Prague travel guide

Prague is easier on the feet if you give Prague Castle one day and the Old Town another.

The castle grounds are open daily 6:00 to 22:00, and the basic building circuit costs 450 koruna for adults, valid for two days with one entry per building.

From the airport, trolleybus 59 runs to a metro line A station, where you change. A 90-minute city ticket costs 50 koruna on paper or 46 in the app; validate paper tickets when you first board.

Castle buildings sometimes close temporarily for events or maintenance, so check the date in the official information before you go.

Visa and entry requirements for Czechia

Whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and which pre-arrival forms apply all depend on your nationality and the purpose of your trip. Check the official source below, and your own government's travel advice, before you book.

• Information for foreigners (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic)
• ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) (European Union)
• EES (Entry/Exit System) (European Union)

Prague Castle's grounds are open daily from 6:00 to 22:00. The basic circuit, covering the Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, Golden Lane and St. Vitus Cathedral, costs 450 koruna for adults, 300 reduced and 950 for families. Tickets are valid for two days with one entry per building, and are non-refundable.

According to the official information, the buildings are open 9:00 to 17:00 in the summer season and close at 16:00 in winter. St. Vitus Cathedral is open Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 17:00 and Sunday 12:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:40. The cathedral's south tower is open 10:00 to 18:00, with the last climb at 17:30. On 23 October 2026 the official site listed the Old Royal Palace as temporarily closed until 29 October; such closures change often, so check before you go.

Based on Prague Castle's official information, checked on 23 October 2026.

With 2 nights: walk Old Town Square and Charles Bridge on day one; see the castle buildings on the morning of day two and walk the gardens in the afternoon. The ticket is valid for two days, so you don't have to see everything in one. The cathedral opens at 12:00 on Sundays, so move it to the afternoon then.

With 4 nights: add a Vltava riverside walk and rest on day three, and fix your airport time on day four first. UNESCO listed the Historic Centre of Prague in 1992.

According to Prague Integrated Transport, trolleybus 59 runs from the airport to Nádraží Veleslavín, where you change to metro line A. A 90-minute ticket costs 50 koruna on paper or 46 in the app; with the transfer, a 30-minute ticket isn't enough.

A 30-minute ticket is 39 koruna on paper or 36 in the app; a 24-hour ticket 150 or 140; a 72-hour ticket 350 or 340. One ticket covers the metro, trams, buses and ferries. Validate a paper ticket once when you first board; validating again voids it. Riding without a validated ticket counts as fare evasion, with a surcharge of 1,500 koruna, or 800 if paid on the spot.

Plan meals in Prague around svíčková, goulash, trdelník and Czech beer. Svíčková is beef in a creamy sauce with knedlíky (dumplings), a filling lunch; goulash is a paprika meat stew; trdelník is dough wrapped round a cylinder and baked, good as a walking snack. We don't pick restaurants or prices here. On castle days, move lunch towards the Old Town.

Check temporary closures of castle buildings by date on the official site. Keep cash, cards and your passport close, not in a backpack on your back; in restaurants, don't hang your jacket on the chair, and check your belongings often. The emergency number is 112 and the police 158. Czechia is in the Schengen Area; check entry requirements for your nationality.