Latvian Food Tasting Tour
Would you like to learn and taste a wide variety of typical Latvian food eaten in Latvian families… and visit the largest Central market in Europe together with LOCAL EXPERT in food? Then RigaTrips Latvian Food Tasting Tour is the best choice for you!
WHEN AND WHERE?
HELLO! We are on holidays – NO FOOD TOURS THIS WEEKEND – OCTOBER 20th – OCTOBER 23rd!!! WELCOME BACK AFTERWARDS!
Friday – Sunday at 12:30 we will depart from our 
Rigatrips meeting point – Menzendorf house in Old Town Riga with a small group at maximum 15 people to enjoy local taste experience in the largest open-air market area in Europe!
WHAT WILL WE TASTE?
This Food Tour will take you through Riga Central Markets’ (UNESCO heritage) 5 Zeppelin hangars into an enjoyable local food journey. A knowledgeable local tour guide will lead you into the experience with Latvian food and share the origins of local food traditions. During this tour, you will also receive a wide range of local specialties with more than 20 different samples that will include the following below:
- Local bread
- Several kinds of cheeses
- Freshly smoked meat
- Different fish samples
- Non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks
- Delicious local sweets
The tasting amount will be sufficient for you to feel as if you have had a light lunch. We believe that it can also help you to get through till dinner, so it is better if you come to the tour on an empty stomach.
Our Latvian Food Tour is a safe option for you to try local food delicacies along with interesting and entertaining stories about the Riga Central market’s history, shopping traditions, and Latvian food origins.
SHOULD I GO ON THE TOUR, IF I DO NOT EAT MEAT or FISH…?
Latvian cuisine is based on meat and fish, but this food tour includes more than 20 food samples, so if you do not eat both types of food, you can still enjoy about 60% of the samples. If you just do not eat either fish or meat – you will not miss most of the tour, as 80% of the samples will be available for you. It is more restricting if you are a vegan, then we suggest you let us know that at the beginning of the tour and we can offer you a discounted price for the tour.
HOW TO BOOK THE TOUR?
IMPORTANT – PLEASE BOOK this TOUR IN ADVANCE – till 18.00 on the prior day to your tour day (only then we can make sure, that you will have all tasting products available for you).
WHERE DOES THE TOUR START?
When you have booked the Latvian Food Tasting Tour, come to RigaTrips meeting point on Grecinieku street 18 with the booking confirmation and we will wait for you with RigaTrips sign in our hands and an official Riga guide sign around the neck.
HOW TO PAY?
Payment for the tour is done on the meeting spot in cash for an exchange of RigaTrips Tour Ticket! Lately unfortunately many customers book the tour and do not show up, but we have tasting pre-reserved and thus run into costs and wasted food. Therefore we have started to ask for a pre-payment for the tour with a bank transfer. Please book the tour, then you will receive an invoice for the tour. Once you pre-pay it, your places have been reserved.
- Destination
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Departure
Riga Trips Meeting Point | Entrance to Museum - Mencendorfa nams | Grecinieku street 18
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Departure Time
Fri-Sun 12:30
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Return Time
After 2 hours
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Dress Code
Casual and vacational | Warm and comfortable clothing | Umbrella will be useful on a rainy day
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Included
Food samples of traditional Latvian food – cheese, meat, bread, fish, meat and more.Knowledgable and passionate local tour guide
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Not Included
Best photo spots adviceEntrance to hallway where other groups cannot accessFREE tasting of Latvian traditional dark chocolate LAIMAFREE tasting of Riga Black Balsam
From our gallery
Join our Latvian Food Tasting Tour at Riga central market and indulge in the local Latvian taste – it will be interesting and delicious! Pictures have been taken by excellent Latvian photography lovers - Maris Karklins, Ildze Magazeina and ourselves.
Location
The meeting point is Mentzendorff House, Grecinieku street 18.
RigaTrips MEETING POINTS
Latvian Food Tasting tour Friday - Sunday at 12:30
Free Tour Old Town Riga Thursday - Sunday at 10.30 AM
meeting point is Museum of Mencendorfa nams, Grecinieku street 18
ART NOUVEAU TOUR at 15.30 meeting point is Laima clock.
We will wait you in our meeting points dressed in RigaTrips green T-shirt or jacket.
Tour Review Scores and Score Breakdown
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Tour will be led by true locals living in the country and growing up with local food traditions. They will share stories on how they were raised about food culture and what are Latvian traditions with food during local celebrations and everyday meals in families.
Where else could you find out about local Latvian family experience with food, get inspired, and take home ideas on what to put on your family's table to refresh the food offer and provide joy to your closest people while sharing memories from your trip to Riga?
Come to the Latvian Food Tasting Tour organized by Rigatrips and get greeted with Latvian hospitality, immerse in the tastes and smells of Riga Central Market and enjoy new food tastes, that will help you to choose what food samples to bring home at the end of the tour we will also suggest what and where to buy.
Riga Central market
Riga Central Market was opened in 1930 and was recognized not only as the largest but also the best and most modern market in Europe at that time. Since then, Riga Central Market has consistently been in the heart of Riga, providing diverse shopping, personal attitudes, lively conversations, gorgeous stories, and fun bargains for market visitors.
You will not experience such a walk anywhere else in Europe!
Riga Central Market is located in the very heart of Riga, a few meters from the Old Town on the banks of the Daugava River, next to Riga International Bus Station and Central Railway Station. Not only is it one of the largest in terms of area in Eastern Europe, but also one of the most visited markets - it is visited by 80,000 to 100,000 people every day.
A striking symbol of the Central Market is the architecturally expressive pavilions built in the 1920s. It turns out that they were originally built as airship hangars for military purposes and later decided to use them as market pavilions. Thanks to the pavilions and their size, in 1998, the Riga Central Market was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Every day, Riga Central Market offers both Latvian-grown and own-farmed products and exotic fruits, spices, and industrial goods. There are five pavilions on the market - vegetables, dairy, meat, fish, and gastronomy, as well as an open market with industrial goods and crafts, Night Market and a Farmers' Day Market.
However, the bustle of the market also attracts fraudsters and pickpockets. So be careful!
