3 days in Prague: itinerary

Three days is a district-by-district city, not a checklist. Give each half-day one area and walk it: Staré Město and Josefov, then the castle and Malá Strana, then a quieter district such as Vyšehrad, Letná or Vinohrady. That rhythm keeps you off the tram for most of the day and puts you at the big sights before the tour groups arrive.

Book only two things in advance: a castle-complex ticket if you want the interiors, and any evening concert or beer-tasting you care about. Everything else — bridges, squares, riverside walks, markets — is open-access and free to wander. If you are considering a pass, compare it against what you will actually enter before buying; see prague city pass.

The historic core is compact and walkable: Old Town Square to Charles Bridge is about 10 minutes on foot, and the bridge to the castle gate another 15–20 minutes uphill. Vyšehrad sits south of the centre, roughly 30 minutes on foot from Wenceslas Square or two metro stops plus a walk.

Use the metro for cross-city hops and trams for the views. Line A links Old Town (Staroměstská) with Malá Strana (Malostranská) and the castle side; tram 22 runs past the castle and through Malá Strana, which makes it a cheap sightseeing route. Buy a timed ticket and validate it on first boarding.

Prague's headline sights are cheap by Western European standards, but the ticketed interiors add up. Decide before you go whether you want castle interiors, tower climbs and museums, or whether you are happy with exteriors, streets and parks — the second option costs almost nothing beyond transport and food.

Opening hours shift by season: castle interiors and towers generally run shorter hours in winter, and some courtyards close earlier. Check the official castle and museum sites for the week you travel rather than trusting a printed guide. Restaurants serve lunch roughly 11:30–14:00 and dinner from 18:00; many kitchens close between.

Prague is reached by air, rail and long-distance bus. Václav Havel Airport sits about 15–20 km west of the centre; the airport express bus and public bus plus metro are the cheap options, taxis and ride-hailing the fast ones. Allow 40–60 minutes to the centre depending on traffic.

From other European cities, trains arrive at Praha hlavní nádraží (main station), with some services at Holešovice. Buses from Germany, Austria and Poland use Florenc or Na Knížecí. Once in the city, the metro, trams and buses share one ticket system, so a 72-hour pass covers most of a 3-day stay.