in the park was the site of the Sąjūdis independence rallies in 1988 and hosts the national Song Celebration (Dainų šventė), which brings together 30,000 choral singers every four years.
Pūčkoriai Outcrop and Pavilniai Regional Park
Pavilniai Regional Park is about 15 minutes east of the Old Town (bus 27 or 44 from Central Station). The Pūčkoriai Outcrop (Pūčkorių atodanga) is a 65-metre cliff above the Vilnia valley. A marked 5-kilometre circular trail passes old watermills, cannon foundries and wooden viewing platforms, all free.
4. Free viewpoints
You do not need to pay for a viewing deck to see the roofs and church spires of Vilnius.
| Viewpoint | Elevation | Cost | What You See |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Hill Plateau (base of Gediminas Tower) | ~48 metres above square | Completely Free | Direct bird’s-eye view over Old Town |
| Three Crosses Monument (Bleak Hill / Kalnai) | ~75 metres above river | Completely Free | Wide panorama of city, Neris River, towers |
| Subačius Viewpoint (Subačiaus apžvalgos a.) | Natural plateau edge | Completely Free | Skyline view with the Church of St Anne |
- Castle Hill (Gedimino kalno aikštelė): The museum inside Gediminas Tower costs €8.00, but the cobblestone path from Cathedral Square up to the plateau around the tower base is free. From the edge of the brick ramparts you see Cathedral Square, the Palace of the Grand Dukes and the red-tiled roofs stretching south towards the Town Hall.
- Three Crosses (Trys kryžiai): Three white concrete crosses on Bleak Hill in Kalnų Park commemorate Franciscan friars martyred in the fourteenth century. The wooden stairways from Bernardine Garden take 15 minutes to climb, and the top faces the sunset over the city.
- Subačius Observation Point (Subačiaus apžvalgos aikštelė): At the corner of Subačiaus and Maironio streets, this roadside platform looks northwest across the valley to the spires of St Anne’s, the Bernardine monastery and the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit.
Town Hall Square in Vilnius Old Town. Photo: BigHead, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
5. Street Art, Open-Air Culture and Užupis
The Republic of Užupis
Cross the Vilnia River bridge from the Old Town into Užupis, the artists’ quarter that declared humorous independence on April Fool’s Day in 1997. Walking round it is free:
- The Užupis Constitution: Walk down Paupio street to read the 41-article constitution on metal plaques in over 50 languages. Articles include “everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation” and “a dog has the right to be a dog”.
- River art and the Bronze Mermaid: Look under the main Užupis bridge for the Bronze Mermaid (Užupio undinėlė) in a river wall niche, and walk the stone and metal installations outside the Užupis Art Incubator along the riverbank.
Literatų Street (Literatų gatvė)
Literatų street runs between Pilies and Rusų streets in the Old Town. More than 200 small plaques, ceramic medallions, painted tiles and carved wooden blocks are fixed to the house walls, honouring writers who lived in or wrote about Vilnius, including Adam Mickiewicz, Czesław Miłosz and Romain Gary.
Open Gallery at the Elfa Industrial Estate
Open Gallery (Vytenio g. 50, Naujamiestis) is a free open-air street art exhibition in the courtyard of a former Soviet electro-technical factory, open 24 hours. Multi-storey murals, aerosol portraits, light installations and industrial sculptures by Lithuanian and international artists cover the factory walls.
Audio and walking tours
An audio guide or a tip-based walking tour adds commentary without a private guide’s price.
| Tour Option | Price | Duration | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-guided walk | Free | Self-pace | Follow the churches, viewpoints and Užupis sections above |
| Vilnius Sightseeing Audio Tour (GYG 39113) | from €17 | 1 hour narration | Smartphone audio guide with GPS-triggered site stories |
| Tip-based Old Town walking tour (local guides) | Tip | 2-2.5 hr | Departs from Town Hall Square; tip the guide at the end |
Vilnius: Sightseeing Audio Tour
From €17 · 4.1 stars from 435 reviews · 1 hour · audio guide
Vilnius: Sightseeing Audio Tourad: an introduction to Vilnius with an audio guide. At 1 hour it covers the centre quickly.
Practical budget advice
- Tap water: Vilnius tap water comes from artesian boreholes and is safe to drink. Bring a bottle and refill it at your hotel or a cafe.
- Lunch specials (dienos pietūs): On weekdays many restaurants in the centre serve a set lunch of soup and a hot main, which costs less than the evening menu.
- Public Wi-Fi: A free “Vilnius Free Wi-Fi” network is available on Cathedral Square, Town Hall Square and Lukiškės Square.
Common questions
Are museums free in Vilnius on specific days?
Yes. On the last Sunday of each month the Palace of the Grand Dukes (valdovurumai.lt) and the sites of the National Museum of Lithuania, including Gediminas Tower (lnm.lt), are free.
Which churches in Vilnius are free to visit?
Nearly all historic churches in Vilnius are free to enter during daylight hours outside services. Highlights include Vilnius Cathedral, the Flamboyant Gothic ensemble of St Anne's Church, the baroque interior of the Church of St Peter and St Paul, and the miracle-working shrine at the Gate of Dawn.
Can you walk up Castle Hill and Three Crosses for free?
Yes. Walking the winding cobblestone path up Castle Hill to view the Upper Castle ruins and climbing the wooden forest boardwalks to the Three Crosses monument on Bleak Hill cost nothing and give wide views over the city.
Is the Republic of Užupis free to explore?
Yes. Walking across the bridge into Užupis, exploring the outdoor riverside sculptures along the Vilnia River, and reading the 41 articles of the Užupis Constitution on Paupio street is entirely free.
Which free parks should you visit in Vilnius?
Bernardine Garden (*Bernardinų sodas*) sits directly beneath Castle Hill, with ponds, fountains and chess tables. Vingis Park (*Vingio parkas*) covers 162 hectares of pine woodland along the Neris River.
Are free walking tours available in Vilnius?
Yes. Tip-based free walking tours depart daily from Town Hall Square or Cathedral Square, typically covering Old Town landmarks and Užupis in 2 to 2.5 hours.
