24 hours in PRAGUE

Did you know that there are five international airports in the Czech Republic? No? Me neither. Obviously, despite the other four, the busiest hub by far is the Václav Havel Airport, located 15 kilometers west of Prague’s city center. And even though this airport isn’t one of Europe’s most important hubs, you may well find yourself having a layover there.
Actually, that’s what happened to me on my way from Dubrovnik to Hamburg, for example.
Or perhaps you want to visit one of the beautiful towns in the Czech Republic, like, for instance, Děčín. If you land in Prague, you might want to spare a few hours or even a night to explore the city.
Whatever the reason for your short stay might be, my post 24 hours in Prague will help you make the most of it!

Welcome to Prague

Prague is a city that wears its history with pride and beauty. Spanning more than a thousand years, Prague’s story is woven into its cobbled streets, Gothic spires, and majestic bridges. Once the seat of kings and emperors, Prague has long been a center of culture, intellect, and architectural splendor.

Yet, the city has weathered centuries of dramatic change. From the Hussite wars and Habsburg rule to Nazi occupation and Communist control. Yet, it has always retained its unique soul. The Velvet Revolution of 1989 peacefully ended Communist rule, and today, Prague stands as a proud, modern European capital that has preserved its past with exceptional care.

Wandering through the city is like stepping into a storybook. You’ll pass medieval synagogues in the historic Jewish Quarter, admire the astronomical clock in the Old Town Square, and cross the iconic Charles Bridge with its baroque statues standing watch. Above it all rises Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle complex in the world.

Obviously, you cannot explore all that this amazing city in the center of Europe has to offer. So take this condensed guide as an inspiration – and come back for more another time.
Prague will welcome you with open arms.

Local Currency

1 US$ = 24.63 CZK, respectively 1 €uro = 24.60 CZK as of June 2025.
Here you can check the current rate to the US$ and the €uro.

Emergency Contacts

112 is the universal emergency number that will connect you to police, the fire patrol, and ambulance services.

Airport

Václav Havel Airport Prague / IATA-Code: PRG

Tourist Info Online and Onsite

Prague City Tourism
You can get information at three city tourist offices as well as the airport terminals 1 and 2.

Getting Around

The Airport Express bus runs every half hour between the airport and Prague’s central station Hlavní Nádraží. At night, the airport is served every 30 minutes by bus #910 bus. Also, for your safety, you can pre-book a reliable and reasonably priced airport shuttle.

Prague’s historic city center is generally easy to explore on foot. If the weather doesn’t allow for long walks, or if you’re simply tired, you can use one of Prague’s many public transport options.

A ride on the Prague metro currently costs 40 CZK for 90 minutes, or 30 CZK for 30 minutes. Especially if you’re planning on taking public transport throughout the day, a 24-hour pass for 120 CZK is recommended.

Tickets must be validated before accessing the metro station or boarding a tram or a bus. Tickets can be purchased from the orange vending machines in all metro stations and larger tram and bus stops. There are no vending machines on the vehicles themselves, so you must have a ticket before boarding.

Morning Activities

You don’t really need a sophisticated plan to enjoy Prague in the sunshine. You can simply stroll through the beautiful squares and picturesque alleys and call it a day, literally.

However, I would like to suggest a particularly beautiful route where you’ll see many of the most important landmarks. Of course, it’s a good idea if you accept my hotel suggestion and stay at the The Emblem Hotel* right in the center. This way, you’ll save yourself a long commute and can start the fun right away.

Just one block away from the hotel is Staroměstské náměstí, the Old Town Square. It is the oldest and most important square in Prague and an inevitable tourist magnet. No wonder since many historical buildings of different architectural styles are surrounding this immense square.

German and Jewish merchants and local craftsmen commissioned the first structures in the 10th and 11th centuries. The main reason for choosing this spot was the convenient location at the intersection of important trade routes and the existence of a ford on which the river could be crossed.

Here you’ll get to see beautiful buildings such as the Old Town Hall with the world-famous astronomical clock.

Charles Bridge

From the Old Town Square, Karlová Street winds its way toward the Vltava River and directly toward the legendary Charles Bridge.

The foundation stone of the Charles Bridge was laid in 1357 by Emperor Charles IV, and today, Charles Bridge is actually the oldest surviving bridge over the Vltava River and one of the oldest stone bridges in Europe. You have all those magnificent views of the surrounding parts of the city, you dream yourself away on the waters of the Vltava, or you admire the 30 incredibly artistic statues that are guiding visitors across the bridge.

Once you’ve finally reached the other bank of the Vltava River, simply stroll through the alleys up toward the castle.

The Prague Castle

Contrary to many other castles around Europe, the Prague Castle is not just one majestic building with some stables. It’s actually the largest coherent castle complex in the world. In an area of around 70,000 square meters are many stately buildings of various architectural styles, houses of worship, and the structures of the original residence building. This castle was built already at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries. Therefore, it is deemed massive, however, rather austere.

On the castle grounds, make sure to pay at least the Cathedral and the so-called Golden Lane a visit.

The Saint Vitus Cathedral is the largest church building in the entire Czech Republic! Commissioned by Crown Prince Charles, in 1344, it was designed by French architect Mathieu d’Arras. Eventually, it was continued by German architect Peter Parler. Saint Vitus is architecturally and stylistically groundbreaking for the development of late Gothic. Unfortunately, as of May 2025, the free part of the cathedral will not be accessible even with a valid circuit ticket due to extensive construction work.

To visit all exhibitions and interiors, you need a Prague Castle ticket, which costs 450 CZK and covers admission to the Royal Palace, Saint George’s Basilica, the Golden Lane, and normally also the Saint Vitus Cathedral.

The Golden Lane in Prague is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. resp. 4 p.m. during the off-season. Note that you can visit the lane for free after these closing hours, but then, you cannot access the buildings, obviously. 

If you plan to stay longer on the castle grounds, you should have a quick lunch before your visit. There are many restaurants to choose from along Mostecká Street. Otherwise, I recommend a good option where you can stop for lunch if you plan to eat only after visiting the castle.

Morning Activities

If you have an eye for morbid charm, you’ll love Prague in the rain! The city seems even more magical and mysterious than usual.

Still, you probably won’t want to enjoy the falling rain any longer than necessary. Hence, here are two suggestions for where to spend a rainy morning.

From your hotel, take the subway line A from Staroměstská for two stops toward Depo Hostivař and get off at the Muzeum station.

The Národní Muzeum, Prague’s National Museum, is the leading museum in the Czech Republic on cultural and natural history. It actually consists of various historically significant buildings and vast exhibitions. The main building on Wenceslas Square houses the archaeological and historical section on the prehistory and early history of today’s territory. Also, there is a mineralogical, zoological, and anthropological section.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the general entrance fee is 300 CZK.

Mucha Museum

If you can make time for another gallery, I recommend the museum dedicated to Alfons Mucha. The world-famous graphic artist, illustrator, and painter was born in Moravia in 1860. He is considered one of the most distinctive representatives of Art Nouveau.

On the occasion of the World Exhibition of 1889, Mucha moved from Munich to Paris. There, he took lessons from various teachers while he made ends meet by illustrating books. He even shared a studio with Paul Gauguin for a short time!

Designing placards for Sarah Bernhardt, at the turn of the 20th century, the best-known actress, helped him to become widely popular.

Today, the Mucha Museum provides a complex overview of Mucha’s artistic work. In addition, it is housed in the baroque building of the Kaunitz Palace. If you don’t want to walk there for around 10 minutes, you can take subway line A from Muzeum to the next stop, Můstek.

The museum is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the general entrance fee is 300 CZK.

Lunch

If you want to eat after visiting the castle, I recommend stopping at the Pivovar Strahov, the Strahov Monastery Brewery. It is a restored craft brewery from the 17th century with a restaurant and an idyllic courtyard.

While enjoying the delicious food, don’t forget to take photos of the city of Prague at your feet!

They are open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

If you want to stop here on rainy days, simply take tram 22 or 23 from the Národní třída stop towards Bílá Hora and get off at the Pohořelec stop. From there, it’s only a 5-minute walk.

Afternoon Activities

For a sunny afternoon, I suggest you walk back toward the Prague Castle and descend from there to the Wallenstein Garden

The Waldstein Palace is the largest palace in Prague and is located in the Lesser Town. Today, it houses the seat of the Senate. The Palace was commissioned by Wenzel Eusebius von Waldstein, better known as Wallenstein. It was built between 1623 and 1630 in the style of early Bohemian Baroque. Its strongest suit, however, is the extensive gardens.

And this is basically it for your quick pit stop in Prague. To get back to the other bank of the river, just stroll across the Mánes Bridge. It is the tenth bridge downstream and the Charles Bridge’s Northern neighbor.

Although it is a concrete bridge, it has something light and dainty to it. I guess it’s mainly because of the slim pillars. They are decorated with friezes of Vltava swimmers and topped by charming golden suns.
A statue of the painter and name-giver Josef Mánes stands on the bridgehead towards the historic city center.

Afternoon Activities

I hope for your sake that even if the weather is bad, you can at least enjoy some of the magnificent view of the city from the Strahov Monastery Brewery.

In any case, you are now very close to Prague’s most important landmark, the castle.

On the ten-minute walk there, don’t focus only on the castle but take a closer look at the other exalted structures, such as the very uniquely decorated Schwarzenberg Palace. This venue is part of the National Gallery and houses the Old Masters.

The Schwarzenberg Palace is open Tuesday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and the entrance fee is 250 CZK.

As already mentioned, Prague Castle is the largest contiguous castle complex in the world. For this reason, a visit should definitely be on your itinerary, both on sunny days when you can leisurely stroll through the grounds, as well as on rainy days.

There’s plenty to see, including the Royal Palace, Saint George’s Basilica, the Golden Lane, and normally also Saint Vitus Cathedral. All of these sites are included in the Prague Castle ticket for 450 CZK. However, the Cathedral is temporarily, as of May 2025, closed for renovation.

There is also the impressive Prague Castle Picture Gallery, which houses paintings from the famous collection of Emperor Rudolph II. Among over a hundred paintings are also works by Titian, Veronese, and Rubens. Since the visit is not included in the aforementioned Castle ticket, you’ll have to pay an additional 200 CZK, which, in my opinion, is well worth it.

Dinner

For your dinner, try the charming brewery Pivovar U Medvídků, just a couple of minutes’ walk from the The Emblem Hotel*. It is a very small microbrewery and a somewhat hidden gem. They serve only a handful of beers on tap, but they’re all top-notch.

You can see the entire brewing facility while you enjoy a classic Czech dinner. This brewery places great importance on maintaining the most traditional atmosphere possible, and this is reflected in each and every detail.

Nightcap

Just a stone’s throw from the The Emblem Hotel* is the Terasa U Prince rooftop bar at the Hotel U Prince*. It’s right across the 600-year-old Astronomical Clock. Hence, you can enjoy a great view with your drink.

Since the bar has a covered area with heating, it can be enjoyed any time of the year. Terasa U Prince has a wide selection of wines, champagnes, as well as cocktails. It also offers some light foods. They are open every day from 9 a.m. to 11.30 p.m.

Accommodation

If you have only one night to spend in Prague, a central location is key. The Emblem Hotel* is located about two minutes from the Old Town Square and about five minutes from the Charles Bridge. Hence, it cannot get more convenient. Also, despite its perfect location, it is very quiet.

If you need total relaxation, try out their SPA, which is located on the 7th floor.

To get to the airport, you can catch the Airport Bus at the main station. Alternatively, take subway line A at the
Staroměstská stop towards Nemocnice Motol and get off at
Nádraží Veleslavín. From there, bus #59 takes you straight to the airport in about 15 minutes.

Nevertheless, you can check out other suitable accommodation on Expedia*:

Map

This map should help you to easily find all the wonderful places I’m introducing in this post. To switch between the itineraries for a sunny and a rainy day, just open the legend at the top left corner and you can hide or unhide the respective layer as you wish. This way, the map will show only the section you really need and be clearer.

If you have more time to spare in Prague, make sure to check out my comprehensive post Three Days In Prague – For First-Timers And Repeat Visitors. There you’ll find lots of places and activities to choose from.

Pinnable Pictures

If you choose to pin this post for later, please use one of these pictures:

Did You Enjoy This Post? Then You Might Also Like These:

Disclaimer: * This is an affiliate link. If you book through this page, not only do you get the best deal. I also get a small commission that helps me run this blog. Thank you so much for supporting me!
** Thankfully, I was The Emblem Hotel’s guest. However, all opinions on their services are mine and were by no means influenced by my cooperation partner.

Icons: money bag by Roundicons from www.flaticon.com, police car, train, sun, glass, and bed by Freepik from www.flaticon.com, takeoff plane and board made by ultimatearm from www.flaticon.com, info made by Roundicons from www.flaticon.com, umbrella made by Kiranshastry from www.flaticon.com, food plate by Vectors Market from www.flaticon.com