Soviet Vilnius Walking Tour: Explore 50 Years of History and Architecture

Step back in time and explore 50 years of Soviet rule on this engaging walking tour of Vilnius. Discover the city’s Soviet-era architecture and gain insight into life under Soviet rule.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Vilnius With Locals Tours - Our local guide will guide through Soviet history of the city
  • Gediminas Monument - Meeting point
  • Zaliasis Tiltas - Until summer 2015 you could find Soviet propaganda sculptures on this bridge, find out what happened and where they are now
  • Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania - Soviet architecture, events of January 1991
What's Included
  • Professional guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Immerse yourself in a historical journey, spanning 50 years of Soviet reign, with this 2 to 2.5-hour stroll around Vilnius. Wander alongside a knowledgeable guide along the city’s magnificent streets, taking in the striking architecture reminiscent of the Soviet era. Spot renowned Soviet legacy landmarks like the Palace of Concerts and Sports, the National Opera and Ballet theater, among others. As you meander, deepen your understanding of Vilnius’ existence during Soviet command and decipher the mechanics of this thriving metropolis.

  • This tour operates in all weather conditions; please dress appropriately
  • There is a lot of walking involved, so please wear comfortable shoes
Location
Monument to Grand Duke Gediminas
Katedros aikštė
Look for the guide with a yellow bag/ yellow sign in front of monument to Gediminas ( a man standing next to a horse) at the Cathedral square
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(201 Ratings)
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A3572bqsamh
Aug 26, 2024
Great guide and tour! - One of my favorite things I did in Vilnius. Spectacular tour and guide. Fantastic English. Extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roman_j
Aug 26, 2024
Great tour! - Very educational tour covering interesting sites. The tour guide did a great job explaining the country’s history and describing life in Lithuania during USSR. Loved the stop at Skalvija cinema, unchanged since the Soviet times.
Review provided by Viator
Kathleen_l
Aug 19, 2024
Excellent tour - Very interesting tour that highlights Soviet history in Lithuania. Our guide, Indres, was very knowledgeable and shared many personal stories that added to the experience.
Review provided by Viator
Arianna
Aug 17, 2024
Unique experience - The tour was really interesting, a unique and enriching experience especially from a historical and cultural point of view. The direct and indirect knowledge of our City Guide under the USSR regime allowed us to discover aspects of that era that are not learned in school books.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C8442ifnatalied
Aug 17, 2024
Soviet Vilnius - Tadas was an amazing tour guide, very informative and fun, always prepared to answer questions. Will definitely be back for more. thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Samreeder
Aug 17, 2024
An Amazing, Ecuational Walking Tour of Vilnius - I did this walking tour with my mom and we had an amazing time. The route is setup in a way that lets you see everything you would want to see in Vilnius while also highlighting the Soviet influence in the city. The route was very well planned giving plenty of opportunity for people to sit and rest so as to no get too tired from all the walking. It goes by amazing points of interest and was led by a very knowledgeable, passionate, and amazing tour guide. (I wish I could remember her name!) The tour gives you an in depth history and education on how the Soviets came to occupy Vilnius and Lithuania and how they quickly implemented changes in the politics, customs, and society to make it more in line with the Soviet Union. Further, we got to see some interesting old Soviet architecture in the form of buildings that are still standing from the Soviet times and got an in depth education on them. This tour overall was an eye opening experience and did a great job at showing how life was like in Lithuania under Soviet occupation/rule and how the country had to adjust and grow after independence. If you are looking for an amazing and educational walking tour that will leave you with a deeper understanding of the history of Vilnius and Lithuania, I would highly recommend this tour. If I am in Vilnius again with family or friends, I will definitely be taking them on this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebeccast5279of
Jul 29, 2024
Do it! :) - In addition to what everyone has already said about the tour itself (and the guide) being excellent, I'd like to add that they are mindful of the comfort of their audience on a nearly 3 hour tour, often seeking out shaded spots or areas with seating as waypoints, stopping midway for a refreshment and restroom break, and ending at a facility that has restrooms. I really appreciated this level of consideration, and it makes the tour available to a wider range of attendees. Additionally, their website, "Vilnius with Locals", has been a great help overall in my trip planning.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Torunn_2020
Jul 26, 2024
Educational tour - Very interesting and educational. Our guide had a lot of knowledge about the history and culture in lithuania and villnius.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michelle_h
Aug 25, 2024
More walking than Soviet-Era Lithuanian History - We were so pleased to join the tour, get out of the city and learn new things! And, we did. The tour is a "walk, stop, see the sight, share history, walk", very methodical. The hardest part for me was the guide wasn't even alive during the Soviet times. Not that someone younger cannot learn history and share it, but a part of the tour was how people lived during that time, what was life like and someone else from our tour ended up sharing their experience, which brought it to life much more. What I did appreciate was that we walked a great deal, covered ground and were shown places to go investigate more.
Review provided by Viator
Aisling_g
Aug 13, 2024
Walking Tour Aug 24 - Nice to get a feel of the city. More personal stories on what life was like for the people would be valued.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 8 guests
1 Adult
October 2024
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