Prague City Trip: Things to Do, Best Restaurants and Boutique Hotels
Have you already read my guide to Bohemian Switzerland National Park? Just two hours from Prague, it is one of the most stunning day trips you can do from the city. This post covers the city itself: a Prague city trip packed with highlights, hidden gems, the best restaurants and the most beautiful boutique hotels. Contributor Joyce is a good friend of mine, who I also travelled with to the Dominican Republic. She explored Prague in three days and discovered everything the city has to offer. I was completely blown away by how beautiful Prague turned out to be.
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Prague city trip: things to do | Czech Republic
getting around – Prague City Trip
Prague is a very walkable city, but public transport makes it even easier. A three-day transport card costs around 310 Czech crowns (approximately €12) and covers trams, buses and the metro. You can buy the card and validate it by stamping it at the machine. For full timetables and routes, check http://www.dpp.cz. From most central hotels, a tram gets you to the heart of the old town within fifteen minutes.
If you want to explore beyond the city, renting a car is the easiest way to reach Bohemian Switzerland and smaller villages in the region. I always rent a car at Discover Cars: reliable, straightforward and great value. Book in advance in summer.
Prague city trip | Czech Republic
Best things to do in Prague – Prague City Trip
Start your Prague city trip with a bike tour
The best way to get your bearings on a Prague city trip is to join a guided tour on the first day. A bike tour lets you cover a huge amount of ground while soaking up the atmosphere of the old town. Our Dutch guide Dennis from @mijnpraagtours took us to viewpoints, hidden gems and explained the history brilliantly. Alternatively, the three-hour walking tour of Old Town and Prague Castle is one of the highest-rated tours in the city, with a local guide who really knows the stories behind every building.
BOOK THE PRAGUE OLD TOWN AND CASTLE WALKING TOUR
Charles Bridge: the heart of the Prague city trip
One of the absolute must-sees in Prague is the Charles Bridge. A beautiful medieval bridge over the Vltava river was built in 1402 and is lined with Baroque statues of saints. Yes, it is touristy. It is also truly magical, especially at sunrise or sunset when the light on the stone is extraordinary. Street artists set up along the bridge throughout the day. On your way there, stop for coffee, ice cream and cake at Good Food Coffee and Bakery.
Wander further and you will find the old city centre full of churches, basilicas and historic buildings. With its dramatic Gothic towers, the Church of Our Lady Before Týn is one of the most striking landmarks. On the Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock draws crowds every hour, but it is worth pushing through to see it up close at least once.
BOOK A GUIDE PRAGUE CASTLE TOUR
Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral
Prague Castle sprawls across the Hradčany district above the city. It is over a thousand years old and served as the residence of early Přemyslid rulers who knew exactly what they were doing when they chose this strategic position over the Vltava. Generations of rulers expanded the complex with churches, palaces and residential buildings. The result is one of the largest castle complexes in the world. Right next to the cathedral, Restaurant Kuchyň serves excellent traditional Czech food with views that are hard to beat.
St. Vitus Cathedral inside the castle grounds is the largest and most important building in Prague. What stands out immediately is the height and detail. Religious services are still held here regularly, which gives it an atmosphere unlike most tourist sights. Book the guided Prague Castle tour to make the most of your visit with expert commentary.
The Jewish Quarter: a Prague city trip highlight
Josefov, Prague’s Jewish Quarter, is one of the most historically significant areas in Central Europe. Six synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery, where layers of graves have been stacked on top of each other for centuries due to limited space, make this neighbourhood unlike anything else in the city. Book the Jewish Quarter walking tour with admission tickets is the best way to understand the history and significance of this remarkable neighbourhood.
The John Lennon Wall
Since the 1980s, the John Lennon Wall has been covered in Lennon-inspired graffiti and Beatles lyrics. After Lennon’s murder in 1980, he became a pacifist symbol for young Czechs living under communist rule. Western pop music was banned and some musicians were even jailed for playing it. Despite repeated whitewashing by the police, it was never kept clean for long. Today it remains one of the most photographed spots in the city and a genuine symbol of freedom. Exactly what Prague needed.
Dancing House
The Nationale Nederlanden building, better known as the Dancing House, is one of the most recognised pieces of post-1989 Czech architecture. Its asymmetrical design, resembling two dancers, stands out dramatically along the river. Most importantly, the rooftop sightseeing terrace offers a breathtaking panorama over Prague. Very much worth the climb. And, frankly, the most Instagram-worthy building in the city.
Prague Beer Spa – Prague City Trip
If there is one experience that sets a Prague city trip apart from any other European break, it is this. The Prague Beer Spa lets you soak in a tub of warm beer with hops and yeast while unlimited Czech beer flows from a tap beside you. It sounds completely ridiculous. It is also completely brilliant. The treatment includes a massage option and is one of the most talked-about experiences in the city. Book in advance.
Chimney Cake Workshop
Trdelník, the spiral-shaped chimney cake rolled in cinnamon sugar, is Prague’s most beloved street food. You will smell it long before you see it. The traditional chimney cake making workshop is a hands-on, genuinely fun experience where you learn to make it yourself. A great option for a rainy afternoon or a fun solo activity.
BOOK THE CHIMNEY CAKE WORKSHOP
Mozart Concert Dinner
Prague has a deep connection with Mozart. He premiered Don Giovanni here in 1787 and famously said the Praguers understood him better than the Viennese. The Mozart Ballroom Concert with three-course dinner is an unforgettable evening combining live classical music with exceptional Czech food in a stunning historic setting. Highly recommended for a special night out.
Explore Prague’s hip neighbourhoods
Two areas worth adding to your Prague city trip: Holešovice is creative and hip, with street art, independent galleries and excellent coffee. Vinohrady is more residential, lined with beautiful Art Deco apartment buildings and some of the best coffee spots in the city. Visit the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art and VNITROBLOCK, a centre for local designers where you can shop and have a drink at the same time.
ALL PRAGUE TOURS AND ACTIVITIES
The best restaurants in Prague – Prague City Trip
Prague is a surprisingly great food city. Good food is genuinely not hard to find here. Award-winning Manifesto is a must visit: a food hall built around sustainability, creativity and innovation. Powered entirely by renewable energy, cooled with shade cloths and sprinklers in summer and full of great options. Restaurant Eska is another excellent choice, serving traditional and modern Czech dishes from a beautiful bakery-restaurant concept. Home Kitchen is great for lunch and Den Noc makes the best pancakes. Head to Můj Šálek Kávy for coffee: one of Prague’s best and most loved spots, right in the heart of the city.
For a more structured food experience, the Prague guided street food walking tour is excellent. You try traditional Czech specialities with a local guide who explains the history and culture behind each dish. A great way to eat your way through the old town.
BOOK THE STREET FOOD TOUR HERE
The many bridges of Prague | Czech Republic
Best boutique hotels in Prague – Prague City Trip
– Click on the names for rooms and rates –
Prague has an outstanding range of boutique hotels, many of them in beautiful historic buildings. Domus Balthasar Boutique Hotel is intimate, beautifully designed and right in the heart of the old town. Equally impressive is The Botanist by Adrez, one of the most design-forward stays in the city with consistently outstanding reviews. THE MANES Boutique Hotel sits right on the river with beautiful views from many of the rooms. Accordion Boutique Hotel is a charming and well-priced gem in a quieter part of the city. For the best luxury experience in Prague, Grand Hotel International is in a league of its own.
ROOMS AND RATES AT THE MANES HOTEL
The Lennon Wall | Prague, Czech Republic
Prague cocktail bars and nightlife
Prague has a brilliant cocktail bar scene. Anonymous Bar, Hemingway Bar, Bar Cobra, Grand Fierro, Gin and Tonic Club, Cloud 9 and Mr. Hotdog. Enter the last one at your own risk. For a truly special evening, the Mozart Ballroom Concert with dinner is one of the most memorable nights out the city offers.
Day trip: Bohemian Switzerland National Park
A day trip to Bohemian Switzerland National Park is one of the highlights of any Prague city trip. Just two hours by car, the park offers dramatic sandstone gorges, river boat crossings through Edmund’s Gorge and Europe’s largest natural sandstone arch at Pravčická Brána. It is completely unlike anything in the city and makes for a perfect contrast. Sitting right on the German border, it can also be combined with Saxon Switzerland on the same day. A VIP Bohemian and Saxon Switzerland tour across two countries in one day is an excellent option if you want a guided experience.
BOOK YOUR BOHEMIAN SWITZERLAND TOUR
Edmund’s Gorge, Bohemian Switzerland | day trip from Prague
Prague city trip: frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Prague?
Two full days is enough to cover the main highlights: the old town, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the Jewish Quarter and the Lennon Wall. Three days gives you time to explore the neighbourhoods of Holešovice and Vinohrady and add a day trip to Bohemian Switzerland. Four days is the sweet spot if you want to do everything at a relaxed pace.
What is the best area to stay in Prague?
Staying in or near the old town (Staré Město) puts you within walking distance of all the main sights. Vinohrady is a great alternative: quieter, with beautiful architecture and excellent transport links into the centre. Both areas have a good selection of boutique hotels.
ALL PRAGUE TOURS AND ACTIVITIES
Joyce at Tiské Stěny | Tisá Rocks | Bohemian Switzerland
Check out all my Estonia highlights HERE!
What should you not miss in Prague?
Charles Bridge at sunrise, Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral, the Jewish Quarter, the Lennon Wall, the Dancing House and at least one evening in a great cocktail bar. Add a day trip to Bohemian Switzerland if you have the time. You will not regret it.
If you loved Tallinn or other medieval Central European cities, Prague will feel like a natural next step, only bigger and even more dramatic.
Words, photos and edits by Lieke Pijnappels and Joyce van Galen.
- Find the best hotels in Prague at Booking.com
- Book tours and activities at GetYourGuide.com
- Rent a car in Prague via Discover Cars
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