With one day in Prague, explore the historic old town, visit the largest castle in the world, stroll across Charles Bridge, and get a view of this magnificent city from one or more of its Gothic towers.
We have visited Prague several times and this is one of our favorite cities in Europe. With its blend of old warm charm and modern architecture, this city is fun to explore and a joy to photograph.
One day (ideally 24 hours, with an overnight stay in Prague) is just enough time to visit the highlights and experience this gorgeous city from sun up to sun down.
In this guide, we provide a detailed itinerary to help you spend a very memorable day in Prague, complete with walking directions and restaurant recommendations.
Table of Contents
A Very Quick Prague Geography Lesson
Prague (Praha in Czech) is the largest city and the capital city of the Czech Republic.
The Vltava River cuts Prague into two pieces.
In the east is the Old Town (Stare Mesto) and Josefov (the Jewish Quarter). Important things to see in and around the Old Town and Josefov are the Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock, the Old Town Hall, the Old Town Bridge Tower, the Old Jewish Cemetery, and the Spanish Synagogue.
Nove Mesto, or the New Town, sits next to the old town. Wenceslas Square, the Dancing House, the National Museum, and the Mucha Museum are all found here.
On the west side of the Vltava River is Hradcany and Mala Strana (the Lesser Town). Prague Castle, Saint Nicholas Church, Petrin Tower, and the Lennon Wall are located here.
The Charles Bridge is a pedestrian bridge that joins the Old Town to the Lesser Town. Strolling along this bridge is one of Prague’s top experiences.
One Day in Prague: On a Map
How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers (points of interest and the walking route). You can click the check marks to hide or show layers. If you click the icons on the map, you can get more information about each point of interest.
If you click the star next to the title of the map, this map will be added to your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, go to “Your Places,” click Maps, and you will see this map on your list.
Best Things to Do with One Day in Prague
Below is a list of the best things to do if you only have one day in Prague. For a much bigger list of things to do in Prague, take a look at our Prague Bucket List.
- Stroll across Charles Bridge
- Visit Prague Castle
- Get a view of Prague from 1 or 2 towers
- Visit the Old Town Square
- Explore the Old Town
- Visit St. Nicholas Church
- Try a Trdelnik
Best Time to Visit Prague
Prague is a great city to visit all year. We have been here in May (a mix of sun and rain, with blooming flowers and fresh leaves on the trees) and December (magical with the Christmas markets and a dusting of snow), as you’ll see in our photos. Here is a breakdown of what you can expect in Prague by season:
WINTER: Prague is very cold in the winter. High temperatures average 3°C/37°F and low temperatures average -2°C/28°F. Snow is possible December through February, although winter tends to be the driest time of the year to visit Prague. The days are extremely short, with sunrise at 8 am and sunset at 4 pm in December. So, in winter, expect cold temperatures, especially early and late in the day, and short days.
SPRING: In spring, Prague warms up fast. In early spring, the average high is 11°C/52°F but by early June the average high is 21°C/70°F. Rain becomes more likely as summer approaches.
SUMMER: Summer is the warmest and wettest time to visit Prague. The average high is 25°C/78°F although it can get up to 38°C/100°F during a heat wave. July is the wettest month of the year. The days are very long, with sunrise at 5 am and sunset at 9:15 pm in early July. Summer is also the busiest time to visit Prague, so expect higher hotel prices and larger crowds. This is an important time to make your ticket and restaurant reservations in advance.
FALL: In fall, the temperatures cool off and rain chances lessen, an opposite of what happens in spring. The end of September into October can be a lovely time to visit Prague, with high temperatures around 17°C/63°F and a low chance of rainfall (there are about 6 days of rain in October).
Prague in December with a Christmas market in Old Town Square
One Day in Prague Itinerary
Overview of this itinerary:
8:00 am: Stroll across the Charles Bridge
9:00 am: Prague Castle
12:00 pm: Lunch
1:30 pm: St. Nicholas Church
2:15 pm: Lennon Wall
2:30 pm: Charles Bridge
3:00 pm: Old Town Bridge Tower (Optional)
3:30 pm: Old Town Hall & the Astronomical Clock
4:30 pm: Old Town of Prague
6:30 pm: Dinner
All of the times in the daily schedules are rough estimates, just to give you an idea about timing throughout the day. Your times may differ, based on queues and how much time you decide to spend at each place. I did my best to anticipate waiting times and visiting times, but on very busy days (or very quiet days) these times can differ.
8:00 am: Stroll across the Charles Bridge
This is optional, but walking across Charles Bridge in the early morning hours is a wonderful experience. Just a handful of people will be on the bridge, making this a much different experience than crossing the bridge midday when it is packed with people.
You will walk across the Charles Bridge in the afternoon, so you don’t miss much by skipping it this morning. Some people may choose to get to Prague Castle by metro or driver to save their steps.
From Charles Bridge, it takes 20 minutes to walk to Prague Castle, and a lot of this will be uphill.
9:00 am: Prague Castle
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Prague Castle is the largest castle complex in the world. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic and was the seat of power for Bohemian kings, Holy Roman emperors, and Czechoslovakian presidents. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Prague Castle is massive and has a long list of things to see and do. You can easily spend a full day here. On this itinerary, you will spend the morning at Prague Castle.
For information on how to get to Prague Castle, details on what to see and do, and lots of helpful tips, read our Guide to Prague Castle. Here is an overview on how to spend the morning at Prague Castle.
Prague Castle
Getting to Prague Castle
Plan on arriving at Prague Castle at or a little before 9 am (see our Prague Castle Guide for instructions on how to get to the castle, as you can get here on foot, by tram, by metro, and by Uber or Bolt).
Below is an interactive map of Prague Castle marking places to go, entrances, ticket offices, and a walking route from the Lesser Town Bridge Tower to the castle.
Prague Castle Tickets
The best option is to purchase your tickets through the official website. The official website just started selling tickets online in March 2024, a few months after our visit. At the time of publication of this guide, you could only purchase the Basic Circuit Ticket online in advance. If you want to add on the ticket to climb the South Tower of St. Vitus Cathedral, you will have to purchase that at a ticket booth in Prague Castle. This could change at some point, so I recommend checking the official website as you plan your trip.
Another option is to purchase a ticket through a third-party seller like GetYourGuide.
There are several ticket types for Prague Castle. For this itinerary, I recommend purchasing the Basic Circuit Ticket and adding on the Tower of the Cathedral ticket (if you want to climb the South Tower of St. Vitus Cathedral). Below I list the most popular ticket options but there are many more add-ons which you can see on the official website.
Basic Circuit Ticket: 450 CZK. This is the base ticket and it gives you access to the Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica, the Golden Lane, and Saint Vitus Cathedral.
Tower of the Cathedral with a View Gallery Ticket: 200 CZK. This is the ticket to climb the South Tower of Saint Vitus Cathedral.
We recommend getting to Prague Castle at 9 am or a little before, to get in line to purchase your tickets (if you did not purchase your ticket online in advance and/or plan to climb the tower of St. Vitus Cathedral).
Walking Route through Prague Castle
Enter through the Garden on the Bastion and the 4th Courtyard, which sits to the left of Matthias Gate. You will go through security and then enter the 2nd Courtyard.
Once in the 2nd Courtyard, purchase your tickets if you do not already have them. Tickets can be purchased at the Prague Castle Information office in the 2nd Courtyard and from the Prague Castle Information office in the 3rd Courtyard, right in front of Saint Vitus Cathedral.
Enter Saint Vitus Cathedral and then the Old Royal Palace.
St. Vitus Cathedral
Old Royal Palace
If you want to climb the South Tower of Saint Vitus Cathedral, this opens at 10 am, 1 hour after the historical buildings open. So, if you arrive at 9 am, take your time in the cathedral and the Old Royal Palace, putting you at the South Tower around 10 am. If you have free time, visit St. George’s Basilica.
Frescoes inside St. George’s Basilica
The view from the South Tower | One day in Prague
End your visit with a stroll down the Golden Lane. You will exit outside of the castle gates (the Golden Lane is one-way). From here, walk over to Vyhlídka Na Opyši, the observation terrace with a view of Prague.
It takes 2 to 3 hours to follow this walking route.
Golden Lane
The view from Vyhlídka Na Opyši
12:00 pm: Lunch
From Vyhlídka Na Opyši, walk through the gardens on the south side of Prague Castle until you get to the top of the New Castle Stairs (about a 10 minute walk).
Walk down these stairs until you get to Medieval Tavern “U Krále Brabantského.”
This tavern transports you back to medieval times. You are after all stepping into “The Oldest Pub in Prague” which is rumored to have had patrons from smugglers to kings (it dates back to 1375).
This medieval restaurant is decorated with massive wooden tables and chairs, and ancient wooden beams and stone floor. For an even more medieval atmosphere, head downstairs and explore the cellar. One room in the cellar even has skulls attached to the ceiling.
Overall, the food is just okay, but this place is more about the ambience than the food. And with its close proximity to the Prague Castle, it makes a great place to have lunch after visiting the castle.
Make a reservation in advance on the official website.
1:30 pm: St. Nicholas Church
From the tavern, it is a short, downhill walk to St. Nicholas Church.
This Baroque church dates back to the 13th century. On a visit here, view the nave from the ground floor level. Climb the steps to the second level for an even better view of the nave and the interior of the cathedral. There is a small fee to enter the church and the ticket booth is located in the lobby.
You have the option to climb the bell tower of St. Nicholas Church. There will be several more towers you can climb later today and it will be hard to do all of them with limited time. From the top of the bell tower, you get a great view of Mala Strana and Prague Castle. Even so, unless you move fast and are determined to climb as many towers as possible, I recommend skipping this tower and climbing the Old Town Bridge Tower and/or the Old Town Hall Tower instead.
The view from the bell tower
2:15 pm: Lennon Wall
When John Lennon was killed in 1980, this wall was covered with memorial graffiti overnight. Every night the police would paint over the graffiti and the next day it would reappear. John Lennon’s ideas gave the Czech people hope during communist rule, so this wall became a symbol of freedom.
From St. Nicholas Church, it takes a little over 5 minutes to walk to the Lennon Wall.
2:30 pm: Charles Bridge
From the Lennon Wall, walk to the Charles Bridge (about 4-minutes). Then go for a scenic stroll across the bridge. This is an extremely photogenic walk, with views of Prague Castle, the Vltava River, Old Town Bridge Tower, and Lesser Town Bridge Tower.
Thirty statues line the bridge, including many famous saints (St. Francis of Assisi, St. Christopher, St. Ivo, and St. Wenceslas all have a place along Charles Bridge).
Keep an eye out for the statue of St. John of Nepomuk (the bronze statue with a golden halo around his head). Touching the Charles Bridge here brings good fortune and ensures a return visit to Prague.
St John of Nepomuk
3:00 pm: Old Town Bridge Tower (Optional)
This tower climb is optional but highly recommended. From the top of the Old Town Bridge Tower, you get the iconic view of Charles Bridge with the backdrop of Prague Castle, as well as views over the Old Town. It’s one of the best viewpoints in the city.
From the Old Town Bridge Tower, walk along Karlova Street, heading in the direction of the Old Town Square.
3:30 pm: Old Town Hall & the Astronomical Clock
The Old Town Hall sits next to the Old Town Square. Sitting on the outside of the building is the Astronomical Clock (Pražský orloj). At the top of every hour, the clock puts on a brief show: a skeleton rings his bell, twelve apostles walk by, a rooster crows, and then the clock chimes.
If you want to watch the show, plan on being outside of the Old Town Hall a few minutes before the top of the hour. The show only takes a few minutes.
Before or after watching the show, you can go inside the Old Town Hall to see the inner workings of the Astronomical Clock, tour the state rooms, and climb to the top of the Old Town Hall Tower.
The Old Town Hall Tower is one of the easiest towers to visit in Prague because an elevator takes you most of the way to the top, rather than a massive staircase. And from the tower you get the iconic view over the Old Town Square. If you only have the time or energy to climb one tower today, this is the one we recommend.
Get hours and pricing here. We purchased our ticket online in advance through GetYourGuide to skip the ticket line.
4:30 pm: Old Town of Prague
Spend the next hour or two exploring the Old Town of Prague. Spend some time in the Old Town Square, snacking on trdelniks (dough cooked over an open fire and topped with sugar and walnuts…delicious!) or having a glass of Czech beer.
The small streets that branch out from the Old Town Square are filled with boutique shops and souvenir shops. It’s a wonderful, leisurely way to spend the afternoon in Prague.
6:30 pm: Dinner
For dinner, we recommend Restaurant Mlýnec (a fine dining restaurant next to the Charles Bridge with wonderful views of the bridge) or Restaurant Zvonice (dine at the top of a Gothic tower with a view over Prague).
Restaurant Mlýnec | One day in Prague
If you are looking for a place to get a drink, our favorite bars in Prague are the Alchemist Bar, AnonymouS Bar, and the Monkey Bar.
Get a longer list of restaurants and bars in our Prague Dining Guide.
How to Get Around Prague
The best way to get around Prague is on foot. On this one day in Prague itinerary, everything you will visit is clustered together in the city center, so you can walk to everything.
The only time you will potentially need to use public transportation is to get to Prague Castle. Since the castle sits on a hilltop in Mala Strana, some people may not want to walk to the castle, especially if their hotel is in the Old Town (it takes 30 minutes to walk the 2 km from the Old Town Square to Prague Castle and the final third of this walk will be uphill and up a long series of steps).
To get to Prague Castle, you can take the tram, the metro, or use a ride share app like Uber or Bolt.
On our most recent visit to Prague, we traveled with our mothers, who were 70 and 74 at the time. They didn’t want to make the uphill walk to the castle, so Tim hired an Uber to get to the castle entrance. Meanwhile, Kara and I had a very nice walk across the Charles Bridge just after sunrise. It was actually faster for us to walk as Tim had a hard time getting an Uber. So, if you plan to use a ride share app, budget a lot of extra time (plan on hiring the Uber/Bolt at 8 am or 8:15 am to get to the castle by 9 am).
Where to Stay in Prague
For mid-range travelers, we recommend Hotel Ikona (a hotel in Mala Strana that gets exceptional reviews and is located within walking distance of Prague Castle and the Old Town Square), Royal Road Residence (a small hotel in the Old Town that offers a variety of apartments, a great pick for families), and The Emerald (great location in the city center and a long list of apartments, some of which can accommodate up to 7 people).
On our first visit to Prague we stayed at Hotel Paris, a 5-star hotel in the Old Town. If you are looking for an upscale or luxury hotel, we also recommend the Four Seasons Hotel (we stayed here on our second visit and had a room with a view of Prague Castle; plus the hotel has a fantastic location in the Old Town, just a short walk to Charles Bridge) or The Julius Prague.
For budget travelers, we recommend the Roadhouse Prague (this hostel gets excellent reviews and has an amazing location in the center of Prague).
Frequently Asked Questions
What can you do with one day in Prague?
With one day in Prague, you have just enough time to visit a few essential sights. These include Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, the Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock, and the Lennon Wall. You can also climb one to two towers for a view over Prague.
How much time do you need in Prague?
Ideally, plan on spending at least 2 days in Prague. This gives you enough time to explore the city center, visiting Prague’s must-see sights as well as a few hidden gems. With more time, you can take day trips to nearby destinations such as Cesky Krumlov and Kutna Hora.
When is the best time to visit Prague?
The best time to visit Prague is in the spring and fall. This is the shoulder season, when the weather is pleasant and crowds are not at peak levels (that happens in the summer). Summer is the busiest time to visit Prague, so keep that in mind when planning your trip, as you will have to make hotel reservations far in advance.
If you have any questions about this one day in Prague itinerary or how to plan a trip to Prague, let us know in the comment section below.
More Information for Your Trip to the Czech Republic
PRAGUE: Get started with our article Best Things to Do in Prague. Plan your time with this 2 Days in Prague Itinerary. Take a look at our Guide to Prague Castle for lots of helpful tips for your visit. And here are the best restaurants and bars in Prague and the 10 best views of Prague.
CESKY KRUMLOV: In our Guide to Cesky Krumlov, learn how to plan your day trip from Prague.
CHRISTMAS IN PRAGUE: If you will be visiting Prague in December, don’t miss our guide to the best Christmas markets in Prague, which also includes other festive things to do in the city.
CENTRAL EUROPE ITINERARY: Learn how to put together Budapest, Vienna, and Prague together in our 10 day Central Europe Itinerary.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN EUROPE: Here are 30 of the most popular tourist attractions to visit in Europe. How many have you visited?
Read all of our articles about Czech Republic in our Czech Republic Travel Guide.
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