In short: for a romantic weekend in Kaunas, arrive on Friday afternoon and stay two nights in the centre. Spend the first evening on Town Hall Square, crossing Vytautas the Great Bridge over the Nemunas and taking in the view from Aleksotas hill; on Saturday, visit the market by the castle, Santaka and Laisvės alėja, and book your special dinner ahead.
Plenty of people come to Kaunas for the day: castle, square, coffee on Vilniaus gatvė, and back home. It’s a pity, because for couples the best of Kaunas begins just as the day-trippers head for the bus. After dark the white Town Hall glows, the lamps on the bridge shimmer in the Nemunas, and a glass of wine in a 17th-century cellar tastes better when home is a few minutes’ walk away rather than an hour’s drive. Below is a two-day plan we put together with two people in mind.
Before you go: when and how many nights
Two nights is the sweet spot: Friday evening in the Old Town, all of Saturday on foot and one more evening. One thing to know: the best restaurants in Kaunas are closed on Sundays and Mondays, so plan your big dinner for Friday or Saturday.
The season changes the route. In autumn and winter the sun sets early and the Aleksotas funicular runs until 19:00, so catching the sunset from the hill is easy. In summer the evenings are long and the sun sets much later, so head to Santaka for sunset instead. At the end of November the Christmas tree is lit on Town Hall Square, and in December the square hosts the Christmas market. What weather to expect each month is in our guide to Kaunas through the seasons.
Day 1: the Old Town and an evening by the river
Afternoon: down Vilniaus gatvė to Town Hall Square
Once you’ve dropped your bags, walk down pedestrian Vilniaus gatvė, the oldest street in the Old Town, where most buildings date from the 16th century. It leads to Town Hall Square and the white Town Hall that locals call the “White Swan”. The square was fully rebuilt in 2026. In its north-east corner stands the Cathedral Basilica, the largest Gothic church in Lithuania.
Before sunset: along the Nemunas, over the bridge and up to Aleksotas
From the square, head south along Aleksoto gatvė towards the Nemunas. On the way you pass Perkūnas House, a late-15th-century Gothic merchant’s house whose façade uses bricks of up to 16 different profiles. Right on the riverbank stands Vytautas the Great Church, and beyond it Vytautas the Great Bridge (1930) spans the Nemunas.
Cross the bridge to the Aleksotas funicular, running since 1935. The little car climbs slowly to a viewpoint over the Old Town roofs, church towers and the spot where the Neris flows into the Nemunas. The funicular runs daily 7:00–19:00 with a lunch break 12:00–13:00. Walk back over the same bridge: after dark you’ll see the lit-up Old Town from the far bank of the Nemunas.
Evening: dinner and a drink under the vaults
On the first night, keep it relaxed and close. Medžiotojų užeiga (Rotušės a. 10), right on the square, is known for game and is open daily until 23:00. Avilys (Vilniaus g. 34) is a restaurant and brewery in 18th-century cellars that brews unfiltered beer, honey beer included, and stays open until 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
After dinner, return to the square. The cocktail bar Klimas (Rotušės a. 3) is named after Petras Klimas, a signatory of Lithuania’s Act of Independence, and its theme is 1920s Kaunas and jazz. In the colder months guests sit under historic vaults; in summer, on a terrace overlooking the Old Town. It opens at 18:00 and stays open until 03:00 at weekends, so there’s no need to hurry. More evening ideas are in our guide to Kaunas cellar bars and nightlife.
Day 2: the market, Santaka and Laisvės alėja
Morning: breakfast and the market by the castle
Take it slow. Kasdienybės Bakehouse (E. Ožeškienės g. 3), where Laisvės alėja meets Vilniaus gatvė, opens at 09:00 at weekends: coffee from local roasters, croissants and New York-style cheesecake. On Saturday mornings a farmers’ market sets up by Kaunas Castle with seasonal berries, farm cheese and smoked meats; check the season and times before you go.
Midday: the castle and Santaka
Kaunas Castle is the oldest stone castle in Lithuania and is open 10:00–17:00 on Saturdays. Behind it, Santaka Park begins: lawns and paths running out to the point where the Nemunas and Neris, Lithuania’s two largest rivers, meet. Nothing happens here, and that’s exactly why it works: a walk, a seat by the water, a long conversation. In summer, come back for the sunset.
Afternoon: Laisvės alėja and wine in a 17th-century cellar
Laisvės alėja is a pedestrian boulevard of about 1.6 km, split by a strip of linden trees, running from Vilniaus gatvė to St Michael the Archangel Church. The interwar modernist buildings around it were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023. If you want more than façades, follow our Kaunas modernism walk.
In the late afternoon, head back to the Old Town and Gaston (M. Valančiaus g. 7), a wine shop and wine bar in 17th-century cellars with more than 800 wines, from big producers to small family estates. Gaston closes at 20:00, so it’s a place for a glass before dinner, not after. It sometimes holds wine tastings at 18:00; check the programme and availability in advance.
Evening: a special-occasion dinner
The second evening is the one to celebrate. All four restaurants below are in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Lithuania, and all need a table booked in advance:
- Arrivée (Vilniaus g. 29), in a former 17th-century Dominican monastery, with just nine tables and French cooking with a contemporary touch. The tasting menu lasts about four hours, so it is the whole evening rather than just dinner. Open Wednesday–Saturday 17:00–22:00.
- Uoksas (Maironio g. 28): Lithuanian produce, Nordic techniques. Open until 23:00 on Fridays and from 15:00 on Saturdays.
- Nüman (Nemuno g. 43): a Bib Gourmand and the guide’s Service Award. Try the dumplings with duck.
- SIJA (Nepriklausomybės a. 5): Lithuanian ingredients only, so there are no citrus fruits or olive oil on the menu. For dinner, a 3- or 9-course tasting menu.
Compare all the places with opening hours in our guide to where to eat in Kaunas Old Town. If a concert or a show appeals more than dinner, see our list of events in Kaunas: for a concert at Žalgirio Arena or a theatre night on Laisvės alėja, staying in the centre is the easiest option.
After dinner, skip the taxi. Walk back along Vilniaus gatvė, past the lit-up Town Hall: this evening stroll is exactly why it’s worth spending the night in Kaunas instead of driving home.
Where to stay as a couple
All three MyKaunas stays are in the centre, and from each you can walk both days of this route. Which one suits you depends on what you want most: silence, space or a balcony over the cobbles.
Underground Kingdom Boutique: silence under 1908 vaults
Underground Kingdom Boutique has four private rooms, each for two, with a double bed and its own shower and WC. They are built into the brick vaults of a 1908 building, below street level, where Laisvės alėja meets Vilniaus gatvė. There are no windows, and that is exactly what makes these rooms special: neither street noise nor early morning light reaches the vaults, so after a long evening in town you’ll sleep in a way you rarely manage in a hotel. There is ventilation and air conditioning, and guests share a 35 m² candle-lit lounge. The story of the building is in the 1908 vaults at the Kaunas crossroads.
Old Town Pearl Suite: space, a bathtub and a river view
Old Town Pearl Suite is an 84 m² apartment in a building completed in 2024, about 250 m from Kaunas Castle, so Santaka is just a few steps away. Two people have plenty of room here: two bedrooms, a bathtub and a shower, a lift, and a balcony looking over the centre and the river. The minimum stay is two nights, just right for a weekend.
Picturesque Old Town Apartment: a balcony above the cobbles
Picturesque Old Town Apartment (M. Valančiaus g. 12) is in the heart of the Old Town, about 300 m from Town Hall Square and 250 m from the castle, and Gaston is on the same street. The balcony opens onto a cobbled Old Town street, and the kitchen has an espresso machine, so Saturday can start with coffee on the balcony before the city wakes up.
Getting here
From Vilnius Airport, the fastest options to Kaunas are the direct bus or a car; all the choices are in our guide from Vilnius Airport to Kaunas. If you fly into Kaunas, see from Kaunas Airport to the Old Town, and if you drive, our Old Town parking guide. To stretch the weekend, find more ideas in things to do in Kaunas and Kaunas Old Town in 48 hours.
Opening hours are October–November 2026 data from the venues themselves and our other guides. Restaurants and bars change them, so check before you go. Header photo: Town Hall Square at dusk. Photo: Guillaume Speurt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Frequently asked questions
How many nights should we plan for a romantic weekend in Kaunas?
Two nights, Friday to Sunday. That gives you two evenings in town and a full Saturday on foot, with no rush for the last bus or train.
Where can we have a special-occasion dinner in Kaunas?
Arrivée (Vilniaus g. 29) in the Old Town, and Uoksas, Nüman and SIJA in the centre. All four are in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Lithuania. They are closed on Sundays and Mondays, so book a table for Friday or Saturday in advance.
Where can we go for a glass of wine or a cocktail?
For wine, Gaston (M. Valančiaus g. 7), a wine bar in 17th-century cellars that closes at 20:00. For cocktails, Klimas on Town Hall Square, open from 18:00 until 02:00 or 03:00. Avilys on Vilniaus gatvė brews its own beer in 18th-century cellars.
Where is the best place to watch the sunset in Kaunas?
The Aleksotas viewpoint, reached by funicular, looks over the Old Town roofs and the confluence of the rivers. The funicular runs until 19:00, so it works best for sunset in autumn and winter. In summer the sun sets later; go to Santaka Park instead.
Where is the quietest place for two to sleep in Kaunas?
The rooms at Underground Kingdom Boutique are set in the vaults of a 1908 building, below street level. They have no windows, so neither street noise nor early morning light gets in.
When is the best time for a romantic trip to Kaunas?
May, June and September bring long, mild evenings. At the end of November the Christmas tree is lit on Town Hall Square (27 November in 2026), and in December the square hosts the Christmas market.
Do we need a car for a weekend in Kaunas?
No. The Old Town, the Nemunas riverside, Santaka and Laisvės alėja are all walkable, and a funicular climbs Aleksotas hill.
Can we book MyKaunas stays directly?
Yes. Booking on mykaunas.com carries no booking fees, and cleaning and city tax are included in the price.
