Unfortunately some people are still failing to heed the warnings and getting ripped off at strip clubs in Riga. Please check out our Riga Stripclubs Warning page for more information. Our most recent horror story is one gentlemen who was charged 8000 Ls for four bottles of champagne!!!! A few weeks ago it was another group of four Brits who were charged 5000 Euros each on their credit cards!

If you must go into to one of these clubs only bring a small amount of cash and leave your credit and bank cards in your hotel! If you are going out drinking in Riga in general that is probably good advice.

You can also see more information about this problem on the BBC Website here. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT go into strip clubs in Riga unless you are accompanied by someone who can make sure you don’t get ripped off. We recommend a well known nightlife tour agency like Nightlife In Riga.

Riga has a great nightclub scene which offers a chance to see and meet some of the hottest girls in the world dressed to impress. Unlike many major cities, the hottest clubs in Riga are typically open to everyone. Because of this, Riga offers a unique opportunity to mingle with some model quality girls who would typically be in some roped off, VIP only club in most other cities. Of course if you really want to meet some of the hotter girls it always helps to be rich, charming and good looking just like anywhere else, but even if you are just an average guy, there is still a lot of fun to be had in Riga’s hot club scene.

Most of the good clubs in Riga cost between 5-10 Ls for entry. There is sometimes a line but usually you will not have to wait long. On Thursday nights the hottest club is Essential on Skolas 2 near the Hotel Reval Latvia. This club features world class lights and sound but what will really interest you will be the throngs of incredibly sexy local hotties grinding it out on the dance floor! Essential on a big night will truly feature some incredible looking girls! On Friday nights you can find all the local models and model wanna bes at the Fashion Club on Terbatas 2 near the Freedom Monument. This hot club also features some sexy go-go shows and occasionally some famous Russian pop acts on its catwalk like stage. On Saturday you can try a more relaxed atmosphere at the Skyline Cafe on the top of the Hotel Reval Latvia. This modern, well designed bar/lounge features incredible views of the Riga night skyline as well as the well dressed local girls looking to meet some rich guy. After that you can check out the Voodoo Club in the basement. It often features a ton of hot girls and costumed go-go dancers, but be warned as many of them are working for the club and looking to sell some expensive drinks! Lots of nice eye candy but watch your wallet.

In general it is best to be wary of girls in the clubs who seem overly friendly. Typically they are working for a drink commissions from the club and will order a few rounds of overpriced drinks and then disappear into the “ladies room” never to come back. Worse they may try to lure you into one of the scam stipclubs we have warned you about. It is possible to meet a nice local girl for a good time in a Riga nightclub but in general it is just like anywhere else…..if you are rich and good looking it is a lot easier then if you are just an average guy, so play it smart. Of course if you find yourself back in your hotel room at the end of the night with nothing but some nice memories of all the incredible Riga girls you can always order up a private party in your room with some girls who know exactly what you are looking for!

For a complete list of Riga nightclubs with descriptions and addresses check out this Riga Nightclubs page.

If you have read our post Riga Strip Club Warnings then you know about the many pitfalls you need to avoid with strip clubs in Riga. Unfortunately given the situation, there are only two strip clubs we can recommend where you will not get ripped off: Dolls which is located on 22 Aspazijas Blvd in Old Riga next to the Hotel Riga and the Jockey Club which is located on Elizabetes 49 next to the Reval Hotel Latvia. Both of these clubs are expensive but all prices are posted in the menu and there are no unexpected charges (of course like everywhere in Riga, drinks purchased for entertainers are much more expensive so check the menu carefully!). Also they both feature quite a few hot Riga girls for your viewing pleasure!

The best way to visit either one of these clubs is too arrange for VIP access with a nightlife tour operator. For more information check out Nightlife In Riga. Before you consider visiting any of the other strip clubs in Riga please see our Riga Strip Clubs Warning page first!

Riga has some of the most spectacular women in the world. One of the main draws of Riga is the fact that you can find an escort of extremely high “model” quality at a reasonable price by western standards. Unfortunately the quality can be extremely variable and there are many pitfalls and scams to avoid.

We have learned from first hand experience that randomly calling an escort agency can often result in a grumpy, alcoholic, middle-aged woman with bad hygiene showing up at your hotel room. To make matters worse they will typically demand at least 20 Ls to go away. There are also many websites which have photos and give a number which you can contact the girl directly. Unfortunately these photos are often not real and usually the number is for the girl’s “manager.” Typically they speak little English and making arrangements can be quite difficult as well as somewhat risky. It is quite common for the girls or their managers to change the price after the fact and try to intimidate you into paying more than was agreed.

You also need to especially wary of the nice girls who approach you on the street asking you if you want some “company” as typically this type of come-on will result in you getting scammed out of some money, or in some cases, an unfortunate meeting with her manager who will demand a very large “donation.”

The best way to avoid these problems is to find a reputable agency with English speaking staff. The good agencies will not only provide you with a quality escort but they will also make sure you are not overcharged and get what you pay for. While finding a good agency can be difficult, if you are able to find one you will likely be able to find one of those “dream girls” that make Riga famous worldwide. The best way to find a good agency is to get a referral from another client or to contact a local tour agency. If you have had a good experience with an agency or girl please post in the comments section and let everyone know. If you have had a bad experience let us know as well!

Unfortunately most strip clubs in Riga are set up to squeeze the most money out of you in the shortest period of time. They will try to lure you in with the promise of a free drink but once you are inside you will find yourself quickly set upon by a few pretty girls who will chat you up and try to get you to order for them as many drinks as possible. Be very careful as these drinks for the girls can sometimes cost as much as 30 to 50 Ls each!!! Typically after about 1 hour you will have spent 300 Lats and not have received even so much as one lap dance for you trouble!

Especially avoid the “Private Rooms”! It is very typical for the girls to try to talk you into a private room for a “special show.” Most often you will get nothing “special” but it is quite common for the girl to set an open bottle of champagne on the table as part of the “party”. Only later do you find out that you are being charged as much as 2000 Ls for the bottle!!!! This is very common scam unfortunately. If you refuse to pay the club will call the police who will force you to pay. Do not expect the police to help you in Riga! They quite often have a mutually beneficial “arrangement” with the strip clubs and they will be happy to beat you up to get you to pay the 2000 Ls bill!!!

We have first hand accounts of this kind of thing happening in many clubs. Particularly avoid the strip clubs in Old Town Riga!!! These are the most notorious for these kinds of scams. If you enter one of these clubs you will be robbed!

In general it is best to avoid the strip clubs altogether unless you have someone with connections at the club to assure that you do not get the “tourists” treatment. For these kinds of events or Stag parties it is best to book a party through a legitimate tour operator who can make sure you don’t get robbed.

The currency used in Latvia is the Lat. I can be written as Lats, LVL or Ls. The currency comes in coins of 1 Santims (about 1.4 Euro Cents), 2 Santimi, 5 Santimi, 10 Santimi, 20 Santimi, 50 Santimi, 1 Lat and 2 Lats (about 3 Euro). Paper currency denominations go from 5 Lats, 10 Lats, 50 Lats, 100 Lats and up.

Hotels, nightclubs, restaurants and shops in Riga will usually not accept any currency besides Lats so you will need to exchange your Euros, Pounds, Dollars, etc. Always exchange your currency at an established bank like Parex Banka, Hansabanka, Nordea Bank, etc.! Do NOT use the small currency exchange booths (valūtas maiņa) which are all over town!!! The rates given at the small currency exchange windows are usually very bad. The rates they post on their signs are usually the rates they will sell the listed currency for……. not what they will buy it for! Be very careful about this as this is one of the easiest ways to lose a large amount of money in Riga! Make sure you have exchanged all your Euros, Pounds, Dollars, etc. into Lats before you go out for the evening as you are likely to get a VERY bad exchange rate when you try to change money at 2AM after a few drinks!

Never exchange money with someone you meet off the street! That is a good way to get robbed or end up with some very low value currency like Russian Rubles or Estonian Kroons. Also if you try to exchange in a bar or nightclub you are likely to get a terrible exchange rate as well. Make sure you exchange all of your currency at established banks!