4 Day Prague Itinerary

Prague is a gorgeous, quirky, and pleasantly walkable city in Eastern Europe. Its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and for the record its beer is both cheap and out of this world. Check out this 4 day Prague itinerary to make sure you have an amazing trip and don’t miss a thing!

Prague is nothing short of magical. If you are lucky enough to visit, you should have just enough time to see the main Prague sights, get off the beaten path, and fall desperately in love with the place.

Rarely do I miss a city as much as I miss Prague, for how little time I was able to spend there. If you’re wondering what to do in Prague in 4 days, this itinerary will certainly help you, but be warned, you’ll always have a hole in your heart where the Charles Bridge should be!

4 Day Prague Itinerary Breakdown

Day 1: Old Town Prague

• Prague’s insanely lovely Old Town has been the beating heart of the city for centuries. It stretches out to the East and South of a bend in the Vltava River.
• The Old Town Square, smack dab in the middle, holds several of Old Town’s main attractions and much of its historical significance.
• See Old Town and enjoy Czech beer from T-Anker‘s rooftop bar.
• Also of great historical significance to Prague is its Jewish Quarter. Prague has one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe, and Europe’s oldest active synagogue!
• Experience Prague’s fun—if a bit odd—nightlife at the coolest club in the world as far as I’m concerned, Vzorkovna.

Day 2: Prague Castle and Mala Strana

• Just North of the city, the Prague Castle complex is interesting and vast, to say the least. There’s a ton to explore here, so it deserves half a day on its own.
• Letna Park, directly East of the castle, gives you panoramic views of the entire city and an exquisite little pavilion perched in its leafy hills.
• Petrin Hill, a large green space just across the river from New Town South, is an old vineyard of King Charles himself. Today it boasts Petrin Tower, excellent picnic spots, and awesome views of the city.
• Mala Strana or “Lesser Town” is between the castle and the Vltava River. It’s best known for its bright orange roofs and the fact that is used to be where upper crust folks lived, to be close to the castle. As such, the architecture is classy and captivating.
• Mala Strana connects New Town and Old Town by several bridges, including the famous Charles Bridge!

Day 3: New Town and Vyšehrad

• Prague’s New Town is basically everything around the Old Town that isn’t Vltava River, and then some. It’s a sizable area. That said, walking tip to tip is still less than an hour, so take your time and really explore it!
• A special highlight of New Town is Wenceslas Square. Besides being a great spot for restaurants and shopping, Wenceslas Square is of massive historical importance to the Czech people.
• New Town has some of Prague’s best museums, not least of which are the National Museum, Communism Museum, and Mucha Museum.
• Brunch at Café Louvre, est 1902, a favorite spot of thinkers like Einstein and Kafka.
• Vyšehrad is an impressive old settlement on the banks of the Vltava. It dates back to the 10th century and is absolutely fascinating to explore.
• One of the coolest ways to see the city is to paddleboat on the Vltava River!

Day 4: ???

What to do in Prague in 4 days? Whatever you want! As the final day of your 4 day Prague itinerary, I think you should get to choose what you’d most like to do next.

By this point you’ll have seen many of the main highlights, but there’s always more to see with only 4 days in Prague. Really, there’s always more to see no matter how much time you have in Prague.

Don’t worry, I’ll list some of my favorite options for added inspiration, to help make your final day your best yet!

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Day 1: Old Town Prague

I am such a sucker for European city’s Old Towns. What can I say, they’re quaint and pretty and charming as all get-out.

We just don’t have a satisfying equivalent of a good Old Town back in the States (maybe because most of these Old Towns are literally older than our country).

Prague’s Old Town is a doozy. You should probably just start in the Old Town Square, and work your way around from there.

SEE ALSO: 10 DAY ITALY ITINERARY 

The square is very easy to get to; all main roads in the Old Town kind of point to it. As long as you know you’re going in the right general direction, you’ll hit it eventually. I accidentally came upon the Old Town Square several times when wandering around the area!

Pro-tip: I just downloaded Prague’s Google map on my phone so I could see my position relative to all the places I wanted to go, and walked towards them until I hit them. That’s an easy navigation hack for when you don’t have Wi-Fi!

If you can, get to the Old Town Square either early in the morning or save it til evening. It’s fairly busy, and a popular tourist attraction.

What is there to see in Prague’s Old Town Square?

There are plenty of cool sights just within the square itself!

There are two majestic churches in Old Town Square: Our Lady Before Tyn (sometimes just called “Tyn”) and St. Nicholas. The former is a 14th century Gothic, the latter an 18th century Baroque. Tyn is as beautifully gloomy and dramatic, as St. Nicholas is bright and stoic.

You’ll see a few other examples of Gothic architecture on your 4 day Prague itinerary, but St Nicholas is probably the most famous Baroque structure.

You should absolutely enter both churches. The interiors, tear-jerkingly beautiful, really echo their Gothic vs Baroque personalities. They’re free to enter, but donations are encouraged!

Also in Old Town Square is the world’s largest operational astronomical clock! Prague’s Astronomical Clock has been telling time (and like, a billion other things) since 1410. An astronomical clock not only tells basic stuff like oh, I don’t know, the time—it also tells moon cycles, sun positions, and zodiac stuff. With its hands. And tickers. And whatnot.

Sorry, I’m no horologist (a clock expert) (and yes, I realize instead of Googling “what do you call a clock expert” I could’ve just Googled “how do astronomical clocks work”).

That aforementioned astronomical clock is on a little building called the Old Town Hall. Also on Old Town Hall? A tower! From which you can see the whole city! Pretty sweet.

This tower is called… Old Town Hall Tower. Very original, I know.

The entrance fee to climb and get the views is about $10 US, and includes a few other interesting things once you’re the building. It includes entry to the spooky underground Romanesque cellars, equally spooky Gothic cellars, and the Chapel. If you want to see everything I think it’s worth it, but if it’s views you’re after I’ll recommend a rooftop bar not too far away…

Enjoy views of Old Town from a rooftop bar!

At some point on your 4 day Prague itinerary, make sure you walk over to T-Anker! It’s located just Northeast to Old Town Square, next to Republic Square. Republic Square is much smaller but still, it is clearly a city square and you’ll know when you’re there.

T-Anker is a bit hard to find, but so worth it! It’s on top of a building (Kotva shopping mall) on Kralodvorska street. The entrance to the stairwell (and elevator, though my foolish butt schlepped up the stairs) is conveniently neon yellow.

Beer is cheap (I think I went with the cheapest tap beer, which was a little more than a euro) and tasty. I normally don’t love light beers, but my time in Prague changed my mind a bit. Most of the local beers I had here were much lighter than their Belgian or German brethren, but just as yummy. And a lot cheaper.

I didn’t eat at T-Anker, but the menu looked good and reasonably priced. It really would’ve been an awesome place for a meal. I bet a sunset dinner on the terrace overlooking Old Town would be AMAZING.

For nearby sight-seeing, the Powder Gate is a famous Prague landmark in Old Town. It’s a towering gate in the middle of a street modeled after the gates of the Charles Bridge. It’s definitely cool to see.

Check out Prague’s powerful Jewish quarter.

In Northern Old Town you’ll find Prague’s fascinating Jewish Quarter (or Josefov). There’s a ton of history here, dating back to 1096; Josefov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At one time this was the largest Jewish quarter in all of Europe.

Today, you can visit synagogues, the cemetery, and museums.

The two synagogues you absolutely shouldn’t miss are the Spanish Synagogue and the Old-New Synagogue. The former is just breathtakingly designed, with intricate patterns and artwork lining the walls. You just have to see it for yourself. The latter is significant because it is the oldest active synagogue in Europe, built in 1270. It’s really powerful to walk through its doors and think about what the Jews have went through since then, and what that building has survived.

There are other synagogues in Prague’s Jewish Quarter if you have time! Check out the Maisel, Pinkas, and Klausen synagogues if you want to see more.

The Old Jewish Cemetery is known for its thousands of graves in a tiny space. As a minority confined to a small Jewish ghetto, this was all the space residents had to bury their dead. The 12,000 gravestones are now almost stacked atop each other in spots, creating a haunting and almost tragically artistic aura.

Finally, the Jewish Quarter has a couple really cool museums. The Jewish Museum is the main one, considered one of Prague’s best museums and one of the oldest Jewish museums in Europe. The Old Jewish Cemetery is actually connected to the Jewish Museum.

There’s also a Kafka Museum here. If you’re into Kafka, well, check it out! He was a Bohemian Jew who happened to massively influence 20th century literature so, is kind of a big deal around here.

End the day with a bang at Vzorkovna.

If you want a truly wild, only-in-Prague night out, you’ve gotta check out Vzorkovna (pronounced zor-COVE-nuh) nightclub. If you’re a solo traveler, I’d either talk someone from your hostel into coming or put on your bravest solo traveler pants, because this place is a bit… intimidating.

I kind of can’t/shouldn’t attempt to describe Vzorkovna to you, but I’m going to anyway.

First of all, it’s one of those unmarked night clubs you just have to know where the door is. Second, the “door” is more of a sketchy speakeasy looking entrance, and the chick at the door has no time for fools. Third, you don’t pay in real money there, but in bracelets you load up when you go.

Fourth, the place is laid out like some trippy psycho killer labyrinth (but in the coolest way possible)! There are just a ton of dimly lit interconnected rooms, some looking down on other rooms, some dead ends, etc.

FIFTH, there is a massive Irish wolfhound running about you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of. I have a Saint Bernard, and this noble dog’s size still impressed me.

I loved Vzorkovna because you could pick how you wanted your night to go. I mean, we could’ve raged hard I’m sure, but we just found a cave-like room which reminded me of a hobbit home and talked politics for three hours. Also, the music rocks.

Day 2: Prague Castle and Parks

If you do one thing in your 4 days in Prague, you must go to Prague Castle.

I am generally neutral on castles; I’m not going to be in love with it just because, hey, it’s a castle. I also have nothing against castles.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is that if Prague Castle wasn’t totally worth the time and money, I’d tell you. Straight up. There are several cities whose castles I don’t think are even close to being worth the money, or photogenic ones you don’t need to actually enter to get the full experience.

Prague Castle is one of my favorites. The coolest part about it is you aren’t paying to get into the castle, really, so much as the whole frozen-in-time castle area. In the small area around the castle itself, you can walk in the narrow lanes straight out of medieval times, visit an old cathedral, walk through historical exhibits and museums, and more.

It feels like you’re playing make-believe.

The castle gets really crowded during the summer and weekends, so if you can go in the off season I recommend that. However, I went during the summer on a week day and it wasn’t all that bad. The worst crowds were in the narrow Golden Lane, and even then they were bearable.

Other must-sees in the Prague Castle area are the various museums and exhibitions, St Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, and St George’s Basilica.

You can decide how much you want to pay based on what you want to see:

• The short tour costs 250 CZK and includes Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica, Golden Lane, and Daliborka Tower.
• The long tour costs 350 CZK and includes all of the above PLUS the permanent exhibition “The Story of Prague Castle”, Convent of St. George National Gallery, and the Prague Castle Picture Gallery.

I recommend the long tour ticket. Even though you could buy separate, individual tickets to the extra three exhibitions the long tour includes, the cheapest of those is still 100 CZK. If you want to see any of them (and The Story of Prague Castle in particularly is worth it), but the long tour!

St Vitus Cathedral is free and an absolute must-see. The inside is so pretty (as you can see from my, ahem, enthusiastic pictures above).

Pro-tip: Get a map of the Prague Castle complex and refer to it often! It’s hilariously easy to get turned around.

Relax in the artful green spaces of Mala Strana.

The castle will take up at least three hours, in my opinion, but even if you linger there you’ve still got half a day left! You should also devote at least a little bit of time to exploring the Mala Strana area. The John Lennon Wall is a particularly famous landmark around the castle and Mala Strana.

Want to get into nature? Mala Strana is straddled by two excellent green spaces: Petrin Hill and Letna Park.

Petrin Hill is a large, popular park known for its Eiffel-tower inspired Petrin Tower. Letna Park is more of a local favorite, known for its pretty pavilion and giant artsy metronome.

BOTH are known for being superb picnic spots with boss views of Prague!

Conveniently located right next to the Castle, a picnic at Petrin Hill is a delightful experience to add to your 4 day Prague itinerary. With the views of the Old Town to the East, this is a perfect spot to hit up at sunrise if you’re up for it!

Sunset is nice too, though I would say Letna Park’s views would be slightly better at that time of day. But really, with these views you can’t go wrong!

Wanna read about another European city’s awesome nature areas? Check out my post on EDINBURGH’S HIGHLIGHTS!

Day 3: New Town Prague and Vyšehrad Fort

Prague’s New Town isn’t that new; it was founded in 1348. So, you know, the “New Town” is much older than some countries. Casual.

It’s three times the size of Old Town, completely surrounding Old Town on the South and East. Still, walking from Vyšehrad at New Town’s Southern tip to New Town’s Northern end only takes less than an hour!

So there’s no excuse not to explore it in its entirety 😉

What are Prague’s New Town highlights?

The main can’t-miss spot in New Town is for sure Wenceslas Square. Some of the most important rallies in Prague have been here, from Czechoslovakian independence in 1918 to Velvet Revolution demonstrations in 1989 and many more. It’s a hugely significant spot to Czech people!

Wencelas Square is known as the entertainment, nightlife, and shopping center of Prague. Now, this is pretty dang subjective and I’m sure everyone has their favorite spots all over the city, but there’s a ton to do around Wenceslas Square.

Window shopping, people watching, and bar-hopping are all ideal Wencelas Square pursuits. The area buzzes with activity and life at almost all hours of the day, much like other famous boulevards in world class cities.

New Town also contains a bunch of museums, the most popular ones being:

• Prague’s National Museum: Historical, archaeological, and scientific exhibitions housed in a spectacular Neo-Renaissance museum building. Located in Wenceslas Square. You pay by the exhibit you want to enter, with fees ranging from 50 to 120 CZK.
• Museum of Communism: In-depth look at the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia and Prague specifically, with posters, relics, interviews, and more. Located in North-Central New Town, near Republic Square. Entrance fee is 290 CZK.
• Mucha Museum: Prague has many cool ties to the Art Nouveau movement, particularly the extremely talented, world-renowned artist Alphonse Mucha. Located in Central New Town, a bit Northeast of Wenceslas Square, on Panska Street. Entrance fee is 240 CZK.

Working up an appetite in New Town? Sit in Einstein’s seat at Café Louvre.

Located where New Town meets Old a few blocks east of Legions Bridge, Café Louvre is 100% iconic. It has been rich in history for over 100 years; it opened in 1902 and has since served the likes of Albert Einstein and Franz Kafka.

Here you get a taste of classic grand café culture, in a time before Starbucks WiFi. Meetings of the world’s best minds happened in these large brightly lit elegant rooms.

Many more famous professors and philosophers met here than just Einstein and Kafka, who you can read more about on the Café Louvre’s history page.

I couldn’t get a spot on the terrace, but the indoor dining room is a simultaneously grand and quaint place to enjoy a cappuccino and traditional Czech dish or pastry. I hunkered down here for a while with my trusty tourist map and liver soup.

Once you’re all jacked up on delicious coffee and meaty broths (or non-meaty broths, you do you), head South. Just a whiff outside New Town’s boundary you’ll find one of Prague’s oldest historical marvels.

Just South of New Town’s absolute Southern tip lies Vyšehrad. It is an ancient settlement of Czech Princes, dating back to the 10th century!

What is there to see at Vyšehrad?

Vyšehrad shows its age, man. Plenty of places in Prague look, you know, super old… but Vyšehrad is next level.

First of all, the views of the city are spectacular (I know, I know, you’ve seen Prague from just about every angle at this point, but there’s never enough)!

Vyšehrad is perched on a rocky hill abutting the Vltava River. Besides the views of Prague from said hill, there’s plenty of hella old architecture and archaeology to check out here.

Don’t miss the Vyšehrad Cemetery, known for hundreds of Czech’s most famous dead.

You can also see a regal Romanesque St Martin rotunda and the neo-Gothic Church of St Peter and Paul. It just takes one look at these structures, let along a walk inside of them, to see what I mean by Vyšehrad showing its age!

See New Town from a paddleboat on the Vltava!

If weather and the season allows it, rent a paddleboat on the Vltava! Renting a paddleboat was one of my favorite activities in Prague, full stop.

Paddleboating lazily along the Vltava, you can see the banks of New Town and farther North, Old Town. They don’t let you go as far as you want, of course, but you can head North enough to see the Charles Bridge from your boat!

With Prague’s endless beauty on one side, and serene green islands on the other, this is a low key life-changing sunset activity in particular. You don’t need to be in any sort of super-fit shape to do this either.

You’ll see the world-famous Dancing House on the Eastern bank of the river, and weave through little islands and under bridges.

Pro-tip: there’s a bar on one of the aforementioned little islands which will serve you boat beers when you pull up to it! DOES LIFE GET ANY BETTER? NO. NO, IT DOES NOT.

It’s very easy to rent a paddleboat; you’ll see the rental spot on Zofin island right by the National Theater. It was only 70 CZK for an hour, and split three ways that was a total bargain.

If you’re traveling as a couple or with friends or family, this is extra true! If you’re a solo traveler, by now you’ve been at your hostel a couple nights and can hopefully rope some willing volunteer in for this one.

How do I make my trips happen? Lemme tell ya! Here are my 5 simple steps detailing how to travel anywhere you want.

Day 4: Choose Your Own Prague Adventure

When I travel, I’m definitely a wanderer and a free-styler.

So, even in my tightest, most time-crunched city (or country!) itineraries, I will leave you room to do just that.

Instead of freaking you out by saying it’s your last day in Prague, you must do X, Y, and Z before you leave or you’ll never forgive yourself… I’ll present a list of totally chill, totally-up-to-you options. Here they are:

• The Catch-Up: You return to something from Days 1 through 3 you felt you didn’t have enough time for. It could be an intriguing shop or restaurant you passed, or a park bench you’ve been thinking about sitting on since you first laid eyes on it. Maybe you just straight up skipped something on the itinerary above, and want to get to it now!
• The Castle Day Trip: Sometimes I like to dip my toes into a city’s surrounding countryside to feel I have a bigger picture of the area. Karlštejn Castle is a great choice for a super short day trip that’ll have you feeling like you’re in a fairytale!
• The Museum Fiend: So, Prague has a hilariously gigantic number of museums. I think museum preferences are SO PERSONAL. Maybe you just like Natural History Museums, maybe you hate art museums, maybe you are only into quirky ones like Cheese Museums or Lego Museums, I don’t know. What I do know is you could easily plan a day around Prague museums I haven’t even touched on.
• The Mellow Out: This is my personal favorite (especially if I feel I haven’t had sufficient time to just wander yet). Basically, pick your favorite area from the last three days in Prague, and get lost in it.

Wrapping Up 4 Days in Prague

The most bittersweet moment of my trip to Prague?

Sunrise over the Charles Bridge, carrying my backpack to the bus stop. Ahead of me the glow of the day was just starting to cover Old Town, behind me it shined down on the orange roofs of Mala Strana.

I watched the day rise as I crossed that bridge for the last time (well, until next time), and felt so lucky to have had any time in Prague at all.

I hope this 4 day Prague itinerary helps you feel the same affection and wonder towards this special place.

If you think I’ve forgotten something, sound off the in the comments! If you followed this itinerary, I’d love to know your favorite highlights!

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