Riga Extended

Stay a little longer. See the Riga most delegates miss.

Optional pre- and post-conference travel for Harvard WorldMUN Riga 2027, from €139 per person.

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You came for the debates. Stay for the city.

You came for the committees, the late nights and the people. Now give yourself time to discover the city behind them. Riga is one of Europe's most underrated capitals. It has a UNESCO-listed medieval Old Town, streets full of Art Nouveau facades, and a food market inside five former zeppelin hangars. Its recent history is still within reach, from Soviet secret police cells to a nuclear bunker hidden under a spa. The city is affordable, walkable, safe and full of students. And in March, you'll have it almost to yourself.

Riga Extended is a ready-made stay of 2, 3 or 4 nights, directly before or after the conference, designed for first-time visitors. We take care of your hotel, transport and the best local guides. You decide how much you add.

At a glance

When: after the conference from 19 March 2027, or before it, arriving from 10 March 2027
Length: 2, 3 or 4 nights in Riga
Price: from €139 per person
For: WorldMUN delegates, faculty advisors and friends travelling with them
Organised by: ITO Tours, logistics partner of THIMUN in The Hague since 1968, and partner for WorldMUN pre- and post-conference travel arrangements

What's included

• Your hotel or apartment for 2, 3 or 4 nights, with breakfast included unless stated otherwise (for example in apartments)
• Your whole stay in one booking: we can add your conference nights to your package, so you stay in the same hotel from arrival to departure
• Riga public transport pass for trams, trolleybuses and buses during your stay
• Hidden Riga walking tour with a local guide through the Old Town and the Art Nouveau district
• Riga Central Market tasting walk with rye bread, smoked fish, local cheese and Riga Black Balsam
• Sunset at the Academy of Sciences, the "Stalin's birthday cake" tower with one of the least crowded viewpoints in the city
• A stress-free departure day: the Farewell Party ends at 3 am, so we take care of the morning after. We can arrange luggage storage, late check-out where possible, and a taxi or shared transfer to the airport, train or bus station.
• Your own contact at ITO Tours before and during your stay, plus a digital city guide with our favourite cafés, bars and student spots

A very Latvian weekend

Sunday 21 March 2027 is Pūpolsvētdiena, or Pussy Willow Sunday. Latvians bring home willow catkin branches and give friends a light tap with them for health and luck. Look out for the branches at the markets that weekend. The spring equinox on 20 March is also traditionally celebrated as the start of the light half of the year.

Make it yours: day trips and experiences

Add them when you book, or later. Prices are per person and minimum group sizes apply.

• Gauja Valley and the Soviet Secret Bunker (full day, from €69)

Visit Sigulda, Turaida Castle and Gūtmaņa Cave. Then go 9 metres underground into a bunker built beneath a spa for the Soviet elite in case of nuclear war. It stayed top secret until 2003 and is still fully equipped.

• Olympic Bobsleigh Track, Sigulda (half day, from €55, early arrivals only)

Race down a 1,420 metre Olympic track with 16 curves in a soft bob. Rides run until mid-March, so this is for delegates arriving between 10 and 14 March. Weather permitting.

• Latvian Pirts: the Sauna Ritual (evening, from €49)

More than a sauna. A sauna master guides you through heat, birch whisks, honey and salt scrubs, cold water and herbal tea. It's the most Latvian evening you can have.

• The Corner House: former KGB headquarters (1.5 hours, from €19)

See the cells and interrogation rooms of the Soviet secret police in the heart of Riga. Intense and unforgettable, and essential for anyone interested in human rights.

• Rundāle Palace (full day, from €79)

The "Versailles of Latvia", with gilded baroque halls. You can combine it with the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania for a cross-border day.

• Jūrmala and the Ķemeri Bog Boardwalk (half day, from €45)

Walk a wooden boardwalk across a vast frozen bog, then the long white beach and wooden villas of Latvia's seaside resort.

• Riga After Dark (evening, from €29)

The bars, folk cellars and live music spots locals actually go to, with a Black Balsam tasting along the way.

• A Night at the Latvian National Opera (evening, price on request)

Opera or ballet in a stunning 19th-century theatre, at a fraction of the price you'd pay in Paris or London.

• Tallinn and Helsinki in 48 Hours (2 days, 1 night, from €249)

Take the bus to Tallinn's medieval Old Town, then the ferry across the Baltic to Helsinki. Explore the Suomenlinna sea fortress and try a Finnish sauna with a dip in the Baltic Sea. Fly home from Helsinki. Best combined with the 4-night package.

Why delegates love Riga

• Easy: compact, walkable and safe, and young Latvians speak excellent English
• Affordable: coffee, dinner and nights out cost a fraction of what they do in Western European capitals
• Real history: home of the Baltic Way and the Singing Revolution, where you can see the Cold War from the inside
• A student city: a creative scene in old warehouses, wooden suburbs and cellar bars
• A gateway: Tallinn, Vilnius and Helsinki are all within easy reach