A leisurely boat tour of the River Daugava or Riga canal is a must when in town, but unfortunately this is only possible from April - October as both waterways usually freeze over in winter.

Canal boats For 4 - 6Ls you can climb aboard a unique 100-year-old wooden launch (or a replica) and take a one-hour tour of the city from an unusual perspective - the Riga Canal. Although most people get on at Bastion Hill you can also wait for the electric launch every half hour below the Stockmann shopping centre and across the street from the Central Market and by Big Christopher on the Daugava River. The trip takes an hour before it returns to your original embarkation point, but you can get off at any of the other stops along the way between 09:00 - 23:00.

Riverboats Take a riverboat cruise on the Daugava and enjoy unique views of Old Riga and the left bank. An hour tour usually costs around 5Ls and snacks and alcoholic beverages, not to mention toilets, are also available. Choose from half a dozen ships, some with ridiculous names, like Misisipi, that depart roughly every hour or so from 11.novembra krastmala. You can also rent pedal boats and row boats on the Riga canal by Bastion Hill for 2Ls/20min.