Leave Warsaw around 07:00, taking the S8 and then S61 toward Łomża and Augustów. Allow roughly 3–3.5 hours to Augustów, though roadworks, summer traffic, and fuel stops can stretch this. The S61 is generally the easiest route, with regular service areas; fill up in Poland before crossing into Lithuania, where fuel prices may differ. In Augustów, use a central paid car park near the canal or waterfront rather than trying to leave the car on the narrow lakeside streets.
Spend about 45 minutes at the Augustów Canal Museum, which gives useful context to the 19th-century waterway and its engineering. Check the seasonal opening hours before setting out, as small museums in the region can have shorter schedules on Sundays; if it is closed, the canal-side paths and locks around Augustów still make an easy leg-stretch. Have lunch by the waterfront at Albatros, a long-established local restaurant, or another restaurant around the Rynek and canal promenade. Expect around PLN 50–90 per person for a straightforward meal, and leave by approximately 13:00.
Continue via S61 toward Marijampolė, then take the A5 into Kaunas. From Augustów, the drive is about 3–3.5 hours, so arrival around 16:30–17:00 is realistic. Lithuania uses the euro and there is no routine border check, but keep passports or identity cards accessible. Ask your accommodation in advance about overnight parking—Old Town streets can be restricted or expensive, so a secure lot just outside the historic center is often more convenient.
Begin at Kaunas Castle, where the surviving medieval tower and walls sit beside the Nemunas and Neris rivers. Allow about an hour, including a short walk around the confluence; museum hours are typically seasonal and often end in the early evening, so check the exact closing time for your date. From there, walk roughly 10–15 minutes through the Old Town to Vilniaus Street, the pedestrian spine of Kaunas, where terraces and bars are liveliest from early evening onward. For dinner, book a table at Uoksas for a polished modern Lithuanian meal, or choose Bernelių Užeiga for more traditional dishes. Budget approximately €20–35 per person, then keep the rest of the evening relaxed around Vilniaus Street rather than adding another distant stop.
After the long drive from Warsaw, keep the first stop in Žaliakalnis rather than trying to park in the center. Head to Christ’s Resurrection Basilica, where the terrace and upper level give you one of Kaunas’s best panoramas across the Nemunas and Neris valleys. Allow about an hour here; the church is generally open during the day, but access to the terrace can vary with services and weather. Parking is usually easier around the basilica than in the Old Town, and the short uphill walk is a good way to stretch after the drive.
Walk or drive down toward New Town for the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, allowing 1½–2 hours. It is the right introduction to Lithuania’s artistic character, especially the dreamlike work of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, and the museum is compact enough not to feel exhausting after your journey. Check the current exhibition schedule before setting out; typical opening hours are late morning to early evening, with one weekly closing day, and admission is usually around €5–10. For lunch, settle into Kultūra in the museum area: it is a stylish, relaxed choice with modern Lithuanian-leaning dishes, good coffee, and lunch in the €12–25-per-person range. Kultūra often closes earlier than a dinner restaurant, so treat it as a proper midday stop rather than leaving it too late.
From New Town, stroll downhill along K. Donelaičio gatvė and through Laisvės alėja toward Kaunas Old Town—roughly 20–25 minutes on foot, with plenty of opportunities to pause for coffee or a drink. Spend the afternoon around Town Hall Square, following the historic lanes toward the river and taking in the baroque façades without trying to tick off every street. Then visit the House of Perkūnas, one of Kaunas’s most atmospheric Gothic merchant houses. Allow 30–45 minutes; opening hours can be limited and guided visits are sometimes scheduled, so check on the day or simply enjoy the exterior if the interior is closed. Finish with a slower walk through Nemunas Island Park, reached in about 20 minutes from the Old Town via Vytauto Didžiojo tiltas. The riverside paths are especially pleasant around sunset; bring water and, if you want to continue into the evening, return toward Laisvės alėja for dinner rather than driving immediately back to your accommodation.
Leave Kaunas around 08:30 for Riga, with the Hill of Crosses as your first stop near Šiauliai. The drive is roughly four hours in total, but allow extra time for the detour and a relaxed visit. At the hill, a short path leads through thousands of crosses, rosaries, and memorials spread across the countryside—an unusual, atmospheric place rather than a conventional monument. One hour is enough to walk the main paths; wear shoes suitable for uneven ground and bring water. There is no admission fee, though a small donation is welcome, and parking is generally straightforward.
Continue into Šiauliai for lunch before crossing into Latvia. The compact center is easy to reach by car, and a practical choice is Café Trys near the pedestrianized Vilniaus gatvė, where you can have soups, salads, burgers, or coffee without turning lunch into a long stop; budget about €10–20 per person. After eating, continue to Riga and use your hotel’s parking if possible—street parking in the center is limited and paid. From central accommodation, the afternoon sights are best done on foot, rather than repeatedly moving the car.
Begin at the Freedom Monument, a good orientation point between the Old Town and the quieter central neighborhoods. Spend about half an hour here, then walk roughly 15–20 minutes northeast toward Riga’s Art Nouveau district. Follow Alberta iela, Strelnieku iela, and Elizabetes iela slowly: the facades are the attraction, with elaborate masks, mythical figures, and unusually theatrical details at every turn. The Art Nouveau Museum is worth adding only if you still have energy; it usually closes in the early evening, but check the exact August 2026 hours before relying on it. Otherwise, enjoy the residential streets and stop for coffee at Kukainu kafejnīca or Innocent Coffee.
Walk back toward the Old Town for dinner at Lido Alus sēta, a relaxed beer-hall-style option on Tirgoņu iela. It is useful after a driving day because service is informal and you can sample several Latvian staples—try grey peas with bacon, pork dishes, potato sides, or a local beer—without committing to a long tasting menu; allow roughly €12–25 per person. After dinner, wander the illuminated lanes around Rātslaukums and the Daugava riverfront, but keep the evening unhurried: the next day’s coastal drive is more enjoyable if you are on the road by around 08:00.
Leave Riga around 08:00 on the A9 toward Liepāja; the drive is about 3–3.5 hours, but allow extra time for summer roadworks and a fuel stop. Go straight to Karosta and park near Karosta Prison—the former military prison is an atmospheric, unusual introduction to Liepāja’s naval and Soviet history. The guided visit usually takes about 1.5 hours and is deliberately theatrical, so it suits adults more than a conventional museum. Check the exact tour times online before leaving Riga; tickets are typically around €8–15 per person.
From Karosta Prison, drive roughly 10 minutes north to the Northern Forts. Wear sturdy shoes and stay well back from unstable concrete and cliff edges: this is a wild coastal site rather than a formally managed monument. Give yourselves about an hour to explore the ruins and look out over the Baltic. Then drive 10–15 minutes back toward central Liepāja for lunch. Restaurant Olīve is a reliable modern Latvian choice, while MO Liepāja works well for a more casual café-style meal; budget roughly €15–30 per person, and expect lunch to take about an hour.
After lunch, drive or walk toward Liepāja Beach—central parking can be busy in August, so leaving the car near the edge of the seaside district is often easier. Spend around 1.5 hours on the broad sand and dunes, with a swim only if the water and wind are comfortable; the Baltic can feel cold even on a sunny day. A short walk inland brings you into Seaside Park, where landscaped paths, wooden resort architecture, and the distinctive Liepāja Beach Bathhouse make a pleasant, unhurried finish. Allow about an hour here, then keep the evening free for dinner in the center; parking is generally easier after the main beach traffic thins out.
Leave Liepāja around 08:00 and follow the coastal road toward Pāvilosta. The drive is roughly 1.5 hours, but allow extra time for slower local roads and photo stops. In Pāvilosta, park near the harbor and spend about 1.5 hours wandering among the fishing boats before walking along Pāvilosta Beach. It is a low-key, windswept place rather than a polished resort—ideal for coffee, a swim if the weather is good, and a brief look at the town’s surfing-and-fishing character. If you want breakfast or coffee, check Laiva near the harbor, but Latvian coastal cafés can open later in the morning, so bring something from Liepāja as a backup.
Continue north toward Jūrkalne, allowing about 45 minutes from Pāvilosta. The Jūrkalne Bluffs viewpoint is reached by a short walk through the forest and down toward the coast; allow around an hour, including time on the viewing platform and beach access if conditions are safe. The cliff edge is exposed and can be slippery after rain, so stay behind marked barriers. For lunch, eat before leaving the coast: Rīvas Krogs near Jūrkalne is a practical choice for Latvian comfort food, while Pāvilosta offers the better chance of a simple fish lunch. Budget approximately €12–25 per person, and do not linger too long—service in rural Latvia can be pleasantly unhurried.
From Jūrkalne, allow around an hour to reach Ventspils, arriving in the early afternoon with a useful buffer. Visit the Ventspils Seaside Open-Air Museum, where historic narrow-gauge railway equipment and maritime exhibits make a compact, enjoyable final stop; allow about an hour and check the seasonal opening hours before setting out, as they can vary outside the main summer schedule. The museum is close to the waterfront, but keep the car ready and avoid adding a long detour into town. Head to the Ventspils ferry terminal at least 2–3 hours before departure—earlier if travelling with a vehicle. Have passports, booking confirmation, and vehicle documents accessible, and follow the terminal signs for vehicle check-in rather than parking in the passenger area.