Is there another way to get to Riften from Whiterun that doesn't involve going past Valtheim Towers? Looking at the map there're just mountains to the south with no path through.

I'm pretty sure there's a passage that runs past the Throat of the World from the south. It's found somewhere east of Helgen.

Yeah there's a way through the mountain part.

Sweet, I'll go looking for it then.

Or you can go north over by the Loreius Farm, though that way is more conducive if you're traveling to Windhelm and THEN heading south to Riften.

There's also a mountain pass over by the Whiterun Stormcloak camp that you can head up. Be careful that way though, I'm pretty sure I ran into a Wispmother there.

Yup just follow the road east from Helgen. Woohoo

Yeah, you can travel from Riverwood to Helgen, and there's a road leading towards... whatever the village was named and Riften. Just follow the road signs, that's what i did before getting a mod that made the map usable

Take a carriage?

Don't do that. The journey is half the fun.

If you head back along the road a bit there's a path which goes off. This leads up to a giants camp. Sneak or run through it and then down the hill on the other side and you'll come out back on the road, having missed out Valtheim towers.