✈️ TLV to Vilnius Intl (VNO)
Lithuania
Vilnius
CityVNO
IATA2626.0 km
Distance3h 41m
Flight TimeCoordinates: 54.6341, 25.2858
Airlines:
About Vilnius
Weather in Vilnius
Understand
Vilnius has been central to the country's life for as long as there has been Lithuania, but that has often been a tragic tale. Its Neolithic people traded in Baltic amber. In the early Middle Ages five petty kingdoms combined into two then one, when Mindaugas in 1253 became Lithuania's first king and noble Christian convert. The country splintered after his assassination but was re-united under Gediminas, who established Vilnius castle — in legend on the site where a wolf in a dream told him to build. But the real wolves were his neighbouring countries, and finding a powerful ally meant adopting their religion. Poland was the best bet and a dynastic marriage in 1486 united the crowns, later the nations, and Lithuania became Roman Catholic. Vilnius Old Town was largely built in the following 150 years. This united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth grew almost to the Black Sea, but all the power and money shifted to Poland. Like Hungary in the Austro-Hungarian Empire or Ireland within Britain, Lithuania was the poor country cousin. And then Poland fell, with its territory carved up between Prussia, Austria and Russia, and others snatching what they could. Lithuania became a territory of the Russian Empire . Poland and Lithuania only regained independence after the First World War, and almost at once were at war with each other and with Russia. Vilnius was captured and from 1920 was a Polish exclave, and the Lithuanian capital moved to Kaunas. In the run-up to the Second World War Russia (as the Soviet Union ) again seized the territory. This history meant that when Nazi Germany invaded in 1941, they found many local supporters, and the Jewish population of Vilnius was slaughtered. Postwar the Soviet iron fist clutched Lithuania, until 1991 when civil unrest and the collapse of the USSR enabled the country to seize independence. It looked west for allies, adopting capitalism, joining NATO and the European Union, and — crucially for travellers — welcoming the budget airlines. All this has made Vilnius a friendly, tourist-oriented city, with a wealth of sights reflecting its layers of history. Tourist information: Go Vilnius have a kiosk at the airport and another in Cathedral Square, both open daily 10:00-19:00. They speak good English and are helpful with maps, brochures, tours and suggestions, but they don't book accommodation
Climate
Far from moderating Atlantic, Vilnius winter is extremely cold and temperatures often stay below freezing day after day. Temperatures often reach -25ºC (-13 °F) in the months of January and February, freezing all the rivers and lakes around the city. Summers are warm to hot, with heat waves that send temperatures to rise above 30°C (86°F). Rainfall is relatively equal throughout the year; there is never a completely dry month, although summer is the wettest time in Vilnius. Early summer and autumn are good times to visit, but Vilnius is a year-round destination, and even overcast and gray days have their compensations, when everyone feels in league united against the weather.
See
Vilnius Pass is a tourist discount card which in 2023 costs €37 for 24 hours, €47 for 48 hours and €56 for 72 hours. This excludes public transport and is frankly poor value, you'll struggle to break even.
Do
54.6893 25.2784 1 Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre , A. Vienuolio 1 , ☏ +370 5 262 0727 . Grand ornate opera house with three or four weekly performances. ( updated Feb 2023 ) 54.6779 25.2839 2 Oskaras Koršunovas Theatre (OKT) , Ašmenos 8 , ☏ +370 5 212 2099 . Avant garde theatre southwest edge of Old Town,. ( updated Feb 2023 ) 54.6808 25.2734 3 Old Theatre of Vilnius , Jono Basanavičiaus 13 , ☏ +370 5 262 7133 . Creaky but atmospheric old theatre with performances mostly in Russian. ( updated Feb 2023 ) Football: 54.6686 25.2944 4 LFF Stadium (capacity 5000) is 500 m east of the railway and bus stations, and hosts the men's national soccer team. It also hosts FK Žalgiris , who play in A Lyga, the country's top tier; the playing season is March-Nov. "Žalgiris" means green field and commemorates the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, when Poland-Lithuania smashed the Teutonic Knights. Also playing here in A Lyga is FK Riteriai , who relocated from Trakai in 2019. The stadium is too small for European fixtures and is being rebuilt to hold 8000. 54.716 25.2789 5 Avia Solutions Group Arena was Siemens Arena until rebranded in 2020. It's multi-purpose, and capacity varies with event. For basketball (capacity 10,000) it hosts Rytas Vilnius , the country's leading team. Other regular events are ice hockey games and rock concerts. 54.66997 25.28311 6 Lindyhop Klubas , Geležinkelio 6 ( by railway station ), ☏ +370 647 71111 , info@lindyhop.lt . M-F 18:00-21:00, Su 20:00-23:00 . Lindy Hop is a US swing / jazz dance style that evolved from the 1930s and is now enjoying a revival, with clubs and lessons, retro gear optional. ( updated Feb 2023 ) Go Karts: 54.6652 25.2744 7 Kartlandas Elektrokart is on Dariaus ir Girėno 500 m west of the railway station. It's a battery-powered kiddy affair. 54.7255 25.3499 8 Plytinės is a full-scale outdoor track 5 km northeast of city centre. Hot air balloons take to the sky above Vilnius and elsewhere in Lithuania. Operators include Oreiviai and Smile . In 2023 you might pay €140 per person.
Buy
Money: ATMs are very common in Vilnius and most shops accept credit cards. Amber was created some 50 million years ago when Baltic conifer forests were flooded, and the tree resin became fossilised into a hard semi-precious stone. Every souvenir shop sells it. Supermarket chains are Maxima [dead link] , Rimi , Barbora , Iki , Aibė and Norfa . 54.6734 25.2864 1 Halės turgus . Tu-Sa 07:00-18:00, Su 07:00-16:00 . The main market hall of Vilnius, built in 1906 and looking like a railway terminus. Inside, its east side has food stalls and a couple of eateries. Adjacent is the modern wing for clothing and household wares. ( updated Feb 2023 ) 54.7104 25.2631 2 Akropolis , Ozo 25 ( Šeškinė district ), ☏ +370 659 23632 . Daily 08:00-23:00 . Large mall with multiplex cinema and ice rink. ( updated Feb 2023 ) 54.68675 25.28008 3 Centro pasažas , Gedimino pr 16 ( By Novotel Vilnius Centre on Kudirka sq. ). M-Sa 10:00-22:00 . Small mall west edge of Old Town. ( updated Feb 2023 ) 54.6963 25.2768 4 Europa , Konstitucijos pr 7A ( Business district ), info@pceuropa.lt . Daily 08:00-21:00 . Opened in 2004, when Lithuania joined EU. ( updated Feb 2023 ) 54.68707 25.28158 5 GO9 , Gedimino 9 ( opposite Novotel and Money Museum ), ☏ +370 655 92550 . M-Sa 10:00-20:00, Su 11:00-18:00 . Central mall with a large branch of H&M. ( updated Feb 2023 ) 54.6793 25.2579 6 Helios City , Savanorių pr 1 . Daily 08:00-23:00 . With a branch of Iki. ( updated Feb 2023 ) 54.7144 25.2735 7 Ozas , Ozo 18 ( Šeškinė district by sports arena ), ☏ +370 640 15055 , info@ozas.lt . Daily 10:00-21:00 . One of the biggest shopping malls in Vilnius, many stores and services plus Multikino cinema. ( updated Feb 2023 ) 54.7 25.2576 8 Panorama , Saltoniškių 9 ( Saltoniškės district ), ☏ +370 686 39060 , info@panorama.lt . Daily 10:00-21:00 . Multi-level centre west of business district. ( updated Feb 2023 ) 54.7146 25.2978 9 Outlet Park , Verkiai 31 ( Žirmūnai district ), ☏ +370 800 29292 , info@parkasoutlet.lt . Daily 10:00-20:00 . Shopping mall for discount stores. ( updated Feb 2023 ) 54.6939 25.2763 10 CUP , Konstitucijos pr 16 ( Business district ), ☏ +370 650 38853 . Daily 08:00-22:00 . Trading since 1974. ( updated Feb 2023 ) Gariunai is a huge market 5 km west of the city by the intersection of A1 and A19. It's open Tu-F 06:30-14:00, Sa Su 05:30-16:00. It scores high on quantity, sucks for quality, and traffic is a major problem: you could easily be queuing an hour to enter the site and an hour to exit.
Stay safe
If you are a person of colour, you may get weird looks or otherwise be looked down upon from the locals.
Go next
Trakai 30 km west has two castles amid scenic lakes. Purnuškės 25 km north is one of the claimants to be the geographical centre of Europe. Kernavė 35 km northwest was medieval capital of Lithuania, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its ancient mounds. Kaunas 100 km west is the second largest city, and mostly modern but with a small Old Town.