Klaipeda Activities by Ferry, Bike and Canoe

Lithuania’s port city rewards visitors who like to be on the move. The best activities here involve a boat, a bicycle or a short bus ride, and most of them cost very little. All prices are in euros.

Quick list

  • Ferry across the strait: about 5 to 7 minutes, EUR 1.70 return for a foot passenger.
  • Bike the spit: about 52 km from Smiltynė to Nida.
  • Bike north: about 25 km to Palanga.
  • Night canoe on the Danė: roughly EUR 30 to 55 per person on booking sites.
  • Kite lesson at Svencelė: from about EUR 45 per hour.
  • Sea Museum: EUR 10 in winter, EUR 14 in summer.

Ferries and the spit

Klaipėda is separated from the Curonian Spit by a working shipping channel, and the only link is the ferry. Walkers and cyclists sail from the Old Ferry Terminal at E. Galvanausko bul. 1. Drivers sail from the New Ferry Terminal at Nemuno g. 8. A foot passenger pays EUR 1.70 for the round trip, a motorbike EUR 7.70, a car EUR 23.20 and a motorhome EUR 46.40. Your bicycle goes free with your own ticket. Discounted tickets are sold only at the two ticket offices. The full tariff is on the keltas.lt price list .

Cycling

Klaipėda is a junction of the EuroVelo 10 and EuroVelo 13 routes. The ride to Nida follows the spit from the ferry landing through Juodkrantė, Pervalka and Preila, around 52 km in all. The northern route reaches Palanga in about 25 km via Giruliai and Seaside Regional Park. If your legs give out on the spit, the Smiltynė to Nida bus takes bikes for EUR 10, in addition to the EUR 8.00 passenger fare. Walkers and cyclists who arrive on the passenger ferry pay no Neringa vehicle fee.

On the water

The Danė River has guided evening canoe tours that pass beneath the Old Town bridges, and water bikes can be rented near the Biržos bridge. Memel Kayak rents canoes from April to July, 10:00 to 18:00. At Svencelė, about 30 km south on the lagoon, Wind ON teaches kitesurfing from around EUR 45 an hour in shallow water. Svencelė’s address is Svencelės g. 49A.

Museums and a brewery

The Lithuanian Sea Museum, at Smiltynės g. 3 on the spit, is the headline stop. Its aquarium and Baltic exhibits are included in an adult ticket of EUR 10 from October to April and EUR 14 from May to September. The museum’s own hours page is at muziejus.lt . At Kūlių Vartų g. 7 the Švyturys BHouse pairs a gastropub with brewery tours. Tours are for groups of five or more and need to be arranged ahead.

Keeping safe in the Baltic

Sea temperatures average about 13 degrees C in June and about 16 degrees C in July, which makes July and August the realistic swimming months. Choose a beach with lifeguards on duty, respect the flag colours, and avoid the harbour breakwater, the strait and any storm swell. The Northern Pier is for walking and watching ships, not for bathing.

Evening on Theatre Square

Spend an hour at the Ännchen von Tharau fountain beside the Drama Theatre. It dates from 1912 and honours the poet Simon Dach. The current figure is a replica from around 1990, and the square is free to visit at any hour.

Tourist pass

There is no Klaipėda tourist card, so pay for each museum at its own desk.

Read more: Sightseeing in Klaipėda covers the castle and the Old Town in more detail.

Booking help

Search canoe tours, cycling trips and day tours on Viator .