Kaunas

Kaunas is Lithuania's second city, with a medieval Old Town and a UNESCO-listed core of interwar modernist buildings. A night or a full day from Vilnius is enough to see the main areas.

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Kaunas is Lithuania's second city, where the Neris and Nemunas rivers meet, about 100 km west of Vilnius. The Old Town has a Gothic town hall and narrow streets, a short walk from a central district of modernist buildings from the 1920s and 1930s. UNESCO inscribed that district in 2023 as part of Kaunas interwar modernism. Between the wars the city was Lithuania's temporary capital, and that period filled the center with offices, schools, cinemas and apartment blocks in the modernist style.

The city suits people interested in architecture and 20th-century history. A single night or a day trip from Vilnius covers the Old Town and the modernist core on foot. A second day adds Pažaislis Monastery, a baroque church complex on the shore of the Kaunas reservoir, and the Ninth Fort, a site from the Nazi and Soviet occupations that is now a museum. Spring through early autumn is the best time to walk the riverbanks and outdoor squares, since winter days are short.

Kaunas in five

Take bus 29 from Kaunas AirportThe city's tourism agency names bus 29 as the most convenient link from the airport to the center, timed around flights. More than 20 European airports have direct flights to Kaunas, per the same source.Kaunas from Vilnius
Carry a contactless card for the busBuses and trolleybuses take taps from Visa, Mastercard and phones. Kaunas plans to stop cash sales on board from 1 December 2026, and offers no 24, 48 or 72-hour tickets.Kaunas in 2 days
Walk the modernist core on a loopUNESCO protects two areas, Naujamiestis and Žaliakalnis, holding about 1,500 of the 6,000 interwar buildings that survive in the city. Both are walkable from the Old Town.
Take a taxi to Pažaislis MonasteryTrolleybus 5 runs toward the monastery, but the official FAQ recommends a taxi because the last stop is about 2 km away along a roadside path.
Check Poland border notes before heading southPoland has notified border checks on its Lithuanian land border until 30 March 2027, so carry your passport on any train or coach toward Warsaw.Warsaw

Things to do in Kaunas

See all attractions in Kaunas

Landmark · KaunasKaunas Town Hall

Temple · KaunasPažaislis Monastery and Church

Church · KaunasChrist's Resurrection Basilica

Free trip plannerPlan a trip to KaunasPut the places you like in Kaunas on a map, give them days, and let one button order each day. Free, with no account.Plan a trip

Need to know

Airport: Kaunas (KUN) at Karmėlava; bus 29 or taxi to the center
Getting there: Train and coach from Vilnius; stations 15 minutes' walk from the center
Getting around: Walk; buses and trolleybuses with tap-to-pay; funiculars
Best base: Old Town or Laisvės Alėja for a first visit
Time needed: 1 long day from Vilnius; 2 days with Pažaislis

Weather by month

Rainy days
Snowy days

Best
Good
Mixed
Poor

JanuarySnow13 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh0°Low-4°Cold, short days
FebruaryCloudy11 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh2°Low-3°Cold, icy paths
MarchPartly cloudy10 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh6°Low0°Thaw, damp
AprilPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh12°Low3°Cool, spring
MayPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh17°Low8°Green, long days
JuneRain12 rainy daysHigh22°Low13°Long evenings
JulyRain15 rainy daysHigh23°Low14°Warm, festivals
AugustRain13 rainy daysHigh23°Low14°Warm, river walks
SeptemberPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh19°Low10°Mild, autumn color
OctoberRain13 rainy daysHigh12°Low6°Cool, rain
NovemberRain12 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh6°Low2°Dark, damp
DecemberSnow13 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh2°Low-2°Cold, lights

Average daily high and low in Kaunas, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.

Right now in Kaunas

Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.

Feels like: 2°
Humidity: 87%
Wind: 6 km/h
Chance of rain: 0%

Kaunas

12:37 AM

Tuesday, November 3

GMT+2

Today7°4°0%Tuesday: Drizzle. High 7°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 0%.
Wed7°3°0%Wednesday: Drizzle. High 7°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 0%.
Thu10°4°0%Thursday: Cloudy. High 10°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 0%.
Fri8°2°0%Friday: Cloudy. High 8°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 0%.
Sat9°3°2%Saturday: Cloudy. High 9°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 2%.
Sun7°1°2%Sunday: Partly cloudy. High 7°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 2%.

Updated 10:26 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Money

Mid-market rate1 USD = 0.8961 EUR

Amount

Converted to

EUR · Euro

Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API

What's on in Kaunas

Concerts, festivals and big events in and around the city

Events calendar

Coming up

Day trips by train

Vilniusby train, coach or car on the A1The capital, with its UNESCO-listed Old Town and Gediminas' Tower.Read the guide
Pažaislis Monasterytrolleybus 5 plus a 2 km walk, or taxiA baroque monastery that the city agency suggests for a calm evening stop.
Ninth Fort Museumsee the museum's access pageA fortress museum; the city agency points to the museum's own page for arrival details.

Before you go to Kaunas

Vilnius to Kaunas by trainOfficial ticket sites comparedRead the guide

Hotels near Laisvės AlėjaOld Town and New Town bases comparedCheck availability

eSIM for KaunasŽiogas and Trafi apps for the busRead the guide

Insurance for KaunasMedical cover beyond a GHIC or EHICRead the guide

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Rules for Kaunas, checked

UK passport holders can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180. The passport needs 3 months left after departure and an issue date under 10 years old.Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source
Poland notified temporary border checks on its land border with Lithuania from 2 October 2026 to 30 March 2027. Carry a passport on routes toward Poland.Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source
Kaunas plans to end cash ticket sales by bus and trolleybus drivers from 1 December 2026. Pay with a contactless card, a phone or the Žiogas app.Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source

All Kaunas guides

vehicle on road near building during daytime

Head to headKaunas from Vilnius: day trip or overnight, by train, coach or carChecked Oct 4, 2026

Where to stayWhere to stay in Kaunas: four bases from the Old Town to ŽaliakalnisChecked Oct 4, 2026

ItineraryKaunas in 2 days: Old Town, modernist core, funiculars and PažaislisChecked Oct 4, 2026

Plan around Kaunas

Vilnius

The capital, an intercity ride away

Read the guide Warsaw

Trains link Kaunas with the Polish capital.

Read the guide All of Lithuania

Cities, coast, entry rules and money

Read the guide EES explained

Fingerprints and a photo at the first Schengen border

Read the guide

Kaunas FAQ

Is Kaunas worth visiting?

Yes, if interwar architecture and a walkable river-confluence city appeal. UNESCO inscribed Modernist Kaunas in 2023, and the Old Town and several museums sit nearby.

Can you visit Kaunas as a day trip from Vilnius?

Yes. Trains and coaches run between the two cities, and the stations sit about 15 minutes' walk from Laisvės Alėja. A day covers the Old Town and the modernist core; stay a night for Pažaislis or the Ninth Fort.

How do you get from Kaunas Airport to the city center?

Bus 29 is the city's recommended link, with times coordinated with flights, and taxis wait outside. Pay with a contactless card or the Žiogas app; cash sales on board are planned to end on 1 December 2026.

Is Kaunas a UNESCO World Heritage site?

Part of it is. Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939 was inscribed in 2023 and covers the Naujamiestis and Žaliakalnis districts, where about 1,500 interwar buildings stand.

Do you need a car in Kaunas?

No. The Old Town, Laisvės Alėja and the modernist core are walkable, and buses and trolleybuses cover the rest. A taxi is the easy option for Pažaislis. Old Town parking is paid and sits in a low emission zone.