We tacked Prague onto a trip to London for my niece’s wedding, hopping over on a quick flight and arriving late at night.
Three full days turned out to be enough time to see a LOT of Prague. Could we have stayed longer? Absolutely. But if you have three days, good shoes, and reasonably cooperative knees, you can cover some serious ground.
First Things First: Where We Stayed + How I Planned
I planned our trip using Wanderlog, and I highly recommend it. You can save places you want to visit, map everything out, and figure out what makes sense to group together. It’s an app and website, and at least for now, it’s free. You know how that goes.
I’m a Hilton girl. Y’all know that.
We stayed at the Hilton Prague Old Town and loved it. Great location, clean, stylish, super-friendly staff, and an A-Maze-Ing breakfast that even included a few gluten-free options. The concierge was also incredibly helpful when we needed to figure out public transportation.
Prague Tip #1: Prepare to WALK.
And then walk some more.
The streets aren’t always level; there are stairs everywhere, and Prague Castle apparently sits approximately 4,000 feet above wherever you happen to be standing. Okay, not really. But your legs may disagree.
A Few Prague Surprises
First, the history.
Prague’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and much of its medieval city layout and architecture has survived remarkably intact. Walking around really does feel like walking through layers of history rather than a city reconstructed to look old.
Second, Italian food. Pizza and pasta were EVERYWHERE. I was not expecting that.
Third, Starbucks.
Because apparently there is nowhere on Earth we cannot put a Starbucks.
Day 1: Prague Castle, Lennon Wall + Kampa Island
We headed to Prague Castle first thing in the morning and bought tickets when we arrived. No issues at all, although crowds were definitely building by lunchtime.
The castle dates to around 880 and has been the seat of Czech rulers for more than 1,000 years. Today it’s an enormous complex rather than one single castle.
We explored the Old Royal Palace, gorgeous St. Vitus Cathedral, and Golden Lane, the row of tiny colorful houses once occupied by everyone from craftspeople and soldiers to, briefly, Franz Kafka.
All worth seeing.
All involving steps.
For lunch, we stopped at Pivo & Basilico Caffe Restaurant near the castle, which had gluten-free options and gave us a much-needed break.
Then came Prague’s famous chimney cakes: warm cinnamon-sugar dough shaped into a cone and, at the touristy spots, stuffed with ice cream and toppings.
Basically, if Cinnabon and Marble Slab had a baby.
Not gluten-free, so Cody bravely stepped up and partook in the culture. He approved.
Lennon Wall + Kampa Island
From there we wandered to the Lennon Wall. What began as a memorial after John Lennon’s death evolved into a place for messages about peace, freedom, and resistance. Today, the wall constantly changes as people add their own words and artwork.
Nearby is Kampa Island, a quieter little spot along the Vltava River and home to David Černý’s enormous crawling, faceless babies.
Because Prague.
We rested by the water before strolling back across the Charles Bridge, passing artists selling paintings, portraits, and caricatures along the way.
Then: Hilton happy hour, snacks, and DONE.
Day 2: Going Underground + Baking Chimney Cakes
Day two was tour day. Cody picked the morning. I picked the afternoon.
You can probably guess who chose the baking class.
Prague Underground
Cody chose an underground tour through GetYourGuide, and this one was fascinating.
Parts of medieval Prague now sit beneath the modern streets because street levels were raised over time, including in response to flooding. The tour took us into historic cellars, chambers and underground rooms dating back centuries.
It isn’t one giant underground labyrinth, but rather separate spaces beneath different buildings. You generally can’t access these areas on your own, which made the tour especially worthwhile.
Our guide also took us above ground and explained more about the history of Old Town.
Definitely recommend.
We followed that with lunch at a place promising “local food.”
It was wildly expensive and, as it turns out, perhaps not quite as local as advertised.
Tourist trap: accepted.
Lots of meat. Lots of bread. Tasty enough. Moving on.
My Turn: Chimney Cake Class
I booked a chimney cake baking class through Viator.
It was about a 20-minute walk south of the main tourist area, which was actually a bonus. We got to see a quieter part of Prague and met a fun group of people in the class.
We rolled the dough, wrapped it around the forms, baked it, and covered it in cinnamon sugar.
Fun fact: trdelník, despite being absolutely EVERYWHERE in Prague, isn’t actually Czech in origin. And those enormous versions stuffed with ice cream? Definitely more modern tourist creation than centuries-old Czech tradition.
I couldn’t eat mine because of the gluten.
Cody ate both.
Again, the man is committed to cultural research.
Day 3: The Astronomical Clock + Jewish Quarter
Our last day was another history-heavy one, but we didn’t prebook anything.
Prague Astronomical Clock
We started at the Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock.
The clock dates to 1410 and is one of the oldest astronomical clocks still operating. It doesn’t simply tell time. Its astronomical dial tracks multiple kinds of time and celestial information, which makes the engineering even more impressive when you remember people built this thing more than 600 years ago.
We bought the full Old Town Hall tour rather than just going up the tower. It took us through the historic rooms and underground spaces before finishing with the fantastic views from above.
There was even an interactive digital clock where we could plug in dates like our birthdays.
History + something I can touch and play with = my kind of museum.
Highly recommend the full tour.
Exploring Prague’s Jewish Quarter
Next we headed to the Jewish Museum Visitor Centre, where we bought our tickets and an audio guide.
DO THIS.
The museum’s sites are spread throughout the historic Jewish Quarter, and the audio guide lets you move at your own pace while actually understanding what you’re looking at. The museum’s official audio tour covers its historic sites and exhibitions as well as the history of Prague’s Jewish community.
We visited the synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery, where the audio guide was especially valuable. Security screenings are required at the museum sites, including security frames and possible bag searches. It’s understandable, but also sobering that it’s necessary.
This was easily one of the most meaningful parts of our trip.
One Last Czech Meal
We were determined to find something a little more traditionally Czech before leaving.
At Amos Restaurant, Cody ordered svíčková na smetaně: beef with a creamy root-vegetable sauce, cranberries, and bread dumplings.
Very Czech.
Very much not gluten-free.
I had steak and vegetables. Sometimes travel with celiac/gluten issues is considerably less glamorous.
Then it was back to our trusty Hilton happy hour.
Getting to the Airport Without a Car
The next morning, instead of booking another car, we decided to try Prague’s public transportation.
I used Rome2Rio to figure out the route, and the hotel concierge recommended downloading the PID Lítačka app to buy our transportation tickets.
The app was available in English, buying tickets was easy, and we made it to the airport using a combination of public transportation without any problems.
Much easier than I expected.
So, Is Three Days in Prague Enough?
Yes…but barely.
Three full days gave us enough time to see Prague Castle, Old Town, Charles Bridge, Kampa Island, the Lennon Wall, the underground city, the Astronomical Clock, and the Jewish Quarter, plus squeeze in a baking class and eat our share of Czech food.
There was still plenty we didn’t see.
If I were planning it again, three days is the minimum I’d recommend, and four would be even better.
Prague surprised me. It was more historic than I expected, incredibly walkable, easy to navigate and full of those little weird things that make a city memorable.
Just bring good shoes.
Seriously.
The Prague Short List
Stay: Hilton Prague Old Town
Plan: Wanderlog
Book: Underground tour + chimney cake class
Don’t miss: Prague Castle, Astronomical Clock full tour + Jewish Quarter audio guide
Eat: At least one traditional Czech meal
Download: PID Lítačka for public transportation
Prepare for: Cobblestones, stairs and an impressive step count
Ideal stay: 3 days minimum; 4 if you have it
Jess, Out and About 