A weekend in Kaunas

A street in the Kaunas old town with colourful houses and people walking — Photo: Christine und Hagen Graf, CC BY

UNESCO modernism, the Ninth Fort and the old town: 59 min by train from Vilnius, and a single city ticket on the app costs €0.70.

Contents

Kaunas in brief

Kaunas suits a weekend for its modernism, its museums and the forts of its fortress. In 2023 Kaunas modernism was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List (UNESCO, checked 2026-10-19). From Vilnius you arrive in 59 min–1 h 28 min. Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania: in 2023 it had 319,790 residents (VLE, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-07).

Choose the season by the weather. The average temperature is 18.6 °C in July and −3.0 °C in January. October has 14.6 days with precipitation (Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service climate normal 1991–2020, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06).

You will find the cost estimate in the weekend in Kaunas guide (in Lithuanian). Here is how to get there, where to stay and what to see.

How to get there

We checked the services on 2026-10-08 for Saturday 7 November. The cheapest 2nd-class ticket from Vilnius to Kaunas is €4.30 for an adult (LTG Link search, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-22). Services for other dates are in the same search.

From	How	Time
Vilnius	LTG Link, 7 November	22 direct trains, for example 09:13 → 10:32
Kaunas to Vilnius	LTG Link, 7 November	22 direct trains, for example 16:30 → 17:49

A red and grey double-decker LTG Link train passes the platforms of Kaunas railway station on a sunny day — Photo: Nenea hartia, CC BY-SA

From Vilnius. On Saturday 7 November direct trains from Vilnius to Kaunas leave from 05:55 to 21:35, and the journey takes from 59 min (08:10 → 09:09, 13:30 → 14:29) to 1 h 28 min (LTG Link search, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08). Back from Kaunas to Vilnius they run from 05:27 to 22:20 (LTG Link search, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08). Compare the bus and the train.

From Klaipėda and Riga. We did not check their services from permitted sources for this page. For the Klaipėda and Riga options, see the articles Klaipėda–Kaunas by bus or train (in Lithuanian) and Kaunas–Riga by bus (in Lithuanian).

The bus station (Vytauto pr. 24) and the railway station (M. K. Čiurlionio g. 16) are about 620 m apart, and it is 3.4–3.7 km from them to Town Hall Square. You will find the calculations in the guide to the stations (in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06).

The Kaunas airport terminal with the sign “Kaunas”, taxis and passengers in front — Photo: Thomas Pusch, CC BY-SA

Flying in? The city bus 29 to the bus station takes 32–49 min (article, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06).

Getting around

Kaunas public transport is run by Kauno autobusai. Prices for buses and trolleybuses (Kaunas public transport, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06):

Ticket	Price
Single, “Žiogas” app	€0.70
Single, from the driver or by bank card	€1.50
Aleksotas funicular, one way	€1.50

An app ticket allows one free change within 30 min; with a ticket bought from the driver or by card you cannot change. We did not see a plain day ticket in the price list. If you travel without a ticket, the inspection fee is €8.00.

The Kaunas municipality announced that from 1 December it plans to stop accepting cash from the driver (kaunas.lt, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). In the Old Town and the New Town you can reach the main sights on foot.

Where to stay

According to the district descriptions on Kaunas IN (in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06):

Old Town. Narrow streets, museums, old churches and Kaunas Castle. Good for a first visit.
New Town. The city centre with shops, cafés and UNESCO-protected modernism. Good for easy movement.
Žaliakalnis. A higher residential district with parks and views of the city. Good for a quieter stay.
Aleksotas. Near the centre: residential, industrial and historic quarters.
Žemieji Šančiai. A district by the Nemunas where old architecture, new houses and creative spaces meet.
Panemunė. A quiet residential district near Panemunė Pinewood, one of the city’s largest parks.

The “Where to stay” section of Kaunas IN shows 30 places: 24 hotels, 3 guest houses, 2 campsites and 1 motel (Kaunas IN, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-07). It gives no prices.

A night for two on 7–8 November: the apartment “Compact & Comfy Apt - Greenhill” costs €50 (Airbnb, checked 2026-10-22). Without a date: R+ Hostel from €42 a night for two (website, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-22), Hotel Daugirdas from €111 (website, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-22). For how to choose a place to stay, see the article (in Lithuanian).

What to see

You will find every sight in the sections What to see and What to do. Here are the main ones.

Laisvės alėja in Kaunas with trees, festive fir branches and garlands of lights — Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY

M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art

The main site of the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum in Kaunas, with a collection of the artist’s works.

On the map Website

The M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum. Putvinskio g. 55; ticket €10. It is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10:00–18:00 (prices, opening hours, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08). Nearby, at Putvinskio g. 64, is the Devils’ Museum: ticket €8, Saturday and Sunday 10:00–17:00 (museum page, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08).

A vaulted concrete corridor in the Kaunas Ninth Fort with a black door at the end — Photo: Andrius Vanagas, CC BY

Kaunas Ninth Fort Museum

A fort of the Kaunas Fortress on Žemaičių plentas, home to the Kaunas Ninth Fort Museum.

On the map Website

The Ninth Fort. From 1 October to 31 March it is open Tuesday–Sunday 09:00–17:00. An adult ticket costs €8, and on the last Sunday of the month entry is free. You cannot go onto the defensive wall without a guide (opening hours, prices, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08).

Kaunas Castle

A Gothic castle at the confluence of the Nemunas and the Neris with a red conical tower, one of the oldest buildings in the city.

On the map Website

Kaunas Castle. Tuesday–Friday 10:00–18:00, Saturday 10:00–17:00. It is open on Sundays only from 1 June to 31 August. Ticket €4 (museum page, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08).

Town Hall and the Kaunas City Museum. Construction of the Town Hall began in 1542, and Vytautas granted Kaunas Magdeburg rights in 1408. After renovation a new city history exhibition opened in the building in 2024. The Town Hall is open Tuesday and Wednesday 10:00–17:00, Thursday 12:00–20:00, Friday and Saturday 12:00–18:00, Sunday 12:00–17:00. A ticket costs €10, concession €5 (museum page, history, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08).

The Petrauskas Brothers’ House. The house in Žaliakalnis was added to the UNESCO list in 2023 together with the New Town and Žaliakalnis area. It holds Kipras Petrauskas’s memorial flat and a chamber music hall. The museum is open Tuesday–Friday 10:00–18:00 and Saturday 10:00–17:00, and a ticket costs €4 (museum page, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08).

Juozas Gruodis’s House. The composer, conductor and teacher Juozas Gruodis lived with his wife Stasė in the house by Eiguliai Hillfort from 1932. The museum is open Tuesday–Friday 10:00–18:00 and Saturday 10:00–17:00, and closed on Monday and Sunday. An adult ticket costs €2 and €1 for students and pensioners, and you can pay in cash only (museum page, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08).

The old town churches. Vytautas Church was built in the early fifteenth century, the Church of St George the Martyr and the monastery were built from 1472 to the nineteenth century, and construction of Kaunas Cathedral began in the early fifteenth century (VLE, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-07).

A yellow funicular car stands at the upper station, with steps and rails going down between trees — Photo: J Hokkanen, CC BY-SA

Aleksotas Funicular

The funicular was built in 1935, and its track is 132.9 m long.

On the map Website

The funicular and the observation wheel. The Aleksotas funicular was built in 1935, and its track is 132.9 m long (Kaunas public transport, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). On the Nemunas island Kaunas IN announces a 45 m observation wheel, “Kaunastic” (news item, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). We found no prices or opening hours for it.

What to do by season

Spring and summer. Pažaislis Monastery is open Tuesday–Friday 10:00–17:00 and Saturday 10:00–15:30, ticket €10 (pazaislis.org, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08). Kaunas Castle opens on Sundays only in summer.
Autumn. A zoo ticket costs €10 from 1 October to 30 April and €15 in summer (zoosodas.lt, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). October is rainy, so book museums.
Winter. The coldest month is January, with 14.2 ice days (climate normal, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). Choose the Aviation Museum or the Girstutis swimming pool, see “If it rains”.

We have not built an events calendar with an organiser’s source, so we give no particular dates.

A pastel-coloured house in the Kaunas old town and a red church bell tower under a blue sky — Photo: Derbrauni, CC BY

If it rains

On a rainy day in Kaunas choose an indoor museum or a swimming pool. Hours and prices checked on 8 October.

Lithuanian Aviation Museum. On Monday it is open 10:00–16:00, Tuesday–Saturday 10:00–18:00, and closed on Sunday. On the last Sunday of the month entry is free, 10:00–16:00. A visitor ticket is €8 (museum, in Lithuanian).
Girstutis swimming pool. Open Monday–Friday 6:00–22:00, Saturday and Sunday 9:00–21:00. At weekends an adult 4-hour ticket costs €19 and a 2.5-hour one €17 (contacts, prices, in Lithuanian).

The museum is closed on public holidays.

A silver An-2 aeroplane with its propeller covered, standing on the grass beside a log building — Photo: Phillip Capper, CC BY

Lithuanian Aviation Museum

Aeroplanes and helicopters in the Kaunas exhibition, and flight simulators let you try piloting.

On the map Website

What to eat

The “Where to eat” page of Kaunas IN shows 180 places. They include 99 restaurants, 32 coffee and dessert places, 36 bars and 13 places with Lithuanian cuisine. The Michelin guide filter shows 6 places (Kaunas IN, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). We did not check particular dishes or prices, so we do not give them.

A round aquarium with colourful fish, surrounded by imitation rocks and visitors in the Kaunas zoo building — Photo: Radosław Botev, CC BY

Lithuanian Zoo

A zoo with indoor aquariums and paths, good for a longer walk.

On the map Website

Practical information

Tourist tax. Since 1 January 2025 the pillow tax in Kaunas has been €2 (previously €1). It is not paid by people under 18, people with 0–40 % capacity for work, rehabilitation patients and those renting for longer than a month (Kaunas municipality, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). About other cities: the tourist tax.
Emergencies. In Lithuania call 112; the operator also answers in English (Go Vilnius, checked 2026-10-06).
Kaunas City Museum. The Town Hall, Kaunas Castle and the Petrauskas House are closed on public holidays, except 16 February, 11 March and 6 July. On the last Tuesday of every month they are closed 10:00–12:00 for maintenance, and the ticket office stops selling 30 min before closing (museum page, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08).
Closing days. The Ninth Fort is open Tuesday–Sunday, and Kaunas Castle is closed on Sunday in winter. When planning, look at the day of the week.

Weekend plan

Friday. Arrive in the evening, leave your things and have dinner from the Kaunas IN list.

Saturday. In the morning the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum, in the afternoon the Devils’ Museum (until 17:00), and in the evening Kaunas Castle and the old town.

Sunday. In the morning go to the Ninth Fort (from 09:00). On the last Sunday of the month entry is free. Take the train back to Vilnius; trains run from 05:27 to 22:20 (times in the “How to get there” table). The LTG Link 50 % discount on local routes is valid for journeys 9 October–31 December (terms, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-09).

More ideas: trips from Kaunas (in Lithuanian), the Open-Air Museum at Rumšiškės (in Lithuanian) (both in Lithuanian) and Vilnius.

FAQ

How much is a ticket on Kaunas public transport? €0.70 through the “Žiogas” app, €1.50 from the driver or by card (KVT, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06).

How long does the journey from Vilnius to Kaunas take? LTG Link direct trains take from 59 min to 1 h 28 min (checked 2026-10-08; for a comparison, see the article, in Lithuanian).

Do I have to pay the tourist tax in Kaunas? Yes, €2 per person per night. The place you stay collects it.

When is the Ninth Fort free? On the last Sunday of every month.

Things to see and do in Kaunas

By car: distance, time, fuel

By car

From Vilnius: 101 km, 1 h 2 min one way. Fuel there and back: €25.62 per car, €12.81 each for two people.Calculation: 2 × 101 km = 202 km; 202 km ÷ 100 × 6.5 l/100 km = 13.13 l; 13.13 l × 1.951 €/l = €25.62.
From Klaipėda: 213 km, 1 h 54 min one way. Fuel there and back: €54.02 per car, €27.01 each for two people.Calculation: 2 × 213 km = 426 km; 426 km ÷ 100 × 6.5 l/100 km = 27.69 l; 27.69 l × 1.951 €/l = €54.02.

From Šiauliai, Panevėžys is not calculated yet: we do not have map data for this route.

This is an approximate calculation, not a price. Travel time without traffic or border queues. Fuel price: Lithuanian average, Euro-super 95 with taxes, 2026-10-19, the European Commission's Weekly Oil Bulletin (CC BY 4.0); consumption 6.5 l/100 km. Routes: MOTIS, car profile, no traffic conditions, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extracts, calculated 2026-10-29. There are no road tolls for passenger cars in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia; for Poland, see here (in Lithuanian).

Kaunas on the map (OpenStreetMap)