In July 2026, I headed out on a bucket list cruise through the Baltics. It was an incredible 9-day adventure that started in Helsinki and ended in Copenhagen on board the beautiful Norwegian Sun. Each day was so unique, but a highlight was definitely our port day in Klaipeda, Lithuania! I was able to strike a perfect balance between urban exploration and nature. It offered great variety not only to the day, but to the entire cruise overall! Here is how to have the perfect port day in Klaipeda, Lithuania!
Read More: Full Review: 9-Day NCL Sun Baltic Cruise
Docking in Klaipeda
The cruise port in Klaipeda was the most centrally located one on the entire Baltic cruise. It is docked just a few minute walk away from the old town. You can walk off the ship and get right to exploring. The waterfront area near the port is charming, featuring the old shipyard and newer fishing boats. The Klaipeda Castle is also just a few steps away and was a delight to walk past. The Chain Bridge was also a sight to see. You will walk over this bridge to get into the old town from the port. It is an old bridge that requires two people to hand-spin a crank to open and close the bridge to allow boats through. It was neat to see it in action! Right next to the bridge, you’ll also find the Black Ghost. You can read more about the legend of this eerie sculpture here.
Klaipeda Highlights
I had booked an excursion for the afternoon on this port day in Klaipeda (more on that below), so I had a couple of hours to explore the city before! Klaipeda is small, and two hours is plenty of time to wander. The Old Town was charming, but fell a little flat to me compared to showstoppers Tallinn and Riga that we visited in the days prior. The highlight for me was definitely walking along the Danės up river and seeing The Meridian sailboat (which is now a restaurant). Another adorable can’t-miss is to stop at Stebuklingasis peliukas (The Magical Mouse). Legend says if you whisper your wish into his ear, it’ll come true! I’ll let you know if it happens for me.
Curonian Spit
But the real reason that people look forward to a port day in Klaipeda? The Curonian Spit! This 98-kilometer long sand dune peninsula runs between the Curonian Lagoon (which is what Klaipeda and mainland Lithuania are situated on) and the Baltic Sea. Russia and Lithuania share a border on this peninsula, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site! I booked Hiking The Dune Paradise, which would give me a chance to see the famous sand dunes up close! The logistics of getting out to the Curonian Spit were just too great for me to risk on my own, so I opted for a tour through the cruise line. We boarded a bus at the cruise port and rode it onto a ferry out to the spit (which was a cool experience in itself!).
Negyvosios kopos (The Dead Dunes)
We then drove out to Negyvosios kopos (The Dead Dunes) for a hike! The out-and-back hike was short, only about 2 km round trip. It started pretty easily on a boardwalk, but quickly turned into hiking up and down massive sand dunes. It was spectacular! I had so many “pinch me” moments when I would realize that I’m hiking on sand dunes off the coast of Lithuania. What?! From the end of the trail, you could see into the lagoon and mainland Lithuania. Looking to the right and down the shore is Kaliningrad, which is a part of Russia. They call this area “The Lithuanian Sahara”, which I’ll admit I rolled my eyes at a bit before arriving. I then quickly realized how right they were! This really is like a desert! Direct sunlight and zero shade. Do not forget your sunscreen and sunglasses when visiting the dunes!
Juodkrantė
After the hike, we had some free time to explore the small town of Juodkrantė. There was a small museum where I admired the local Curonian weathervanes, which are a unique design local to this area. The different designs would help fishermen identify different villages on the Curonian Spit and could be easily seen from a distance. They really are works of art! Others in my group decided to visit the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in town. I had seen enough churches on this trip, so I decided to spend the rest of my time in Juodkrantė strolling along the waterfront and admiring the fishing boats.
Back to the Ship
The Hiking The Dune Paradise excursion was only about 4.5 hours in total, so we made it back to the ship by early evening. Balancing a bit of Old Town Klaipeda exploration with an excursion out to the Curonian Spit really was the perfect way to spend a port day in Klaipeda! I felt like I got to do a bit of everything, and didn’t miss out. It you had to choose between one or the other, I’d recommend getting out to the Curonian Spit to experience the dunes and small towns. It really was such a highlight and so unique to this part of the world!
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