Klaipeda Day Trips to Nida and Palanga
Two of the three best day trips from Klaipėda need no car. One goes south along the Curonian Spit, the other north to the resort of Palanga. Fares and fees below are in euros for 2026.
Choose a trip
| Trip | Distance | How |
|---|---|---|
| Nida on the Curonian Spit | about 50 km from Smiltynė | Ferry and bus |
| Palanga | about 25 km north | Bus, 25 to 35 minutes |
| Dutchman’s Cap | roughly 2 km north of Giruliai | Car or bicycle |
| Plokštinė Cold War Museum | in Žemaitija National Park | Car |
Nida and the Curonian Spit
The northern 52 km of this UNESCO-listed sandy strip is Lithuanian, and the Lithuanian part ends just south of Nida at the border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region. Check your government’s travel advice before you go.
Without a car. Sail from the Old Ferry Terminal, E. Galvanausko bul. 1, to Smiltynė (EUR 1.70 return). Then catch the bus to Nida, which calls at Alksnynė, Juodkrantė, Pervalka and Preila on the way. The fare is EUR 8.00 per person, or EUR 10.00 with a bicycle. Buses leave about once every two hours. On weekdays in October 2026 they set out from Smiltynė at 07:10, 09:10, 11:20, 13:10, 15:10, 17:10, 18:10 and 21:10. Between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027 the schedule moves to a quarter past the hour, with different weekend times. The Visit Neringa page has the latest version.
With a car. The New Ferry at Nemuno g. 8 charges EUR 23.20 for the round trip, and the Neringa fee comes on top. That fee is EUR 10 for a car between 21 August and 19 June, and EUR 50 between 20 June and 20 August. An electric car pays EUR 25 in summer and nothing at other times. Pay at the Alksnynė post or ahead of time at unipark.lt .
What to see.
- Hill of Witches in Juodkrantė: free, always open, about 80 wooden sculptures, with the first carved in 1979.
- Nagliai Dead Dunes: a trail of about 1 km that begins at km 32 of the main road. Adults pay EUR 5, students and seniors EUR 2, by card. It is seasonal, and the 2026 season ran from 17 April to 18 October.
- Nida: the Parnidis Dune has stairs and paths to keep to, and the Thomas Mann Memorial Museum at Skruzdynės g. 17 charges about EUR 3.
Palanga
Palanga is a seaside resort town about 25 km north of Klaipėda. Buses take 25 to 35 minutes and cost from about EUR 4. The Amber Museum fills the Tiškevičius Palace in Birutė Park. Entry is EUR 8 (EUR 4 reduced) from 15 May to 15 September, and EUR 6 (EUR 3 reduced) from 16 September to 14 May. A guided tour is EUR 25. The museum is closed on Mondays and public holidays. Palanga also has a long wooden pier that visitors walk out on. See the Amber Museum page .
Dutchman’s Cap
This coastal cliff in Seaside Regional Park is about 24 m high. It lies roughly 2 km north of Giruliai. Most visitors arrive by car or by bike on the coastal route.
Plokštinė
The Cold War Museum is near Plateliai in Žemaitija National Park, in the Plungė district. Adults pay about EUR 10 for most of the year and about EUR 12 in July and August. Go by car.
Read more: Multi-day trips from Klaipėda combines several of these into one itinerary.
Booking help
Look for guided excursions on GetYourGuide .