Photo: Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA · CC BY 2.03 Days in Prague: Old Town, the Castle and Beer Halls
Three days in Prague at classic pace: the Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge at dawn, Prague Castle and Malá Strana on foot, and beer halls and Czech comfort food in Vinohrady. Answer a few questions and the plan re-plans itself around how you travel: your pace, your budget, your style.
Pick a style, a budget and a pace — the route and days below re-plan themselves.
9 stops · 6 meals · 1 hotelThis is the editor’s pick.
3 days
Each day takes one part of Prague, kept close so you walk more than you ride. The map shows the whole route — pick a day to zoom in.
The twin-spired Gothic church that owns the square's skyline. The Baroque interior holds Tycho Brahe's tomb. Entry is free. Look for the narrow passage between buildings facing the square, not the main facade.
- The entrance is a narrow passage facing the square, not the main facade.
The 1410 clock on the Old Town Hall with its hourly Apostles procession. Catch it on the hour, then decide on the tower climb: from about 150 CZK, and the early slot has the smallest crowds.
- The Apostles run every hour from 9am to 11pm; come at opening for the thinnest crowd.
Traditional Czech pub-restaurant near the Rudolfinum: tank Pilsner, goulash and roast goose in a warm vaulted interior. Booking recommended; there is outdoor seating and table service.
Start here, at Prague's oldest and grandest square. Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance facades ring you, with the Týn Church and the Astronomical Clock facing off across the cobbles. The Jan Hus Memorial stands at the center; it went up in 1915.
- If your dates line up, the square hosts Prague's Christmas and Easter markets.
Rustic medieval-style tavern with tank beer and hearty Czech classics like goulash, pork hock and ribs. Reasonable prices for the Old Town.
Legendary beerhall pouring tank Pilsner Urquell: Bohumil Hrabal's old haunt, beer cheese specialty, shared tables. Evenings are hopelessly full; reserve your table by phone.
- Evenings are hopelessly full; reserve your table by phone.
Budget-friendly historic hotel five minutes from Old Town Square: high-ceilinged rooms, Spanish restaurant La Boca, jazz bar nights. Check-in from 15:00, check-out by 11:00.
The 1357 Gothic bridge lined with 30 Baroque statues, linking the Old Town to Malá Strana. Free to cross, open 24 hours: come at sunrise or after 10pm to beat the crowds.
- Come at sunrise or after 10pm to beat the crowds. Touching the plaque under St. John of Nepomuk is said to bring luck and a return to Prague.
Ever-changing graffiti wall in Malá Strana where Czech youth painted Lennon portraits and protest messages in the 1980s. Free, open at all hours; twenty to forty minutes is enough.
- Combine it with Kampa Island; it is a short walk from the Malá Strana end of the bridge.
- Cross the bridge at dawn, then follow the Malá Strana end to the Lennon Wall; twenty to forty minutes is enough, and Kampa Island pairs with it.
Tiny, characterful beer hall by the castle said to pour the city's best Pilsner Urquell, with simple pub fare. Small room; be ready for standing room by the bar at peak hours.
- Be ready for standing room by the bar at peak hours; the room is tiny.
Terraced Baroque palace garden climbing Petřín's slope: fountains, statues and one of Prague's loveliest views. 150 CZK; the upper terraces have the best views. Not wheelchair friendly.
- The upper terraces have the best views.
A stretch
Historic Czech beerhouse off Wenceslas Square: tank Pilsner Urquell, goulash and classic Bohemian dishes, lunch specials. Pilsner is tapped traditionally from tanks.
- Lunch hours bring lower-priced specials; the Pilsner is tapped from tanks.
Stay put: ~13 min by taxi back from Vrtba Garden tonight, ~14 min by taxi to St. Vitus Cathedral in the morning.
Gothic cathedral inside the castle: stained-glass windows, royal chapels and a climbable south tower. Visit inside a castle ticket circuit. The tower runs 10:00 to 18:00 in summer; count on 287 steps.
- The tower is open 10:00 to 18:00 in summer; count on 287 steps.
The world's largest ancient castle complex: courtyards, palaces, gardens and St. Vitus Cathedral above the Vltava. Grounds are free; interior tickets start around 250 CZK. Come at opening; tour groups peak 11:00 to 15:00.
- Come at opening: tour groups peak 11:00 to 15:00, and the noon changing of the guard fills the First Courtyard.
Small 44-seat neighborhood restaurant by the Loreta: Czech specialties, Budweiser on tap, soups and meatless options. Local-feeling and compact.
Premonstratensian abbey above the castle with two of the world's most beautiful Baroque library halls and city views. 190 CZK; the halls are viewed from the doorways. Visit Strahov first, then walk downhill to the castle.
- Visit Strahov first, then walk downhill to the castle; take tram 22 or 23 to Pohořelec.
A stretch
Brewery in the Strahov Monastery courtyard brewing since around 1400: house beers, Czech classics, pork knuckle. Try the signature dark beer with goulash soup or pork ribs.
- Try the signature dark beer with goulash soup or pork ribs.
- Do the library halls first, then eat in the monastery courtyard: the brewery pours house beers and the classic is the dark beer with goulash soup.
No-frills Hradčany beer hall near the castle with well-kept Pilsner Urquell and Kozel, beloved by locals. Open daily 10:00 to 22:00; inexpensive and cash-friendly.
- Open daily 10:00-22:00; inexpensive and cash-friendly.
Stay put: ~17 min by taxi back from the Strahov Library tonight.
Where to stay in Prague
Ranked for first-timer travelers on a shoestring budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Hotel Salvator
Budget-friendly historic hotel five minutes from Old Town Square: high-ceilinged rooms, Spanish restaurant La Boca, jazz bar nights. Check-in from 15:00, check-out by 11:00.
Czech Inn Hostel
Design-forward hostel on the Vinohrady edge: dorms and private apartment-style rooms with kitchenettes, plus a lively in-house bar. Dorm beds from about $11; 280 m from Grébovka.
Hotel Anna
Elegant 1890s neo-classical hotel on a quiet Vinohrady street: Art Nouveau interiors, free parking, terrace, minutes from Náměstí Míru. Airport pickup on request.
Flights to Prague
Fly into PRG (PRG)
Flight results via Travelpayouts — we may earn a commission on bookings.
Land in Czech Republic with data
Skip the airport SIM line. Install an eSIM before you fly and your phone is online the moment you land: maps, rides, and restaurant lookups from the gate.
Get an Airalo eSIMeSIM via Airalo. We may earn a commission on purchases.
Getting around Prague
How to actually move around the city — transit, rideshare, bikes, and taxis.
Public transit
Prague's integrated PID network of metro, trams, buses, ferries and the Petrin funicular is cheap, frequent and easy for visitors; one ticket covers every mode, and the historic center is compact enough to walk much of it.
- PID Litacka app
The official ticket and journey-planner app, in English. Adult fares in 2026: 30 minutes 36 CZK, 90 minutes 46 CZK, 24 hours 140 CZK, 72 hours 340 CZK (paper tickets from machines cost a little more).
Tip: Activate the ticket before you board; riding with an unactivated ticket draws a fine from inspectors.
- Metro, trams and buses (DPP)
Three metro lines (A green, B yellow, C red, roughly 05:00 to midnight), a dense day tram network plus night trams 91-99, and city buses; one PID ticket covers them all. Line 22 is the classic scenic tram past the Castle.
Tip: Tap a contactless card on the onboard reader, or buy a paper ticket and stamp it in the yellow validator when you board.
- Airport connections
Trolleybus 59 runs to Nadrazi Veleslavin (metro A, best for Old Town and Mala Strana) and bus 100 to Zlicin (metro B); both take ordinary PID tickets. The Airport Express (AE) bus goes direct to the main railway station but needs its own separate ticket.
Tip: A 90-minute ticket (46 CZK in the app) covers the whole trolleybus-plus-metro ride into the center.
Rideshare
Uber and Bolt both operate in Prague and are the simplest door-to-door option late at night or with luggage; Bolt is usually the cheapest of the two.
- Bolt
Often the cheapest ride option in Prague; expect roughly 400-700 CZK from the airport to the center depending on time of day.
Tip: Check both Bolt and Uber before booking; prices fluctuate and the cheaper one changes by the minute.
- Uber
The largest driver pool in the city, with the usual in-app fare estimate and dispute process that street taxis lack.
Tip: If you arrange an Uber pickup at the airport, walk to the marked pickup zone outside arrivals.
Bikes
Prague is hillier than it looks and the cobbled center is not ideal cycling, but bike shares are handy for the parks and the riverfront paths.
- Rekola bikeshare
The pink dockless bikes found all over the city; unlock with the app and pay per ride or by the day.
Tip: Best for Stromovka, Letna and the Vltava embankments; avoid the steep climb to the Castle.
Taxis
Street-hailed taxis in Prague have a long reputation for overcharging tourists; use an app or a reputable dispatched company instead.
- AAA Taxi
The best-known dispatched taxi company; order by phone or app so the fare is agreed before the ride starts.
Tip: Have your hotel or restaurant call the taxi for you, and always ask for an estimated fare first.