What to see, what to do Prague?

Most museums in Prague are closed on Mondays and public holidays. Opening hours are generally between 9am and 5pm, but some sites offer a "night" day with a later opening time of 7pm or 9pm, usually on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Note that we note the closing times of the sites but that the ticket offices in museums and large sites generally close 1 hour before.

It's a good idea to book certain guided tours or entrance fees in advance if you're in the peak tourist season (May bank holidays, Easter, Christmas...). You can use the services of a local agency, which will ensure that you don't waste too much time buying tickets on the spot.

Entrance fees vary widely, from €1.5 to €16, and up to €18 for a full tour of Prague Castle. Prices can be even higher for special events (exhibitions, concerts, etc.). All National Gallery sites are free one day a month. These days are often scheduled during the first week of the month, but check the relevant websites for details. Otherwise, except for Prague Castle, sightseeing is not very expensive, but you'll still need to budget for the many museums, houses and historic buildings, not to mention the extras (concerts in churches or prestigious halls, etc.). Children and students benefit from reduced rates, and admission is often free for children under 6. There are various formulas, such as the Prague Cool Pass (https://praguecoolpass.com - 1 to 10 days, €64 to €144 per adult, €48 to €100 reduced rate), the most practical, which can be downloaded directly onto your smartphone and allows you to enter over 70 sites simply by presenting a QR code. A great value if you're planning a series of visits to museums and paying sites during your stay.

The Czech capital enjoys an extraordinarily rich cultural and festive news throughout the year. At the top of the list of major events is of course the Prague Spring, a classical music festival that opens every year on May 12, the anniversary of the composer’s death Bedřich Smetana. Jazz and film festivals are also numerous during the summer months, while winter is marked by the festivities;christmas balls, still perennial despite an increasingly atheistic population, and, from February onwards, high school balls: a tradition that is still very much alive and for which everyone is preparing for many months in advance.

There are many ways to discover Prague: on foot, by bike, in an old car, in a horse-drawn carriage, by boat from the Vltava... A multitude of operators, individual guides and agencies offer their services. For walking tours of the Old Town, most meet near the Astronomical Clock. Beware, there are a lot of them in high season: be sure to hook up with the right guide! Among the most fun ways to visit Prague: the segway is developing enormously, as are team bikes (group bike tours with 7 people on the same bike!). Old Škoda convertibles are also in vogue in the Old Town and Mala Strana. But given the prices, even if the experience remains very pleasant, it's a bit more of a tourist trap. On foot, there are a whole host of themed tours: Prague by night, Art Nouveau Prague, Criminal Prague, Prague and the Cold War... In 2024, tours that included a drink-inclusive pub crawl were banned in the city center.

Smoking is strictly prohibited in public and enclosed areas.

Scams are rare, as almost all guided tours leave from the tourist office and are operated by approved agencies or independent guides. Nevertheless, in high season, you should probably use an agency, possibly a French-speaking one, to avoid the overbooked groups of some operators who are not necessarily dishonest, but who do not care about the quality of their services.