24 Best Things to Do in Prague, Czech Republic

Prague, the bustling capital of the Czech Republic, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe! There are a lot of great things to do in Prague, from experiencing traditional cuisine to discovering unique architecture.

With its old-world charm, unique landmarks, and tons of history, Prague should be at the top of your list!

From top-rated attractions to in-depth tours, here’s my ranking of the best things to do in Prague.

Best Things to Do in Prague

1. Prague Castle

Prague Castle is the largest castle complex in the entire world. In fact, inside the castle complex is a bunch of other things on this list (Lobkowicz Palace, St. Vitus Cathedra, Golden Lane, Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica).

This ancient castle, founded around 880, is a UNESCO World Heritage site the occupies an area of about 750,000 square feet and measures 1,870 feet long and 430 feet wide.

It’s the official office of the President of the Czech Republic, and throughout its history it served as the seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia.

Inside the Old Royal Palace, you can see the original residence building, which has since been used for coronations, conferences, and offices. This is also where you can see a replica of the Bohemian Crown Jewels, the real ones of which are kept safe at Prague Castle in a vault at St. Vitus Cathedral.

Book this this Prague Castle and Lobkowicz Palace combination ticket, which gives you access to all the best parts of Prague Castle.

2. Prague Astronomical Clock

The Prague Astronomical Clock is a medieval clock that was installed in 1410, which makes it the oldest astronomical clock still in operation. And you can see it in action every hour between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m.!

Mounted on Old Town Hall, the clock has an astronomical dial that represents the Prague view of the sky, an “above the horizon” portion for daytime, and a “below the horizon” portion for nighttime. A mechanical Sun and Moon show their position in the sky. Roman numerals tell the time on a 24-hour clock. A moveable circle marks the zodiac signs. On the outer edge are golden Scwabacher numerals that represent Old Czech Time and indicate the time of sunset.

Below the clock is a calendar displaying allegories of the months and the zodiac signs.

Between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m., the clock strikes the hour and

the procession of the Twelve Apostles is set in motion. A statue of each Apostle appears in the doorways above the clock.

The four figures at the side of the clock also move on the hour. The skeleton of Death chimes the hour and rotates his hourglass to show the other figures that their life is at the end. The figures of a Turkish man, a Vain man, and a Miser shake their heads “no”.

3. St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle is the largest and most important church in the Czech Republic.

The Gothic cathedral was built beginning in 1344, but it wasn’t completed until 1929.

The cathedral is filled with beautiful, ornate stained glass, tombs, statues, and relics. The cathedral was built to impress, as the coronations of Czech kings and queens took place here. It’s also the final resting place of several patron saints, sovereigns, noblemen, and archbishops.

Book this Prague Castle ticket for access to St. Vitus Cathedral.

4. Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge is a famous medieval stone bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague. King Charles IV had the bridge constructed in 1357, and it was the only bridge crossing the Vltava river in Prague until 1841.

Today, it is a pedestrian-only bridge that connects Old Town and Lesser Town. It’s 1,693 feet long and 33 feet wide.

The bridge is flanked by two fortified Gothic towers in Lesser Town and one in Old Town. Thirty statues of saints decorate the bridge (these are all replicas now, but you can find the originals in the National Museum).

In addition to walking across the bridge and admiring the architecture, you can also visit the Charles Bridge Museum. This small museum will give you an overview of the history of the bridge.

Book your ticket to the Charles Bridge Museum here.

5. Old Town Square

Old Town Square is Prague’s oldest square, dating back to the 10th century when it served as a marketplace. Homes were built around the square in the 12th and 13th centuries, then came the Old Town Hall and the Church of Our Lady before Týn in the 14th century.

Other interesting buildings on the square include the Gothic Stone Bell House built in the 13th century, the Rococo Kinský Palace from the 18th century, and the Baroque Church of St. Nicholas from the 18th century.

A monument to Jan Hus, a predecessor to the Protestant movement, has a significant place in Old Town Square. In the pavement, you can also see memorial stones marking the execution of 27 Czech lords during the revolt against the Habsburgs in 1621 and the Prague meridian.

6. Powder Gate Tower

The Powder Gate Tower is one of the city’s original Gothic gates. Built in 1475, the tower once served as a gunpowder store, earning its name.

The path through the gate brought one of the main roads from Eastern Bohemia into Prague. It was down this road that the coronation processions of Bohemian kings would enter the city.

You can go inside the Powder Gate Tower where you’ll find a small museum with sculptures of former Czech kings and learn about the history of the tower. You can also climb up the 186 steps to the top where you’ll get a great view of Prague.

Book your ticket to the Powder Gate Tower here.

7. Lobkowicz Palace

Lobkowicz Palace is the former home of the Lobkowicz family, a Czech noble family that is one of the oldest Bohemian noble families. The Palace first came into the family in the early 1600s.

During World War II, the Palace was seized by the Nazis. After the war, it was seized by Communist authorities and held until the fall of the Communist government in 1989. After a long restitution process to return confiscated properties, the Lobkowicz family finally regained the Palace in 2002.

The family opened the Palace to the public to display the family’s collection of art, furnishings, music, and military equipment.

A tour of Lobkowicz Palace gives you a look at the oldest and largest privately owned art collection in the Czech Republic. There are family portraits, The Hay Harvest by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, two paintings of London by Canaletto, graphics and drawings, decorative arts, a music archive with works by over 500 composers and musicians, mounted hunting trophies, and a collection of 17th-18th century rifles and pistols.

You can also attend a midday concert at Lobkowicz Palace and listen to members of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra play in the 17th century Baroque Concert Hall.

Book this this Lobkowicz Palace and Prague Castle combination ticket, which gives you the best price for access to these two top sights.

8. Golden Lane

The Golden Lane along the northern side of Prague Castle is a row of small 16th century homes built to house the castle soldiers and goldsmiths (the lane used to be called Goldsmith Lane before being shortened to Golden Lane).

The small homes were occupied until World War II. Czech writer Franz Kafka lived in house No. 22, and a famous fortune-teller “Madame de Thebes” lived in No. 14 (she was arrested because of her prediction of the fall of the Third Reich). In the 1950s, the homes were painted in bright colors.

There are now shops, museums, and displays set up in a lot of the houses.

Book this this Prague Castle and Lobkowicz Palace combination ticket, which gives you access to all the best parts of Prague Castle.

9. St. George’s Basilica

St. George’s Basilica was the second church built at Prague Castle, and now it’s the oldest surviving church within the complex. It was built in 920 in the Romanesque style.

The church is very simple compared to St. Vitus Cathedral, but it still holds some interesting exhibits, nice artwork, and tombstones of members of the Přemyslov princely family.

Book this this Prague Castle and Lobkowicz Palace combination ticket, which gives you access to all the best parts of Prague Castle.

10. Daliborka Tower

The end of the Golden Lane exits to Daliborka Tower. The bottom floor of this tower was used as Prague Castle’s prison.

The tower is named after its first prisoner, a knight named Dalibor from the village of Kozojedy, who was imprisoned for housing rebel serfs during an uprising. Local legend says that he taught himself to play violin while he was imprisoned, and some claim to hear his ghost playing the violin still today.

It’s a cramped, steep climb down into the dungeon to see the medieval torture instruments and the prison cells.

Book this this Prague Castle and Lobkowicz Palace combination ticket, which gives you access to all the best parts of Prague Castle.

11. Climb the Astronomical Clock Tower

You can climb to the top of the Prague Astronomical Clock Tower for some amazing views of the city.

An entry ticket to Old Town Hall lets you go to the top of the Gothic clock tower.

To get to the top, you can either take an elevator (for an extra charge) or walk the winding ramp up. I’d recommend saving a little money and walking the ramp to the top, if you’re able.

Book your Old Town Hall & Clock Tower ticket here.

12. Old Town Hall

The Astronomical Clock is on the side of Old Town Hall, established in 1338. The southern wing that you can see now is all that’s left of the Old Town Hall; the eastern wing was destroyed during the Prague Uprising in 1945.

An entry ticket to Old Town Hall not only lets you go to the top of the Gothic clock tower, but it also lets you see the historical hall, chapel, and Romanesque underground.

In the historical hall and chapel, you can also see behind-the-scenes and get a close-up look at the Apostle statues inside the clock. If you’re there on the hour, you can even watch the clock mechanics from the inside.

Book your Old Town Hall & Clock Tower ticket here.

13. Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague

The Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague is a small museum dedicated to the history of alchemy in Prague.

In one part of the museum, you can read stories of different alchemists and magicians in Prague. One room is set up to look like the legend of Faust, who sold his soul to the devil for knowledge and power, being taken by the devil through a hole in the ceiling.

The other part of the museum is a recreation of Edward Kelley’s laboratory in the attic of Kelley Tower. This requires a walk up a winding staircase to the top floor where a guide will take you through the recreation of Kelley’s warehouse and laboratory and will explain Kelley’s work.

14. Kellyxír Alchemical Lab Pub

Attached to the Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague is the Kellyxír Alchemical Lab Pub. This restaurant and bar is alchemy themed with drinks served in rounded flasks with bubbling dry ice.

The drinks all have great names, too. We had the Nasty Alchemist On The Beach, Shakespeare’s Drinking Ink, The Essence of the Philosopher’s Stone, Herbs Fresco, Brexit Tincture, Al-Caribbia, Archimboldo’s Sketch, Blood of Inman The Knight, and the fan favorite Let’s Try To Say After Drink: Strčprstskrzkrk.

(Because I know you’re wondering: Strč prst skrz krk is a Czech tongue-twister that means “stick a finger through the neck”. After hearing our waitress say it, Kevin was able to get pretty close! But that was before the drink, and he definitely couldn’t do it after.)

15. LEGO Museum

The LEGO Museum displays the collection of Miloš Křeček, which is the largest private LEGO collection in the world. His collection actually spans five museums across the Czech Republic (and a LEGO Hotel), so this museum in Prague is only part of it.

It’s not a very big museum, but it is filled with classic LEGO blocks, toys from LEGO before they started making blocks, limited edition and special promo sets, and Prague-related builds. There are over 3,000 unique models.

And at the end, you’ll exit through a LEGO store where you can purchase your favorite sets.

Book your LEGO Museum tickets here.

16. Rotating Head of Franz Kafka

The rotating Head of Franz Kafka statue in New Town is an appropriate metamorphosis of the Prague writer (get it — because he wrote The Metamorphosis).

The kinetic sculpture by David Černý is over 36 feet tall and is made up of 42 rotating panels that move individually.

The sculpture seeks to reflect the inner torment of Kafka’s mind.

17. Narrowest Street of Prague

The narrowest street of Prague is a skinny stairway between two buildings that is just under 20 inches wide at its narrowest point.

The stairway leads to a restaurant at the bottom. There’s no other way out but back up the stairs.

At the top and the bottom of the stairs, there’s a pedestrian traffic light to let you know when the stairway is free to traverse.

You’ll find Prague’s narrowest street at U Lužického semináře, 118 00 Malá Strana, Czechia.

18. Ice Pub Prague

Ice Pub Prague is bar where everything — the walls, bar, tables, sculptures, and glasses — is made of ice!

It’s technically part of Karlovy Lázně, a 5-story club that’s the largest music club in central Europe. But you don’t have to go to the club to get to it, you just go through a pedestrian tunnel under the U Šalamouna building right next to Charles Bridge.

You book your 20 minute time slot, which includes either a vodka cocktail or a mocktail, and then pick up a thermal poncho with sleeves and a hood, as well as some gloves to keep you warm. Then they let you into what’s essentially a giant restaurant freezer that’s been iced over.

The drink menu is simple: Sweet, Sour, or Bitter. Your first drink (included in your admission) comes in a plastic cup, so if you want the fun ice cup, you’ll have to order a second drink.

20 minutes is plenty of time in the Ice Pub. Even though the jackets they give you are warm, it’s still quite cold at under 20°F (-7°C)!

Book your Ice Pub Prague with Nightclub Option ticket here.

19. Prague Beer Tour

The Czech Republic is known for its beers like Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen, and Budweiser Budvar. So a beer tour in Prague is a must!

We chose this 3-hour Prague Beer Tour because it comes with a drink at three pubs and includes a traditional Czech dinner. Non-beer-drinkers can sample other local wines and ciders on this tour, too, or just stick with soft drinks.

Our local guide took us to three different pubs with varying styles. Two were off the typical tourist path, and the last one was right on Old Town Square. Our guide was able to recommend local beers, wines, and ciders for us to make sure we got something we liked.

Book your 3-hour Prague Beer Tour and Traditional Czech Dinner here.

20. Old Town Prague Medieval Underground Tour

Underneath the city are some perfectly preserved Romanesque dwellings from before the 13th century. You can see what’s underneath the city on this Medieval Underground Tour.

Prague has been plagued by floods basically it’s entire existence. Even in recent years they’ve had to do some serious flood control. But back in the 13th century, their solution was to move the entire ground floor up a level in Old Town. They filled the streets with trash and leftover building material from new constructions until the ground level was raised.

Not many of the old Romanesque basements remain in their original state, but this tour took us to three that have been preserved. (Most of the basements are accessible, they’ve just been remodeled. When you eat in the basement of a restaurant in Old Town, you’re really in the old Old Town.)

This tour company also uses the underground rooms for their Ghosts & Legends Tour, so some of the rooms are decorated like its Halloween. That would be a good tour to take if you want the underground with a bit of a spook factor!

Book your Prague Medieval Underground Tour here.

21. Day Trip to Karlštejn Castle

Karlštejn Castle is the second most visited castle in the Czech Republic, and it’s just 10 miles west of Prague.

The castle was built in 1348 by King Charles IV as a place to keep the Bohemian Crown Jewels safe, as well as holy relics and other royal treasures. The treasures were kept in the middle of the tallest stone tower.

It apparently wasn’t considered safe enough, though, because the Crown Jewels were evacuated during the Hussite Wars and moved to a safer location. After that, they were kept at Karlštejn Castle for almost 200 years before being moved to Prague Castle.

We did the Imperial Residence of Charles IV tour (the basic tour). This 1-hour guided tour shows you inside the 1st and 2nd floors of the Imperial Palace and the 1st floor of the Marian Tower. You get to see rooms like the King’s Bedchamber, the wood-paneled Audience Hall, the Banquet Hall, and a copy of the St. Wenceslas Crown.

There are some good day tours that can get you to Karlštejn Castle, like this Half-Day Karlštejn Castle Tour, this Karlštejn Castle Tour from Prague, or this Small Group Karlštejn Castle & Koněprusy Caves Tour.

I recommend this private tour with Private Prague Guide. They offer a lot of interesting tours, custom itineraries, and they have a 5-star rating on Tripadvisor — and for very good reason. This was the best tour we did! The tour we chose took us to both Karlštejn Castle and Křivoklát Castle.

Read more about visiting Karlštejn Castle here.

22. Day Trip to Křivoklát Castle

Křivoklát Castle was founded in the 12th century during the Přemyslid dynasty. Later, the castle was turned into a prison with inmates like Edward Kelley, whose alchemical lab we explored back in Prague!

We took the Gothic Palace – Long Tour (the basic tour). This 80-minute guided tour takes you into the Royal Hall (which is the second-largest hall in the country after Prague Castle’s Vladislav Hall), the Late Gothic chapel, the expansive library with 52,000 volumes, the dungeon and prison, and more.

There are only a few options for tours to Křivoklát Castle, but you might try this Křivoklát Castle Tour by Private Car, this Private Křivoklát Castle Tour with Bohemia Glass Factory & Lunch, or this Křivoklát Castle & Křivoklátsko Day Hike.

I recommend this Private Prague Guide tour that takes you to both Křivoklát Castle and Karlštejn Castle.

Read more about visiting Křivoklát Castle here.

Read next: Karlštejn Castle & Křivoklát Castle Day Trip from Prague

23. Book a Prague photoshoot with Flytographer

Explore Prague with a fun and talented photographer, learn local tips, and capture priceless memories with photogenic backdrops. It’s a win all around!

With Flytographer, you can hire an amazing local photographer for a fun vacation photoshoot. Get wall-worthy photos that allow you to relive your trip as the perfect souvenir.

You can use my link here for $50 off your first Flytographer photoshoot.

Book your Prague Flytographer photoshoot here.

24. Use the Tinggly Bucketlist box to find top experiences in Prague

Treat yourself to an unforgettable adventure in Prague with the Tinggly Bucketlist box.

Tinggly boxes are essentially gift vouchers for experiences all around the world. But you can give yourself the gift of adventure, too. Especially because Tinggly has some Prague experiences you can’t find anywhere else!

With the Bucketlist box, you can treat yourself to unique Prague experiences like a Prague Photography Tour or a Jewish Quarter Walking Tour.

Get yourself the Bucketlist box here, or check out other Prague experiences from Tinggly here.

Save on Prague’s Top Attractions

Want to save big on Prague’s top attractions? With the Prague CoolPass, you can save a ton on the cost of entrance tickets to 70+ museums, tours, and attractions all around the city!

Visit bucket list attractions, enjoy top tours, and discover hidden gems handpicked by local experts. With one price and one pass, you have everything you need right on your phone. This is the perfect pass for a 3 day trip to Prague!

Get your Prague CoolPass here.

Things to Do in Prague Map

Ready to explore Prague’s top attractions and hidden gems? Use the map below to help plan out your weekend in Prague, Czech Republic.

I hope these top things to do in Prague help you plan the perfect vacation!

Visiting Prague FAQ

More Prague Travel Tips

• 3 Days in Prague: Your Perfect Weekend Itinerary
• Karlštejn Castle & Křivoklát Castle Day Trip from Prague
• Visiting Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic
• Where to Eat and Drink in Prague, Czech Republic
• Visiting Křivoklát Castle in Křivoklát, Czech Republic
• Visiting Karlštejn Castle in Karlštejn, Czech Republic

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Ready to visit Prague, Czech Republic? Plan your trip with these tips.

• Book Your Flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
• Find Accommodation: You can find top hotels in Prague using Booking.com.
• Start Packing: Check out my packing list resources so you’re prepared for your trip.
• Explore the City: Get access to 70+ attractions at a great price with the Prague CoolPass.

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Cheers!

Paige

Did you find this itinerary and list of top things to do in Prague helpful? Let me know in the comments!