10 Days in Lithuania

What You Should Know Before Going On A Lithuania Tour

Where is Lithuania?

Lithuania is located in northeastern Europe, on the southeastern coast of the Baltic Sea. It lies to the east of Sweden and Denmark, and is bordered to the north by Latvia, to the south and east by Belarus, & to the south by Poland. It is considered one of the Baltic states, alongside Latvia and Estonia; tours to Lithuania will often be included in Baltic tours that also visit these two countries. 

Lithuanian Language + Common Phrases

Lithuanian is one of the oldest living Indo-European languages in the world, and retains archaic language features that are only found in other ancient languages such as Sanskrit or Ancient Greek. Lithuanian is closely related to Latvian, and shares some similarities with Germanic, Slavic, and other Indo-European languages. However, it’s important to distinguish that Lithuanian is considered a Baltic language, rather than a Slavic one. 

Today, Lithuanian spoken by about 2.8 million native speakers within Lithuania and about 200,000 abroad. Russian, Polish, and German are also spoken by some citizens in certain areas and by certain generations due to the country’s complex political history. Today, English is the most widely spoken foreign language; the majority of the younger generation speaks English, and it is commonly used in restaurants, hotels, and other tourism-oriented establishments. As such, travelers on Lithuania guided tours can feel confident that they’ll be able to get by in Lithuania even if they only speak English. 

However, for travelers interested in trying their hand at Lithuanian, here’s a few of the most common words and phrases:

Hello: Labas (lah-bahs)

Good Bye: Viso gero (vee-saw gheh-raw)

Thank You: Aciu (ah-choo)

Please: Prasau (prah-show)

Sorry/excuse me: Atsiprasau (ah-tsih-prah-shaoo)

Yes: Taip (tuyp)

No: Ne (na)

How are you?: Kaip sekasi? (cape sah-ke-se)

Help!: Padėkite!( pah-deh-kit-uh)

My name is…: Mano vardas… (mah-no var-dahs)

Best Time to Visit

For warmer weather and longer days, late spring, summer, and early fall are the best times to visit. Months such as May and September will also have the added benefit of less crowds — so if you’re looking to visit busy tourist destinations but avoid the crowds, planning your trip for these “shoulder seasons” might be the best option. If you’re looking for a winter getaway, December through March will have consistently below-freezing temps and plenty of snow. Finally, for those looking to include bird-watching in their Baltic itinerary, March-April or September-October are your best bets. 

Weather in Lithuania

Because Lithuania is located relatively far north, summers tend to be short and winters tend to be cold and dark. Summers are usually hot and dry, but nights can be cooler and rain is also a possibility; aside from winter, Lithuania’s weather is known to be inconsistent, so make sure to pack layers even if you’re visiting in the summer. Winter is consistently cold, and snowfall can come as early as mid-November. (For reference, November-March will have temps consistently below freezing even during the day, whereas temperatures in May-August can get as high as around 70 degrees Fahrenheit).