Best Time to Visit Vilnius

Summer: long days, a few showers

June to August is the easy season in Vilnius. Days are warm, not hot, with highs around 21 to 23°C. Evenings stay light very late, so you can wander the Old Town after dinner and still see where you're going.

July is the wettest month, with rain on 18 days. That's mostly short showers, but pack for them. June and August feel drier and rate Excellent. If you want terrace lunches in Užupis (the artsy neighbourhood across the Vilnia river) or a swim at Trakai's lakes, those two months are your best bet. Trakai is an island castle about 30 minutes away by train.

Summer is also the busy season. Hotels in the Old Town fill up, and Lithuanian school holidays run through the summer. Still, Vilnius never feels packed like Prague.

Spring and early autumn: the quiet sweet spot

May is green and mild, but it's rainy, with showers on 15 days. April is cooler and still fairly grey. Both are good for walking the Old Town without queues.

September is the one to circle. It's dry compared with summer, with rain on only 10 days, and highs sit around 18°C. The crowds thin out, the trees on Gediminas Hill turn gold, and the climb up to the tower is a pleasure. Families with school-age kids will find it easier to get a room, too.

Winter: dark, cold and cosy

From November to March, expect short days and little sun. January and February see only about an hour or so of sunshine a day, and highs stay below freezing. It's damp and grey, so don't plan a lot of outdoor sightseeing.

But if you like atmosphere over sunshine, winter has its charm. December brings the Christmas market on Cathedral Square, with mulled wine and a big lit tree. Warm up afterwards with hot *cepelinai*, the potato dumplings stuffed with meat that Lithuanians eat all winter. Hotels are cheaper outside the holidays, and you'll often have the churches to yourself.

Events worth planning around

Kaziukas Fair, a big craft market, takes over the Old Town in early March. Late October is quiet, but it's good for cheap stays and moody, misty walks. Christmas is the other peak, so book early for December.