Prague Itinerary: A 5-Day Sample Plan and How to Build Your Trip

Quick answer: A five-day walking-first loop through Prague’s Old Town, Castle district and Lesser Town, the Jewish Quarter and riverfront, Vysehrad and Petrin, closing with a train day trip to Kutna Hora’s bone church.

Day 1 — Old Town & the Orloj

Ease in around Old Town Square (Staromestske namesti), timing your arrival for the top of an hour when the Astronomical Clock (Orloj) performs its Walk of the Apostles — the show is free from the square. To beat the crush, climb the Old Town Hall Tower for the 42-metre gallery; standard entry runs about 350 CZK (roughly $16), with a 50% box-office discount in the first opening hour (from 9am April–December). Wander to the twin-spired Church of Our Lady before Tyn, then thread the lanes to the Powder Gate and the Art Nouveau Municipal House (Obecni dum). Everything here is walkable, so skip trams. For lunch, try svickova — braised beef in a creamy root-vegetable sauce with bread dumplings, a Czech classic. Insider tip: cross the Charles Bridge near sunrise or after 9pm, when the daytime crowds and caricature stalls thin out and the statues are properly atmospheric.

Day 2 — Castle & Lesser Town

Start early at Prague Castle (Prazsky hrad), reached by tram 22 to Prazsky hrad or a climb up the Old Castle Stairs. The full circuit ticket is about 450 CZK (roughly $20) and covers St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St George’s Basilica and Golden Lane; note the cathedral closes to visitors during services. Aim to be inside St Vitus before the mid-morning tour waves. Afterwards descend through the terraced Palace Gardens or Nerudova street into Mala Strana (Lesser Town). See the Baroque Church of St Nicholas on Malostranske namesti, then find the whimsical Lennon Wall and the Kampa island waterwheel. Cathedral hours run roughly 10am–6pm in summer, shorter off-season. Insider tip: the castle’s outer courtyards and Golden Lane after the ticketed hours are free to stroll, and the changing of the guard at the main gate happens on the hour, with a fuller ceremony at noon.

Day 3 — Jewish Quarter & River

Devote the morning to Josefov, the former Jewish Quarter, one of Europe’s best-preserved. A combined ticket for the Jewish Museum sites — the Old Jewish Cemetery with its layered leaning headstones, the Spanish Synagogue, Pinkas Synagogue and others — typically runs a few hundred CZK (roughly $25–$40); the Old-New Synagogue, Europe’s oldest active synagogue, is ticketed separately. Josefov sits a short walk north of Old Town Square, so continue on foot. In the afternoon, walk the Vltava embankment to Naplavka, the riverside promenade lined with cafe barges, or rent a paddleboat near Slovansky ostrov for about 250–350 CZK an hour (roughly $12–$16). Insider tip: dress modestly for the synagogues (covered shoulders, men’s heads covered), and most Jewish sites close on Saturdays and Jewish holidays, so plan this day for another weekday.

Day 4 — Vysehrad & Petrin

Ride tram or metro to Vysehrad, the clifftop fortress above the river that most visitors miss. Wandering the ramparts and the neo-Gothic Basilica of St Peter and St Paul is free, and the adjoining Vysehrad Cemetery holds the graves of Dvorak and Smetana — entry to the grounds costs nothing, though the casemates tour is a small fee. The views over the Vltava and back toward the castle are the best in the city. Later, head to Petrin Hill: the funicular from Ujezd (covered by a standard transit ticket, about 40 CZK / roughly $2) has been under reconstruction, so check whether it is running or simply walk the wooded paths up. At the top, the Petrin Lookout Tower, a mini Eiffel, charges a separate admission of a few hundred CZK. Insider tip: pair Petrin with a trdelnik-free snack of a proper chlebicek — open-faced Czech sandwich — from a traditional lahudky deli.

Day 5 — Kutna Hora Day Trip

Take a direct train from Praha hlavni nadrazi (the main station) to Kutna Hora, a UNESCO-listed silver-mining town about an hour east; fares run roughly 100–120 CZK (about $5) each way, with fast trains leaving roughly every two hours. Alight at Kutna Hora hlavni nadrazi for the Sedlec Ossuary (the Bone Church), a chapel decorated with the remains of tens of thousands, a 10-minute walk from the station. A combined ticket with the soaring Gothic Cathedral of St Barbara is around 330 CZK (roughly $15); book the ossuary slot ahead, as summer queues can top 45 minutes. A local shuttle bus or short taxi links Sedlec to the historic centre and St Barbara’s. Allow five to seven hours round trip. Insider tip: arrive at the ossuary before 10am to beat the coach tours, then lunch in the old town before an easy afternoon train back to Prague.