Riga Stag Do's

Getting around

Getting to Riga is not difficult. Regular budget flights to the Latvian capital operate from London, Manchester and other major cities, as well as Scotland. The airport is about seven miles out of the city centre. Expect to pay around 3 Euros for a bus into town, or grab taxis. Of course the most convenient way is to let us arrange door-to-door airport transfers for you direct to your Riga stag hotel. No standing around waiting for a taxi, just hop in as soon as you walk out of the terminal, and off you go.

Riga has a very good public transport network made up of trolley buses, trams and buses. All accept the e-ticket (e-talons), which can be bought on board with cash or from vending machines around the city and ticket offices. When you’re boarding just remember to scan your e-ticket on the yellow device on every vehicle. A multi-day ticket costs around 10 Euros for three days, but you will rarely need it to be honest. Riga is so easy to get around on foot, and such a beautiful city to wander, that walking is definitely the best way.

Taxis can be flagged down easily enough, and they’re not expensive - do make sure the meter is running though. And naturally, if you’re booking Riga stag activities that are outside the city centre, we can take care of transfers for you, so that you don’t need to faff about working out how to get there, or be dependent on taxis turning up. Just ask your Riga stag do planner for details.

Tips and ideas

Riga is a gorgeous city to walk around from place to place. The Old Town is famed for its Art Nouveau architecture, with some 800 buildings, many of them apartment blocks, that are very grand. The majority of them survived the heavy bombing Riga suffered during World War II, and decades of Soviet occupation, but many of the city’s most historic buildings were lost in the 20th century. One of the most significant buildings in the city actually dates only to the 1990s: Cafe Osiris, long a place where Riga’s artists, bohemians, intellectuals and elite would gather and mix. 

Also worth seeking out on a wander through Riga is the massive Central Market - the largest in Europe and made from five Zeppelin hangars. You’ll also regularly spot the TV Tower on the horizon. This is reckoned to be the tallest building in the EU. It’s closed until 2023 for renovations, after which it will feature a restaurant offering sky-high views.

We know that a lot of our stag groups like a little history and culture on their trips away, and Riga has a fascinating day-trip to the Hill of Crosses over the border in northern Lithuania. Many thousands of makeshift crosses, crucifixes and effigies, left by Catholic pilgrims, form a unique shrine. 

Another popular Riga day-trip for stag groups is nipping over to the beach resort of Jurmala, which is less than an hour away by train. There’s a 25km-long white sand beach to swim off, a boardwalk along the Great Kemeri Bog, and the Livu Akvaparks, which is one of the largest water parks in Europe with several saunas and more than 20 slides. Planning a Riga stag do in summer? A day in Jurmala should be on your list.

The Tallinn Street Quarter, a revitalised industrial area now becoming a creative space for the hipster crowd, is another good place to visit if you have an afternoon free and fancy a little culture. You’ll find graffiti artists at work, pop-up street food eateries, and offbeat bars such as the Hedgehog in the Mist.

All of your classic stag do activities are available in Riga, from Paintballing to Quad Biking and Escape Rooms. But there are also many unique experiences here that our groups love trying out. How about spending a Night in Prison, at a former Russian military base where your group will be treated like genuine prisoners, interrogated and locked up in the cells for the night? Or visit a disused military base where the groom can take part in an exciting Rabid Dog Chase - essentially he’ll be kitted up in a protective suit and given a head start, before a well-trained (and not actually rabid of course!) dog is sent to bring him down. Hilarious fun - for the spectators of course.

Beer Bikes are another very popular stag do activity in Riga - they’re a great way to see a little of the city, while having a few drinks at the same time. You’ll have a (sober) driver / guide handling the steering, so all you need to do is pedal and not spill your beer. 

Lastly - don’t rule out a winter stag do in Riga. Activities at this time of year include a Bobsledding session - yes, you read that right - on a track used by the Olympic team; a day Snowboarding or Skiing (we’ll get you to the pistes and have all your equipment waiting, including warm clothing if needed), and awesome Snowmobile Safaris out into the beautiful Latvian countryside.

Nightlife

Riga is an extremely affordable city which naturally ensures it has a solid reputation for European stag do’s. A Guided Bar Crawl, or a Beer Bike tour of Riga, are definitely two of the most-recommended ways to get your bearings, or beerings, around the handsome Old Town. At some point in the evening you’re sure to be offered a shot of Black Balsam, the traditional drink. It’s a seriously strong herbal nip with a murky ingredient list, what we call a ‘Marmite’ drink, as people tend to either love it or hate it. Worth a try though, if only to say you’ve had it. 

Another, less-welcome feature of many nights out in Riga is scams. You will regularly be approached by pretty young ladies suggesting you visit certain bars or strip clubs, sometimes with your first drink on the house. We strongly advise you not to take up the invitation, as you are likely to run up suspiciously high bar tabs and it can be difficult to avoid paying up as some of the owners of these places are known to be on the dodgy side.

Instead, follow our stag do guide to Riga nightlife, for some of the best joints to visit while you’re in the Latvian capital. 

Firstly, start your night off in style with a quick one in the Skyline Bar of the Radisson Blu hotel. It’s not cheap, but the views over the city from 26 floors up are unparalleled - come at sunset for a spectacular experience.

Is your team in action over the weekend? You don’t need to miss a single goal, because the Kiwi Bar and Irish Pub Paddy Whelan’s both show live sports. Get there early on match day if it’s a big meeting, or reserve a table, and expect a cracking atmosphere at two of the best sports pubs in Riga.  

By now your evening session is well-underway. We’d suggest spending a few hours in Folkklubs ALA Pagrabs, an underground tavern housed in a former wine cellar with vaulted ceilings. 27 draught Latvian beers and home-distilled moonshine behind the bar, and a very lively ambience. Labietis is another good bet if you like your beer. This popular Riga brewery has several venues around the city including a pub in the Old Town, and a tap room in the bustling Central Market where you can also get some amazing food. 

There are plenty of quirky places around Riga too. The Armoury has quite the reputation, a bar whose walls are lined with (decommissioned, thankfully) guns. The owner has been known to let well-behaved punters handle the firearms. This is the place to come if your idea of fun is supping a few pints while learning how to disassemble an AK47. Be honest, that does sound like fun though.

The Rock Cafe is a Riga institution - come here for live music, pool, and karaoke. And for swinging vibes, don’t miss out on the cocktails and beats at the Cuba Cafe, right in the heart of the Old Town. Salsa, caipirinhas, and DJs at the weekend - a seriously entertaining venue that will have you nodding along to the music with big smiles on your faces.

And when it comes to the end of the evening, allow us to sort you out with Nightclub Entry to a venue that’s stag-friendly. We’ll pop you on the guestlist, so there’s no need to queue up, just straight to the bar, or the dancefloor. 

FAQ

Is Riga good for a stag do?

Riga is a fantastic city for a European stag do, with cheap beer, a pulsating nightlife, and stacks of brilliant and unique stag do activities. In summer you can hit the beach or the water park during the day, as well as indulging in a host of traditional pursuits such as paintballing and quad biking. In winter, stag groups can try their hands at everything from bobsledding to snowboarding. 

How much is a beer in Riga?

Riga is an inexpensive city for food and drink, with a pint costing around 4 Euros, which is one of the reasons it’s such a popular city for stag do’s. You can expect to pay around 15 Euros for a meal at a decent Latvian restaurant.

Can you arrange a fake stag do kidnap in Riga?

Organising for the stag to be ‘kidnapped’ is one of our most popular stag do activities in Riga. Actually it’s more like an arrest than a kidnap, as a couple of burly actors in convincing police outfits handcuff the hapless groom-to-be, bundling him into a car, and taking him off to a private room at the ‘station’ - where you and the rest of the boys will be there, probably to his great relief! 

Where is the best nightlife in Riga?

Most stag groups in Riga tend to spend their evenings in the Old Town, where there is a wealth of great pubs, bars and clubs to enjoy. The best way to get a feel for the Riga nightlife is with one of our Guided Pub Crawls, during which an attractive young lady will show you around some of the Old Town’s finest drinking holes, with the option of finishing up in a strip club.

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