Self-guided Prague Walking Tour – What to do in Prague

|

Prague is a city of many things. Besides being absolutely beautiful and equal to Paris with its attractiveness, it boasts millennial history, the best beer that is cheaper than water, a large cultural scene expressed in concerts and museums, and unforgettable nightlife. For a while, I lived here and perfected this Prague walking tour every time I had a visitor in town.

You might want to read these too:

Therefore, this self-guided walking tour is perfect for those who are short on time while visiting the capital of Czechia, want to visit the top Prague attractions in a day, and have plenty of time to go to the museums, shop, drink beer, try local cuisine, go on day trips from Prague or whatever once desire to do. And if you have more time, here’s your two-day itinerary for Prague to make the most out of your trip to Czechia’s capital.

Self-guided Prague Walking Tour - What to do in Prague 1

The length of this Prague walking tour is 6km and will take you at least half of the day depending on when you start, your walk’s pace, and how long you will stay in each location. Save the map to your Google account.

Self-guided Prague walking tour

A. Wenceslas Square

The city’s main square is a landmark of many historical events such as demonstrations, celebrations, and other public gatherings. Named after Saint Wenceslas, Bohemia’s patron saint, the area is more of a boulevard rather than a square.

Self-guided Prague Walking Tour - What to do in Prague 2
Photo: Will Tarpey

On one end, there is a neoclassical National Museum, and on the other pathway to Old Town. A statue of St. Wenceslas on his horse adorns the area.

A vibrant place with apartments, restaurants, nightclubs, shops, and hotels, the square is the meeting point for many, including locals and visitors.

B. Upside-Down Statue of St. Wenceslas

The Lucerna Palace hides a rather interesting sculpture of St. Wenceslas. Called The Dead Horse is a work of Czech sculptor David Černý. Some consider it a parody of a statue in front of the National Museum, but for some, it is an attack on Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic.

what to do in Prague

However, Černý never comments on this work; he does not need to honestly. If you see something extraordinary on your trip to Prague, like an old Soviet tank painted in pink floating on the Vltava, then you are a witness of Černys, another creation. You can see his more permanent arts across the city.

C.   The Powder Tower

The Gothic tower is one of the original city gates out of 13. It was intended to be a nice-looking city entrance, as an alternative to a defensive tower. In the 19th century, the tower was used for the coronation ceremonies, during which Kings of Prague would walkthrough and lead to Prague Castle.

prague walking tour

The name, Powder Tower, comes from when the city initials used it to store gunpowder. Right behind the tower is a breathtaking Municipal Hall for you to check out. And if you fancy a classical music concert, you can attend one here.

D. Astronomical Clock

Astronomical Clock, or Orloj as locals call it, is a medieval clock installed in 1410. It is considered the third older clock in the world and the oldest one that operates. The clock attracts hundreds of tourists each hour to watch a marvelous mechanical performance of 12 apostles greeting the city, a skeleton ringing a bell, a miser with a purse full of money, a Turk shaking his head, and Vanity looking in a mirror.

what to do in prague
Photo: Darko Kukovec

While looking at the clock, you can tell what day it is and its position in the week, month, and year. Besides, the clock tracks Sidereal time, Central European, and Babylonian.

E.   Charles Bridge

A 621 meters long pedestrian Gothic bridge was the only means of river Vltava crossing until 1841; therefore, it played an important part in connecting Prague Castle and Old Town. Guarded by three towers, the bridge boasts 30 statues and statuaries mostly made in baroque style. Currently, erected statues are replicas of the original.

prague walking tour
Photo Ryan Lum

F.  Lennon Wall

The Prague walking tour is not complete without visiting John Lennon Wall, a manifestation of freedom, peace, and love. The wall is full of different lyrics of Beatles songs or other forms of graffiti, making it an attractive spot for visitors. The whole concept started in 1988 by youngsters to demonstrate their thoughts about the communist regime. The authorities repainted the wall; however, the activists did not back down and redrew poems the next day.

what to do in prague

The wall endlessly experiences change, and the original portrait of Lennon is long lost. However, it is always full of absorbing writings or drawings. You can put your mark on the wall as well.

G.  St. Nicholas Church

A baroque church built between 1704-1755 is located right at the end of Charles Bridge. The inspirer of the church’s such beautiful interior was the chapel of St. Louis-des-Invalides in Paris.

During WWII, the local army stationed at St. Nicholas was set to restore once closed church by the emperor Josef II together with professional artists. What you see today is thanks to their marvelous work. Today it serves as a church and a venue for classical concerts.

H.  Prague Castle

Get ready to hike a hill to get to Prague Castle, the largest coherent castle complex in the world, covering an area of almost 70,000 m². A UNESCO World Heritage site, the complex features large-scale palaces and ecclesiastical buildings all done in different architectural styles.

prague walking tour
Photo: Fabien Julicoeur

Historically, the castle has been an official seat for kings, emperors, and presidents. The Bohemian Crown Jewels are hidden in a dedicated room inside the compound.

Besides the churches and towers, the complex boasts of a unique small street called Golden Lane. According to a legend, the name derives from the alchemists who looked here for gold production. However, they never lived or worked here.

The lane features tiny colorful houses and accommodates souvenir shops and a Medieval armory museum. Also, Franz Kafka used house no.22 for his writings in a peaceful environment.

Even though there is an entrance fee for those significant places, you can wander here for free after the closure of Prague Castle’s interior. However, bear in mind that some of the shops might be closed.

I. Josefov

The formerly Jewish ghetto of Prague, Josefov, lies in Old Town. Its history started in the 13th century when Jews were ordered to empty their houses and settle in only one place. Over time, new Jews would arrive from neighboring countries leading to compact and overcrowded settlements.

what to do in prague

The Quarter has six synagogues, the ceremonial hall, and the old cemetery, the most remarkable of its kind in Europe. The landmarks even survived the Nazi occupation; Hitler himself decided to save it as a “Museum of an Extinct Race.”

J.  Old Town

And now you are back at a historic square of Prague center located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge.

prague walking tour
Photo: Ian Kelsall

The square features buildings of different architectural styles such as the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn and Astronomical Clock and many souvenir shops, art galleries, museums, shops, and restaurants.

You must be hungry after that walk, right? Take a look at the must-visit restaurants for food lovers in Prague

How to get to Prague

As Czechia is basically the center of Europe, you won’t have any problems getting to Prague from any city of Europe or elsewhere. There are various airline companies flying to and from Prague, even the budget-friendly ones like Wizzair and Ryanair. The city has one airport for both domestic and international flights.

Getting to the city center is easy. It would be best if you take a bus to the last stop of the metro stop Nádraží Veleslavín (Green Line). Driving to Prague is another option from nearby countries like Slovakia, Germany, Hungary, Austria, and some Polish cities.  

My favorite travel Resources

✈ Book affordable flights on WayAway, a platform that shows the best flight deals, tours, and hotels. With a WayAway Plus membership, you can earn cashback. Get 10% off with code: RFD10

🚫 Get compensation for up to 700$ with Airhelp if your flight was canceled or delayed within the last 3 years.

🚗 Rent a car with DiscoverCars, a trusted international car rental website.

💻 Get a VPN from Surfshark to protect your devices from hackers when using public Wi-Fi when traveling.

📱 Install the Airalo app, which provides local eSIMs for a more affordable internet connection when traveling. Get 3 USD with code: BAIA2592.

💸 Use Wise to withdraw money in local currency without hidden fees and avoid high exchange rates. On top of that, you might get a Visa or Mastercard debit card.

🏨 Find budget-friendly deals on all sorts of accommodation types on Booking.com.

❣ Pre-book a private car transfer with Welcome Pickups to your hotel.

🩺 Buy the most flexible and budget-friendly travel insurance, SafetyWing, covering COVID with add-ons for adventure sports and electronics theft.

☀ Book in advance some of the best city walks, cultural experiences, and day tours to maximize your stay and experience here.

Self-guided Prague Walking Tour - What to do in Prague 3

Want more inspiration?

Spread the word!

Similar Posts

21 Comments

  1. What a great walking (and virtual for now) tour! I love how much you are able to take in in just 6km!!! I will definitely refer back to this if I even make it to Prague.

  2. i would love to visit prague! very high on my bucket list and love this itinerary

  3. Ahh! I can’t stand not knowing the story behind something, now I really want to know about Černý’s Upsidedown statue of St Wenceslas! In any case it’s very interesting and I guess we can all make our own decision about what Černý’s trying to say with it.

  4. Thank you for including a map! This helps a ton when trying to find out where to start! Old Town looks amazing…

  5. Caitlin McAninch says:

    I have only heard amazing things about Prague, and I love how you fit in so many things in this day trip! I cannot believe how big Prague Castle is. I can’t imagine exploring a place so large! Seems like there is just so much to do here!

  6. I visited Prague a very long time ago and I would love to go there again! This self walking tour is such a great idea! Super useful, I am saving it for later! Thank you Baia!

    1. Same here, would love to go back sometime soon!

  7. Prague is so lovely!! This is such a great walking guide. I would love to come back and be able to explore more.

    1. Happy you found it useful! 🙂

  8. Simply in love with the photography here- I am a sucker for architecture and Prague has a veritable dose of that.

    1. Hey Shalzmojo, yes the city has gorgeous buildings to admire 🙂

  9. Great post!! Its pretty elaborate and so helpful in anyone willing to take a self-guide walk. Love the pictures also 🙂

    1. Thank you so much! I am glad you found it useful 🙂

  10. I love this idea. There is a lot to see in Prague and it’s easy to miss things so this is so useful and very comprehensive

    1. Definitely! Prague has plenty of things to see and it’s very easy to miss some of them

  11. This is great! I actually recognise some of it from when I wandered around the city myself. It’s an amazing place to be.

  12. Vanessa Shields says:

    What a great walking tour of Prague! I would especially enjoy wandering old town, taking tons of photos of the clock and Charles Bridge! It definitely seems that Prague has a ton of charm and sights to see. 😁

  13. Lauren McGill says:

    This will be such a handy guide next time I’m in Prague! You really mapped out for us, thanks!

    1. Happy to provide all the details 🙂

  14. I love Prague so much. Easily one of my favorite cities. This is great itinerary, and it gave me a nice walk down memory lane!

  15. Love this! Prague is one of my favourite cities and I can’t wait to visit again one day 🙂 I was lucky to have my friend that lives there show me around when I stayed with her but would like to go back to a few of the spots that I missed!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.