This post answers some of the top questions first-timers have when visiting Prague, including how many days are enough to see the best attractions, how to get around the city, how much to tip, and more.
Our tour guides are always being asked questions about what to expect when visiting European cities, so they have a lot of great advice to offer when it comes to traveling in foreign cities.
In addition to tips from tour guides, this post will also cover recommendations from travelers using our Facebook Group.
- How Many Days
- How Much to Tip
- Is English Spoken?
- Must-See Attractions
- How to Get Around
- Affordable Hotels
- Safety Tips
How Many Days Do You Need to See Prague?
There's enough to see here that you might want to plan on at least 4-5 days, but you could also get away with 3 days if you don't have a lot of time for sightseeing.
One of the fabulous members of our Facebook Group actually shared their own 3-day itinerary recently, detailing what they were able to see in that time and even how to avoid crowds.
This gives you a good idea of what is possible, as even though they left their hotel room every morning at 7 am, they still only managed to fit in 5 different activities each day.
It's far more likely that most tourists will struggle to see at least 3-4 attractions each day, especially if traveling with children.
Our itinerary for 3 Days in Prague includes the below activities. We go into detail in our post.
Note that free walking tours are available for some of the neighborhoods included in this itinerary.
Day 1
Morning
- Explore Old Town Square
- See the Old Town Hall and the Astronomical Clock
Afternoon
- Take a free walking tour of the Jewish Quarter
- See the Rudolfinum and Klementinum
- Visit the National Theater
Evening
- Take a Vltava River Cruise
Day 2
Morning
- Walk across the Charles Bridge
- Visit Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral
Afternoon
- Go to Petrin Tower
- Walk around Petrin Hill
Evening
- Get a panoramic view of Prague from the Žižkov TV Tower Observatory
Day 3
Morning
- See Wenceslas Square and Peace Square
- Go to the National Museum
Afternoon
- Visit the Vyšehrad historic fort area
- See the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul and the Rotunda of St. Martin
Evening
- Take an early evening tour of Prague’s Underground Tunnels
If you have 5 days to spend, you could visit the above attractions in a more leisurely way and add on these other attractions.
Day 4
Morning
- Take a stroll through the Franciscan Garden
Afternoon
Evening
- See a performance at the National Theatre
Day 5
Morning-Afternoon
- Go on a day trip to Terezin Concentration Camp
Evening
- Stroll by the riverbank and walk up the Prague Castle stairs for great views
If you have just one day, you can see more than you think. Our 24 Hours in Prague Itinerary has it all organized for you!
How Much Should I Tip?
Yes, it is expected to tip in most parts of Prague. You'll find this to be the case most often at restaurants and on sightseeing tours.
Most people tip between 10% - 15%. When possible leave cash.
Prior to the fall of Communism in the former Czechoslovakia, tips were not expected. Those providing a service did so simply because this was their job, not to make extra based on performance.
Now, most service providers strive to give excellent attention to a client because they know they can increase their salary by doing so.
If you do not tip, you run the risk of upsetting the provider, especially those who are good at their jobs.
Before tipping at a restaurant, look at your bill to see if a surcharge of 8-10% has already been added. This usually is not the case, but it is good to check. If it hasn't been added, leave a 10%-15% tip.
It is expected to tip for personal services at hairdressers, salons, spas, etc.
Tipping at your hotel is a nice gesture, especially if the service is excellent.
When taking a taxi, you should tip 10% -- though taxi drivers around Old Town have been known to overcharge tourists.
Best to negotiate a flat fare in advance and you won't need to include a tip or take a service like Uber, Bolt, or Liftago.
Some of our Facebook Group members actually recommend rideshare instead, because you can take care of tips using their apps rather than with cash and entirely avoid upsetting anyone.
Is English Widely Spoken in Prague?
Given the large number of English-speaking tourists who come to Prague each year, you will find that natives working in the tourism and hospitality industry speak English.
Also, young people in Prague will likely have a basic understanding of English, but older people over 50 years of age will not, unless they do work in the tourist trade.
Some members of our Facebook Group even suggest that it's potentially more common to hear English than Czech when you're in Prague.
Outside of Prague, especially in rural areas, English is not widely spoken, so if you plan on taking a day trip on your own, you might want to use an interpreter app such as the Google Translate app.
Must-See Attractions in Prague
There are so many wonderful things to see in Prague, but if you only have a few days, these are must-see attractions:
- Old Town Square
- Jewish Quarter
- Charles Bridge
- Prague Castle
- Astronomical Clock
- National Museum
- Petrin Tower
- National Theatre
- Dancing House
- Franz Kafka Museum
If you need more ideas, our post. Things to Do in Prague, lists over three dozen more great things to do in the city.
It includes the best attractions and sights, as well as the best things to do for free, with your family, and at night. We even list things to do by month!
How to Get Around Prague
Prague’s public transportation is one of the best in all of Europe. It includes a metro system, trams, buses, and funiculars (cable cars).
The metro serves most of the city centre and some suburban areas. Trams travel further out of the city centre than the metro.
Buses are used mostly to travel around the outskirts of Prague. The funiculars are for reaching the top of Petrin Hill, a top sight to visit.
Conveniently, tickets and passes are valid on all four services which means you don’t need to separate tickets to use any of them.
Locals and travelers tend to agree that the metro system is the easiest system to use and it will take you to just about all of Prague’s top landmarks and attractions.
One tip from our Facebook Group could really help you save some money: if you're over the age of 65, you can use all of Prague's public transport system for free!
Read our in-depth post about the Prague Public Transportation which covers how to use each of these modes of transportation, how much tickets are, and also goes over how to get to and from the airport.
Affordable Hotels in Prague
These are three of Prague's districts where you can find budget-friendly accommodations with hotels costing between $70 and $130 per night.
You can find out about other affordable areas here.
Staré Město
This is the Old Town area of Prague. Many sights you’ll want to visit are here like Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock, and the Jewish Quarter.
Hotels:
Nové Město
This is Prague’s “New Town” though it is nearly 700 years old! Still, relative to Old Town, it’s new! Some of the historic sites here are the New Town Hall and the National Theatre.
Hotels:
Holešovice
This is one of Prague's hipper neighborhoods filled with theatres, arthouse cinematheques and art studios.
Hotels:
Our post, Best Places to Stay in Prague for First-Time Visitors, breaks down where to stay based on what each offers, such as Best Sightseeing, Most Family-Friendly, Best for Nightlife, and more.
