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Voykit pocket guide · Lithuania
Telšiai
Give Telšiai one night on a Samogitia run: the Old Town, cathedral and lake trail fill an afternoon, and it works as a stop between Šiauliai and the coast.
Telšiai is the chief town of Samogitia, population about 22,700, on the A11 between Šiauliai and the coast. It is a working industrial town with a preserved Old Town around Turgaus Square, a cathedral, a lake trail and a theatre. Most travellers pass through on the bus or train between Šiauliai, Plungė and Klaipėda; one night is enough, and the town is small enough to walk end to end.
- Country
- Lithuania
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cold, wet, short days)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget €35–55 excl. bed · Mid €55–90 excl. bed · High €90+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telia, Bitė and Tele2 prepaid SIMs from Narvesen kiosks and Maxima supermarkets.
- Emergency
- All services 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · EU two-pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: About 10% for good service.; Taxi / Bolt: Round up or tip in app.; Guide: €5–10.
- Water
- Tap water is safe.
- Toilets
- Paid public toilets €0.30–1; free in malls and cafés for customers.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €2–3.50 |
| Lunch, soup and main | €8–14 |
| Dinner, main course | €10–18 |
| Draught beer, 0.5 l | €3.50–5 |
| Taxi across town | €4–7 |
| Museum entry | €3–6 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PLQ · Palanga airport
- About 70 km west; bus or car via Kretinga, roughly 1 h 15 min (check)About 43 mi west; bus or car via Kretinga, roughly 1 h 15 min (check)
- KUN · Kaunas airport
- About 190 km southeast; bus via Kaunas, 4 h+ (check)About 118 mi southeast; bus via Kaunas, 4 h+ (check)
- VNO · Vilnius airport
- About 280 km southeast; train via Šiauliai, about 3 h 15 min from Vilnius (check)About 174 mi southeast; train via Šiauliai, about 3 h 15 min from Vilnius (check)
Typical fares
- Bus Kaunas → Telšiai
- about €20, 3 h 40 min via Raseiniai (check)
- Train Vilnius → Telšiai
- about €25, 3 h 15 min via Šiauliai (check)
- Taxi bus station → Turgaus Square
- €4–6
Get around
The centre is small enough to cover on foot: Turgaus Square to the cathedral is about 5 minutes, and the lake trail starts at the north shore. Taxis are metered and cheap for the 1 km hop to the railway station or the museum site south of the lake.The centre is small enough to cover on foot: Turgaus Square to the cathedral is about 5 minutes, and the lake trail starts at the north shore. Taxis are metered and cheap for the 0.6 mi hop to the railway station or the museum site south of the lake.
See and do
Known for
- Turgaus Square and its clocktower
- Telšiai Cathedral
- Samogitian regional museum collections
- Lake Mastis trail
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Šiauliai and the Hill of Crosses | Bus or train east, about 1 h; the Hill of Crosses is a further taxi or bus ride out of town | About 2 h |
| Plungė | Bus or train west, about 30–40 min | About 1 h |
| Kretinga | Bus or train west towards the coast, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Palanga | Bus west via Kretinga, about 1 h 30 min | About 1 h 45 min |
| Žemaičių Kalvarija | Bus or car northwest, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Tytuvėnai | Car or bus via Kelmė, about 1 h 30 min | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Turgaus Square and Old Town
- Central, walkable to the cathedral, restaurants and the lake; the pick for one night.
- Respublikos g area
- Main street west of the square; hotels with parking and spa facilities.
- Near the bus station
- 500 m west of the centre; practical for early departures, less to see on foot.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Laba dienaLA-ba DEE-eh-na |
| Thank you | AčiūAH-choo |
| Please | PrašauPRA-shau |
| How much is it? | Kiek kainuoja?kyek kai-NOO-oh-yah |
| Can I pay by card? | Ar galima mokėti kortele?ar GA-lee-ma MO-keh-tee kor-TEH-leh |
| Where is the toilet? | Kur yra tualetas?koor EE-ra twa-LEH-tas |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; avoid: Shaking hands across a threshold (bad luck)
- Flowers: Odd numbers; avoid: Even numbers
- Churches: Quiet, covered shoulders; avoid: Photography during mass
- Language: Lithuanian or English; avoid: Assuming Russian
- Basketball: Talk about it; avoid: Being dismissive
Scams and watch-outs
- Shop alcohol sales stop at 20:00, and 15:00 on Sundays.
- The regional museum (Alka) has been closed for reconstruction: check before you go.
- Lake Mastis is not for swimming; locals use Lake Germantas in the forest 10 km west.
- Some sights sit in the woods outside town (Rainiai, Šatrija): you need a car or a taxi.
Telšiai is a quiet, low-crime town and walking the centre after dark is normal. The real risks are icy pavements in winter, unlit roads around the outlying memorial sites, and alcohol shop hours: sales stop at 20:00, and 15:00 on Sundays.Telšiai is a quiet, low-crime town and walking the centre after dark is normal. The real risks are icy pavements in winter, unlit roads around the outlying memorial sites, and alcohol shop hours: sales stop at 8:00 PM, and 3:00 PM on Sundays.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Telšiai yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Turgaus Square and its clocktower
- Telšiai Cathedral
- Samogitian regional museum collections
- Lake Mastis trail
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Telsiai — Tourist Information Centre: visit.telsiai.lt/
- LTG Link (trains): ltglink.lt/en
- Autobusubilietai (bus timetables and fares): www.autobusubilietai.lt/en/
- Wikivoyage: Telšiai, revision 5213387 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5213387
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Telšiai
Į šį adresą, prašau
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- All services112
No embassies in Telšiai; most countries keep embassies in Vilnius. The US embassy is in Vilnius (check the address).
5G from Tele2 and Telia in town, 4G on the approach roads; Bite has no signal here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/telsiai). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.