Travel Dates: September 2025
TLDR: If you love hiking and the great outdoors, you’ll want to add Bohemian Switzerland National Park and Bohemian Paradise to your travel list. These stunning regions in the Czech Republic offer dramatic landscapes, sandstone rock formations, lush forests, and scenic trails. For adventurous travelers ready for a full-day hiking experience, I highly recommend a tour of Bohemian Switzerland National Park. If you’re looking for something less intense but still scenic and rich in local charm, the Bohemian Paradise tour is a perfect choice.
What to expect on the Bohemian Switzerland National Park Tour
We were picked up a little after 7 AM, and our first stop was at a gas station for a quick bathroom break before heading out on our first hike to see Pravčická brána (Pravčická Gate) — the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, located in Bohemian Switzerland.
The hike up to the arch took about 45 minutes. While the trail isn’t paved, the incline is fairly gradual, making it manageable. There were some rocky and sandy sections, so proper footwear is helpful. Once at the top, our guide, Ondrej, scanned our entry tickets, and we had ~20 minutes to explore the upper area, which includes a restaurant, bathroom, and an additional short trail to an observation deck. The trail took about 6 minutes with quite a few steps — some steep — that leads to a panoramic view of the arch.
After coming down from the hike, we drove to another trailhead for our second hike, which led us down a gorge to a short boat ride. The downhill hike took around 30 minutes and was a bit more challenging — steeper, rockier, and definitely more demanding on the knees. The boat ride through the gorge lasted about 15 minutes; while scenic, it was a bit underwhelming. After the ride, we hiked back up from the gorge and stopped for lunch, which was included in the tour. We tried the venison goulash, which was gamey, and the chicken schnitzel, which was tasty.
Our final stop of the tour was the Bastei Bridge in Germany. You will need to bring your passport as you’ll be crossing the German border — there was a police checkpoint where they checked everyone’s documents and confirmed that seatbelts were being worn (you can be fined otherwise). We spent about an hour at Bastei. The first 20 minutes was to wait while our guide parked the van, during which we explored a nearby observation deck with beautiful views over the valley below. Once Ondrej rejoined us, he led us on a 20-minute walk through the park, where we got to see and walk across the Bastei Bridge. The area is well-maintained, with quite a few steps, but it’s manageable and absolutely worth it for the views. After the guided portion, we had around 20 minutes of free time on our own before heading back. One important thing to note is this was the only stop where the bathroom wasn’t free — it cost €1 and they only accepted cash. Thankfully, Ondrej kindly gave each of us a euro so we could use the facilities.
As much as I enjoyed the stunning views on this tour, it was a long day — around 12 hours in total. On the bright side, it was a small group size (maximum of 7 people), and we were provided free water bottles.
What to expect on the Bohemian Paradise Tour
Our day started with a pick-up just before 8am, followed by a quick stop at a gas station where we could use the bathroom and grab some breakfast or snacks. Then we headed to Prachov Rocks in Bohemian Paradise, where we spent ~2 hours hiking and exploring the park. The trail was scenic but moderately challenging — with lots of steps, rocky paths, and some slippery spots due to the rain that day. There are handrails in most areas, but I definitely recommend wearing proper hiking shoes for safety and comfort.
After the hike, we had lunch at a beautiful castle, Zámek Hrubá Skála. (Note: If you book the tour via Viator, lunch is included. If you book through Airbnb, the overall tour cost is slightly cheaper, but lunch is not included and you’ll need to pay separately.) We tried the roasted duck leg and beef sirloin — both were absolutely delicious.
Following lunch, we had a brief guided tour of the castle before heading to the local craft brewery, Lomnické Pivo. During the brewery tour, we got to sample two beers straight from the vat and two more from cans. As a nice bonus, we also received a special canned beer made exclusively for this tour.
Our guide, Jan, was incredibly friendly and hospitable throughout the day. After the tour, he even shared his personal Google Maps guide to Prague with us — full of local recommendations for places to eat, drink, and shop.
Overall, the tour had a great pace, and ending the day with the brewery visit after the hike and lunch felt like a well-earned reward. Another nice touch was the little extras provided — complimentary water bottle, a wafer snack, and rain ponchos (on loan), which came in especially handy given the weather. The small group size was also a plus — we had just 4 people on our tour (with a maximum of 8), which made the experience feel more personal.
Globe Trotter 