9 best things to do in Prague – attractions and tips

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | Prague is one of those cities where the old and beautiful never really end. We've been here several times, but we still find new alleys, views and oddities between the big sights. Follow us for our best experiences in Prague – and much of what happens on the way between them.

Best things to do in Prague – our favorites

We have visited Prague several times, both by plane and by camper, and it is a city we love to return to. The big sights like Charles Bridge, the Old Town and Prague Castle are of course some of the highlights, but after our trips here it is just as much everything in between that has stuck in our memories.

Prague is a city to explore on foot. Follow the cobblestone streets through old quarters, cross the Vltava, settle in with a Czech beer, and then continue on to the next tower, viewpoint, or oddity that comes your way. Here are the 9 experiences in Prague that we like the most.

1. Charles Bridge – a morning walk in the fog

We have walked across Charles Bridge several times, but it is an early morning that has stuck in our memory the most. A light mist lay over the Vltava and we were almost alone on the old bridge, far from the people who usually fill it.

The sculptures along the bridge were only visible a few at a time. As we walked forward, new figures slowly emerged from the mist, while the pinnacles and towers on the other side could only be glimpsed further away. It almost felt like walking straight through a film sequence – and is still one of our most beautiful experiences in Prague.

Don't miss going up the Old Town Bridge Tower or the Lesser Town Bridge Tower. From here you get one of the best views of Charles Bridge and Prague's historic center.

Charles Bridge connects the Old Town with the Lesser Town and is one of the places you can't miss on your first visit to Prague. But our top tip is actually not just that walk across the bridge, without when you do. Come early in the morning, before the city and the large tourist crowds have woken up, and you'll have the chance to experience a completely different side of one of Prague's most visited places.

2. Experience the Old Town – in the heart of Prague's history

Prague's Old Town is almost always crowded, but despite the crowds, we think the area is one of the very best things about the city. Here, the experience is not just about individual sights. It's the houses, alleys, squares and all the details around us that make us feel like we're actually walking in the middle of Czech history.

This is perhaps also where we best understand why we love Prague so much. The old and beautiful are not just behind a museum door or around a particular monument, but appear everywhere as we walk. Sometimes it's enough to ignore the map for a while and just continue along the next street.

3. See the astronomical clock and wait for the chimes

We have seen the astronomical clock on the town hall in the Old Town several times, and usually we have had to crowd in with hundreds of other people waiting for the same thing. When the clock strikes the full hour, the old carillon is set in motion and the twelve apostles appear – a short spectacle that is still fascinating to watch after all these years.

We have a certain weakness for old astronomical clocks and carillons and have seen the special versions in Bern and Olomouc, among others. But here in Prague, the crowd is almost part of the experience. During our visit to the Christmas market, however, we managed to see the clock when it was considerably quieter, and then it was of course easier to actually see what was happening instead of the back of the person's head in front.

4. Visit Prague Castle – castle, cathedral and small colorful houses

Now it's uphill. High above the Vltava awaits Prague Castle, an enormous castle area that would have been a great attraction on its own. But Prague wasn't satisfied with that. Here you can also find the gigantic St. Vitus Cathedral and, in complete contrast to all the grandeur, the small, colorful houses of Golden Lane.

It is precisely the mix that makes Prague Castle so special to us. One moment we are standing in front of a huge cathedral and feeling quite small, the next we are walking along an almost idyllic little alley where the houses look like they have shrunk in the wash. Everything is within the same castle grounds, even though the environments could hardly be more different.

Guldgränden also has its connection to Franz Kafka, who for a period had access to house number 22, where he wrote. Helena has a much older relationship with Kafka, having read his famous short story The transformation at school – at a time when she apparently had nothing better to do. Many years later, standing in the middle of the environment where Kafka himself worked therefore gave the small alley an additional dimension.

5. Discover Malá Strana – from lively nightlife to total tranquility

Malá Strana, or Lesser Town, is one of the most beautiful parts of Prague, but also an area where it can get quite crowded. On the streets we encounter tourists, restaurants and people as we move between Charles Bridge and Prague Castle – pretty much the Prague you would expect in one of the city's most visited places.

The contrast became even stronger when we stepped into the beautiful Vrtba Garden. Suddenly, almost all sound disappeared and it felt like entering another world. Helena remembers the feeling almost like entering a church: quiet, still and beautiful, even though the bustling Prague was waiting just outside.

It's easy to spend several hours in Malá Strana. Stroll through the narrow alleys, browse the small shops or sit down at one of the restaurants and outdoor cafes. There are also several attractions here, including St. Nicholas Church and The John Lennon Wall.

6. Go up to Petřín Hill – Prague’s green viewpoint

After alleys, squares, churches and crowds of people, Petřín Hill is a nice contrast. Up here, we remember above all the greenery, the tranquility and one of the best views we have had over Prague. The hill is filled with parks, gardens and walking paths, and right next to it is the historic Strahov Monastery.

The big eye-catcher is the Petřín Tower, which looks like someone ordered the Eiffel Tower but chose the smaller model. The tower was built in 1891 with the Paris model as inspiration and is just under 59 meters high. If you make it to the top, you get a fantastic view of Prague, with the city's roofs, towers, Prague Castle and the Vltava far below. 

But we don't think you should go here just for the tower. Petřín is also a place to slow down, stroll through the greenery and just be for a while. There are several gardens and orchards here, and together with the Strahov area, it easily becomes a much longer excursion than the quick trip up the observation tower.

7. See Prague from the Vltava River – the boat trip we still have

We almost always try to see a city from the water when we have the opportunity. Yet we managed to visit Prague several times without going out on the Vltava. It wasn't until we were sitting at the airport after the last trip that I looked at Helena and realized what we had done. – Damn. The boat trip!

How could we miss it? We had walked across Charles Bridge, seen the Vltava from Prague Castle and Petřín, and moved back and forth along the river – but never seen Prague from the water itself. Meanwhile, the boats were gliding around down there full of people, getting to see the city from exactly the perspective we had missed.

So this time our tip may be a little different: Don't do like us. Take a boat trip on the Vltava and see Charles Bridge, Prague Castle and the city skyline from the river. We still remember that experience, and the irritation over missing it is almost so great that it is worth booking a short weekend in Prague just to ride the boat.

8. Go up the Zizkov Tower – views, giant babies and dinner at altitude

Prague is full of old church towers, spires and historic buildings, and then suddenly there's the Žižkov Tower. A 216-meter-high TV tower that hardly tries to blend in with its surroundings – and as if that weren't strange enough, giant babies by Czech artist David Černý crawl up the outside.

We took the elevator up and got one of the best views we’ve had of Prague. Here you’re indoors, don’t have to worry about the weather, and can see the city in 360 degrees. There are also rooms where you can sit down and just enjoy the view – we particularly remember a strange room with chairs hanging from the ceiling.

But we weren't content with just looking. High up in the tower is the restaurant Oblaca, where we had a long and really good dinner while Prague spread out far below us. The combination of view, food and the whole slightly absurd building made the Žižkov Tower much more than just another viewpoint.

And if you really want to take the experience a step further, there's even a hotel room in the tower. So Prague has a gigantic TV tower, enormous babies crawling outside, a restaurant, a viewing platform, and a hotel with a single room. Sometimes it's best to just accept Prague as it is.

9. Eat and drink your way through Prague

You can of course survive a weekend in Prague by sightseeing, but it would be almost a disservice not to also eat and drink your way through the city. Czech beer is an obvious part of the experience and the menus feature classics such as meat, sausages, dumplings, cabbage and fried cheese – hearty food that is very good after a few hours of walking the cobblestone streets of Prague.

We have eaten at Lokál restaurant on two separate trips to Prague and returned for a reason. Once it was duck with dumplings and two kinds of cabbage, and on a later visit we came back as part of a four-hour food tour. That time we got to try Prague ham, fried cheese, sausages and marinated cheese – and of course local Czech beer.

A food tour is actually one of our favorite ways to get to know a city. For a few hours, you not only get to taste the food, but also follow a local guide to places you might never have found on your own and hear the stories behind what ends up on your plate. In Prague, it was a mix of traditional flavors and more modern Czech food – and another way to discover the city between the major sights.

We have tried many more restaurants in Prague than can be found here, from simple outdoor seating with a cold beer to really good dinners. If you want to eat your way through Prague, we have therefore collected our restaurants and the entire food tour in a separate guide. Read about good restaurants in Prague

If you have a day to spare – go to Kutna Hora and the Skeleton Church

If you have an extra day in Prague, there is an excursion that we think is worth about an hour on the train or the trip east. Kutná Hora is an old silver town with cobblestone alleys, beautiful historic houses and the impressive Church of St. Barbara. We have been here twice – the first time with two restless 14-year-olds who were moderately interested in history and the second time with much more time to explore the city. 

But the real talking point is in Sedlec, just outside the city centre. From the outside, the small chapel looks quite innocent. Then you step inside and discover that the interior consists of bones and skulls from around 40,000 people. Here, human remains have been arranged into decorations and works of art – and it's hard to decide whether to be fascinated, impressed or just a little uneasy. 

It's almost tragicomic. At some point, someone has stood with thousands of legs in front of them and thought something like: ”You know what this church needs? A little more decor.” The result is macabre, strange and completely unforgettable – but behind all the bizarreness there is of course also the story of death, epidemics and human transience. 

We wouldn't go to Kutná Hora just for the skeleton church anyway. The old town is worth exploring, the Church of St. Barbara is amazing and we also managed to have a local beer in a leafy courtyard before the pouring rain came. Kutná Hora was easily one of our best excursions from Prague – although the approximately 40,000 former residents were responsible for the most memorable part of the interior design.

Best areas to stay in Prague

Prague is relatively compact and many of the major sights are within walking distance of each other. For a first visit, we would especially choose Old Town or Malá Strana, while Nové Město and Vinohrady are better suited if you want to stay a little outside the most touristy neighborhoods.

OLD TOWN – BEST FOR A FIRST VISIT

Stay in the middle of the historic quarter, within walking distance of Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock and many restaurants. The location is hard to beat, but expect lots of people and often higher prices.

MALÁ STRANA – BEAUTIFUL AND CLOSE TO PRAGUE

Here you live on the other side of Charles Bridge, among old houses, alleys and restaurants with Prague Castle above you. A good choice if you want a historic environment but still be able to walk to most of the major sights.

NOVÉ MĚSTO – CENTRAL BUT A LITTLE OUTSIDE THE TOURIST CENTER

The New Town is still centrally located but is further away from the most touristy parts of the Old Town. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants and good public transport, while the city center is still reachable on foot.

VINOHRADY – FOR MORE EVERYDAY FEELING

Vinohrady is suitable for those who prefer to live among cafes, restaurants and residential areas rather than in the middle of Prague's biggest attractions. You will be a little further from the historic core but in return you will get a quieter base and can easily get into the city center.

Campsites and motorhome parking spaces

We have visited Prague ourselves with a camper van and stayed at Camping Sokol outside the city center. From there we could leave the camper at the campsite and take public transport into central Prague, which we think is much easier than trying to drive a camper around the city's historic districts. You can find campsites in the Czech Republic at camp.czand, of course, in various apps.

Things to do in Prague - on film

Here you can see some films from our trips in Prague.

More travel guides to the Czech Republic

Are you planning a longer trip in the Czech Republic? You can find more of our guides here.

• Things to do in Hradec Králové
• Things to do in Liberec
• Things to do in Ostrava
• Things to do in Karlovy Vary

FAQ - Frequently asked questions about Prague

HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU NEED IN PRAGUE?

Two full days are enough to experience many of Prague's biggest attractions and still have time to enjoy the city between stops. If you have three days, we would use the extra day for a trip to Kutná Hora and the Sedlec Skeleton Church. Prague is also a city we like to return to – we have been here several times and still have the boat devil on the Vltava left.

CAN YOU DISCOVER PRAGUE ON FOOT?

Yes, and that's actually how we like to experience Prague best. Many of the major sights are located relatively close to each other and the walks between the Old Town, Charles Bridge, Malá Strana and Prague Castle are a big part of the experience. Bring comfortable shoes - cobblestones are much more charming in pictures than underfoot after a full day.

IS PRAGUE a cheap city to visit?

Prague is no longer the super cheap capital that many people may remember, but compared to many other popular European cities, a trip can still be relatively affordable. The Czech Republic is one of the cheaper parts of Europe, although Prague is generally more expensive than smaller Czech cities. Food, local transport and, above all, Czech beer can still provide a lot of vacation value for your money – especially if you leave the most touristy areas.

CAN YOU VISIT PRAGUE WITH A MOTORHOME?

Yes, we have visited Prague ourselves with a camper van and stayed at Camping Sokol outside the city centre. For us, it works better to leave the camper van at a campsite and get into central Prague than to try to drive around the historic quarters. It also provides a quiet base after a full day among alleys, sights and a few million cobblestones.