13 Best Tours and Day Trips in Prague

Strolling through Prague is a delight. Its cobbled streets and picturesque rooftops, its Gothic beauty and cosy atmosphere make this city captivating. But don't forget that it's also an ideal starting point for a number of excursions, as it's located in the heart of Eastern Europe. Here are the best tours and excursions in Prague:

• Prague Castle Tour — from AED 129
• Prague Night Tour — from AED 107
• Tour of Prague's Jewish Quarter — from AED 307
• Prague Beer Tour — from AED 407
• Complete Prague Bike Tour — from AED 176
• Excursion to Kutná Hora from Prague — from AED 318
• Day trip to a glass factory and brewery from Prague — from AED 534

On this tour, you will discover the most impressive part of Prague: its castle. It is a citadel at the highest point of the city, within whose walls you will find buildings that are unique in the city and enjoy wonderful views of the city, especially the Malá Strana district.

This tour includes a complete guided tour of the Castle, as well as a visit to Malá Strana, where you can admire its Renaissance palaces and the Baroque Church of St. Nicholas.

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What you will see

If you find traditional tours boring and enjoy the ghost stories and urban legends surrounding ancient cities, this night tour of Prague's Old Town is perfect for you. The big advantage over other tours: undoubtedly fewer tourists and a more intimate experience in a small group with an expert art guide.

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• Duration: approximately 2 hours
• Recommended: if you want to enjoy the city at night with stunning views while learning about its history.

What you will see

If you know you won't be able to wait for a tour to see the city and you're going to start exploring Prague as soon as you arrive, this tour will show you parts you probably haven't seen before, as it focuses a little more on the Jewish Quarter.

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What you will see

An important part of your visit to Prague is discovering its cuisine and beer and liquor culture. On this tasting tour, you can visit several typical establishments in the city where you can try three different Czech beers and taste the house liquors. In addition to strolling through Old Town Square, you will understand the importance of beer in the Czech Republic and learn how to toast.

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Visiting a new city is always an exciting experience, but sometimes conventional tours can fall short if you've travelled halfway around the world. That's why it's great to be able to visit Prague in an alternative way by riding a bike, which has the advantage of allowing you to see almost the entire city without getting too tired and making the most of your time.

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• Duration: Between 1 hour 30 minutes and 3 hours
• Recommended: If you get tired easily from walking or are only going to be in Prague for a short time and want to see the whole city

What you'll see

Kutná Hora is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Prague who want to explore a little further afield, and to tell the truth, this city has a collection of very interesting historical buildings and monuments.

During the excursion to Kutná Hora from Prague, you can visit the Sedlec Ossuary, an impressive chapel made of human bones that is the ultimate expression of Central European Gothic architecture, the historic centre of Kutná Hora and the magnificent Church of St. Barbara, among other places of interest.

Kutná Hora is the perfect complement to your visit to Prague, as they are two cities with similar atmospheres but with unique places that I recommend you discover. To help you organise your visit, Kutná Hora is about an hour and a half from Prague by road, and the maximum group size for this excursion is 40 people.

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What you will see

This excursion to Bohemia combines the two most traditional industries in the Czech Republic: glass and beer. You will visit Pilsen, the birthplace of the typical Czech beer Pilsner Urquell, and learn about the entire beer-making process. You will even be able to taste several beers and buy souvenirs of the brand.

Afterwards, you will head to Nizbor, home to the old Bohemian glass factory that is still in operation, and just like the brewery tour, you will be able to observe the glass-making process from start to finish. To give you an idea, Pilsen is about an hour from Prague and Nizbor is about 45 minutes away, and your group during this experience will be a maximum of 15 people.

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About three hours from Prague is the town of Cesky Krumlov, which looks like something out of a fairy tale. Like Prague, it is crossed by the Vltava River, and its famous castle stands at the highest point of the city.

Cesky Krumlov is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Czech Republic and a very beautiful place to visit, thanks to its maze of narrow streets typical of a medieval town and its castle, built in the 13th century and remodelled during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

The town was also home to the artist Egon Schiele, so you will find places dedicated to his art, including the Egon Schiele Art Centre. This excursion to Cesky Krumlov lasts around 10 hours, but at least 6 of those hours are spent travelling to and from Prague. Your group will consist of a maximum of 30 people.

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What you will see

Dresden, on the banks of the River Elbe and about two hours from Prague, is famous for its splendid Baroque architecture, where you will find plenty to see. There, you can discover the Zwinger Palace and the Frauenkirche Church, rebuilt after its complete destruction during the Second World War, whose ruins can be explored in the underground section.

The city offers an artistic and picturesque atmosphere and strolling around it is a real delight, so I recommend this excursion if you want to enjoy a city that is somewhat different from Prague to complete your trip and also make it international.

Please note that on this excursion to Dresden you will be approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes from Prague by bus, and your group during this excursion will be a maximum of 25 people.

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What you will see

The city of Prague is inextricably linked to Mozart's life: the composer's masterpiece opera 'Don Giovanni' premiered at the State Theatre, and Mozart played at the Church of St. Nicholas in Malá Strana during his stays in Prague, where a mass was held in his honour after his death. On this Mozart tour of Prague, you will see both places and discover the historic centre with a professional guide.

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What you will see

This tour combines a visit to Prague's Old Town and Castle, the city's two main attractions, including tram transport between the two. Although it does not cover the entire city, this tour offers you the exciting opportunity to see a number of areas of Prague in around three hours, giving you the chance to discover the rest on your own afterwards.

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What you will see

Visiting Konopiste Castle is the perfect excursion for history buffs, as its last owner was Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, whose famous assassination set the wheels of World War I in motion.

Today, Konopiste Castle is a protected monument of the Czech Republic, whose galleries house impressive collections of weapons, tapestries and works of art. During your visit, you can explore the castle inside and out and admire its beautiful gardens.

About 40 minutes from Prague by road, another reason why this excursion is worthwhile is the stunning views of the Bohemia region that you will enjoy both on the way there and back from the bus, which you will share with a maximum of 18 other travellers.

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What you will see

If you've always wanted to find out how the famous Bohemian crystal is made, you can do so on this excursion to the town of Nizbor, where you'll visit an authentic factory that still creates all kinds of glassware today.

In the workshops, you'll learn about the manufacturing process, from melting the sand to decorating and engraving all kinds of designs on this highly resistant crystal. You can also purchase glass pieces as souvenirs at factory prices. Nizbor is about 45 minutes from Prague, so keep in mind that at least an hour and a half of the excursion will be spent on the bus travelling to and from the factory with your group, which takes a maximum of 45 minutes.

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There are several reasons why taking an organised excursion from Prague is a good idea: you won't have to worry about transport, and since you have limited time at your destination, you can make the most of it thanks to the company of a professional guide, who will prevent you from getting lost and explain everything you see.

Duration

That said, keep in mind that transport is included in the total duration of each excursion. All the experiences I have mentioned are perfectly feasible for a day trip, and transport can vary from 1 hour 30 minutes to up to 6 hours depending on which one you choose.

Meals

Something else you should know before going on an organised excursion from Prague is that none of them include meals, but your guide will take you to a restaurant at your destination. Given that the itineraries for these excursions are quite rigid in order to fit everything in, you will most likely not be able to choose where to eat, so if you are wary or don't want to spend money, bring food with you in your rucksack from Prague.

Travelling with children

If you are travelling to Prague with children, any of these excursions can be interesting for them, although my personal recommendation would be to go to Konopiste Castle, because of the impressive views and the place itself, and its short duration.

Best day of the week for an excursion

As there are a number of options for excursions from Prague, there is no one day that is better than another, as it varies depending on the destination.

Something you should bear in mind is that glass and beer factories are usually closed on Sundays, Konopiste Castle is not open to the public on Mondays, and weekends tend to be the busiest days for tourists, especially in Cesky Krumlov and Dresden, as they are popular weekend destinations for both tourists and locals.

My recommendation is that, as far as possible, you try to take your trip on a weekday to avoid the tourist crowds. Another tip is to arrive at your destination as early as possible in the morning or towards sunset, which is why most trips leave Prague quite early.

Best time of year to take a trip from Prague

If you are visiting Prague in May, June or September, you have chosen well, because these are the times when the weather is most pleasant without all the summer crowds. For this reason, these months are the best for taking a trip from Prague.

However, there are exceptions: Cesky Krumlov is stunning in autumn, with the impressive orange and red colours of the trees in the city, and in reality, the time of year doesn't really matter when visiting Konopiste Castle, as most of the excursion takes place within its walls.

What to take on a day trip from Prague

What you take on an excursion is always up to you, but I always include a number of essentials on my list.

Firstly, comfortable footwear, as you'll be walking all day and you don't want to be left with sore feet for the rest of your trip. Next, a bottle of water and, if you don't want to eat in a restaurant, some food in your rucksack. Sun cream if you're going on the excursion in summer, and a camera to capture the places that catch your eye.

Meeting point

Once you book the tour, you will receive confirmation in your email. You can print this email or simply show it to the guide on your mobile phone when you join the tour at the meeting point. Most Prague tours depart from Old Town Square or its surroundings, but be sure to check the exact address of the meeting point in the tour information.

Best time and day of the week to take a tour of Prague

As a general rule, it is usually best to take a tour of Prague as early in the day as possible before the less early-rising tourists (the majority) begin their itinerary. In Prague, sunset is one of the busiest times to visit the Castle, for example, so the earlier you start your tour, the more you will enjoy the tranquillity of strolling through such a beautiful city without having to dodge people.

If you visit Prague in May, July or August, I'm sorry to say that it's difficult to avoid the tourist crowds. Try to book your tour for a Wednesday or Thursday, as you can avoid many of the tourists who come to the city for the weekend.

Duration

of Prague tours
Most tours of Prague last around 3 hours and are usually on foot, with the exception of the electric bike tour and tours that combine part of the city and the Castle, as in the latter case, the funicular is usually taken to climb to the upper part of the city.

Fortunately, Prague is a city that invites you to walk, as its historic centre is quite compact and it is possible to reach almost any of its points in half an hour on foot from the Old Town Square. In any case, if you find yourself too far from the centre, the Prague metro works very well and you also have the tram, which can be an experience in itself.

Visit the Jewish Quarter

Whichever tour you take, I recommend visiting Josefov (the Jewish Quarter) on your own and spending at least an afternoon there, as it is well worth exploring in depth. If you can, I recommend visiting the six synagogues in the neighbourhood, for which, incidentally, there is a pass that includes them all. You can purchase it at the entrance to any of them.

Beware of tourist traps

Be a little careful when crossing Charles Bridge, especially in the afternoon, as it is one of the places in the city where con artists gather to try to sell all kinds of things to tourists or take advantage of a moment of inattention to perform magic tricks with wallets. Apart from this, you will find a good number of very touristy stalls where you can buy souvenirs.

About the Astronomical Clock

Something that many tours and tourist guides in Prague insist on is that you see the cuckoo pop out of the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square, which is programmed to appear once an hour. To be honest, it's not that interesting, so don't worry too much about seeing this "show" as it's something that mainly attracts the more typical tourist. That said, if you happen to be in the area just before the clock strikes the hour, there's no harm in taking a look.

Get out of the tourist centre

If you're left wanting more after exploring the centre of Prague, don't make the beginner's mistake of staying there! Most tourists stick around the Old Town without realising that the lesser-known areas of Prague are just as amazing.

On my last trip to Prague, what I liked most was wandering around the Jiřího z Poděbrad square area, which is quite quiet, with authentic bars and cool local shops.

Card payments

Something I didn't know when I visited this beautiful city is that most shops and restaurants now accept credit cards, even for small transactions. For some reason, I thought that almost all establishments would prefer to charge in korunas, but that's not the case, so keep this in mind before exchanging currency.

Don't miss the Castle

If you've booked one of the tours that doesn't include a visit to the castle, you can always book tickets or take a separate guided tour. Here's my article on the subject so you can choose the best way to visit it: Prague Castle Tickets and Tours.

Where to eat after the Prague tour

As they are of average length, Prague tours do not include lunch. If you take the tour in the morning as I recommend, you should finish around 12 or 1 pm, when you'll start to feel a little peckish. Here are my top three restaurants in Prague:

• Hanavský Pavilion: A beautiful building that words cannot describe, home to one of the best restaurants in the city. Its menu is a mix of traditional and international dishes, and it is really worth booking a table if you visit Prague in summer, as the terrace offers beautiful views of the Vltava River.
• Bistro 8: Inspired by Czech cuisine but bringing it up to date with fresh, seasonal produce, this small café will delight minimalists looking for something light but tasty to eat before continuing their adventure of discovering Prague.
• Pivovar Marina: Located next to the river, this rustic restaurant with a wooden roof is one of the city's institutions, largely thanks to its salmon steak with couscous and chicken schnitzel with mashed potatoes.