Things to do · Prague · Czechia
20 best things to do in Prague
20 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
The essential sights in Prague are Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral and Charles Bridge. Of the 20 picks below, 7 are free, 7 work on a rainy day and 7 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Prague Castle
- Free sights
- 7
- Good on a rainy day
- St Vitus Cathedral
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prague Castle | Hradčany | 3–4 hours | Mid-priced |
| St Vitus Cathedral | Hradčany | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Charles Bridge | Old Town | 30 minutes–1 hour | Free |
| Old Town Square | Old Town | 1 hour | Free |
| Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock | Old Town | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Jewish Quarter (Josefov) | Josefov | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Petřín Hill and Lookout Tower | Malá Strana | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Vyšehrad | Vyšehrad | 2 hours | Free |
| Wenceslas Square and the National Museum | New Town | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Dancing House | New Town | 30 minutes–1 hour | Free |
| Municipal House | Old Town | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| St Nicholas Church, Malá Strana | Malá Strana | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Wallenstein Garden | Malá Strana | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Kampa Island and the Lennon Wall | Malá Strana | 1 hour | Free |
| Vltava boat or paddle boat | Vltava | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Letná Park | Holešovice | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Strahov Monastery and Library | Hradčany | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Klementinum | Old Town | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Prague Zoo | Troja | Half a day | Mid-priced |
| Žižkov Television Tower | Žižkov | 1 hour | Low cost |
The 20 best things to do
Castle · Hradčany
1.Prague Castle
Founded in the 9th century and listed by Guinness World Records as the largest ancient castle complex, Prague Castle is a walled hilltop city of courtyards, palaces and churches. A circuit ticket covers St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace with its vaulted Vladislav Hall, St George's Basilica and Golden Lane, a row of tiny houses where Franz Kafka once wrote.
Arrive at opening or late afternoon; the courtyards are free to walk, and the noon changing of the guard in the first courtyard draws big crowds.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Buying the circuit ticket online saves queuing at the ticket offices; security checks at the gates can still be slow in summer.
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Architecture
- Kids
Religious site · Hradčany
2.St Vitus Cathedral
Begun in 1344 and not completed until 1929, the Gothic cathedral inside the castle walls holds the tombs of Bohemian kings, the gem-encrusted St Wenceslas Chapel, a silver tomb for St John of Nepomuk and a stained-glass window designed by Alphonse Mucha. The Great South Tower can be climbed for views over the castle and city.
The entrance area just inside the door is free to view; buy a circuit ticket to walk the full nave and see the chapels up close.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Landmark · Old Town
3.Charles Bridge
Begun under Charles IV in 1357, this 500-metre stone bridge links the Old Town with Malá Strana and is lined with 30 baroque statues of saints, most now replaced by copies. Touching the bronze relief below the statue of St John of Nepomuk is said to bring good luck. Gothic towers stand at both ends, and the Old Town Bridge Tower can be climbed.
Cross at sunrise for an almost empty bridge, then return after dark to see the castle lit up.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Couples
- After dark
- Photo spot
Landmark · Old Town
4.Old Town Square
Prague's medieval market square is ringed by the twin Gothic spires of the Týn Church, the baroque St Nicholas Church, the pink-and-white Kinský Palace and the Old Town Hall. The Jan Hus Memorial stands in the centre, and in winter the square fills with the city's main Christmas market.
Step into the side streets for coffee; the terraces on the square charge a premium.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- After dark
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Historic site · Old Town
5.Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock
Installed in 1410, the Astronomical Clock on the Old Town Hall is the oldest of its kind still working. Each hour during the day the twelve Apostles parade past its windows while a skeleton rings a bell. Inside the hall, a lift and ramp climb the tower for one of the best views over the Old Town's roofs.
The hourly show is brief and the crowd is thick with pickpockets; the tower view is the better experience.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Kids
Historic site · Josefov
6.Jewish Quarter (Josefov)
The Jewish Museum in Prague cares for a group of synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery, where around 12,000 gravestones are crowded on top of each other. The Pinkas Synagogue's walls list the names of Czech and Moravian Jews murdered in the Holocaust, alongside drawings by children from Terezín, and the Moorish-style Spanish Synagogue is richly decorated. The Old-New Synagogue, from the 13th century, is still in use.
The sites shut on Saturdays and Jewish holidays; buy the combined ticket and allow time for the Pinkas Synagogue.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Park · Malá Strana
7.Petřín Hill and Lookout Tower
Orchards, woods and a rose garden cover this hill above Malá Strana. On top stands the Petřín Lookout Tower, built in 1891 as a small cousin of the Eiffel Tower, whose 299 steps lead to a panorama over the whole city; beside it is a mirror maze popular with children.
Walk up through the orchards from Malá Strana or from Strahov Monastery, which is almost level with the top.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
Historic site · Vyšehrad
8.Vyšehrad
Legend places Prague's founding on this fortified rock above the Vltava. Inside its brick ramparts are the neo-Gothic Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, the 11th-century Rotunda of St Martin and Vyšehrad Cemetery, where Dvořák, Smetana, Mucha and Karel Čapek are buried. The ramparts look up the river to the castle.
Take metro C to Vyšehrad and walk in through the Tábor Gate, then come down the riverside stairs towards Náplavka.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
Street · New Town
1.Wenceslas Square and the National Museum
More boulevard than square, this long sloping avenue was the stage for the protests of 1968 and the 1989 Velvet Revolution. At its top, below the equestrian statue of St Wenceslas, the neo-Renaissance National Museum building reopened in 2018 after renovation, with natural history and Czech history galleries and a view down the square from its dome.
Look for the small memorial to Jan Palach and Jan Zajíc in front of the museum.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Architecture · New Town
2.Dancing House
Designed by Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry and completed in 1996, this riverside building of two twisting towers is nicknamed Fred and Ginger after the dancing pair. Its rooftop bar and terrace give views along the Vltava to the castle.
Combine it with a walk along Náplavka, the riverside embankment just to the south.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- Free
- Views
- Photo spot
Architecture · Old Town
3.Municipal House
Opened in 1912, the Obecní dům is Prague's finest Art Nouveau building, with stained glass, mosaics and rooms decorated by Alphonse Mucha. Guided tours visit the ceremonial halls, the Smetana Hall hosts concerts, and its café and restaurants keep their original interiors.
If you skip the tour, have coffee in the ground-floor café to see the interior, then walk under the Powder Tower next door.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
- Couples
Religious site · Malá Strana
4.St Nicholas Church, Malá Strana
Built by the Dientzenhofer father and son in the 18th century, this is the high point of Prague baroque, with a huge frescoed dome, marble-effect columns and gilded statues. Mozart is said to have played its organ. The separate bell tower has views over Malá Strana's roofs.
Evening classical concerts here are a good way to hear the acoustics; buy tickets at the church rather than from street sellers.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
Garden · Malá Strana
5.Wallenstein Garden
The formal baroque garden of the palace that now houses the Czech Senate has bronze statues, a huge open loggia (sala terrena), a pond and a strange grotesque wall of dripstone. Peacocks wander the paths, and the garden is free, opening in the warmer months.
Use it as a quiet shortcut on the walk from the Malostranská metro station up towards the castle.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
- Kids
Neighbourhood · Malá Strana
6.Kampa Island and the Lennon Wall
Kampa is a riverside island park separated from Malá Strana by the Čertovka millstream, with a working water wheel and David Černý's giant faceless crawling babies outside the Museum Kampa. Nearby, the Lennon Wall has been covered with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and messages since the 1980s.
Visit early in the morning, before tour groups fill the Lennon Wall area.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Experience · Vltava
7.Vltava boat or paddle boat
Seeing Prague from the river shows the castle, Charles Bridge and the embankments from a new angle. Sightseeing cruises leave from the embankments, while paddle boats and rowing boats can be rented from Slovanský ostrov (Slavic Island) near the National Theatre.
A paddle boat at sunset is cheaper and more fun than many cruises; some come shaped like swans or vintage cars.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Couples
- Views
- Outdoors
Park · Holešovice
8.Letná Park
A high plateau above the river with one of Prague's best-known beer gardens and a classic view of the bridges stepping across the Vltava. A giant metronome now stands where a vast statue of Stalin was demolished in 1962.
Buy a beer at the Letná beer garden in the late afternoon and watch the light change on the bridges.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Food
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Religious site · Hradčany
9.Strahov Monastery and Library
Founded in 1143, this Premonstratensian monastery holds one of Europe's most beautiful historic libraries: the frescoed Theological and Philosophical Halls, viewed from their doorways, plus a cabinet of curiosities. The monastery brewery serves its own beers.
Combine it with Petřín Hill, which is almost level with the monastery, and walk down through the orchards.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Views
Architecture · Old Town
10.Klementinum
The vast former Jesuit college near Charles Bridge holds a baroque library hall with painted ceilings and globes, a Mirror Chapel and an Astronomical Tower where weather records have been kept since the 18th century. The top of the tower has a view over the Old Town and the castle.
Visits are by guided tour only; book ahead in summer.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Guided tours have limited places and fill up in high season.
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Rainy day
Zoo · Troja
11.Prague Zoo
Set on a terraced hillside by the Vltava in Troja, Prague Zoo is regularly ranked among the best in Europe. Highlights include the Indonesian Jungle pavilion, the gorillas and a chairlift up the slope.
Take the bus from Nádraží Holešovice, and in summer return by river boat to the centre.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
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Viewpoint · Žižkov
12.Žižkov Television Tower
Completed in 1992, this 216-metre concrete tower was once voted one of the ugliest buildings in the world, and David Černý's giant babies now appear to crawl up its legs. An observation deck gives a 360-degree view over Prague, and there is a café and restaurant.
Go on a clear day and follow it with a beer in one of Žižkov's old pubs.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- Architecture
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | St Vitus Cathedral, Municipal House, St Nicholas Church, Malá Strana and Kampa Island and the Lennon Wall |
| History | Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral, Old Town Square and Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock |
| Views | Prague Castle, Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock, Petřín Hill and Lookout Tower and Vyšehrad |
| Outdoors and nature | Petřín Hill and Lookout Tower, Vyšehrad, Wallenstein Garden and Kampa Island and the Lennon Wall |
| Food and markets | Letná Park |
| After dark | Charles Bridge and Old Town Square |
| With children | Prague Castle, Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock, Petřín Hill and Lookout Tower and Wallenstein Garden |
| On a rainy day | St Vitus Cathedral, Jewish Quarter (Josefov), Wenceslas Square and the National Museum and Municipal House |
What to book ahead
- Prague Castle: Buying the circuit ticket online saves queuing at the ticket offices; security checks at the gates can still be slow in summer.
- Klementinum: Guided tours have limited places and fill up in high season.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Prague?
Prague Castle. Founded in the 9th century and listed by Guinness World Records as the largest ancient castle complex, Prague Castle is a walled hilltop city of courtyards, palaces and churches.
+What can you do for free in Prague?
Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, Vyšehrad, Dancing House and Wallenstein Garden. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Prague when it rains?
Head indoors to St Vitus Cathedral, Jewish Quarter (Josefov), Wenceslas Square and the National Museum and Municipal House.
+What is there to do in Prague at night?
Charles Bridge and Old Town Square are best after dark.