Flash Trip: 3 Breathtaking Days in Prague
- Trevor Lawrence
- Jun 21
- 17 min read
Updated: Jul 19
It's true... Prague is as wonderful as everyone says.
Yes, Bohemia is caught in the crosshairs of overtourism—thanks in no small part to influencers draped over attractions like Charles Bridge. But if you’re drawn more to history and mesmerizing architecture, Prague was meant for you. With more cultural soul than the infinite scroll, this Central European destination makes for a perfect Flash Trip: 3 Breathtaking Days in Prague. With AJ in the Ergobaby, we wandered the cobblestone streets, ducking into restaurants, museums, and architectural gems at every chance.
If you're bringing kiddos, you'll find Prague as kid-friendly as everywhere else we've visited in Europe; and dang, Europeans have the classiest strollers!
Like a select few European cities both blessed and cursed to hold Hitler’s cruel gaze during WWII, Prague’s architecture was largely spared from destruction. As a result, it’s not any single attraction that leaves the definitive impression—it’s the city itself. Truly, just walking and wandering its streets is what captures the imagination.
We found ourselves crisscrossing the same streets often during our wanderings, and we always found new buildings, statues, and architectural embelishments to admire. Always remember to look up!
And if you love Prague but want to beat the crowds, check out our Flash Trip: 3 Historic Days in Kraków, Poland!
FLASH TRIP PRAGUE INDEX:
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A Note on Getting Around the City of Prague
Parents, the cobblestone streets and sidewalks are manageable with larger stroller wheels, but as always, we recommend baby-wearing when possible, just to give you more flexiblity to skirt the crowds and see the less-visited sights. While much of the heavily touristed area are on flatter ground, some of the most rewarding sites (Lesser Town) are perched on steeper inclines. We will say that we saw strollers everywhere, so it's definitely doable if you're not into baby-wearing all day.
On two separate days, we logged over 25,000 steps—so come prepared. (It’s worth noting that E did most of it while baby-wearing AJ, as T was still recovering from spinal surgery. That’s 20lbs+ on top of those 50k steps!)
WS&T Stroller Tip: The more upright your tiny trekker sits, the better their neck and shoulders can absorb the ride. While reclining may seem more restful—especially when they’re sleepy—an upright posture helps stabilize the head and reduce jostling over Prague’s bumpy cobblestones.
Our Best Kid Play Place Picks for Prague
Place | Type | Kids Price (Kč) | In Euro (≈) | In USD (≈) |
Toboga Fantasy | Indoor | 349 Kč | €13.96 | $16.20 |
The Playground | Indoor | 300–1 000 Kč | €12.00–40.00 | $13.93–46.43 |
Prague Zoo | Outdoor | 250 Kč | €10.00 | $11.61 |
WS&T Walking Tip: Nothing works better for us than stretching calves and hips before and after a long day on foot. Seriously—young or old—it’s a real (yes, I'll say it) game-changer.
For calves: Stand with your heels hanging off a small ledge or drop. Steady yourself by grabbing something with one hand. Raise up onto your tiptoes, then slowly lower your heels way down until your Achilles feels taut and your heels are as low as you can comfortably drop. You’re aiming more for the stretch at the bottom than the tiptoe. A gentle bounce at the bottom—very gentle—can help deepen the stretch.
For hips: Unless you’ve got gymnast-level balance, place your butt against a wall. Cross your feet—left over right—and, keeping your knees mostly straight, slowly fold forward vertebra by vertebra. You’ll feel the stretch along the outer sides of your hips. Let yourself drape there for up to a minute. Then stand upright (give your head a sec to stop spinning), switch legs—right over left—and repeat.
Tip²: For even bestier results, do this after about 10–20 minutes of walking. Muscles, tendons, and joints respond much better once they’re warm.
Where was I? Oh yeah, moving about Prague! If you’re less inclined to walk every-which-where, the tram system is both scenic and a breeze. It’s easy to succumb to the urge to resist mass transit in cities with a language barrier, but the quicker you crack the code, the sooner you can be cruising in style. In Prague, (1) you’re still going to do plenty of walking. (2) Trams have huge windows, so you can still see plenty. (3) The newer trams are warm on cold days; cool on hot days. (4) You can get to even more city attractions! Plus, it’s soooo cheap.
Here’s our fantastic breakdown of Prague’s transit system and how to use it.
When to Go to Prague
For best results, wait for a snowstorm on Christmas Eve and—just kidding. No doubt about it, Prague ranks among the most visited cities on Earth, and with good reason.
At We Save & Travel, we’ve found we love to step well off the beaten path. But that’s not always possible—especially in cities where the major attractions do live up to the hype. In those cases, we craft itineraries that lean more toward cultural immersion and less selfie-stick.
You’ll find the big-name sights here, but our route tends to run beaten-path-adjacent—with enough space to breathe and wander.
Like in Kraków, wandering Prague on chilly mornings that eventually become warm afternoons is ideal. April/May and September/October put you squarely in that zone. You will never quite shed the crowds, even in the colder months, but you can try to be comfortable.
In terms of what’s going on throughout the year, there are numerous popular events to plan around. Much of the year’s calendar revolves around classical music. For fans of orchestras, Prague is near the center of the musical universe. It's become something of a tourist trap to for various sites to have concerts throughout the day, but with a little research you can find some excellent offerings. The Spring International Music Festival in May is a wonderful experience. The Easter and Christmas Markets during their respective months are a real treat as well, though expect big crowds. For fans of theater and avant-garde performance arts (hello), the Prague Fringe features roughly 200 performances across a dozen or more venues.
Getting to & Arriving in Prague
During shoulder seasons, flying into Prague from many destinations around Europe offers excellent round-trip fares of $45-$60 (budget carriers) and sub-$100 flights across the board. Rail is, of course, a great way to move around Europe with sub-$100 fares from as far as Rome. Two big things to keep in mind. Because the railways are a very popular mode of travel, you definitely need to book passage well in advance. And the more direct you’d like your travel to be, the bigger premium for tickets. Earlier bookings also favor the budget!
Parents traveling with a car seat: there are no train seatbelts. You’re working with considerably more space than on a plane, so there’s a lot less stress to keep that squirmer from flailing about. If you are traveling with a car seat and tiny trekker, there is room to creatively utilize the seat (e.g. on the floor or the seat) or stow it, based on your comfort level.
Roadtripping into Prague from any direction takes you through achingly beautiful countryside, villages, towns, and cities. Berlin, Bratislava, Austria are a wonderful 3.5-to-4.5-hour drive. Munich and Kraków are also doable without becoming exhausted.
WS&T Driving Tip: Headlights and Vignettes. Headlights and Vignettes. Mandatory. The fine for not having a vignette (road toll sticker) in the Czech Republic would buy the equivalent of a week in a fairly decent hotel. Yeeee!
You must set up your vignettes (road toll stickers) in advance. Czech Republic requires a digital vignette for highway use, activated in advance. They’re cheap and rely on your plate number for processing. 10 days runs in the neighborhood of $13. You can get them here. They’re also available in gas stations near the border.
Austria and Slovakia also require vignettes, whereas Poland and Germany do not.
If you're driving, I highly, highly, highly recommend making your Prague accommodations outside the old town and inner-city districts. Parking is very challenging and/or expensive. If your hotel offers a valet service and that’s your jam, by all means. But to save a little dough, consider staying above the city and ensure your lodging offers a parking option.
If you’re really budget-conscious, do what locals do. There are numerous Park & Ride options on the city outskirts. They’re cheap ($1 a day) and have plenty of easy tram lines to connect them. Prague’s parking apps include EasyPark, ParkDots, MPLA.
WS&T Money Tip: Prague does not officially take Euros. The official currency is Czech koruna. And for the love of St. Pete and pastries, stay away from Euronet ATMs. Their fees are extortionate and their user-interface programming is deceitful. We really don't like them.
General Item | Price (CZK) | Approx. USD |
Public transit ticket | 40 | $1.75 |
Pint of beer | 50–70 | $2–3 |
Mid-range meal | 200–350 | $8–15 |
Coffee | 45–75 | $2–3.25 |
Museum admission | 150–300 | $6–13 |
Accommodations for 3 Breathtaking Days in Prague
Prague (locally known as Praha) is sliced up by administrative districts. When choosing a place to stay, the easiest way to point you in the right direction is to become familiar with some of these districts.
District | Includes | Why It Matters |
Prague 1 | Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town, Hradčany | Historic center, most tourist sites, $$$ |
Prague 2 | Vinohrady, New Town, Vyšehrad | Stylish, scenic, good transport |
Prague 3 | Žižkov, part of Vinohrady | Edgy, up-and-coming, affordable |
Prague 5 | Smíchov, Anděl | Shopping, river views, modern hotels |
Prague 6 | Dejvice, Břevnov | Quiet, leafy, embassy area |
Prague 7 | Letná, Holešovice | Artsy, green parks, great views |
Prague 10 | Residential parts of Vršovice, Strašnice | Budget stays, fewer tourists |
If you’re driving a rental car, you will have a much easier go (unless your hotel has a valet service) staying outside of the heart of Prague 1, specifically avoiding accommodations in the area of Old Town and New Town. It’s not as simple as saying don’t stay in Prague 1 because the districts are quite large when thinking like a pedestrian.
To get the very best views Prague, seek out accommodations on the side of the hills west and northwest of Old Town (West Prague 1) AKA Lesser Town. Don’t let the walk up and down the hill intimidate you, the tram service is conveniently located and quite timely.
Vinohrady (Prague 2 & 10) offers a walkable proximity to the major sites with the advantage of being more rental car-friendly. Rates for accommodations are fairly reasonable here, and there are plenty of nice neighborhood eateries.
Our Hotel Recommendations in Prague
Hotel Monastery (Western edge of Praha 1): On the gated grounds of the gorgeous Strahov Monastery and right at the entrance of a walking path that eventually winds its way toward the Prague Castle. Try to book a room overlooking the city. Early risers will be richly rewarded with a spectacular view. Oh, and breakfast on-site!
MOOo by the Castle (West Praha 1): Beloved by guests and richly appointed with a generally great rate depending on the season. You’re pretty well in the thick of things on the castle side of the beautiful Vltava River that divides Prague. However, the apartment-style hotel is tucked away so as to feel a bit more secluded. The craft cocktail bar is outstanding!
Eight Secrets Boutique (Praha 2): If you’re traveling with kids and need some additional room and trimmings, these apartments are well-appointed. The bedroomy neighborhood is near grocery stores and great eateries, as well as metro and tram lines. Good parking options and a short tram ride to Old Town.
Where to Eat in Prague
God, I thought you'd never ask. The name of the game in Prague, unless you’re queueing up for street food is reservations. Everything worth its salt books up daily. Fortunately, most of the dining gets done a little later in the evening than most Americans are used to, but do not count on dropping in on a well-regarded eatery and getting a table, especially if you’re traveling with a group.
Making a reservation is painless. Virtually all of them can be made online or by email. You can also call. "Reservation for 4" is Common Tongue in the restaurant industry.
When it comes to the cuisine, goulash, braised beef, and rich sauces are staples. Dumplings are divine. We like to do a mix of high and low end and are always on the lookout for great ethnic cuisines served up by neighborhood pockets of local émigré and immigrant.
Starting with some heartier, delicious local fare:
Lokál Dlouhááá: Just off the beating heart of Old Town, this place is popular all day long. Super casual and seated on the ground floor of a building, it’s like walking through a long subway terminal. We did the walk-in thing but apparently got very lucky. Every other table has a reserved sign set for all hours of the day. Not much to look at, but everything on the menu is absolutely delicious. Gorgeous dumplings. And if you’re like us and need the occasional leafy green on a long, rich road-trip they have excellent salad options. Beer is served by 12 carefully treated tanks. If it doesn’t offend your beer sensibilities, try the Chandy.
Note: You may see a few Lokál. The restaurant group, Ambiente, opens hit spots and knock-offs pop up some time later. That doesn't mean they're not tasty. The one in Lesser Town not far from the Senate is great.
U Kroka: Just off the river and within sight of those twin spires of Vyšehrad Castle, this eatery is where simplicity meets midrange elegance. Super well-executed staples. Sauce freaks will geek out hard. The street scene is fantastic on the patio. Perfect place to take that break to replenish the walk-off calories. If you’d like to have a measuring stick for good Hungarian goulash, hi there! Here it is.
Kantýna: Just steps from a fantastic indoor children’s playground and amusement center—which itself sits around the corner from the incomparable Mucha museum—and occupying a former bank, this modern, somewhat upscale establishment exists for the Meat Super Villain in your life. From mouth-watering tartare and excellent burgers to superb steak cuts, you will know you’re in the right place the moment you catch sight of the handsome on-site butcher shop. Insert swimming pool-sized drool emoji here.
A recent trip fell on Mother’s Day, so we splurged on what turned out to be an excellent dinner with a wowsome overlook of Lesser and Old Town. We really have to shout out Terasa u Zlaté studně. Please note: There are some elevatoring and stair-climbing, so it won’t be the friendliest with a stroller. The cuisine, hospitality, and ambience were spectacular.
Slightly out of order, perhaps—but Bohemians are anything but indifferent to breakfast and brunch.
Café Savoy: A modern bistro with a trendy vibe without being too stuffy, this place has a down-to-earth bakery feel and an excellent breakfast and pastry selection. Awesome place to start your day in a leisurely way. You can find it steps away from the Legion Bridge, a great crossing point over the river and close to the chillaxed side of the city, featuring beer gardens, parks, and boutique museums.
Obecní Dům Eateries: To dine within the jaw-dropping embrace of extravagantly beautiful architecture, we highly recommend paying a visit to the Municipal House (Obecní dům). You may feel totally under-dressed, but it's okay.
There are three establishments—a high-end restaurant, midrange café, and hidden locals joint—just inside this lavish Art Nouveau concert venue. Just to walk through the place is like stepping directly into another era. Be sure you do some exploring before selecting the eatery that looks most appealing. Here they are:
Francouzská Restaurace Art Nouveau: Boasting massive chandeliers, high ceilings and the very best of Art Nouveau (we all know what the tacky side looks like); Kavárna Obecní dům is equally charming as a great café with all-day offerings.
And downstairs hides the unassuming Pilsner Restaurant where beer hall and hearty Czech cuisine reside in perfect harmony. It's the best kind of claustrophobic down there. Might remind you of eating under Grand Central in Manhattan.
Gruzie Restaurant: Georgian cuisine at its absolute most decadent. Start with cheesy moats of khachapuri, get richly fragrant soups and veggie stews and curries, phenomenal goulash, lamb, pork, beef, chicken kebabs, and one of the finest Chashushuli (clay pot stew) I’ve tasted.
We were lucky enough to visit with family (along with friends stationed in Prague), so we got a chance to try everything. Top to bottom, the menu is outrageously good.
For that pastry fix—because that’s its own travel food group—check out Eska’s mouth-watering meringues (and freshly baked sourdough). I picked this because there’s something for every palette (and time of day), not just sweet toothists.
The Ultimate 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Getting a Feel for Prague
Prague is bisected by the picturesque Vlatava River, with several bridges crossing from West to East. On the West, you'll find the Castle Quarter atop the "Lesser Town." On the East, the Jewish Quarter sits just north of the Old Town, where you'll find the Old Town Square and Prague's most famous sights. Just East of here is the New Town, anchored by the big, bustling Wenceslas Square. The whole city is very walkable or tram-able, so a motivated visitor can cover quite a lot of ground!
WHAT TO DO IN PRAGUE
The walk-and-wander strategy serves us well in Prague. As you do so, identify places you’d like to revisit because you’re bound to retrace your footsteps in this city. Everyone does. By Day 3, river walks, casual museum pop-ins, and head-tilted-skyward strolls through ancient neighborhoods may be just the thing to help cool your jets on this step-centric flash trip.
To manage crowds, rising early is the best. There are few traveler treats more satisfying than witnessing the waking of a city, especially one in which kings and houses played the very real game of thrones for hundreds of years. That’s not to say you must hit the cobblestone when the rooster crows. But aim to be on your way by 8am.
If you’re staying on the western side of the city, a stroll toward the Prague Museum and the stunning architecture of the Castle Square is almost too much for the eyes to gobble. The Sculptures of the Titans is a particular highlight, but the historical eye candy is plentiful. Within the castle grounds, the crowds will begin gathering for tickets before 9am. We’ve had luck queuing by 8:45am.
You’ll need up to two hours to get a full dose of Prague Castle, the many breathtaking interiors, courtyards, sculptures, and St. Vitus Cathedral.
Before leaving the castle complex, you dare not miss the fascinating and beautiful Lobkowicz Palace. There is as much historical intrigue as artifact within these walls. If you want to be drawn into an incredible story, look no farther. Twice this massive private residence was stolen and occupied. It wasn’t until the 1990s that surviving members of the family—including an American attorney—embarked on a painstaking years-long process to reclaim and restore the residence and its widely scattered heirlooms.
Since it’s Day One and you’re cruising on fresh legs, conclude your castle complex visit by trekking through Golden Lane to get a feel for the peasant-craftsperson life beneath the castle. Tromp down the hillside and prepare to cross one of the iconic bridges that lead to Old Town. The most iconic, of course, is Charles Bridge. Braving the big crowds that gather here is up to you. The bridge features beautiful sculpture work, and earlier in the day means fewer people.
That said, most of the river’s crossings are gorgeous. You can even get an excellent view of Charles Bridge by crossing the Manes Bridge (Mánesův most) instead.
By either route, you move from Lesser Town (Malá Strana) into Old Town and converge on the heart of Prague tourism within its 10th century Old Town Square. Replete with beer gardens on every corner, hard-to-fathom building-sized sculptures, the Astronomical Clock, and loomed over by the 262-foot tall, twin Gothic spires of the Church of Our Lady Before Týn.
Said to have been an inspiration for Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” castles, the church keeps tricky hours, so if you want to visit, you might do a pop-in to check the schedule before committing. Incredible interiors, a baroque vault (I love me a vault), and a renowned pipe organ are among the features that are naturally every bit as intricate as you’d expect from this part of the world.
You could hang in the central square or sneak just around the corner to one of the locals’ offshoot plazas—Ungelt Courtyard is a great option for shade a nibble or a sip.
Let your feet take you in any direction—you’re close to Lokal Dlouhááá for a great lunch—then check out the aforementioned Municipal House. Step inside and wander the hallways on the main level and downstairs, peek into the restaurants, and just gawk at some of the most intensely lavish Art Nouveau stylings one can find.
Wenceslas Square is one of the true city centers and home to the business and cultural pulse of Prague’s New Town. Vibrant street life, ethnic grub, endless shopping, and a favorite museum of ours, containing one of the largest (if not largest?) collections of Alphonse Mucha in the world. If you came into Old Town by crossing Manes Bridge, you could head back toward Lesser Town via Charles Bridge, the nearest pedestrian crossing to New Town.
Day 2: Into Prague's History
Start your day with a tram ride to the Jewish Quarter. Arriving early, before the city fully stirs, brings some gravity to the experience. The narrow streets, hushed and mostly empty, allow the weight of history to settle around you. Some of that history is undeniably heavy—but there's also a profound sense of cultural endurance here, as much a monument to resilience as it is a sobering reminder of our fragility.
To get the full experience, purchase a combined ticket granting access to several sites clustered within a compact, three-block area of Prague’s historic Jewish Quarter. Tickets are available at the Jewish Museum’s Information and Reservation Center—a modest, modern-looking building that can be easy to overlook despite its central role. To be clear, this isn’t a museum. Just a ticket center.
Once you have your ticket, you’ll proceed outdoors to visit the following included sites:
· Maisel Synagogue
· Spanish Synagogue
· Pinkas Synagogue
· Klausen Synagogue
· Ceremonial Hall
· Old Jewish Cemetery
Each stop offers a distinct experience:
Pinkas Synagogue – solemn and emotionally powerful, with every wall inscribed with the names of 77,000 Czech and Moravian Jews who perished in the Holocaust
Old-New Synagogue – a separate ticket is required for this 13th-century Gothic landmark, one of the oldest active synagogues in Europe
Spanish Synagogue – dazzlingly ornate, with Moorish-style architecture, gold detailing, and domed ceilings
Maisel Synagogue – museum-like, with exhibits tracing Jewish life in Bohemia from the 10th to 18th centuries
Klausen Synagogue and the Ceremonial Hall – house displays on Jewish customs, traditions, and burial practices, adjacent to the evocative Old Jewish Cemetery.
The Old Jewish Cemetery is like nothing you can imagine. Like a few other world-famous cemeteries (La Recoleta in Buenos Aires), it really sticks with you. There are estimated to be upwards of 12,000 visible headstones and perhaps 100,000 bodies buried below in an area roughly the size of a city block. What makes it so haunting is the way the stones tilt in every direction imaginable due to the shifting soil over hundreds and hundreds of years.
After the Jewish Quarter, it might be nice to cruise back toward Old Town and catch some of the sites you missed.
Folks rave about the hourly performance of the Astronomical Clock and numerous other sites lie in wait. But most of all, look up. Between every attraction, on virtually every street, is an edifice, a sculpture of unbelievable significance, or some splash of fabled (or funny) architectural movement that’s been holding its ground year after year.
I’ve saved this moment for my favorite museum in Prague. It’s also unjustifiably the quietest due to its off-the-beaten-path location. The National Gallery Prague St. Agnes Convent is housed inside a 13th-century Gothic monastery, and hosts an enormous collection of incredibly well-preserved medieval works of religious art. The convent and garden are free, and also well worth a detour.
Pick a new bridge to cross (or for convenience take Manes Bridge) and check out the Waldstein Gardens at the Senate Palace. Stunning topiary, baroque statues, and ornamental pools. Plus, you’ll share your stroll with a dozen or so haughty peacocks. The birds are quite the spectacle within the grounds, especially when they begin to cry.
The streets and neighborhoods in this area are a treat for wandering, so get a little lost (just watch out for the trams on the blind corners).
If you need to top off your fix for that baroque garden fetish, you can quickly make it to nearby Vrtba Garden.
Day 3: Museums and Riverwalk
Feel free to sleep in, take a late breakfast. Your step counter hasn’t finished tabulating the last two days, so give it a break and cruise down to the water near Charles Bridge and pop into one of the most renowned pastry shops in Prague. (Yes. Hype earned.) Iveta Fabešová (named for the famous pastry chef herself) features supremely creative confections and cakes that should somehow be framed and hung on the wall rather than eaten. Well, okay. Both. Great coffee and brunch offerings, too.
The riverwalk in this neck of Lesser Town is host to wonderful green spaces with lazy eateries and beer gardens galore. Tons of people hang on Kampa Island and picnic, have a beer or glass of wine, and let the kids run wild for a while. Several nice museums, too.
Museum Kampa, the Czech Museum of Music, and the Franz Kafka Museum. If you’re still hankering for more baroque, the Liechtenstein Palace—overlooking the river—is a nice stop.
But for one day at least, stroll the greens, window shop, grab a Pilsner, and live like a Praha local!
If you have more time in Central/Eastern Europe, make sure to check out our guide to Kraków!
Wanna Make Your Flash Trip Even Better? Click below to check out some curated picks for making life easier when traveling with (and without) small children.
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