Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral above the roofs of Malá Strana
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Prague in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 6.7 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

With three days, Prague stops being a list of monuments and becomes a city you wander at your own pace. There's time for all three routes in full, for the hills, for Baroque libraries and for a seat in a beer garden. This is the plan for anyone who wants to know the city, not just photograph it.

Day 1From the castle to Kampa's stream

Start at Hradčany Square with "From Castle to River", which runs down through St Vitus, Golden Lane and Malá Strana to Charles Bridge. Have a svíčková for lunch and take it easy: Kampa Island and the Lennon Wall are ten minutes away, then Petřín, where the funicular spares you the climb and the tower gives you the whole city. This first day asks for patience and comfortable shoes.

  1. Morning

    From Castle to River: The Prague You Can't Miss

    Mixed · 2 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Hradčany Square and the Castle GatesThe great forecourt of the Bohemian kings' castle, watched over by stone giants and guards in blue uniforms.
    2. St Vitus CathedralAlmost six centuries in the making: the cathedral where kings were crowned and the crown jewels are kept.
    3. Golden LaneDoll's-house cottages built into the castle wall, once home to guards, craftsmen, a fortune-teller and Franz Kafka.
    4. Malá Strana Square and St NicholasPrague's most spectacular Baroque church, where Mozart played and from whose belfry the secret police spied.
    5. Charles BridgeHalf a kilometre of Gothic stone, thirty Baroque saints and the finest view of the castle over the Vltava.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Svíčková na smetaně at U Pinkasů. Jungmannovo náměstí 15, Praga 1

  3. Afternoon

    Lennon Wall and Kampa Island

    A wall covered in graffiti and song lyrics since the 1980s, next to Kampa Island and the Čertovka stream. It's ten minutes from Malá Strana, and the best place to slow down after the castle.

    Directions

    Petřín Hill

    A hilltop park with a rose garden, orchards and a lookout tower from 1891 modelled on the Eiffel Tower. Take the funicular from Újezd or walk up; from the top you see all of Prague's rooftops and the castle.

    Directions

Day 2Kings, squares and the riverbank

Spend the morning on "Prague in Six Dates That Shook Europe", from the Old Town Bridge Tower to Wenceslas Square via the Clementinum and the Estates Theatre. Have a goulash near the square, then head down to the Vltava: first the Dancing House, then a long stroll along the embankment to Vyšehrad, the best excuse to watch the sun set over the river.

  1. Morning

    Prague in Six Dates That Shook Europe

    History · 2.5 km · 2 h

    1. Old Town Bridge TowerThe Gothic gateway Charles IV raised as a triumphal arch, where the heads of executed rebels hung for ten years.
    2. The ClementinumThe Jesuits' fortress of learning, launchpad of Bohemia's re-Catholicisation, where the weather has been recorded since 1775.
    3. Old Town SquareThe stage where Prague has executed, celebrated and proclaimed for eight centuries; twenty-seven crosses in the ground remember it.
    4. Estates TheatreThe only surviving theatre where Mozart conducted the premiere of one of his operas: Don Giovanni, in 1787.
    5. Municipal House and Powder TowerA Gothic tower that once stored gunpowder and, next door, the Art Nouveau palace where Czechoslovak independence was proclaimed.
    6. Wenceslas SquareA former horse market that became the great stage of 20th-century Czech history, from 1918 to 1989.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Goulash with dumplings at U Fleků. Křemencova 11, Praga 1

  3. Afternoon

    Dancing House

    Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry's building, finished in 1996, looks like two dancers in an embrace. It stands on the New Town bank and is best seen from the embankment; the walk from there to Vyšehrad is a pleasant one.

    Directions

    Vyšehrad Fortress

    A fortified hill above the Vltava, with the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, views of the castle and the cemetery where Dvořák and Smetana rest. Quieter than the centre, it is the legendary cradle of Prague.

    Directions

Day 3Libraries, parks and mystery

In the morning, head up to Strahov for its Baroque library, then take the tram down to Letná to see the river from above. Have a vepřo knedlo zelo for lunch and keep the dusk for "Golems, Alchemists and a Hanging Arm", from the Old Jewish Cemetery to the Astronomical Clock and the bridge. Finish with a smažený sýr in a beer hall: that's how a trip to Prague should end.

  1. Morning

    Strahov Monastery

    A Premonstratensian monastery founded in 1140, famous for its library halls, the Philosophical Hall and the Theological Hall, with painted ceilings and antique globes. They are usually viewed from the doorway. The monastery has its own brewery nearby.

    Directions

    Letná Park

    A plateau above the Vltava with views of the bridges and the Old Town. Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated here in November 1989, and where a statue of Stalin once stood, a metronome now ticks.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Vepřo knedlo zelo at U Medvídků. Na Perštýně 7, Praga 1

  3. Early evening

    Golems, Alchemists and a Hanging Arm

    Mysteries & legends · 2.2 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Old Jewish CemeterySome twelve thousand gravestones crammed over layers of earth, and the tomb of the rabbi tradition credits with the Golem.
    2. Old-New SynagogueSeven centuries of prayer under one roof and, according to legend, a clay giant asleep in the attic.
    3. Basilica of St JamesA Baroque church where, beside the door, a mummified human arm has hung for centuries.
    4. Church of Our Lady before TýnTwo fairy-tale black spires, a chalice that vanished by night and the tomb of the astronomer whose death set tongues wagging for four centuries.
    5. Astronomical ClockMore than six hundred years of telling time, and a cruel legend about the clockmaker who was blinded.
    6. St John of Nepomuk on Charles BridgeThe oldest statue on the bridge, the saint thrown into the Vltava and a relief polished bright by countless hands.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Dinner

    Try Smažený sýr at U Pinkasů. Jungmannovo náměstí 15, Praga 1

The map

Prague in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Prague in 3 days

  • Alternate intense days with gentler walks: day one has hills and day two is nearly flat, so pace yourself.
  • On day three, get to Strahov first thing: the library halls are usually viewed from the doorway and fill up quickly with groups.
  • Many traditional beer halls, such as U Fleků, fill up in the evening; if you want to dine somewhere specific, book ahead.

Questions

Prague in 3 days: your questions

Is it worth spending 3 days in Prague?

Yes: three days is the sweet spot. You see the three big areas, the castle, the Old Town and the Jewish Quarter, and still have time for hills, parks and a good Czech dinner without racing the clock.

How far do you walk in 3 days?

The three routes add up to about 6.7 km. Add the trips to Petřín, Vyšehrad, Strahov and Letná and the hops between districts: roughly 8 to 10 km a day, with a few hills, but nothing demanding.

Do you need public transport?

Not much. The historic centre is walkable. The tram helps for the climbs to the castle, Strahov and Letná, and the funicular takes you up Petřín. You only need the metro if you head to Vyšehrad first thing.

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