Last-Minute to Lithuania: A Loose Itinerary
- Josi Hicks
- Jul 10, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 24, 2025
Some trips are planned months in advance with color-coded spreadsheets and dinner reservations. Others are booked on a whim (just five days before departure) when you realize you have a free weekend and a growing urge to do something a little… unhinged.
My trip to Vilnius, Lithuania in mid-November was the latter. I had a bucket-list I’d made before going abroad, and I remembered vaguely writing down “visit a Baltic country,” with Lithuania scribbled just below. After a quick Google Flights search and a little luck, I found a reasonable flight from Rome to Vilnius, booked it without overthinking, and just like that, I was off on my first solo trip ever.
Day 1: Landing in Lithuania
Arrival in Vilnius
I arrived around 5 p.m. on a snowy Friday evening. Real, flurrying, first-of-winter snow. The air was cold and crisp—a total turnaround from the Florentine fall I had left behind that morning. Just my backpack and me, I navigated my way from the airport, onto a public bus, and into the historic city center (my phone and I freezing in solidarity).
From the nearest bus stop, I walked about a mile to Jimmy Jumps House Hostel, getting my first glimpse of Vilnius along the way—cozy cafés, fantastical flurries, and charming cobblestone streets.
A Hostel Home: Jimmy Jumps House
Jimmy Jumps is the kind of hostel you end up accidentally calling home by the end of your trip. Within ten minutes of checking in, I had new friends for the weekend: a 39-year-old Canadian teacher, a 34-year-old dancer from South Florida, and the twenty-something-year-old local receptionist. I knew I was in for a treat after meeting this cast of characters.
With not much else to do after 5 o'clock, we gathered in the hostel bar over a few ciders, and—in true first solo-trip fashion—I convinced the receptionist to give us a personal tour of the town. We wandered Vilnius by moonlight, laughing in the light snow, with no plan in sight. It was low-stakes, unfiltered fun, and I couldn’t tell you much more from memory than that.
Day 2: Užupis & the Unexpected
The Walking Tour
The next morning, we embarked on an actual official walking tour, starting in front of Vilnius' Town Hall. Here's a rundown of what I recall:
Vokiečių g
First, we walked down Vokiečių g., a street widened by the Soviets where a row of historic buildings used to sit, which was originally cleared for tanks to roll through during military parades.
Lithuania has only been completely cleared of communist control for three decades since the dissolve of the Soviet Union. Remnants from this time period still remain throughout the city. Visiting Vilnius showed me how vastly important it is to pay attention to and learn about the apparent aftereffects of Communist rule.
Jewish Quarter
We also explored the Jewish Quarter, learning about the once-thriving Jewish population that was tragically decimated during WWII.
Vilnius was known as “the Jerusalem of the North,” with a vibrant intellectual and cultural scene that was brought to life with the help of Jewish (Litvak) migrants. Much of that was erased during the Nazi occupation, when public executions took place in the city and in the very quarters where we stood.
The Wall of Literature
Afterwards, we passed an art installation along “Literature Street”—an offbeat, open-air exhibit featuring plaques, sculptures, and tributes to Lithuanian writers and poets.
One of the pieces of work featured a sculpture of teeth with the phrase “Lietuvių literatūros protezai”, which loosely translates to “prosthetics of Lithuanian literature”—one way to tell the critics of the world to keep their mouths shut, respectfully. This was my first true glimpse into just how funky and fabulous Lithuanians are.
At this stop, our tour guide also taught us a bit of the Lithuanian lanuage. It is 1 of 2 Baltic languages still spoken (Latvian being the other), with only 4 million known speakers left around the world. Some fun words to remember:
"Labas"="hello"
"Ačiū" (sneeze sound)="thank you"
"Iki"="goodbye"
Užupis: The Republic Within the City
Next up: Užupis—Vilnius’ very own bohemian breakaway neighborhood that declared itself an independent republic in 1997. While it's not internationally recognized, it does have:
Its own president.
A constitution (posted on mirrored plaques in multiple languages).
Some of my favorite articles:
"Everyone has the right to be undistinguished and unknown."
"A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of need."
"Everyone is responsible for their freedom."
A "barliament" instead of a parliament (literally a pub where they convene).
A variety of quirky art installations.
And most importantly: a rule that you must always smile when visiting.
The vibe is somewhere between eccentric artist commune and light political satire. It's like Christiania in Copenhagen meets Wes Anderson. You best believe I was smiling the whole time, and not just because it's illegal not to!
St. Anne's Church
Known to be the most beautiful church in Lithuania (which is impressive amongst its 700-odd competitors), the Church of St. Anne is Vilnius' Gothic masterpiece. Rumor has it that, upon seeing the church in 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte said he wanted to carry it back to Paris in the palm of his hand because it’s that pretty and petite.
I stood staring up at the spires, and I totally got him. Truth be told, however, this is apparently a total tale, as Napoleon was known to despise Gothic architecture and never actually visited Vilnius.
Cathedrals & Castles
We ended the walking tour in Cathedral Square, Vilnius' central gathering space. In the winter, it transforms into a Christmas wonderland, complete with a unique tree reveal each new holiday.
Just above the square is Gediminas Hill, where we climbed to the Gediminas Castle Tower. Here we soaked in panoramic views of Vilnius with its red rooftops, winding rivers, and gray-sheeted skies.
After snapping some solo shots and group selfies, we wandered over to Bastion Hill and got to feel like we were Vikings defending our fortress inside this historic underground museum.
Diners, Hand-Me-Downs & Dives
That afternoon, I convinced one of my new pals (s/o Julia!) to follow me to Humana People (my favorite European thrift chain), and scored a vintage fur coat or two paired with some leather boots. If you know me, you know I love a good thrift store, but I especially love thrifting in foreign countries with unique styles, and this Humana was boasting bespoke Baltic.
After reconvening at the hostel, our posse headed out for one more night crawl in Vilnius, this time joined by a new lot of English lads. We wandered from dive bar to dive bar, drinking cheap cider, dancing in small spaces, and living the life.
Day 3: Later Lithuania
Departure
Loving the Lithuanian lifestyle a bit too much, I made the questionable choice to pull an all-nighter before my 6 a.m. flight. Around 4:30 a.m., I called a Bolt to the airport, exhausted and mildly delirious. Somehow I made it through security in my Lithuanian layers (aka my thrift finds), onto my flight, and slept the whole 3.5-hour journey back to Rome.
I can't quite recall, but I think I also slept the entire train ride home from Rome to Florence. The not remembering part makes me think that this is, in fact, true. All I do know is that by the time I made it back to my apartment, I was running on both fumes and a high. There's nothing like the freedom-finding feeling that comes from your first-solo trip.
Final Thoughts
I didn’t go to Lithuania expecting anything groundbreaking. I definitely didn’t know the language or anyone there, and I didn’t have an itinerary beyond "don't get lost." But what I found was groundbreaking—in the people, the history, the weird art, and the freedom of being completely "undistinguished and unknown."
Last-minute Lithuania showed me life, laughter, and a longing for more. I’d recommend it to anyone, especially if you’re craving a change in direction, which might just be found by going off-the-beaten-path.
Later Lithuania
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