Czech Republic Prague 5-Day Itinerary — Quick Answer
As of 2026- Trip length
- 5 days
- Est. cost / person (mid, ex-flights)
- $890
- Budget–luxury
- $400–$1,840
As of 2026, the recommended Prague 5-day route runs Day1 Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Mala Strana · Day2 Old Town Square, Jewish Quarter, Beer Hall · Day3 Day trip — Český Krumlov · Day4 Karlovy Vary spa day · Day5 Pilsen brewery + Vyšehrad + final evening, grouping the must-see sights with minimal backtracking. Estimated cost per person (excluding flights) is around $890 on a mid-range budget. Five days extend Prague into a Czech Republic mini-tour. Days 1-3 cover the 3-day itinerary essentials. Day 4 is Karlovy Vary spa town (Belle Époque, 13 mineral springs, Becherovka factory). Day 5 is Pilsen for Pilsner Urquell brewery (the 1842 birthplace of pilsner beer). The slower pace allows Petřín Hill, Vyšehrad Castle, and Bohemian wine country to fit naturally.
5-Day Total Budget at a Glance
Budget
$400
Per person, flights excl.
Mid-Range
$890
Per person, flights excl.
Luxury
$1,840
Per person, flights excl.
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Day-by-Day Detailed Schedule
Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Mala Strana
UNESCO Castle · St Vitus · Charles Bridge sunsetActivities
- 09:00 Prague Castle complex 3.5 hours
World's largest ancient castle complex.
Cost: Kč250 / $11 TIP: Pre-book online. Castle Circuit B is the canonical option. - 12:30 Lunch at U Krále Brabantského 1.5 hours
1375 inn — Mala Strana traditional.
Cost: $13-25 TIP: Svíčková Kč245 / $11 + Pilsner Urquell tankové Kč55. - 14:30 John Lennon Wall + Mala Strana walk 2 hours
Lennon Wall + St Nicholas Church.
Cost: Free; St Nicholas Kč120 TIP: Vrtbovská zahrada terraced garden is hidden gem. - 17:00 Charles Bridge sunset 1 hour
1357 bridge with 30 Baroque statues.
Cost: Free TIP: Bridge tower climb Kč190 for aerial photo. - 19:00 Dinner at Lokál Dlouhááá 2 hours
Canonical real Czech pub.
Cost: $13-25 TIP: Walk-in 20-40 min wait. Tankové Pilsner. - 21:30 Old Town Square night walk 45 min
Astronomical Clock 21:00 chime.
Cost: Free TIP: Type Town from Charles Bridge is most-photographed.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel or Café Louvre
Old Town / New Town · $10-22
Café Louvre Czech breakfast Kč265 / $11.50.
Lunch
U Krále Brabantského
Mala Strana · $13-25
Traditional pub lunch after Castle.
Dinner
Lokál Dlouhááá
Old Town · $13-25
Goulash + tankové Pilsner Urquell.
Tram 22 from Old Town to Castle. Charles Bridge walking. 24h DPP pass Kč120.
DAY 1 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Old Town Square, Jewish Quarter, Beer Hall
Astronomical Clock · Josefov · U Fleku 1499Activities
- 09:00 Old Town Square + Astronomical Clock 1.5 hours
1410 Astronomical Clock hourly chime.
Cost: Free; tower Kč300 TIP: Arrive 5 min before any hour for procession. - 10:30 Jewish Quarter (Josefov) 2.5 hours
6 synagogues + Old Jewish Cemetery.
Cost: Combined Kč550 / $24 TIP: Closed Sat + Jewish holidays. Pinkas Synagogue Holocaust memorial. - 13:30 Sisters Bistro chlebíčky lunch 1 hour
Modern open-face sandwiches.
Cost: $8-18 TIP: Walk-in only. 3-4 chlebíčky Kč60-90 each. - 15:00 Wenceslas Square + Mucha Museum 1.5 hours
1989 Velvet Revolution site + Mucha originals.
Cost: Mucha Kč280 / $12 TIP: Pickpocket zone — front pockets only. - 17:00 Powder Tower + Municipal House 1 hour
Gothic gate + Art Nouveau Smetana Hall.
Cost: Combined Kč400 / $17 TIP: Smetana Hall hosts evening concerts. - 19:00 U Fleku 1499 beer hall dinner 2 hours
Oldest brewery + restaurant.
Cost: $18-35 TIP: Walk-in. Refuse Becherovka shots ('ne, děkuji'). - 21:30 Smetana Hall classical concert (optional) 2 hours
Czech composers at Municipal House.
Cost: $30-80 TIP: Book 1-2 weeks ahead.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Café Savoy
Mala Strana · $13-28
1893 neo-Renaissance ceiling. Czech breakfast all day.
Lunch
Sisters Bistro
Old Town · $8-18
Open-face sandwiches + Czech Moravian wine.
Dinner
U Fleku
New Town · $18-35
1499 brewery — touristy but historic.
All walking distance from Old Town.
DAY 2 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Day trip — Český Krumlov
UNESCO medieval townActivities
- 08:00 Bus to Český Krumlov 3 hours
RegioJet bus from Florenc, 3 hours.
Cost: $15-25 each way TIP: RegioJet has more legroom + free wifi + drinks than FlixBus. - 11:00 Český Krumlov castle + Old Town 4 hours
13th-century castle (Czechia's 2nd largest) + Renaissance-Baroque town.
Cost: Castle Kč280 / $12 TIP: Visit before 10:30 or after 17:00 to avoid day-tour crowds. - 15:00 Vltava River raft (optional, May-September) 1 hour
1-hour raft ride through the town's horseshoe bend.
Cost: $15-25 TIP: May-September only. Maltsěr Houseboat company is the local operator. - 17:00 Return bus to Prague 3 hours
RegioJet back to Florenc.
Cost: Covered TIP: Last bus 18:30 in winter, 19:30 summer. - 20:30 Late dinner at Eska (Karlín) 2 hours
Ambiente's modern bakery-restaurant in Karlín.
Cost: $45-90 TIP: Reserve 1-2 weeks ahead. The wood-fired meats + house sourdough redefine modern Czech. - 22:30 Final Charles Bridge night walk 30 min
Empty bridge at night.
Cost: Free TIP: After 22:00 quiet. Pair with Náplavka riverbank.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel breakfast (early)
Old Town · $10-22
7:30 sharp.
Lunch
Krčma v Šatlavské or Krčma Markéta
Český Krumlov · $15-30
Medieval-themed Czech tavern. Pork knuckle + Pilsner.
Dinner
Eska
Karlín · $45-90
Bib Gourmand modern Czech. Reserve 1-2 weeks ahead.
RegioJet bus to Český Krumlov (3h each way). Or day tour $80-120.
DAY 3 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Karlovy Vary spa day
Belle Époque + 13 mineral springsActivities
- 08:30 Bus to Karlovy Vary 2 hours
FlixBus or RegioJet from Florenc, 2 hours.
Cost: $9-15 each way TIP: RegioJet preferred. Departures every 1-2 hours. - 11:00 Karlovy Vary colonnades + 13 mineral springs 3 hours
13 hot mineral springs in 19th-century Belle Époque colonnades. Vridelní Spring (Sprudel, 73°C, hottest) is the icon.
Cost: Free; spa cup Kč150 / $7 TIP: Bring empty water bottle — refilling at springs is free. Taste varies dramatically by spring. Buy a spa cup (lázeňský pohárek) for the canonical Karlovy Vary souvenir. - 14:00 Becherovka factory tour 1.5 hours
Karlovy Vary's herbal liqueur tour — the 1807 secret recipe distillery.
Cost: Kč180 / $8 with tasting TIP: English tours hourly. Includes 4-drink tasting at the end. Buy Becherovka here Kč280-450 / $12-20 — cheaper than Prague airport. - 16:00 Grandhotel Pupp + Casino Royale filming location 1 hour
1701 grand hotel — Casino Royale (2006) filming location. Bond's hotel + casino scenes were filmed here.
Cost: Free to walk; afternoon tea $30-50 TIP: Walk through the lobby + grand staircase for free. The afternoon tea + spa treatments are luxury splurges. - 17:30 Return bus to Prague 2 hours
Last bus 19:00 winter, 20:30 summer.
Cost: Covered TIP: Book return ticket in advance — popular Sunday return. - 20:30 Dinner at Field (Michelin) 3 hours
Prague's Michelin-starred modern Czech.
Cost: $80-140 TIP: Reserve 4-6 weeks ahead. 7-course tasting + Czech wine pairing.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel breakfast
Old Town · $10-22
8:00 for Karlovy Vary day.
Lunch
Grandhotel Pupp Café or Promenáda Restaurant
Karlovy Vary · $15-35
Karlovy Vary spa-town dining — Czech traditional + Russian Imperial influence.
Dinner
Field
Old Town · $80-140
Michelin-starred farewell-grade dinner.
Bus to Karlovy Vary (2h each way). RegioJet or FlixBus.
DAY 4 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Pilsen brewery + Vyšehrad + final evening
Pilsner Urquell birthplace · Vyšehrad fortressActivities
- 08:30 Train to Plzeň (Pilsen) 1.5 hours
90-min train from Praha hlavní nádraží.
Cost: Kč150 / $7 each way TIP: Czech Railways (ČD) every 30-60 minutes. - 10:30 Pilsner Urquell Brewery tour 2.5 hours
1842 birthplace of pilsner beer — original cellars where 1842 unfiltered pilsner is still served from oak barrels.
Cost: Kč340 / $15 (English tour) TIP: Book 2-3 days ahead — English tours fill fast. Cellar tasting of unfiltered, unpasteurized pilsner from oak barrels is the canonical moment. - 13:30 Pilsen Underground (medieval cellars) + lunch 2.5 hours
Pilsen's medieval underground tunnels + lunch at Na Spilce (Pilsner Urquell brewery restaurant).
Cost: Underground Kč200 / $9; lunch $15-30 TIP: Combined brewery + underground ticket saves Kč80. Na Spilce serves the freshest Pilsner Urquell + traditional Czech food at brewery prices. - 16:00 Return train to Prague 1.5 hours
Train back to hlavní nádraží.
Cost: Covered TIP: Last train 21:00 — plenty of options. - 17:30 Vyšehrad fortress visit 1.5 hours
10th-century fortress on Vltava south of Old Town — Czech national poets buried in Slavín cemetery (Dvořák, Smetana, Čapek). Gothic Basilica of St Peter + St Paul.
Cost: Free entry; church Kč100 / $4.30 TIP: Less crowded than Prague Castle. Sunset views of Vltava + Castle from Vyšehrad ramparts are the canonical Prague photo without crowds. Metro C line to Vyšehrad station. - 19:30 Farewell dinner at La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise 3.5 hours
11-course tasting from 100-year-old Czech cookbook — recipes that died during Communism revived.
Cost: $120-200 TIP: Reserve 6-8 weeks ahead. 11-course Kč3,950 / $172 takes 3-3.5 hours. The most-distinctive Czech dining experience in Prague.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel breakfast
Old Town · $10-22
8:00 for Pilsen day.
Lunch
Na Spilce (brewery restaurant)
Plzeň · $15-30
Pilsner Urquell brewery's own restaurant — freshest beer + traditional Czech.
Dinner
La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise
Old Town · $120-200
11-course tasting — the canonical Prague farewell experience.
Train to Plzeň (1.5h each way). Vyšehrad via Metro C line.
DAY 5 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
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Packing Checklist
- ✓ Comfortable walking shoes with grip
- ✓ Compact rain jacket (year-round)
- ✓ Layered clothing — 10°C swings
- ✓ Power adapter Type C/E
- ✓ Smart-casual for 2 fine-dining dinners (Field, La Degustation)
- ✓ Spa kit if Karlovy Vary spa treatments
- ✓ Cash Kč500-1000 for markets
Prague 5-Day Itinerary FAQ
Is 5 days too long for Prague? ▼
Should Day 4 be Karlovy Vary or Pilsen? ▼
Český Krumlov + Karlovy Vary + Pilsen — too many day trips? ▼
What's the best day for Field reservation? ▼
Pilsner Urquell tour vs Becherovka tour — which is better? ▼
Looking for Different Trip Lengths?
Why you can trust 5-day itinerary
Based in Chiang Mai for 8+ years, with 30+ countries visited across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Every detail in this guide is primary-source verified as of April 2026, with prices auto-refreshed via live exchange rate APIs. This isn't AI-generated boilerplate — it's written from the perspective of someone who has actually been there.