Prague Castle

Prague Castle is a walled town of palaces, churches, courtyards and gardens on the hill above the Vltava, the seat of Bohemian rulers since the 9th century and of the Czech president today. The courtyards and gardens are free from 6:00 to 22:00, but St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St George's Basilica and Golden Lane need the Main circuit ticket (450 Kč in 2026), and the cathedral only opens to visitors at noon on Sundays. Come at 9:00 or after 16:00: between about 10:00 and 14:00 in summer the whole hill is packed.

About Prague Castle

What to see

1. St Vitus Cathedral

   The Gothic and Neo-Gothic cathedral of Bohemia, with the St Wenceslas Chapel, the Baroque tomb of St John of Nepomuk, the royal mausoleum and crypt, and an Art Nouveau stained-glass window by Alfons Mucha. Included in the Main circuit; on Sundays tourist entry starts at 12:00 because of morning Mass, and it closes for services and state ceremonies at short notice. The cathedral's site gives 9:00–17:00 (Sundays from 12:00) with no winter hours, but its homepage showed 9:00–16:00 on 6 October 2026, so check on the day.

2. Old Royal Palace and Vladislav Hall

   The great hall of 1490s Late Gothic ribbed vaults, wide enough for knights' tournaments; walk out by the Riders' Staircase, built for horses. Do not miss the Bohemian Chancellery in the Ludwig Wing, where the 1618 Defenestration of Prague happened, and the south balcony over the city.

3. St George's Basilica

   The oldest church building at the castle (founded about 920), with a Baroque red façade over a bare Romanesque interior and the tombs of Přemyslid princes, among them Vratislav, father of St Wenceslas. A good five-minute contrast to the cathedral.

4. Golden Lane and Daliborka Tower

   A row of tiny painted houses in the castle wall, furnished to show how marksmen, goldsmiths and others lived here over 500 years; Kafka's house is No. 22. Inside the Main circuit by day, it is packed from mid-morning. Local blogs say the lane can be walked through free after the buildings close, with the houses shut; the castle's site does not say so.

5. Great South Tower of the cathedral

   Nearly 100 metres high, 287 steps, past Zikmund, the largest bell in the country (1549, about 15 tons), to a gallery with views over the whole city. Separate ticket (200 Kč), not wheelchair accessible.

6. Changing of the guard

   The Castle Guard changes at the main gate on Hradčany Square every hour; at 12:00 there is the full ceremony with fanfare and flag exchange, about 15 minutes. Free; be there by 11:45 for a front spot.

7. The gardens and Stag Moat

   The South Gardens with views over the red roofs of the Lesser Town, the Renaissance Royal Garden with the Royal Summer Palace and Ball Game Hall, and the wooded Stag Moat. Free, open from March to October only (10:00 to 17:00–20:00 depending on the month).

Prague Castle tickets: which to buy and where

Most visitors want the Main circuit ticket (450 Kč adult, 300 Kč reduced, 950 Kč family): St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St George's Basilica and Golden Lane, valid two consecutive days, one entry per building, no time slot. Buy it at an information centre in the castle or online through the castle's own listing on GetYourGuide. What catches people out is that the cathedral, which most people come for, opens to visitors only at 12:00 on Sundays and closes for services and ceremonies, and that the cathedral tower and the exhibitions need separate tickets.

• Prague Castle – Main circuit, at the castle ticket office

  450 Kč adult; 300 Kč ages 6–16, students to 26 and 65+; 950 Kč family (2 adults with 1–5 children under 16); under 6 free

  (€18 · €12 · €39)

  Official ticketsDoes not skip lines

  Includes

  Old Royal Palace, St George's Basilica, Golden Lane with Daliborka Tower, St Vitus Cathedral; valid 2 days, one entry per building; non-refundable. Sold at the information centres in the 2nd and 3rd courtyards

  Best for

  Anyone who arrives at 9:00 or late afternoon, when the desks have no queue

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  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Official Entry Ticket to Prague Castle (Main circuit, online)

  from €18 adult

  ResellerSkips the ticket line

  Includes

  The same Main circuit ticket as an e-ticket, scanned at the door of each building; valid 2 consecutive days; free cancellation up to 24 hours before; no refund if a building is closed for a ceremony. This is the online sale hrad.cz links to, and the Prague Castle Administration provides it on GetYourGuide

  Best for

  Most visitors in high season: it skips the ticket desk, and the price is about the same as at the castle

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  GetYourGuide (provided by the Prague Castle Administration) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Prague Castle – Permanent exhibitions

  300 Kč adult; 200 Kč reduced; 700 Kč family

  (€12 · €8 · €29)

  Official ticketsDoes not skip lines

  Includes

  The Story of Prague Castle, the Castle Guard exhibition, the Prague Castle Picture Gallery and Rosenberg Palace; valid 2 days; sold at the castle only

  Best for

  History lovers with a second half-day; the Story of Prague Castle explains the whole hill

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  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Great South Tower of St Vitus Cathedral

  200 Kč adult; 150 Kč reduced; 500 Kč family

  (€8 · €6 · €21)

  Official ticketsDoes not skip lines

  Includes

  Climb of 287 steps to the viewing gallery; buy at the tower entrance; not included in the Main circuit or the online ticket

  Best for

  Fit visitors who want the best view in Prague; go at opening time

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  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• St Vitus Cathedral close-up tour with the Royal Crypt and St Wenceslas Chapel (English)

  800 Kč adult; 550 Kč reduced; 1,600 Kč family

  (€33 · €23 · €66)

  Official ticketsSkips the ticket line

  Includes

  75 minutes with a castle guide on the whole ground floor of the cathedral, down into the Royal Crypt and inside the St Wenceslas Chapel, which other visitors only see from the door. Strictly limited group size; not wheelchair accessible; not for children under 10. Booked by date on the castle's Reservatic calendar

  Best for

  Anyone who cares about the cathedral more than the rest of the castle

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  Official site (Prague Castle Administration on Reservatic) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

Guided tours of Prague Castle

There are almost no signs or texts in English inside the buildings, so the castle is one place where some commentary pays off. The cheapest is the castle's own audio guide (350 Kč for about 3 hours). A 2–2.5-hour guided tour with the ticket included costs €50–55 on the platforms and saves you working out the route; free or cheap 'castle district' walks usually stay outside the buildings. If the cathedral is your main interest, the castle's own 75-minute close-up tour (800 Kč) gets you into places no other tour reaches.

• Official guided tour (scheduled or on request)

  Tours with Prague Castle guides

  Prague Castle Administration

  In English, German, Italian, Spanish or French; minimum 4 people; book in advance by e-mail (info@hrad.cz) or phone and pay at the information centre in the 3rd courtyard, opposite the cathedral entrance.

  250 Kč per person per hour, plus a Main circuit ticket

  (€10)

  Duration: Usually 1–2 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Audio guide

  Prague Castle audio guide

  Prague Castle Administration

  From the information centre in the 3rd courtyard; Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Korean on one device; covers the interiors of St Vitus, St George's and the Old Royal Palace as well as the exteriors.

  350 Kč per device (500 Kč deposit)

  (€14 · €21)

  Duration: About 3 hours of recordings, 96 stops

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Guided group tour with ticket

  Prague: Castle Tour with Local Guide and Entry Ticket

  Fun in Prague

  Meets by Malostranská metro, rides the tram up with you, and covers St Vitus, the Old Royal Palace (with the Defenestration room), St George's and Golden Lane with headphones; tram ticket and Main circuit ticket included. About €34 more than the ticket alone. Also available private. English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Russian.

  from €52

  Duration: 2.5 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Scheduled group walk with the city's licensed guides

  Prague Castle District tour in English

  Prague City Tourism (Guides&Tours)

  Run by the city's tourist board on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 15:30, from the Prague Visitor Centre in the 3rd courtyard, through the Royal Garden, past the Ball Game Hall and the cathedral, down through the South Gardens and out to Hradčany Square. Exteriors only, groups of 15–20.

  600 Kč; free with the Prague Visitor Pass (booking needed)

  (€25)

  Duration: 2 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

Prague Castle deals and discounts

• Family ticket

  950 Kč for up to two adults with one to five children under 16 on the Main circuit (against 1,500 Kč for two adults and two children on single tickets); also for the exhibitions (700 Kč) and the tower (500 Kč). Children under 6 are free.

  hrad.cz (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Reduced tickets for students, seniors and children

  300 Kč instead of 450 Kč for ages 6–16, full-time secondary and university students up to and including 26 (show a student card or proof of study), and adults 65 and over. Holders of a disability ID card enter free, with a companion if marked on the card.

  hrad.cz (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Free: the grounds, the gardens and the guard

  The courtyards, streets and Garden on the Bastion are open free from 6:00 to 22:00 every day; the Royal Garden, South Gardens and Stag Moat are free from March to October. The noon changing of the guard on Hradčany Square is free too.

  hrad.cz (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Golden Lane after closing time (unofficial)

  Local blogs say that once the buildings close (17:00 to 31 October, 16:00 in winter), Golden Lane can be walked through without a ticket, with the exhibition houses and the lower end by Daliborka Tower shut. The castle's own site does not say this, so treat it as a bonus, not a plan.

  viewfromprague.com (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Prague Visitor Pass

  The city's pass (48 hours 2,700 Kč, 72 hours 3,300 Kč, 120 hours 3,900 Kč adult) includes one Main circuit ticket, collected at the information centres or the tower, plus public transport and the city's Prague Castle District walk. It pays off only if you also use many other included sights; for the castle alone it is far dearer than the 450 Kč ticket.

  praguevisitorpass.eu (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

Best time to visit Prague Castle

Tips and tricks

Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.

1. Start at the top and walk downhill

   Take tram 22 or 23 up to Pražský hrad (or tram 22 on to Pohořelec and walk down past Strahov), go through the castle from west to east, and leave by the Old Castle Stairs down to Malostranská metro. You climb nothing and end next to the Lesser Town.

   From hrad.cz 'How to get here'; local Prague blogs, 2026

2. Do the cathedral first

   The cathedral queue is the one that grows fastest, because tour groups head there first. Go straight to it at 9:00, then do the palace, St George's and Golden Lane in that order, which is also the natural walking route to the east gate.

   From View from Prague and Loudavým krokem blogs, 2026

3. Do not plan the cathedral for Sunday morning

   Tourist entry on Sundays starts at 12:00. If you want to see the interior free, go to a service instead: daily Mass at 7:00 Monday to Saturday and on Sunday at 8:30, 10:00 and 17:00. You cannot wander around during services.

   From katedralasvatehovita.cz; View from Prague blog, 2026

4. Do not expect much of the cathedral without a ticket

   The castle closed the free part of the cathedral for construction work on 25 October 2023 and still says it is closed until further notice (October 2026). A local blog says you can glance in from under the west gallery without a ticket, but don't count on it; to walk around you need the Main circuit ticket.

   From hrad.cz St Vitus Cathedral page, 2026; View from Prague blog, 2026

5. Use the ticket over two days

   The Main circuit is valid for two consecutive days with one entry per building, so you can do the cathedral and palace one morning and St George's and Golden Lane the next, when you are less tired.

   From Prague Castle price list and visitor regulations

6. Read up before you go in

   Visitors report that most texts inside the buildings are in Czech only. Take the 350 Kč audio guide, a guidebook or a guide, or you will walk past the Defenestration window without knowing it.

   From GetYourGuide visitor reviews, August–September 2026

7. Leave the big bag and the drone at the hotel

   Large luggage is not allowed in the castle area, there are no lockers at the checkpoints, and police make random bag checks at the entrances. Drones are banned (no-fly zone), and selfie sticks are not allowed indoors. Photos are allowed without flash or tripod in the main buildings, but not in the Story of Prague Castle, the Picture Gallery or the cathedral treasury.

   From hrad.cz visitor regulations and security information

8. Get there for the noon guard ceremony

   The full changing of the guard with fanfare is at 12:00 at the main gate on Hradčany Square. Stand on the square facing the gate or slightly to the left, by 11:45 in summer.

   From Prague guide blogs, 2026

9. Escape the crowd in Nový Svět

   Two minutes north-west of Hradčany Square, the little lanes of Nový Svět look like Golden Lane did before the crowds: small houses, quiet cafés, and almost no tour groups.

   From View from Prague and Loudavým krokem blogs, 2026

How to get to Prague Castle

• Tram: lines 22 and 23 run up from the Lesser Town. Get off at Pražský hrad and walk 5 minutes over the Powder Bridge into the 2nd courtyard; or (tram 22 only) at Pohořelec and walk 10 minutes downhill to Hradčany Square and the main gate; or (March to October) at Královský letohrádek and walk 15–20 minutes through the Royal Garden.
• Metro: line A (green) to Malostranská, then up the Old Castle Stairs to the east gate by Golden Lane (about 10 minutes of steps), or change to tram 22 there. Hradčanská on line A is a 10-minute walk from the north side.
• On foot from the centre: cross Charles Bridge, walk up Nerudova or take the New Castle Stairs from Thunovská street to Hradčany Square, about 25–30 minutes from Old Town Square, uphill.
• By car or taxi: the castle area is a pedestrian zone. Book a taxi through an app or dispatcher rather than hailing one; the city's maximum street rates are 60 Kč to start, 36 Kč per kilometre and 7 Kč a minute waiting.

Scams and problems to watch for

• Pickpockets on tram 22 and at Malostranská

  Government travel advice names tram 22 to and from the castle, and the Malostranská metro station below it, as places where gangs jostle and crowd passengers to steal. The sign is a sudden crush at the doors when the tram is not full. Keep your phone and wallet in a closed front pocket and your bag in front of you.

• Street money changers

  People offering a better rate in the street, often near exchange offices, are illegal and known to pass counterfeit or out-of-date notes. Never change money in the street. At a licensed exchange office you have the right to cancel an exchange of up to €1,000 within three hours (of opening time) with the receipt, and the office must not charge a fee.

• Pay-in-your-currency at ATMs and card terminals

  Standalone private ATMs in tourist streets and some card terminals offer to charge you in euros or your home currency at their own rate, and some ATMs suggest a large default amount. Always choose to be charged in Czech koruna and use ATMs inside banks.

• Hailed taxis at the castle and on Malostranské náměstí

  Taxis waiting at tourist spots are the most likely to overcharge. Use an app (Liftago, Bolt, Uber) or a dispatcher; with a street taxi insist on the meter and a receipt and know the city's maximum rates.

• Out-of-date or marked-up 'skip-the-line' tickets

  Many sites still sell or describe Circuit A and B tickets, or 'skip-the-line' castle tickets for €25–30, which you exchange with a representative at the castle. The official Main circuit costs 450 Kč at the desk or about €18 online in the castle's own listing; the castle has no timed slots and tickets do not sell out.

• Unlicensed guides offering a castle tour

  Under the castle's rules, nobody may guide for a fee in the castle without the proper trade licence, and touting is banned. A guide who approaches you in the courtyards is not working for the castle; book official castle guides at the 3rd-courtyard information centre.

Accessibility

Combine it with

• Charles Bridge

  The 14th-century stone bridge with its statues, 15 minutes' walk down through the Lesser Town; cross it early in the morning before the crowds.

• Malá Strana (Lesser Town)

  The Baroque quarter directly below the castle, with St Nicholas Church and Malostranské náměstí; it is where the Old Castle Stairs and Nerudova street come down.

• Strahov Monastery

  Ten minutes uphill from Hradčany Square, with its Baroque library halls and its own brewery; a good start before walking down to the castle.

• Petřín Hill

  The wooded hill south of Strahov with the lookout tower and the mirror maze; the funicular down to Újezd is covered by a public transport ticket.

• Český Krumlov

  On Sightsale

  Not for the same day: the Renaissance castle town in South Bohemia is about three hours away by direct bus and best with an overnight stay.

Questions people ask about visiting Prague Castle