Klaipėda cruise port guide

Arrival & Getting Ashore

Getting to the centre: Figures are from the Cruise and Naval Ship Pier at Priešpilio Street 9 to Klaipėda's old-town centre around Theatre Square.

• Distance: 0.8 km, cruise pier to the old-town centre.
• Walk: realistic; the cruise operator says the centre is within walking distance.
• Shuttle: you don't need one; buses are provided only on request.

Sources: Cruise Klaipėda, Klaipėda tourism map.

Orientation, not a walking route

The established cruise quay sits by the old-city waterfront, near the mouth of the Danė, as shown on the municipal maritime map. From there, walking into the old centre is practical once you've followed the permitted port exit.

Central Klaipėda Terminal, at Baltijos pr. 40, also takes cruise ships, according to the port authority. It's a separate site, so use your ship's transfer or local transport from its passenger exit. The walking advice for the old-city quay doesn't apply there.

A new cruise terminal is being built. The authority's May 2026 project update gives 2027 as the target for completion; this isn't where the city walk in this guide starts. Check which terminal your ship has been assigned, especially while the work continues.

About this port

Klaipėda gives you a straightforward day in the city, while an excursion across the lagoon takes more planning. If your call is short, keep to Theatre Square and the Danė riverfront. If you're heading for the Curonian Spit, separate a crossing to Smiltynė from the longer journey onwards to Nida: getting across the water is only part of that trip.

Getting Around

For Smiltynė, you can take the ferry from the Old Ferry Terminal at E. Galvanausko bul. 1, Šiaurinis ragas on foot or with a bicycle, but it doesn't carry motor vehicles. The New Ferry Terminal at Nemuno g. 8 carries vehicles as well. These lagoon ferries are separate from your cruise terminal.

Foot passengers pay €1.70 return for the lagoon ferry (prices checked 2026-11-03). Keep your ticket: it covers the crossing back from Smiltynė, so you don't need to buy another ferry ticket. Choose your travel date on the ferry timetable and look at both directions before setting out.

For Nida, cross from the Old Ferry Terminal, then take a local bus from Smiltynė to Nida bus station, Naglių g. 18E. The winter bus timetable, valid 1 November 2026–31 March 2027, lists journeys of about an hour to 80 minutes between Smiltynė and Nida, depending on the departure and direction. The ferry crossing and waiting time come on top. On a short call, Smiltynė or the city is the simpler outing.

Things to Do

• A city visit: start at Theatre Square, then explore the nearby streets and Danė waterfront. Make this your main plan if you want flexibility or your ship uses the more distant terminal.
• Smiltynė: take the ferry across for the coastal area or the Lithuanian Sea Museum, and check the onward route from the ferry landing you choose. On the way back, allow for the wait to board as well as the crossing.
• A longer Spit outing: the Curonian Spit is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape shared by Lithuania and Russia. For an excursion onwards to Nida on the Lithuanian side, choose a plan that spells out the road transfers and a return that fits your ship's schedule. On a short call, this is an alternative to a leisurely city visit.

Getting back to your ship

Foot passengers pay €1.70 return for the lagoon ferry (prices checked 2026-11-03). Keep your ticket: it covers the crossing back from Smiltynė, so you don't need to buy another ferry ticket. Choose your travel date on the ferry timetable and look at both directions before setting out.

Practical Information

• Currency: euro.
• Language: Lithuanian.
• Emergencies: call 112.

Getting back: from Nida, take the bus to Smiltynė, then the ferry to the Old Ferry Terminal in Klaipėda. Choose the return bus and ferry before leaving, allowing for the connection and boarding queues as well as the journeys. From the Old Ferry Terminal, return to your own cruise terminal: retrace your walking route to the Cruise and Naval Ship Pier, or use your arranged transfer to Central Klaipėda Terminal. Follow the passenger entrance your ship identified on arrival. Count back from all-aboard time to include this last leg from the lagoon ferry to the ship.

Frequently asked

Can you walk from Klaipėda cruise port to the old town? Yes. The old-town centre is about 0.8 km from the Cruise and Naval Ship Pier, and the cruise operator says it's within walking distance.

Do cruise passengers need a shuttle in Klaipėda? No. The cruise operator says you don't need a shuttle at the Cruise and Naval Ship Pier, though buses can be provided on request.

Do cruise ships dock or tender in Klaipėda? They dock. The port authority's 2026 schedule puts cruise calls at numbered quays, mainly quays 28–33.

Where is the centre of Klaipėda from the cruise pier? Theatre Square is the central landmark used in this guide, in the old town about 0.8 km from the pier.