Prague in 3 Days — A Walkable Itinerary

This is the itinerary we'd give a friend visiting Prague for the first time. It moves at a sustainable pace — you'll see everything you came for without feeling like you ran a marathon, and you'll leave wanting to come back.

Before you start

• Book Prague Castle tickets online for the morning of Day 1 — skip the worst queues.
• Buy a 72-hour public-transport pass (330 CZK) on arrival.
• Comfortable shoes. Cobbles are charming but unforgiving.

Day 1 — Old Town, Charles Bridge & Castle

Morning · Old Town Square & Astronomical Clock

Be at the Old Town Square by 09:00, before the tour groups arrive. Watch the Astronomical Clock chime at the top of the hour, then wander through Týn Square and into the warren of streets behind. Coffee and breakfast at Café Savoy (a 15-minute walk over the river) or any of the cafés on Týnská.

Late morning · Charles Bridge → Malá Strana

Cross Charles Bridge between 10:00 and 11:00 — still busy but not impossible. On the Malá Strana side, climb the bridge tower for the postcard view back across the river. Stop at the Lennon Wall and the John Lennon-themed bar opposite.

Lunch · Malá Strana

U Modré Kachničky for traditional Czech, or U Sedmi Švábů for a livelier, cheaper version of the same. Avoid the restaurants directly on the bridge approaches — tourist menus, tourist prices.

Afternoon · Prague Castle

Walk up Nerudova Street to the castle (steep but pretty) or take tram 22 if you've had enough cobbles. Plan 3 hours for the castle complex — St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, the Golden Lane and the south gardens for the view back over the city. Buy the basic "Circuit B" ticket; the other options add detail most visitors don't need.

Evening · Sunset, drinks, dinner

Walk down to the river via Hradčanské Square at sunset. Drinks at Letná Beer Garden (best view in the city) or, if it's cold, the bar at U Tří Korunek in the Old Town. Dinner: Lokál Dlouhááá for archetypal Czech pub food, or Eska in Karlín for the modern version.

Day 2 — Jewish Quarter, river, Vyšehrad

Morning · Jewish Quarter (Josefov)

Start at the Spanish Synagogue (one of the most beautiful interiors in Prague), then the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Pinkas Synagogue with its haunting wall of 80,000 Holocaust victims' names. The combined ticket covers all the sites and is worth budgeting 3 hours for.

Lunch · Near the river

Field, Etnosvět or the more casual Sansho if you want something other than Czech for a meal. Or grab a chlebíček (open sandwich) from Sisters Bistro and eat it on a bench by the river.

Afternoon · Vltava cruise or Vyšehrad

Pick one. A one-hour cruise leaves from below Čechův Most and gives you the postcard angle. Or take the Metro to Vyšehrad — the original Prague castle, now a quiet park with a stunning view back over the city, the dramatic Gothic Church of Saints Peter and Paul, and the Slavín cemetery where Smetana and Dvořák are buried.

Evening · Vinohrady / Žižkov

Aperitivo at Vinograf (Vinohrady) or a craft beer at Pivovarský Klub (between Žižkov and Karlín). Dinner: Krystal Bistro (Vinohrady), or back-to-basics goulash at Lokál U Bílé Kuželky.

Day 3 — Petřín, a quieter morning, an afternoon you choose

Morning · Petřín Hill

Take the funicular from Újezd up to Petřín — your transport pass covers it. The miniature Eiffel Tower at the top has the best 360° view of Prague. Wander down through the orchards to the Strahov Monastery and its famous library (only the doorway is open to non-guided visitors, but the rooms beyond are extraordinary).

Lunch · Strahov

Klášterní Pivovar Strahov — the monastery brewery, with house beer brewed since 1628. Order the dark beer and the duck.

Afternoon · Choose your own

• For art: The Mucha Museum (small, focused, 1 hour) or the Trade Fair Palace (the National Gallery's 20th-century collection in Holešovice — 2–3 hours).
• For history: The Museum of Communism on Wenceslas Square, or the Velvet Revolution memorial on Národní třída.
• For shopping: Pařížská for luxury, Manifesto Market Florenc for design, or the streets around Dlouhá for independent shops.
• For nothing: Riegrovy Sady beer garden, with a book. This is what you'll miss most when you leave.

Last evening

The classical-concert circuit fills Prague's Baroque churches every night — Smetana's Vltava in the Rudolfinum if the timing works, or one of the smaller candle-lit ensembles in St. Nicholas, Klementinum or Spanish Synagogue. Late dinner somewhere you've wanted to go back to.

Frequently Asked Questions