When searching for things to do in Riga, the most popular results often tend to be quite repetitive, usually featuring well-known spots that locals are already familiar with – Old Town tours, Art Nouveau architecture, museums, and restaurants. While we definitely don’t question the fact that all of these are great and worth experiencing, it’s clear that they won’t appeal to everyone. Of course, many people genuinely enjoy exploring Riga’s historical sites and museums, whether it’s their first visit or a return trip. However, there are plenty of others who much prefer engaging in active recreation.
As we searched for other entertainment spots in Riga that offer this kind of experience, we realized that it’s hard to find “things to do in Riga” guides that focus specifically on such places and bring them together in one place. That’s why we decided to create this article listing the ten best active leisure spots in Riga – perfect for those who love exciting adventures and adrenaline-filled activities! So check out the list below for new ideas on where to go this weekend (or even today)!
10 Best Entertainment and Active Recreation Spots in Riga
Drift Hall
If you’re looking for exciting indoor activities in Riga, Drift Hall should be at the top of your list of things to do in the city during the weekend or after a long workday. It’s the perfect place to try something new and enjoy a bunch of positive emotions while spending time with friends and family! The drift trikes, manufactured in Latvia, offer everyone a chance to experience drifting without any prior experience or special preparation. All you need is a good mood, a desire to compete, and a craving for adrenaline! It’s also worth noting that this is the world’s first indoor drift trike track, and it’s been open for only a few years, making the experience truly unique!
In addition to drift trikes, Drift Hall also offers several other free entertainment options and amenities, such as Xbox gaming, various board games, and complimentary Monster energy drinks, coffee, tea, and other beverages. The best part is that you can stay in the lounge area as long as you like—only paying for the time spent on the track! Meanwhile, the hall’s convenient location just a 5-minute drive from Old Riga makes it easy to combine your visit with other activities and entertainment spots around the city.
VR Gaming
Looking for something to do on the weekend if you’re into video games? VR Gaming is an exciting place where you can explore the possibilities of virtual reality and experience something completely new. In addition to standard VR systems, this spot also offers VR driving simulators, retro games that will take you back to your childhood, and modern gaming consoles that let you challenge your friends in a variety of video games. It’s a great choice if you’re trying to find things to do in Riga during the winter or on a rainy day!
More info: vrgaming.lv
Jump Space Riga
With a total area of over 1600 square meters, Jump Space is the first indoor trampoline park of this size in Latvia, making it a standout among other things to do in Riga. Jump Space combines fun with safety, ensured by the constant presence of instructors in the hall and high-load-capacity trampoline springs and frames, along with 10 cm thick safety pads. This maintains safety across all areas of the park, creating an unforgettable adventure for the whole family. In addition to trampolines, there are also three foam pits with various activities, a balance training board, a climbing wall, and other exciting activities to try out.
More info: jumpspace.lv
Riga Shooting Range
This fully licensed and well-equipped indoor shooting range in Riga is a perfect choice for bachelor and bachelorette parties, birthday celebrations, or simply a great activity for anyone seeking unique adventures and wanting to try shooting real firearms. Located just a ten-minute drive from Old Riga, this 50-meter-wide indoor shooting range offers an excellent selection of weapons. The experienced and helpful instructors ensure that those who are new to shooting learn the proper and safe techniques, making sure your time here is both safe and enjoyable.
More info: rigashootingrange.com
Līvu Aquapark
Many might think that Līvu Aquapark isn’t actually located in Riga, but since it’s only a 30-minute drive from Old Town, by big-city standards, its inclusion on this list of active leisure spots is more than justified. In fact, it still remains the largest indoor water park in Latvia (with an almost equally large outdoor area during the summer season), so those looking for things to do in Riga on weekends might still be very interested in visiting. Spread across three floors, the water park offers more than 20 different water attractions, over ten pools of various sizes and depths, dedicated children’s activity zones, a SPA complex with four saunas, a cold-water pool, a salt room, several jacuzzis, underwater massage equipment, and even a swim-up bar. Don’t worry if all of that sounds a bit too relaxing—there’s also a slide tower that reaches the height of a 7-story building, which is sure to deliver an adrenaline rush!
More info: akvaparks.lv
Laser tag
If you’re looking for things to do with friends over the weekend, one of the best ideas is laser tag. Laser tag venues in Riga are a great example of how some of the city’s shortcomings can be transformed into exciting entertainment spots. As many know, Riga has no shortage of unused factories and industrial areas that often spoil the city’s overall look. However, these abandoned industrial spaces are perfectly suited for creating laser tag arenas—and that’s exactly what has happened in several of these places. As a result, Riga offers a wide range of great laser tag venues to choose from, ranging from small, compact rooms to vast factory zones.
Check out the best of them on TripAdvisor!
Paintball
Paintball is another entertainment option for which Riga already has the perfect infrastructure—the same industrial areas mentioned in relation to laser tag can also be used for paintball, while the forested outskirts of the city are even better suited, allowing for the creation of large outdoor paintball parks. That’s why there’s no shortage of places to play paintball in Riga, offering a wide range of environments and game scenarios. And their locations vary too—those looking for things to do in Riga today without traveling far can find indoor and underground venues in the city center, while those who prefer outdoor activities can choose one of the large paintball parks located farther from the center. So, paintball is a great option for both indoor and outdoor fun in Riga.
Learn more about paintball in Riga on TripAdvisor.
Airsoft
Looking for active entertainment in Riga? Airsoft will be a great choice as it combines exciting entertainment with solid physical activity! At first glance, airsoft is similar to laser tag and paintball, but the equipment used in it is quite different from the other two activities. Airsoft guns use plastic pellets that leave no marks on clothing, meaning the player who is hit must remove themselves from the game. Therefore, this game is best suited for a close group of friends to avoid any doubts about opponents cheating. Meanwhile, airsoft guns look and operate much more like real firearms compared to the ones used in paintball, so airsoft will be enjoyed by those who like more realistic and life-like games.
Escape rooms
Riga is often referred to as the escape room capital of the world, and not without reason – it certainly seems like the most popular entertainment activity in the city, with many places to try it out all around Riga. New venues continue to open, so it looks like Riga is actively working to maintain this title. Thanks to this, players have access to a wide variety of scenarios to play – from calmer ones that involve only searching for clues in a room, to much more intense and scary ones, some even based on popular horror films. It’s clear that this crowded market can create confusion about which escape room to choose, so this TripAdvisor list of the best escape rooms in Riga could be quite useful.
Forum Cinemas
For some, it may seem strange to include a cinema in the list of Riga’s most adrenaline-pumping entertainment activities, but Riga’s most popular cinema can truly provide a significant adrenaline rush! With modern digital projectors and sound systems in all auditoriums, the latest Hollywood blockbusters will feel even more thrilling than usual. Meanwhile, the ultramodern SCAPE auditorium is equipped with 4K laser projectors and a Dolby Atmos sound system, creating a multi-dimensional sound experience – perfect for action-packed films!
More info: forumcinemas.lv
Which active leisure option in Riga would you choose?
