In this post, I will share our top 5 Christmas markets in Prague, so you do not have to spend your entire Christmas vacation searching for the best ones.
Before we get into it, I have a quick tip for your advent market visit: bring cash!
Most vendors will accept cards in 2024 but definitely not all of them.
In the video below, fellow local Prague tour guide Valerie, with Real Prague Guides, takes you virtually to these markets.
And, in addition to our personal recommendations, we also considered the tips and recommendations from members of our popular Prague Travel Tips Facebook group.
The group consists of locals, like our tour guides, expats, regular visitors as well as newbies to Prague.
A link to the group can be found at the bottom of the page.
Prague castle market - náměstí U Svatého Jiří.
Timing: Open from Dec 2nd, 2023, to Jan 6, 2024, daily at 9 AM - 6 PM, on Sundays till 7 PM.
This market is located between the gothic St Vitus Cathedral and St. George’s Basilica which makes it one of the most picturesque advent markets in Prague.
This is one of the bigger Christmas markets in Prague (around 15-20 stalls). It is worth visiting especially if you are planning to explore Prague Castle.
To get there, you will need to take a tram 22 or 23, get off at the stop Pražský hrad (Prague castle), and enter the complex crossing the Powder Bridge.
After that, just go to the back of St. Vitus cathedral - you won’t miss its 96.5 m tall tower - and you will find the market there.
Most stalls sell food and drinks, and only a couple offer gifts and souvenirs.
Regarding the prices, Prague Castle market is not the cheapest, you’ll get a hot wine for 90 czk (3.70 EUR), 0,2 dcl of mead for 140 czk (5.75 EUR), and Pilsner beer for 75 czk (3.08 EUR).
The average cost of a meal in this market is 160 czk (6.57 EUR).
This is cheaper than in a restaurant, of course, but you won’t have so many traditional options, mainly fast food such as burgers, chips, hotdogs, etc.
The Christmas tree at Prague Castle market is traditionally decorated by the maintenance workers of Prague Castle and you can find a box for the charity they support under it.
Castle guards kick off the market with Christmas music.
Old Town Square - Staroměstské náměstí.
Timing: Open from Dec 2 till Jan 6, daily at 10 AM - 10 PM
The market on the Old Town Square is a must-see, simply because it is the oldest and the biggest one in the city, and it also has the tallest Christmas tree.
Continuing with the superlatives, this market is the most beautiful one in Prague, so I recommend stopping by to take some amazing photos there.
The market at the Old Town Square has mainly food stands, but you can also find some souvenirs and Christmas decorations there.
There are 2 things you should know before you visit this market.
Firstly, it is insanely crowded, especially in the evening when all the Christmas lights and city illumination are on.
You probably expect the second point to be about high prices due to the market’s central location, but that is not necessarily the case.
It is true that you won’t find drinks for regular prices here (beer is still 75 czk, and hot wine is 90 czk), but the cost of meals (if we can trust the menus) is acceptable - around 150 czk per portion.
What I found strange about this market is the selection of dishes and snacks they offer: burgers, hotdogs, and fries, but nothing from traditional Czech cuisine.
Therefore, when it comes to eating, I can only recommend the Old Town Square market if you want to get fast food.
Náměstí Republiky- near the bank.
Timing: Open from Nov 25 to Dec 30, daily at 10 AM - 10 PM
Luckily, there is a market where you can fill your belly just 5 5-minute walk from the Old Town Square.
It is located at náměstí Republiky, but be careful, it’s not in front of the shopping mall Palladium.
The market I want to recommend is tucked away on the side of the bank just across the tram tracks from the mall.
We can finally rejoice at the cost of hot wine - 65 czk (2,6 EUR) - it will be hard to find anything cheaper than that!
Other drinks and foods were also 1-2 euros cheaper.
They also sell souvenirs and small gifts as well as gingerbread cookies and pancakes.
This market might not be as picturesque as the previous ones, but it’s a good option if you are on a budget and still want to enjoy the advent markets in the city center.
Make sure to visit this market before it closes until next year on December 24th!
Advent market at náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad.
Timing: Open from Nov 29 - Dec 23, daily at 10 AM - 8 PM
If you want to avoid crowds of tourists and hang out with locals and expats, head out to the advent market at Jiřího z Poděbrad metro stop.
Unlike most Christmas festivities, I’d recommend visiting this one during the day, not in the evening.
This Christmas market is quite small (10-12stalls), but you can also visit the adjacent farmers market at the same square.
The farmers market is open from Wednesday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm, and Saturday to 2 pm.
The advent market combined with the farmers market makes your visit more eventful and doubles the amount of local delicacies and products you can purchase.
If you want to enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the Christmas market without the shopping buzz, plan your visit after the farmers pack up their goods.
Since this market is located outside of the city center, you will need to take a metro green line to get there.
Make sure to visit this market before it closes until next year on December 23rd!
Náměstí Míru advent market
Timing: Open from Nov 20 to Dec 24, daily at 10 AM - 10 PM
We saved the best for last! Náměstí Míru advent market has it all: typical street food, hot wine, and other warm drinks, locally made delicacies, and Christmas gifts.
You will also appreciate the affordable prices and nice friendly atmosphere of the Prague 2 district community.
The only downside of visiting this market is the crowds.
It is probably not as busy as the market on the Old Town Square, but it is definitely hard to find a place to stand in a crowd of locals enjoying their drinks after work here.
It is definitely worth visiting though, as this market has products you won’t find anywhere else close to the city center, such as cukroví - traditional Christmas cookies, jams, hand-made baskets, mistletoe, and other typical festive bits and bobs.
To get to this market, you will need to take the metro green line to Náměstí Míru, or tram 22, 10, or 16 to the stop with the same name.
Lastly, this market is best enjoyed in the evening, when the illumination of the nearby church of St. Lyudmila and the lit-up Christmas tree creates a magical atmosphere for the upcoming holiday.
Make sure to visit this market before it closes until next year on December 24th!
I hope you will enjoy my top 5 Prague advent market picks! Valery, Real Prague Guides on YouTube.
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