Stand on Cathedral Square and the white bell tower of Vilnius Cathedral rises in front of you, with the wooded slope of Castle Hill behind it and the tiled roofs of the Old Town spreading south. Walk a few steps and the scene shifts again: the courtyards of Vilnius University, the pink facade of Saint Parasceve, and the long pedestrian spine of Pilies gatve running down through Didžioji to the Gate of Dawn.
Vilnius suits travellers who like to cover a historic centre on foot, moving between churches, museums and squares without needing a car. The Old Town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994, and most of what follows sits within it or on its edge.
This guide covers the main sights of the Old Town and the Castle Hill area, with a one-day plan at the end. It draws on the places named in the source material and nothing else.
Top things to do in Vilnius
1. Gediminas Castle
This is the Upper Castle of a complex of three, built from the 13th century and abandoned from the 16th. You can climb the cobbled lane or take the funicular from the north side, and you can enter the courtyard free for views over the city and towards the Three Crosses on the hill east.
The three-storey red brick tower on the west side of the courtyard is now a museum. Combine the visit with the Arsenal buildings and the Palace of the Grand Dukes below, since all sit in the same Lower Castle area.
2. Vilnius Cathedral
The first cathedral on this site was built in 1251, and the present building is mostly the neo-classical structure completed in 1801. Inside, the crypt holds a display of Vilnius through the ages, and you can also tour the catacombs and the free-standing belfry.
Entry is free. In the square outside, look for the tile inscribed Stebuklas, which marks the end of the Vilnius-Tallinn human chain in the 1989 protest against the Soviet Union.
3. Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
This is a modern replica of a palace built in the 15th century, ruined in the 17th and demolished in 1801, then rebuilt after independence to the original plan. It is now part of the National Museum, with displays of palace history and reconstructions of the ceremonial halls.
It stands on Cathedral Square, so it pairs naturally with the cathedral and the walk up to Gediminas Castle. Note that the rebuilding blocked the vista from Cathedral Square, which caused outcry at the time.
4. Vilnius University
This is the baroque core of the university, with its library, courtyards, observatory and the Church of St Johns. You can see the church, four courtyards and the Franciszek Smuglewicz Hall free, and guided tours are available for groups of four or more by prior booking.
The Adam Mickiewicz Museum inside displays the university's history. The university was established in 1579, and the surrounding streets are the heart of the Old Town walk south along Pilies gatve.
5. Pilies gatve and Didžioji
Pilies gatve is the main thoroughfare leading south from Cathedral Square past the university, becoming Didžioji and continuing past Town Hall to the Gate of Dawn. Most buildings along the route are worth admiring.
Walk it slowly rather than as a through-route: the changeover point between the two streets is marked by Saint Parasceve, a pink Orthodox church. The Šlapelių House Museum on this stretch has exhibitions and events.
6. Town Hall and Town Hall square
The present town hall is neoclassical, built in 1799, and is used for civic events. The simplest way to see inside is to attend a concert or similar, which may be free.
The square itself is a venue for fairs, concerts and demonstrations, so it is worth passing through more than once at different times of day. The Church of St Casimir sits on its east side.
7. Church of St Casimir
This baroque Roman Catholic church was completed in 1618. It has been held by various faiths, including a spell as the Museum of Atheism, and was re-consecrated in 1991.
It often hosts organ recitals, so check what is on if you want to hear the building as well as see it. It stands on the east side of Town Hall square, easy to combine with the Town Hall and the walk down Didžioji.
8. Gate of Dawn area and Old Town south
The southern end of Didžioji runs from Saint Parasceve past Town Hall square down to the Gate of Dawn. This stretch holds several small museums, including the National Museum of Art on Didžioji, with a large display of art from the 14th to 20th century.
Nearby on the same street are the Kazys Varnelis House-Museum in Town Hall square, the Vilnius Museum on Vokieciu, and the Museum of Illusions next door to it. Pick one or two rather than trying to see them all.
9. Old Arsenal
This arsenal in the Lower Castle was built in the 15th century and stored heavy artillery. It is now part of the National Museum, displaying the country's pre-history and early history until the arrival of Christianity in the 11th century.
It sits on Arsenalo, a short walk from Cathedral Square and directly below Castle Hill, so it fits neatly between the cathedral and the castle lane.
10. Museum of Applied Arts & Design
Also in the Lower Castle area on Arsenalo, this is another 15th-century arsenal building now under the National Museum. Its opening hours differ from the Old Arsenal, with a late Thursday opening and a shorter Sunday.
Because the two Arsenal buildings are neighbours, you can pair them in a single visit to the castle area. Check the day's hours before setting out, as they do not match.
11. House of the Signatories
This neo-renaissance mansion on Pilies is where Lithuania's Act of Independence was signed on 16 February 1918. It is now a branch of the National Museum depicting the story of Lithuania as a separate nation.
The displays make few concessions to non-speakers of Lithuanian, so go for the building and the history rather than for translated interpretation. It sits on the east flank of the university, on the same walk south.
12. Literatu gatve
At its junction with Rusų gatve, this street has small artworks and dedications mounted on the walls to writers whose literature is linked to Lithuania. The street west is a ratty alley and east is nothing special, so the junction itself is the point.
It is a short detour from Pilies gatve, and the Church Heritage Museum on Šv Mykolo, opposite St Anne's at the east end, displays religious art if you want to extend the stop.
13. Presidential Palace
This 18th-century palace on Daukanto Square is the seat of the President of Lithuania. Guided tours are available at weekends, and the palace is also open to the public on Open House days.
It is a short walk from Cathedral Square, so it works as an addition to the cathedral and palace cluster rather than a separate trip.
14. Toy Museum
An interactive museum of toys down the ages, at the foot of the castle lane on Šiltadaržio. It is child-friendly by design, with opening limited to Thursday to Sunday.
Because it sits at the bottom of the castle lane, it combines well with Gediminas Castle if you are visiting with children and want something indoors after the climb.
15. Bastion of Vilnius Defensive Wall
The bastion on Bokšto is part of the city's defensive wall, in the southern Old Town near the museums on Didžioji and Bokšto. It is a short addition to the walk down towards the Gate of Dawn.
Pair it with the National Museum of Art and the Culinary Museum on Bokšto, which is about tableware rather than cuisine and opens only on weekday mornings.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Vilnius Cathedral on Cathedral Square, including the crypt display and the belfry, then cross to the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania for the reconstructed ceremonial halls. Walk up the cobbled lane to Gediminas Castle, enter the courtyard for the views, and visit the red brick tower museum. On the way back down, look in on the Old Arsenal.
Afternoon. Walk south along Pilies gatve, stopping at Vilnius University to see the courtyards and the Church of St Johns, and at the House of the Signatories on the same street. Continue past Saint Parasceve as Pilies becomes Didžioji, and pause at Literatu gatve at its junction with Rusų gatve. Carry on to Town Hall square for the Town Hall and the Church of St Casimir.
Evening. Finish the walk down Didžioji towards the Gate of Dawn, choosing one museum on the way, such as the National Museum of Art or the Kazys Varnelis House-Museum. If a concert or organ recital is on at the Town Hall or the Church of St Casimir, that is the simplest way to end the day inside one of the buildings you have passed.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Old Town walkable in a day?
Yes. The route from Cathedral Square south along Pilies gatve and Didžioji to the Gate of Dawn passes most of the sights listed here, and the castle area sits directly above the cathedral. The main constraint is museum opening hours, not distance.
Which sights are free to enter?
Vilnius Cathedral is free, and you can enter the courtyard of Gediminas Castle free for the views. At Vilnius University you can see the church, four courtyards and the Franciszek Smuglewicz Hall free, with guided tours available for groups of four or more by prior booking.
What should I check before setting out?
Opening days vary widely. The Toy Museum opens only Thursday to Sunday, the Culinary Museum only on weekday mornings, and the Old Arsenal and Museum of Applied Arts & Design keep different hours from each other despite being neighbours. The New Arsenal is closed for major restructuring work, and the Contemporary Art Centre is closed for rebuilding.
Is the Vilnius Pass worth buying?
The source material describes it as poor value: it excludes public transport and you will struggle to break even. Paying at individual sights is the more straightforward approach.
Decide which of these sights matter most to you, check the opening days for the week you are travelling, and build your own route along Pilies gatve and Didžioji.