Prague, Czechia

Travel Dates – September 2025

What to do in Prague

Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) – Walking uphill to Prague Castle can be tiring due to the many steps, but the stunning views make it well worth the effort—or you can opt for public transportation instead. The castle grounds and gardens are free to explore and offer breathtaking panoramic views of the city. However, if you want to visit the interiors of the palace, St. Vitus Cathedral, and other attractions, you’ll need to purchase a ticket. That said, the exterior of the cathedral is impressive and definitely worth seeing from outside, and free to view.

At noon, don’t miss the 15-minute Changing of the Guards ceremony. If you’re interested in watching, arrive early to secure a good viewing spot, as it tends to get crowded.

Charles Bridge (Karlův most) – You can’t miss this iconic bridge when visiting Prague. Visit before 9 a.m. to enjoy fewer crowds and capture better photos. If you visit before sunset (~45 minutes), go to the right of the Old Town Bridge Tower (Staroměstská mostecká věž) for some great shots.

Prague Astronomical Clock (Pražský orloj) – While this famous clock is exquisite, there’s a rather anticlimactic show at the top of every hour. Crowds start gathering 15–20 minutes beforehand, and it can get very packed. For the best close-up photos of the clock, aim to visit between 15 to 30 minutes past the hour. Just after the show ends, the area becomes chaotic as everyone tries to leave at once. Don’t forget to bask in the views of the Old Town Square, which is right next to the clock.

Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice) – To ascend the Astronomical Clock tower, you need to purchase tickets for the OId Town Hall. We bought our tickets online on the same day but ended up paying 100 CZK more (450 CZK online vs. 350 CZK in person). This is because the online tickets are skip-the-line tickets, which allow you to enter the building immediately by scanning a QR code at the turnstiles, bypassing any queues. However, when we arrived before noon, there actually wasn’t much of a line anyway.

Keep in mind that the ticket does not include access to the clock tower elevator, which costs an additional 100 CZK. But the walk up to the clock tower wasn’t bad at all. Here’s how it works: you first climb several flights of stairs to reach the top floor, or you can take a free elevator to this level. From there, you enter the clock tower itself, where you have the option of taking the paid elevator or walking up several flights of a gentle ramp, followed by a final narrow metal spiral staircase to reach the top of the clock tower. The spiral staircase is equipped with red and green lights to control the flow of visitors going up and down, making the experience smoother.

The entire ascent from ground level to the top of the clock tower took us about six minutes. There’s a bathroom available on the first floor, and lockers for your belongings right after the turnstiles, which are free to use.

The views from the top of the clock tower are fantastic, and if you visit during the hourly show—make sure to look down and marvel at how crowded the square gets below.

Středová kašna – Valdštejská zahrada – In my opinion, this free garden is worth the stop for its romantic, charming views. There are a few fountains and statues throughout the park, making it a storybook atmosphere.

Manes Bridge (Mánesův most) – Walk on the bridge to enjoy the views of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle in the distance. There is also a park below the bridge and south of Rudolfinum concert hall (Google Map “Kubistická kašna na jihovýchodním konci Mánesova mostu v Praze”) where you can stroll along the Vltava river for more beautiful sites.

The Powder Tower (Prašná brána) – Make a quick stop to appreciate the beautiful Gothic architecture of one of Prague’s original city gates.

If you don’t have time, feel free to skip the following sites as they are a bit further away from Old Town, and some may be a bit lackluster:

Most na Slovanský ostrov bridge – From this bridge looking south, you’ll find a beautiful canal-like view. And on the island that the bridge is connected to, you can rent paddle boats.

Franz Kafka – Rotating Head by David Černý’s (Franz Kafka – Otočná Hlava – “K” – Socha Davida Černého) – Watch the statue of Kafka’s head rotate every 15 minutes, starting at the top of the hour.

Man Hanging Out – David Černý’s Statue of Sigmund Freud (Socha zavěšeného Sigmunda Freuda “Viselec”) – Just as the name suggests–it’s a statue of a Freud hanging from a pole at the top of a building.

Dancing House (Tančící dům) – Unique architecture design of a building curving inwards.

Petrin Tower (Petřínská rozhledna) – A mini version of the Eiffel Tower perched on a hill in Prague. Getting there was a trek—you’ll be climbing a steep hill with a lot of steps. Unless you’re particularly interested in checking out the tower and purchasing a ticket to go up, it may not be worth the effort. There is a paid funicular that usually takes you uphill to the base of the tower, but it was out of service during our visit, making the climb more strenuous than expected.

Where to eat in Prague

Czech cuisine – For the best Czech cuisine, we recommend the following:

• Lokál Dlouhááá – Once you enter, simply seat yourself at any available table when you walk in. If there’s a folded piece of paper with a time written on it, that means the table is reserved. We ordered the roasted pork belly with red cabbage — the meat was tender and the sauce was absolutely divine.
• Česká Kuchyně – This restaurant works like a cafeteria-style setup. You wait in line outside, and once you enter, you’re handed a paper slip. As you move along the line, you place your order, and the staff writes it down on the slip. You’ll get a lunch tray and pick up your food as you go, then find a seat on your own. Make sure not to lose the slip — you’ll need to hand it to the cashier at the exit to pay before leaving; no tipping required. We ordered the chicken steak with mashed potatoes. You basically choose a meat option, and the side is almost always some kind of potato — you just tell them how you want it prepared. The chicken steak came topped with a layer of ham and melted cheese. It was a bit on the heavy side, but delicious.
• Kolacherie Celetná – If you’re looking for a traditional Czech pastry, do not get fooled by the trdelník (cinnamon chimney cake filled with cream or ice cream) that is sold everywhere–it’s actually from Hungary. Instead, check out Kolacherie Celetná for their kolaches, which is like a danish pastry. We went with the poppy seed, which oddly tasted more like sesame and wasn’t too sweet. Although it’s supposedly their best-seller, I would recommend trying one of the fruit-filled options instead.

Other recommended restaurants – If you need a break from the heavy Czech food, here are other options we recommend:

• Liberica Cafe – Their honey cake is absolutely delicious and not too sweet. Just a heads-up, the cream contains nuts, so be cautious if you have any nut allergies. No tip was requested here.
• Muc Dong – Apparently there is a lot of Vietnamese cuisine in Prague, and many locals enjoy it. I highly recommend the Bún bò Huế — a flavorful beef noodle soup that’s just a bit spicy — and the Bún chả Mục Đồng, a delicious dry noodle dish topped with char-grilled fatty pork. Tip was not requested.
• Terasa U Prince – We came here just for the views of the Prague Astronomical Clock and Church of Our Lady before Týn, and it did not disappoint. Enter through the hotel and walk toward the back. On the right side of the bar, you’ll find an elevator with a sign that says “U Terasa – 4th Floor.” Take the elevator up to reach the rooftop. You can come here for a meal or just drinks — we opted for the latter since we mainly wanted to enjoy the view. I ordered the Prince Julep, which is similar to a mint julep but made with Becherovka, a Czech herbal liqueur. The herbal flavor definitely comes through. The bill includes tip automatically, and there may be a short wait to get seated.

• Coffee and Waffles – A great spot for breakfast — we really enjoyed the apple strudel waffle, freshly pressed orange juice, and the passion fruit lemonade. It was fairly busy, but the wait time was no more than 10 minutes. They did ask for an optional tip here.
• Turquoise Mediterranean kitchen – This restaurant is located in the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. It’s a decent Mediterranean spot–we found their hummus with mushroom and grilled eggplant tasty. They do ask for an optional tip.

Additional restaurants we tried – These restaurants didn’t quite hit the mark for us, though it may have just been what we ordered.

• SmetanaQ Café & Bistro – While the breakfast food wasn’t bad, it wasn’t anything to write home about. We had the SmetanaQ Breakfast which was an avocado toast, Eggs Benedict, and waffle with strawberries. I would recommend trying one of their desserts or pastries instead.
• U Parlamentu – We had the fried chicken schnitzel and Moravian pork, which were mediocre. However, their apple strudel was warm and delicious. Optional tip was requested.
• Kuchyň – While we made a reservation, it wasn’t necessary as they had a good amount of seats available during lunch. We ordered the pork chop, which was a bit dry, and Our Spritz, which was refreshing. This restaurant did not ask for tip.
• U Glaubiců – If you’re interested in coming here, make a reservation — it gets very busy, with a constant line of people waiting. We tried the roast pork knuckle, but wouldn’t recommend it, as it was quite dry.
• Restaurace Mlejnice – This was the only restaurant we encountered that is cash-only. We had the porks ribs and boiled potatoes, and unfortunately everything was very salty. They do ask for tip.

Where to stay in Prague

Quentin Prague Hotel – I recommend this hotel because of its convenient location. There are a couple of trams directly in front of the hotel, the metro is right around the corner, and its walking distance from several major attractions (e.g. Prague Astronomical Clock and Charles Bridge). The nightly rate is reasonable and the room was very spacious. We were also fortunate to have our room face the back and not the street, so it wasn’t loud. The only downside of Quentin Prague Hotel was they provided minimal toiletries (no tissues, lotion, etc.).

Other tips for visiting Prague

Public transportation – Traveling around Prague is relatively easy and straightforward. Google Maps does a decent job with directions, and Prague’s public transportation system runs frequently.

Look for yellow machines to buy public transportation tickets—these are typically found inside metro stations, but they aren’t widely available at bus or tram stops. Since you might not be able to buy tickets at some bus or tram stops, it’s a good idea to buy extra tickets in advance if you pass by a metro station. Just don’t validate those tickets until you’re ready to use them. There may also be machines inside buses and trams to purchase the tickets, though we never tried it.

Alternatively, because ticket machines aren’t always accessible, we recommend downloading the PID Lítačka mobile app. You can purchase and validate tickets directly in the app, which is especially convenient for buses and trams.

Tickets are based on duration, meaning how long you want it to remain valid. A 30-minute ticket is usually enough and is the shortest option available.

To validate your paper ticket, find a small yellow machine with a triangle pointing down at its slot. Your ticket will have an arrow showing the direction to insert it. Once inserted correctly, you’ll hear a click and see a timestamp printed on the ticket—this means it’s validated and active.

For buses and trams, you can validate your ticket before boarding if a machine is available at the stop, or on board using the machines at the front, and usually in the middle or back as well. For metro trains, validate your ticket right before entering the platform.

Make sure to keep your ticket—if you’re transferring, you don’t need to validate it again.

It’s critical to always validate your ticket, as we saw ticket inspectors checking on a train on a Sunday at 7:30 AM.

Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) – When you arrive at the airport, you’ll go through border control using a kiosk system. There are two lines available—just take any free machine. After you submit your information at the kiosk, you’ll need to wait on another line for customs to get your passport stamped.

If you are planning to take public transportation into the city, you can find a yellow ticket machine by the exit of the terminal—and also outside by the bus stops—to purchase your ticket.

Currency – As of 2025, the Czech Koruna is still the official currency of Czechia. That said, cash isn’t necessary in most situations—the majority of restaurants, shops, and services accept credit cards. During our trip, we only came across one restaurant that was cash-only. The main exception tends to be public restrooms, which may still require a small amount of cash (usually coins) for entry.

Tipping at restaurants – Some restaurants in Prague ask for an optional tip, while others don’t mention it at all. For restaurants that did ask for tip, when we received good service, we typically left around 5%, and it was always well-received. We noticed that restaurants located on the side of Prague’s Old Town were more likely to prompt for a tip, probably due to the higher volume of tourists in that area.

Language – While Czech is the main language, there were English speakers at restaurants, and menus were available in English as well, which made things easy and convenient for tourists. We did notice locals did appreciate when we did spoke a few Czech phrases. Do note, Google will say “Děkuju” is the best way to say “Thank you” in Czech, but a local told us “Děkuji” is actually more commonly used in everyday conversation.