Kaunas with kids and dogs: the castle, the Old Town and the Aleksotas funicular in one day

You can explore Kaunas with kids and dogs on foot in one day: from the castle through the Old Town square and across the bridge over the Nemunas to the Aleksotas funicular, which takes you up to a viewpoint. All in all, we walked 8 km that day. We were here on 13 August 2026: we left Beza at the campsite on Lake Lampėdžiai, 4 km from the centre, and took the bus into Kaunas.

Entry to Kaunas Castle costs EUR 4, and school-age children go in free. A ride on the Aleksotas funicular costs EUR 1.50 one way.

Bus tickets for six

The trickiest part of the day turned out to be the tickets. The app only lets you buy one ticket at a time, and on the bus one bank card buys one ticket. For six people that took a bit of juggling: several phones, apps, Google Wallet and physical cards. In the end it all worked out.

The dogs rode with us. Fiona was so tired that she refused to wake up at the bus stop, which set off a burst of laughter on the bus. Since 2026 dogs have been able to travel on Kaunas public transport under new rules, which we cover in the practical info below.

Kaunas Castle

The castle stands where the Neris flows into the Nemunas. It was first mentioned in written records in 1361. It is one of the first brick castles in Lithuania and the only one with two rings of defensive walls. Lavender was in bloom in front of the castle, and next to it stand big #KAUNAS letters.

By the castle stands the Freedom Warrior monument, a knight on horseback with a sword raised above his head. The sculpture is about 7 m tall and has stood here since 2018.

An outdoor gym, a playground and the Old Town square

Along the way we passed an outdoor gym and a playground. Then we walked across the Old Town square. Kaunas has free drinking water points dotted all over town, and our dogs were very happy to drink from them.

Across the Nemunas and up the Aleksotas funicular

From the Old Town we crossed the Nemunas on the Vytautas the Great Bridge. It opened in 1930, was blown up during the Second World War, and the rebuilt bridge opened in 1948.

On the other side of the river is the Aleksotas funicular. It has been running since 1935, and its track is about 133 m long. The whole family, dogs included, rode it up Aleksotas hill. From the viewing terrace at the top you can see the Old Town and the Nemunas.

From there we went back to the bus terminus and on to the campsite. The next day we set off home to Poland. The day before, we had stopped at the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai. The trip home via Suwałki and the whole route are in our post Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia by campervan with kids.

Practical info

Checked in November 2026.

• The cheapest way to pay for Kaunas public transport is the Žiogas app. An e-ticket costs EUR 0.70 and includes one free transfer within 30 minutes. One app ticket covers one person.
• You can also pay on the bus by tapping a contactless bank card, phone or watch on the validator. One card buys one ticket, so a family needs several cards or phones. A ticket bought from the driver costs EUR 1.50 and does not allow transfers.
• Since 2026 dogs can travel on Kaunas public transport outside rush hour. They must wear a muzzle, be on a short lead of up to 0.5 m and have a vaccination certificate.
• Kaunas Castle is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, on Saturdays from 10:00 to 17:00 and, in summer, also on Sundays from 10:00 to 16:00. It is closed on Mondays. A ticket costs EUR 4, reduced EUR 2, and preschool and school-age children go in free.
• The Aleksotas funicular runs daily from 7:00 to 19:00, with a break from 12:00 to 13:00. A one-way ticket costs EUR 1.50. You pay in the Žiogas app or validate a ticket at the entrance.
• When we were there in 2026, we got from Kaunas Lake Camping to the centre of Kaunas by city bus.