How to See and Mark a Day in Prague City

How to see Prague in a day is a difficult as well as an interesting topic. I was a bit unfortunate to get this little time to see most of the Prague city attractions in a day. However, on the other hand, it is quite possible to see Prague city highlights in a day with proper homework. While you don’t need to worry about your homework as I am here with a tailor-made visit plan of your favorite destination in Europe.

Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic is located beside the Vltava River. It also has the nickname of “the City of a Hundred Spires”. Prague is famous for its Old Town Square which is the actual heart of its historic core. Furthermore, its colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches give this charming city a unique perspective. And last but not least tourists came here to see and listen to the mesmerizing sounds of the medieval Astronomical Clock.

How to Get To Prague?

Prague is well connected to many international as well as European destinations by Air. Vaclav Havel Airport is about 18km from the city center. You can reach the city center within 20minutes by taxi. Alternatively, you can take Bus 119/191 or take a train to the city center within 40 minutes. The bus runs after every 6 minutes from Terminal 2.

Prague is an easy approach from neighboring cities. We can reach Prague from Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna, and Bratislava by bus or train. I reached Prague after visiting Vienna. I took an afternoon Flix Bus option to reach there and get there within four to five hours.

You can use the budget bus companies like Flixbus that can take you across the country for a cheap price. By keeping a flexible schedule, one can use the ridesharing service BlaBlaCar.

How to Get Around and see Prague in a Day?

Prague city center is a compact area and you can visit most of the city attractions on foot. Other convenient options are like Bus, taxis, or trams.

Within Prague, travel by taxi is generally safe and reliable. The best approach for obtaining a taxi is to call the company directly rather than to pick one from the street.

Uber and other travel services like Liftago are widely available in Prague and most of the other Czech cities too.

Where to Stay in Prague?

Prague has a great network of all types of accommodations within the city center. A hostel dormitory bed costs around €10 and most hostels come with breakfast. Budget hotels cost us around €50 per night for a single room with basic amenities.

I stayed in The Republic Garden Hostel and booked it by Booking.com. By staying there I can recommend it. It is very near to most of the city attractions.

In addition, other sites to plan and choose your accommodation might be Air BnB, Agoda, or Hostelworld. However, when you’re looking for a hostel, do your research first. Then read the reviews to get a feel for the place. Finally, book somewhere that suits your needs.

How to See Prague in A Day

I reached Prague from Vienna in the evening. So, I have taken a good rest before my long day’s visit to Prague. After getting my breakfast from my Hostel I started to follow my direction to my nearest visiting place which was once a Prague city gate. You can follow my map to see most of the tourist attractions of Prague city in a single day. Alternatively, you can make your own plan with some variations in my given plan.

Powder Tower and Muncipal House of Prague

It gets around 5 minutes to reach Powder tower. This Gothic type ancient City gate was built in the 15th century. Later on, it was restored after being damaged in the Battle of Prague. It is one of the original 13 city gates in the Old Town of Prague. Powder Tower was once a gunpowder store. That’s why it gets the name Powder Tower. Moreover, this was the place where the coronation processions of Bohemian kings would enter the town. It is still the starting point for the Coronation or Royal Route to Prague Castle. You can visit the observation gallery for 150CZK(7$) by using the spiral staircase which has 186 stone steps.

After visiting the Powder Tower, you can see the elegant Municipal House just beside it. Even you can a photo of both these attractions in one frame. The Municipal House stands at the site of the royal residence called King’s Court. This historic relic of the 19th century is an art Nuveau venue for classical concerts. Although it needs a quick look from outside. However, the Lovers of Art Nouveau can take a guided tour of the whole building.

OLD Town Square, A must See place in Prague

My next stop was Prague Old Town Square which was a 5 minutes walk from Municipal House. Prague Old town square is home to major significant and historic landmarks of the city. Here Old Town City Hall holds Prague’s famous Astronomical Clock. Moreover, The Church of Our Lady Before Tyn and St. Nicholas Church have also graced the square. There is a Jan Hus Monument right In the heart of the square. Jan Hus was considered the father of European reformation and was a Rector of Prague University in the 14th century. Last but not least The Rococo Kinský Palace and the Gothic House are also matchable parts of old town Square. This historical center of Prague dates back to the 10th century.

The Church of our Lady before Tyn

Before entering into the most significant square of historical Prague, I pass by this graceful building of the church. You can find this iconic building in most of Prague’s pictures. It is one of the most impressive Gothic religious buildings in Prague. The Church of Our Lady before Tyn was built from the mid-14th to the early 16th centuries. It is an active prayer place and sightseeing is not possible during masses. There is a voluntary entrance fee of 40CZK(1.5€)

Prague Town Hall and Astronomical Clock

Prague Astronomical Clock and Old Town Hall. To visit the world’s third oldest Astronomical Clock was the most fascinating thing for me in Prague. Prague Townhall is the place where this Astronomical clock is graced with its sound after every hour. The Old Town Hall was established in 1338 as the seat of the Old Town administration. A 250CZK(10€). A single ticket entitles you to visit The Chapel, historical halls, underground Romanesque-Gothic, and town hall Tower.

St. Nicholas Church Prague City

St. Nicholas Church is the most famous Baroque-style church in Prague. It is towards the northwest side of Old Town Square. You can’t miss this impressive building due to the bright turquoise color of its 20m wide dome. Besides the dome, there is a bell tower of St Nicholas

Charles Bridge, The Icon of Prague

After visiting the old Town Square, I followed the same route of coronation processions of Bohemian kings. From here I have to go to Prague castle. But before reaching there I had to cross the most beautiful bridge I have ever seen. It was the Charles Bridge of parage. On this king’s route, I went past many famous buildings of ancient Prague. While passing through Karlova street I went past beside St. Clement Cathedral at my right. St Clement’s is famous for its excellent acoustics, making the church a fine venue for classical music concerts.  My Next views were the Church of St Salvator and Church of St Francis Seraph that was located before the Old Town Bridge Tower.

So, here comes the charming bridge of Prague the Charles Bridge. It is Prague’s oldest bridge which was built from 1357 to 1402. Originally, people call it the stone bridge or Prague bridge. Since 1870, it is called by its present name the Charles Bridge. It got this name after King Charles IV, who ordered it to construct in the 14th century. The main features of this bridge are its decorative statues. From 1683 to 1928, about 30 statues or statue groups of different saints were carved to decorate this bridge. St John of Nepomuk is the oldest still standing statue in its original form, dating back to 1683. When I visited there was light rain in Prague. So, while crossing the Charles Bridge from Old Bridge Tower to Lesser Town Bridge Tower, I felt that I was in a fairy Tale walk.

Lennon Wall, See The Freedom Face of Prague

Colorful walls or street paintings always attract me as they exhibit the nature of the inhabitant in a genuine style. In most cases the artists are unknown. And in a few cases, you can add your part to the paintings too. So, my next stop was very near to Charles Bridge. It was the Lennon Wall that was relevant with the John Lennon a famous singer of the English Rock band “The Beatles”.  The wall used to be a place that has quotes from John’s songs about world peace and freedom. Moreover, the new central motif of the renovated wall is the world map where you will find the word “FREEDOM” written in 30 languages. However, you can still express your opinion here by using a pencil, a fix, or a piece of chalk.

Prague Castle, Visiting a city inside a City

So, after taking a few pictures I came back towards the lesser tower for the ultimate attraction of Prague. I was then heading towards the Prague castle which is a city inside the city with so many touristic attractions. On the way to the castle, you will walk beside the St Nicholas church and Column of the Holy Trinity. If you have time then you can visit the most famous Baroque church in Prague. Within the next 15 minutes, I was at the entrance of Prague Castle. 

Prague Castle has been an important symbol of the Czech state for more than a thousand years. It was built around 880 and is said to be the largest ancient castle in the world. It is one of the most popular attractions in the country’s most visited city. The main features of this old complex are the Old Royal Palace, St George’s Basilica, St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Golden Lane. Before entering the Prague Castle complex, we went through security checks at Mathia Gate. Prague Castle circuit Ticket Price is 250CZK(10€)

St. Vitus Cathedral Prague

After entering the castle from Mathia Gate we see the Kohl’s Fountain. That same path led us to Majestic St Vitus Cathedral and Old Royal Palace. St Vitus cathedral has a long history. Dating back to the year 925. The construction of the present building began in 1344. However, the construction took nearly 600 years and has finally completed in 1929. St. Vitus Cathedral is the best example of the Bohemian Coronation Jewels. Moreover, it has the tomb of St Wenceslas who is the most revered saint of the Czech people.

This cathedral is one of the most admirable buildings I have ever seen. While it has two slender towers on its front side that has 14 statues of different saints. Whereas, these towers can be accessed for a nominal ticket price for panoramic views of Prague. This cathedral is a burial place of several Bohemian Rulers. Just opposite to cathedral, there is an old Royal palace and you can visit some portion of it too.

St. George’s Basilica

After visiting the cathedral Complex, I took a route that passes between the cathedral and royal palace. Suddenly I entered into a beautiful square facing a beautiful small basilica that was surrounded by many tourists. Undoubtedly, it was St George Basilica of red-colored buildings in Romanesque style. It is the second oldest Prague church that was established around 920 by Prince Vratislav I.

Panoramic View Points of Prague City

There is more than one place from where you can get the scenic views of Prague city. Out of them, I visited two unmissable viewpoints. The one is near Mathias Gate and another one is further east to it near Old Caste Squares. In the rush times, you have to wait for your turn to get clear views. There is another one Plecnika Viewpoint right on the backside of the Royal Palace. However, the Castle’s tower also offers a great view.Especially the Viewpoiint at Black Tower(Vyhlídka u Černé věže)

The Dancing House of Prague

Now you are going with me to see the last attraction of my Prague city tour, the Dancing House. For this purpose, I took a long way beside the Vltava River. I have to pass through the Beautiful region of Kampa. This site has numerous monuments like Titan’s Sculpture and a statue of Harmony on the bank of the Vltava River. Furthermore, The Crawling baby is the most famous monument near the Museum of Modern Art. Finally, after crossing the Jiraskuv bridge I reached to see the Dancing House of Prague.

Dancing House is modern architecture and a must-see monumental house on your day tour in Prague. Its concept was inspired by the dance skills of the famous film couple Ginger Rogers and Fred Astair. So, it is sometimes known as Ginger and Fred house. A gallery and a restaurant with a terrace offer a 360° view of Prague. The building was awarded the prestigious prize of the American Time magazine – it won the category of design in 1996.

My next stop, after a day in Prague

As I already said I had a time-bound visit to this charming city. So, I fully recommend that you allocate at least two days to visit this charming city. So, you will get a reasonable time than a single day to see the city of Prague.

After visiting this lively city, I was heading on a long bus tour to the city of Luxembourg. I booked my seat on an overnight Flix Bus route.