If visitors want a great view of Riga, we usually advise them to go on top of the tower of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.

It’s in the center of Riga, it’s easy to go there and the view over Riga is really wide – you can see the Old Town, the so-called Moscow Suburbs of Riga (Maskavas district) and Central Market. The view that is opening to you from the top of the structure is mesmerizing – you can see the 360-degree wide bird’s eye view to Riga from the 17th-floor balcony (height of 65 meters, 213 ft).

The building itself was built after World War II, between 1953 and 1956 and it was the first “skyscraper” in the Republic of Latvia. The building is a cousin to similar Stalin-era skyscrapers in Moscow and Warsaw and is a great example of Stalinist architecture. There is a legend says that this building was built for one Stalin’s birthdays, so some call it a “candle on Stalin’s birthday cake”.

Working Hours:

Mon – Sun · 9AM–10PM

Contacts

Phone: +371 20 088 097

Facts

Founded: February 14, 1946

Entry prices

Adults: 3 EUR
Pensioners: 2 EUR
Children: 1.20 EUR
Professional filming: 15 EUR

Book a Tour

Other Riga Observation Decks

Riga St. Peters Cathedral

Riga TV Tower

stephen ward

14:29 14 Mar 20

Laura and the team were great. We had loads of fun. They were helpful and very accommodating through out trip

Rob Blackwell

13:17 07 Mar 20

Fantastic pub crawl tour, our guide Laura was brilliant, very friendly , helpful and showed us some great stops. Recommend it to anyone. If you can get Laura to be your guide, she’s awesome 👏 gave us tips on which bars where good and nice places to eat.

Meliisa Martikkala

11:29 29 Feb 20

This was an amazingly epic experience! While visiting Riga, my husband and I booked the bobsleigh excursion with Riga Guide. Wow, what a ride! Highly recommended. Riga Guide was fantastic with returning emails and answering and questions and concerns we had. Our tour guide, Ilia, was fantastic. He was punctual, delightful and very personable. At the track he graciously took pictures and a video of us heading down the track. He made this excursion even more enjoyable. Highly recommend Riga Guide and the Bobsleigh Excursion!!!

Jennifer Bland

09:54 23 Feb 20

Lovely dogs, very friendly. Got to spend a lot of time playing with the dogs and the huskey ride was really good fun. Would definitely recommend. Would have been perfect with snow but can't plan everything!

Georgia Louise

18:03 05 Feb 20

Unfortunately on our visit the long run was closed however the 15 minutes we had was amazing and I could not be more grateful for the experience and the communication Riga Guide has provided. Most happy and would book again! Doggo’s were also very happy to see us and receive cuddles!

Natalie Green

15:08 29 Dec 19

Steph, our guide, was absolutely brilliant. Picked us up from our hotel and told us all about Riga on the commute to and from the bobsleigh track. The g-force bobsleigh was amazing (it feels like a roller-coaster) and we didn't have to wait long. There's also an observation deck where you can view the national park. The only downside was an error by the office staff overcharging us for the experience, which put a downer on the day, as I was told I wasn't able to do the bobsleigh unless we paid more. This was eventually resolved by the owner when he apologised for the error and confirmed no further payment was needed. I advise you pay the balance in full before the trip to avoid incompetent staff trying to overcharge you.

Charlotte Lowe

01:16 18 Dec 19

Ilya, the guide who picked me up to take me to the Bobsleigh track, was superb. He was in great communication with me on his way to pick me up and even sent me recommendations of places to eat afterwards. He was lovely and I cannot fault him.Unfortunately, the actual experience was awful. I had paid a lot of money to ride a vuchko down the bobsleigh track, when making my booking I made the company aware that I was going to be alone. I was charged a significant amount more than what was stated on their website which I didn't mind as I understood that I was being charged the full group price which would normally be split between the members of the group. But when I got to the bobsleigh track they insisted that I had to pay an extra €15 to ride the vuchko where you face headfirst as I wasn't able to ride the seated one, being on my own. I was only told this after my ride so I had no choice other than to pay it.I was clearly the last person to visit and ride on the track for the day as it was very rushed. Considering the amount of money that I paid for this experience I would expect to be given a little time to have a picture taken or look around the track in more detail. I was shoved into a vuchko, pushed off onto the track, dragged off the track and taken back to the car to go back to the hotel.I feel slightly cheated out of the money that I paid. The only positive was that Ilya, the guide, was so friendly and positive.

Viv Savage

20:01 10 Dec 19

We booked a bobsleigh ride and it was very well organised with contact through email and what's app. Our guide was so lovely and kept us calm before our experience!! The full bobsleigh was pretty scary but definitely an experience we'll never forget!

Julien Gigoi

17:51 03 Nov 19

Very good experience.Professional from the booking to the end of the tour. We had with them curling, bobsleigh and bar crawl with Laura who was a great guide.

Justus Beyer

10:39 18 Sep 19

I went with two of my friends and we had such a good experience with these guys. It is an amazing experience to feel the recoil and the weight of the weapon. Highly recommended!!

Herve Gevers

15:02 31 Aug 19

We had a catamaran trip to Baltic see, 9 of us, having a party for my friend. It was such a great experience. Everything was organized so well. They pick us up from our accommodation exactly on time. Our guide Stephanie is a lovely, fun person, very beautiful lady, enthusiastic and active. Thankful to her we had so much fun. Also, thanks to our bus driver Aleksandrs to drive us safely home.

Cristina B

19:08 27 Aug 19

It was a once in a life time experience!!! The staff was so kind and caring. From start to finish it was the perfect trip- was sad that have it end. Definitely recommend this company and experience :)

Daan de Natris

10:02 12 Aug 19

We went shooting with a group of 25 people, was a cool experience! Shooting was great, and done too soon. We got picked up at the hostel and they brought us back. Great service and a great guide!

Naut Duin

We had a good time. We went shooting and the organisation was really good! We had a lovely guide and she was enthusiastic.

Didrik Gilde

14:48 05 Aug 19

You get picked up by a nice guy at the hotel Professional instructor. Everything is great

Mariya Kavardzhikova

08:04 24 Jul 19

My boyfriend and I went shooting and choose the riffle package including an AK-47, we also bought extra bullets for the AK-47. It was so much fun! ?It is with organized transportation and the people were very nice and friendly.I was a little nervous but the instructor was very calming and helpful, and I we had a really great time! ?We definitely recommend this experience! ?

Alexander Specking

11:43 18 Jul 19

A surreal experience for anyone who has never held/shot a gun in his/her life. It was scary but weirdly exciting. Sure to get the adrenaline pumping! Picked up and dropped back off at the hotel. The shooting range is set inside in closed off rooms. Very nice people, and very flexible - if you want to shoot a different weapon, you can browse the catalog there and pay extra on sight.

Leon Fleddermann

11:37 18 Jul 19

I had tons of fun, for anyone looking for a real thrill especially if you are an experienced shooter, you must try the AK-47 Full Auto.

Levi Winther

18:48 14 Jul 19

We had a very good day with Tank Driving and river rafting:) And the staff was just brilliant and gave us a very good service and a good experience.

Justina Wellstam

08:35 13 Jul 19

Very well organized and friendly staff. Was fun and lived up to expectations.

Alina M.

14:57 09 Jul 19

Really nice service:) Advice!Tank ride was so exciting!!!!!!Thanks a lot for such real emotions!

Somers Brewin

15:33 11 Jun 19

The Riga Guide team were fantastic in helping me organise a Stag Do for 27 people. They are very responsive and helpful over email and quick to suggest alternatives if something doesn't work out (for example due to bad weather or traffic). They made what could have been a very stressful trip loads of fun and I'm very grateful - I'd definitely recommend using them for group trips. Steph and Irina were particularly helpful! Thank you!

James Keatinge

11:43 12 May 19

Curling in Riga! This was the highlight of the trip and something you simply have to do when spending time in Riga!!!! Everything was extremely easy to organise and the team were very helpful and welcoming. The coaching and facilities were also excellent. Highly recommend!

Latvian Academy of Sciences

Claim "Latvian Academy of Sciences"