Getting ashore
The cruise terminal is at Pempininkai Quay, and it is open 24 hours a day. Its berths take ships up to 315 m long, so larger ships anchor offshore and use tenders. The terminal is about 800 m from the city centre, or 8 to 10 minutes on foot. The streets are paved with large cobbles, which make walking hard, so the city has run a free shuttle each hour, a 2024 arrangement. Ask the ship which option applies on your call. Works on a new cruise terminal are under way, so check the state of the works before you travel.
For beach lovers
Beaches are a trip out of the city. Palanga is a seaside resort with an 11 km sandy beach backed by pine forest and dunes, and it makes a good day out. Tourist board tours run there for three hours from 10:30 at EUR 20, and to Nida for four hours from 11:00 at EUR 30. The tours sell out quickly, and these prices date from 2024, so confirm times and fares before you go. Nida, on the Curonian Spit, is covered under nature.
For walkers and architecture fans
Klaipeda’s old town has a Germanic look, a legacy of 700 years of Prussian rule. The Protestant Church of St George stands on Market Square. The sculpture collection of the Picture Gallery is worth seeing, and the statues in the park beside it are the best part. The Hill of Witches, with more than 80 wooden statues of folklore characters, is free and open at all times. The Lithuanian Sea Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 to 18:00, with adult entry at EUR 13, and the Ship Museum Sūduvis is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00, with adult entry at EUR 5. The Museum of Clocks is open Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 18:00. These hours and prices are from a 2023 update and should be checked before you visit. Take your time on the cobbles, and allow a little longer for each stop.
For nature and outdoor fans
The Curonian Spit is a peninsula of sand dunes and beaches, about 100 km long. Nida is an upmarket holiday resort on the spit, which draws 200,000 to 300,000 tourists each summer. The Old Ferry Terminal runs daily from 07:00 to 23:00, about every 30 minutes, with a five-minute crossing to Smiltynė at EUR 1.50 for adults. Car ferries leave the New Ferry Terminal every 20 minutes from 07:00 to 22:00, then hourly overnight, and a car costs EUR 20.50. Bus N1 runs down the spit every two hours to Juodkrante and Nida, a trip of 65 minutes.
For shoppers
Mantas Street has the city’s most fashionable boutiques, and it is open every day except Sunday, so plan any boutique visits for the rest of the week. The Akropolis shopping centre has a cinema, an ice rink, shops, restaurants and two supermarkets, which is handy for picking up supplies. A craft market is a 10-minute walk along the Dane River, and it sits beside the Meridian, a restaurant sailing ship.
For eaters and drinkers
Klaipeda has sidewalk cafés and restaurants throughout the centre. The Meridian, a restaurant sailing ship, is next to the craft market on the Dane River, so the two make a good pairing for a lunch stop. The Akropolis centre also has restaurants, which is an option for a meal near the shops. Many hotels and cafés offer free Wi-Fi, so you can check the day’s plans over a coffee. Ask staff at the tourist information centre for current recommendations.
Getting around and money
Bus 8 runs every 5 to 10 minutes along Taikos prospektas, and Bus 9 runs every 10 minutes nearer the shore. A paper ticket costs EUR 0.80 from a kiosk or EUR 1 from the driver. Taxis start at EUR 1, plus EUR 0.80 a kilometre, and a ride from the bus and railway station to the Old Town might cost about EUR 3.40. These fares are as of 2023, so confirm them locally. The currency is the euro, which has been in use since 2015. Lithuanian is the official language, Russian is spoken almost universally, and younger people are increasingly fluent in English. Emergency calls go to 112. National holidays include 16 February, 11 March, Easter, 1 May, 24 June, 6 July, 15 August, 1 November and 25 to 26 December, so check the dates for your visit.
Walking guide: the old town
Start at the terminal, about 800 m from the centre, or 8 to 10 minutes on foot. Walk to Theatre Square, where the tourist information centre has maps, excursion tickets and city bus tickets. Continue to Market Square and the Protestant Church of St George. Then visit Klaipeda Castle and the History Museum of Lithuania Minor, open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00, with adult tickets at EUR 4.40 and a combined ticket at EUR 6, a 2023 figure. Return to the quay the way you came, about 800 m.
Accessibility & mobility
The archive notes that the city's large cobblestones make walking hard, which is why the city runs a free hourly shuttle. The sources read do not describe step-free routes from the quay or the Old Town. Ask the ship about the shuttle, the gangway and any accessible transport before the call.