Why go à PRAGUE?

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

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 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 need to budget accordingly for the many museums, houses, historic buildings and other 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 calendar throughout the year. At the top of the list is Prague Spring, a classical music festival that opens each year on May 12, the anniversary of composer Bedřich Smetana's death. Jazz and film festivals are also plentiful in summer, while winter is marked by Christmas celebrations, which are still very much alive despite an increasingly atheistic population, and, from February onwards, high school balls: a tradition that is still very much alive and for which everyone prepares 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 accredited agencies or independent guides. Nevertheless, in high season, it's a good idea to use an agency, possibly a French-speaking one, to avoid the overbooked groups of certain operators who are not necessarily dishonest, but have little regard for the quality of their services.