Prague travel guide
Where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Things to do in Prague, planned over three days
Best time to visit Prague
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best weather, warm walking days, long evenings, beer gardens open and everything running.
Spring gardens reopen, Petrin cherry blossom, Easter brings a crowd and price spike.
Summer heat and thunderstorms, beer garden, Naplavka, pedalo and canoe season, also peak crowds.
Autumn gold light, burcak wine in September, thinning crowds, castle gardens close end of October.
Christmas markets late November to 6 January, then January and February are cheapest and emptiest but cold.
What's on
- Prague Spring International Music Festival mid-May-early June
Flagship classical festival at the Rudolfinum and Municipal House, book concerts early.
- United Islands festival late spring/early summer
Free festival on the river islands.
- Letni Letna circus festival August
Summer circus festival in August.
- Signal Festival four nights in mid-October
Free light installations across the centre, 7pm to midnight, with a new route each year.
- Designblok early October
Central Europe's largest design festival.
- Prague Coffee Festival late October
Coffee festival in late October.
- Prague Christmas Markets late November-6 January
Old Town and Wenceslas are famous, Namesti Miru is the local pick opening about 20 November.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Prague
Prague Castle
Largest ancient castle complex, with royal palace, basilica and Golden Lane on one timed circuit.
St. Vitus Cathedral
Gothic cathedral inside the castle, known for the Mucha stained glass window.
Charles Bridge
Statue lined 14th century bridge that is empty and atmospheric before 8am.
Old Town Bridge Tower
Tower at the east end of Charles Bridge for the classic castle framed view.
Jewish Museum in Prague
Six synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery on one ticket, Prague's densest historic half day.
Old Town Square
Central historic square best seen early or after dark, away from midday crowds.
Prague Astronomical Clock
Medieval clock on the Old Town Hall, worth catching on the hour if you pass.
Old Town Hall Tower
Tower above the Astronomical Clock for the best central panorama over the square.
Where to stay in Prague
Vinohrady
first trip, all-round base
Leafy streets with Prague's best local cafe, wine bar and restaurant density, 10 to 15 minutes to Old Town.
Malá Strana
couples and first trips about atmosphere
Baroque lanes under the castle, the quietest and prettiest central base with low night noise.
Old Town
short first trip, maximum walkability
Walk to everything and reach the bridge at dawn, but pick a quiet side street away from Dlouha.
New Town south
practical central base
Real city district by Karlovo namesti and Naplavka, locals in restaurants and trams everywhere.
Karlín
food lovers, families and repeat visitors
Flat, calm and tree lined with Prague's most interesting modern dining, 10 to 15 minutes to the centre.
Holešovice / Letna
art, parks and a local second trip
DOX, the National Gallery, Stromovka and Letna, a tram ride from Old Town and away from stag parties.
Think twice about
- Lower Wenceslas Square and the Dlouha street strip
Stag party and tout corridor with strip club touts and documented overcharging in hostess venues. Do not base a quiet or family stay here.
- Main station perimeter and Vrchlickeho sady park
Visible rough sleeping and street drinking, seedy after dark and a named pickpocket spot. Pass through for trains, do not sleep facing it.
- Old Town Square and Karlova street
Peak prices, peak crowds and the densest exchange rip offs and tout restaurants. Two streets in any direction fixes it.
Best restaurants in Prague
Lokál Dlouhááá
Modern beer hall with tank Pilsner, pickled cheese, goulash and honest prices.
Naše maso
Working butcher with a tiny counter for dry aged beef, burgers and Czech tartare.
Kantýna
Former bank turned butcher and grill hall, loud and meaty with self pour beer.
Kuchyň
Czech cooking revived from old cookbooks on the castle approach, with a city terrace.
Výčep
Vinohrady pub reworking Moravian cooking with serious beer care, at fair prices.
Eska
Bakery restaurant in a former factory, known for wood fired bread and fermented food.
Štangl
One star modern Czech tasting menu built on fermentation, foraging and zero waste.
La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise
Long standing star reinterpreting 19th century Czech recipes with Czech wine pairings.
Outdoor things to do in Prague
Albatross Golf Resort
Championship European Tour course with heavy water and pristine conditioning.
Golf Resort Karlštejn
Hilly 27 holes draped under Karlštejn Castle, best played as golf plus castle in one day.
Prague City Golf Zbraslav
Links style in city course with pot bunkers and fast greens, 18 holes without a long drive.
Golf Resort Konopiste
Two championship 18 hole courses plus a 9 hole academy for a 36 hole golf base day.
Slovanský ostrov
Pedal boats and rowboats by the National Theatre island for the castle view from water level.
Divoká Šárka
Rocky gorge hike and wild swimming inside the city, reached by tram.
Sázava River
Guided Canadian canoe run down the Sázava gorge, the Czech summer family ritual.
Karlštejn Castle
Charles IV crown jewel fortress reached by a flat Vltava cycle ride, train back to Prague.
Best hotels in Prague
Le Palais Art Hotel
Belle Époque palace hotel on a quiet upper Vinohrady street, with a spa, the area's luxury pick.
Hotel Anna
Small Art Nouveau hotel on a quiet Vinohrady street, a short walk from Náměstí Míru and its trams.
Ametyst Hotel
Comfortable four star on a residential Vinohrady street, a few tram stops from the centre.
Miss Sophie's
Design budget hotel with private rooms and dorms near I. P. Pavlova, between Vinohrady and New Town.
Czech Inn
Big, well run hostel with dorms and private rooms on the Vinohrady tram line, a cheap local base.
Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Prague
Luxury hotel in a 13th century monastery below the castle, with its own St Thomas beer.
Aria Hotel Prague
Music themed boutique hotel beside the Vrtba Garden, with a rooftop terrace facing the castle.
Hotel Pod Věží
Small hotel at the foot of the Malá Strana bridge tower, so you can walk onto Charles Bridge at dawn.
Is Prague expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | CZK 1,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | CZK 2,900 a person |
| Splurge | CZK 6,500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Prague Castle: a few days ahead
- St. Vitus Cathedral: a few days ahead
- Jewish Museum in Prague: a few days ahead
- Veletržní palác (National Gallery Prague): a few days ahead
- Strahov Library: a few days ahead
- Taste of Prague Foodie Tour: weeks ahead
- Rudolfinum: weeks ahead
- Municipal House: weeks ahead
- Castle circuit, Jewish Museum, Strahov Library and National Gallery exhibitions a few days ahead in season.
- Stangl, La Degustation and Field weeks ahead for weekends, Kuchyň, Vycep, Eska and Cafe Savoy days ahead.
- Sazava canoe, Cesky Krumlov castle interiors and Albatross weekend tee times sell out ahead.
- Rudolfinum, Municipal House and Estates Theatre good cheap seats go first, book with flights.
Is Prague safe?
- Pickpockets work Charles Bridge, tram 22, Old Town Square at the clock show and the main station.
- Wear your bag front and zipped, wallet in an inside pocket and phone off cafe table edges.
- Prague is safe for violent crime, the cautions are lower Wenceslas rowdiness and the station park at night.
- Emergency number is 112, police 158, tap water is safe and good.
- Check your government's current travel advice before you go.
Prague travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Money exchange booths in Old Town give rates far below market, use a bank ATM and never change on the street.
- Trdelnik is not a traditional Czech pastry, try vetrnik or kolace at Mysak instead.
- Restaurants on Old Town Square, Karlova and Melantrichova have picture menus and inflated prices.
- Strip club touts on lower Wenceslas lead to four figure bills, never enter.
- Euronet ATMs and conversion offers have high fees and bad rates, choose bank ATMs and charge in CZK.
- Fake plain clothes police asking to inspect your wallet are a scam, real police do not do this.
- Golden Lane shops at the castle are heavily inflated, browse and do not buy.
Getting around Prague: public transport and more
- Walk the centre and use trams for everything else, 22 to the castle and 17 along the river.
- Validate your ticket before or on boarding, inspectors are frequent and plain clothed.
- Airport has no train or Metro, trolleybus 59 to Nadrazi Veleslavin then Metro A is the local route.
- Taxis by app only with Bolt, Uber or Liftago, street hails near Wenceslas risk overcharging.
- Currency is the koruna, pay by card in CZK and decline conversion.
Who Prague suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Prague your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store