Getting to Know Vilnius: Cathedral, Castle Hill and Old Town

This tour takes you in a single day to the places that define the image of Vilnius. You start at Cathedral Square, the heart of the city, and visit the reconstructed Palace of the Grand Dukes right next door. Then you climb Castle Hill to Gediminas Tower, where you look out over the red roofs of the Old Town and the Neris River.

After lunch on Pilies Street, you continue to the Presidential Palace and into the courtyards of the university, one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. In the afternoon, you cross the Vilnia River into Užupis, a neighborhood with its own tongue-in-cheek constitution and plenty of small studios. From there, you walk to the Gate of Dawn, the last surviving city gate, and stroll back along Didžioji Street to Town Hall Square.

You spend the evening with dinner in the Old Town and a drink at a cocktail bar close by. The distances are short and easy to cover on foot, and the pace leaves room for breaks and spontaneous detours down side streets. The tour is ideal for anyone visiting Vilnius for the first time who wants to get a solid overview of the city's history, architecture and atmosphere in one day.