Prague Castle Tickets – 7 Things to Know Before Booking

Being one of Prague’s most visited tourist attractions with several amazing historic buildings to explore, it’s no surprise that Prague Castle gains quite a crowd every day! 

There are many ways to access the Castle Complex, buying tickets online or at the gate, through guided, private, or combo tours, and even some parts you can access for free! But which one is the best option?

Well, this depends on many factors, from the season you want to visit, the ticket availability and your specific interests… that’s why I made this guide with all the options for Prague Castle Tickets available out there and included some useful information about the attraction (opening hours, how to get there and much more).

Let’s see them all together!

If you are in a hurry

If you are here just to get your tickets, here are the best links to do so: 

• Tickets at the gate – €10 for Adults, €5 for Kids
• Skip the line ticket – €11 from Get Your Guide or €16 from Viator (if they are sold out)
• Guided Tours – €14 for a basic 1-hour tour (purchased on site) or €26 for a more detailed 2-hour tour (Headout)
• Discounted ticket –  €5 for youth and students between 6-26 yo (bring your ID with you), and seniors
• Free Entrance – children under 6

Why buy in advance?

During the peak season (June – August) and school holidays, buying online tickets in advance instead of at the gate will save you a lot of time waiting in line, so I definitely recommend this option in these 2 cases.

During the rest of the year, the attraction doesn’t get that busy, so you can choose yourself if you prefer to buy it online to be prepared, or directly at the entrance!

1. Buying general entrance Prague Castle tickets on-site

If you decide to buy tickets on-site, you will have 3 options you can choose from that will give you access to different historical buildings, and they are all valid for 2 days so you can come back if you don’t manage to fit everything into a single visit. Note that you can only enter each building once. 

NOTE: To purchase tickets on-site, you first have to pass security and go inside the castle. Then there are 3 info desks where you buy the tickets (see below). 

Ticket counters: 

1. In the first courtyard, after the gate to the Prague Castle grounds 
2. In the second courtyard right by the St. Vitus Cathedral
3. In the 3d courtyard, just before the entrance to the Golden Lane

Fun Fact: The Guinness Book of Records recognizes Prague Castle as the largest ancient castle in the world (with its origins dating back to 870 AD)!

The most common ticket is the Prague Castle Circuit ticket, which allows you to fully explore with access to the most important parts of the castle. In addition to this ticket, you can pay extra if you also want to visit the Tower of the Cathedral and The Story of Prague Castle. 

NOTE: Taking pictures and filming is prohibited inside the Story of Prague Castle permanent exhibition, in the Treasury of St. Vitus’s Cathedral, Powder Tower, and in the Prague Castle Picture Gallery. If you want to take pics of all the other historical buildings, you need to pay an extra fee of €2.

PRO TIP: Buying tickets at the gate is totally fine during the off-season, but if you’re visiting Prague Castle during summer (June – August) or school holidays, it’s better to book them online in advance to avoid the ques. I will talk more about this in the next session!

Now let’s see the 3 tickets one by one: 

Prague Castle – Circuit

The Circuit ticket is the normal entrance ticket to the castle. With this ticket, you’ll be able to visit all the free parts that we will cover in section #6 of this post, plus most of the paid parts of the castle which are:

• Old Royal Palace 
• St. George‘s Basilica 
• Golden Lane 
• St. Vitus Cathedral 

This option also allows you to visit the Charles Bridge Museum for free, where you’ll find a medieval monument, the Judith’s Bridge, and the Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star.

PRO TIP: The ticket at the gate costs €10, but if you book your tickets online, you will be able to skip the line for only 1€ extra, so I definitely recommend this option in the summer months!

NOTE 1: You may see on other blogs that there are different types of circuit tickets available which give access to different attractions. It may have been this way in the past however that is outdated information. I double-checked with the people at Prague Castle directly and they confirmed that there is now only one type of circuit ticket. 

NOTE 2: When you buy tickets at the entrance, you can also add an audio guide for €14, or join a guided tour for €4 extra per person. I will talk more about each of these options later on in the post in more detail. 

Price: €10

Tower of the Cathedral 

This ticket will give you access to a nearly 100-meter-high tower with more than 280 steps to climb… If you are interested in gazing at the most beautiful and unique views of Prague and the bells of St. Vitus Cathedral, it is definitely worth it!

You will have to buy the ticket separately from the circuit ticket, right at the tower’s entrance. So you don’t have to decide right away whether you would like to climb up to see the view. 

Fun fact: Prague Castle’s first palace was built in the 12th century, so it is over 1,100 years old!

NOTE: You cannot access this attraction if you haven’t purchased the normal ticket.

Price: €6

The Story of Prague Castle

With this ticket, you’ll be able to attend an exhibition that tells the story of the thousand-year history of Prague Castle. This is where the Czech state was formed, so that’s a whole lot of history! 

The exhibition is located on the Gothic floor of the Old Royal Palace, showing original relics from the Prague Castle with detailed descriptions both in Czech and English. It also features interactive programs suitable for children!

You will see that the exhibition is divided into two main parts. The first one talks about the main historical events and the development of the castle up until the 20th century, and the second one gives some historical stories and events directly connected to Prague Castle, such as the Story of Czech Patrons.

If you’re fond of history, it is definitely worth it, but to fully enjoy the exhibition, I suggest you spend at least 2 hours here!

Like with the Tower of the Cathedral, you buy this ticket separately from the circuit ticket, but you cannot access this attraction if you haven’t bought the normal ticket.

Price: €6 for adults, €3 for kids, €12 for a family package

2. Skip the line by buying tickets online

As I mentioned before, if you’re visiting the castle during high season and want to skip the long entrance lines, you should buy your tickets in advance… It’s not by chance this is one of the best things to do in Prague!

NOTE: You still need to line up for security as no one can skip that line! 

Since you cannot book through the official Prague Castle website, you’ll have to do that through ticket resellers.

The best (and cheapest one) is Get Your Guide, which gives you a skip-the-line circuit ticket with access to the iconic Prague Castle’s main highlights: Old Royal Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George’s Basilica, and Golden Lane for €11. 

At just €1 more than the official ticket, I would say that is a pretty good deal! 

If you need to cancel at the last minute, you can cancel for free up to 24 hours in advance, no questions asked. This means there is no risk of booking in advance! 

Price: €11

Difference from buying at the gate: +€1 (WITH skip-the-line access included)

If all the tickets in GetYourGuide are all sold out, check Viator, Headout, and Tiqets for more (they’re all circuit tickets).

3. Take a guided tour of Prague Castle

While you can walk around the castle and read all the signs yourself, all that reading can get quite dry, and it doesn’t really tell you the whole story of Prague Castle. 

Fun fact: Prague Castle was built over hundreds of years as many of the Castle buildings went through several redesigns. The reason why Prague Castle continued to expand and change architecture was that it was the seat for many different rulers in the wars during the years

If you prefer to visit Prague Castle with an interactive guide who will explain all the history and significance of the castle, you might prefer to book a guided tour, either with a group or privately.

3.1 Group Tours 

There are 2 options when it comes to taking a group tour of Prague Castle: taking an official castle tour (bought at the entrance) or pre-booking a tour with an external professional guide online in advance. 

Both are worth it because you will learn way more about the castle’s history than if you visit it by yourself, but they each have their own perks!

Official castle tours at the entrance

When you buy the normal ticket (Prague Castle Circuit) at the entrance, you can choose to have a 1-hour group tour with a guide for €4 more per person. 

NOTE: During the tour, they will only show you St. Vitus Cathedral and Old Royal Palace. The other monuments included in the ticket can be visited by yourself after the tour.

To join a group tour you need to either be with at least four people or pay €24.

The tickets for the guided tour are available at the Information Centre of Prague Castle in the 3^rd courtyard (in front of St. Vitus Cathedral). Tours are available every hour, and you will need to purchase tour tickets at least 10 minutes before it starts, but this is also where you will meet your guide.

The guided tours are available in English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, and Russian. So, if you are interested in taking a group tour at the entrance, my suggestion is to go to the Information Center in the 3rd Courtyard at the earliest possible in the morning to find more availability and arrange it at your preference! 

This is a great option if you’re looking for a brief overview of the most visited parts of the castle but if you are interested in learning about the whole complex, I recommend you book the more in-depth option below. 

Pre-purchased group tours with an expert guide

With the castle tours bought on-site there is a large chance that you may miss out if you don’t arrive at the correct time, if the group is full, or even if there are not enough people to form a group. Also, the 1-hour length is quite limited, and it only takes you to a few areas of the castle.

So if you want a more in-depth explanation of what you are seeing and want to be sure you have secured a tour, a better option is to book it online in advance!

On this amazing 2 hour guided tour, you will visit the highlights of the castle (St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica, and the Golden Lane with Daliborka Tower) with a guide that will tell you everything about the history, architecture, and people living in this fairy tail structure. 

The tour is available at 10 am in English and German, and the meeting point is near the Charles Bridge.

Price: €26

If you don’t find availability for this tour, you can check these other options on Viator, GetYourGuide, or Tiqets for more. 

3.2 Private Tours

If you prefer to explore the Castle at your own pace and fully enjoy the full attention of your guide, you should definitely go for this 3-hour private walking tour instead. During this tour, you will visit the magnificent St Vitus Cathedral, see the Old Royal Palace, Vladislav Hall, and the Basilica of St George, and stroll down the atmospheric Golden Lane.

Aside from having a private guide just for you and your friends or family, some advantages of taking this private tour instead of a group tour are that you will be picked up directly at your hotel and will also see some highlights of Prague city after visiting the Castle, like the Lobkowicz Palace, Matyasova Brana, and Rosenberg Palace.

What’s more, the price per person decreases the more people you bring on your tour. This means you can pay as little as €43 per person if there are more than 8 people in your group! 

Plus, the tour is available in many languages (German, Chinese, Russian, English, Italian, French, and Spanish).

Price: from €43 per person

4. Save money with combo tickets

If you want to save time and money, you could combine a visit to Prague Castle with other city highlights with these combo tickets. 

Here are 2 valuable options for you which allow you to visit 2 attractions, either on the same day or at separate times (depending on your travel plans). These combo tickets are cheaper than if you buy them separately… so they’re definitely worth it:

• Prague Castle + Vltava River Cruise: Get a skip-the-line ticket to the Prague castle (with a 15-20 minute introduction in English from an expert host) and join a 1-hour panoramic cruise on the beautiful Vltava River, during which you’ll gaze at Prague main highlights (like the Charles Bridge or National Theater) from the water. This combo costs only €26, so you will save €3.

• Castle + Astronomical clock tower: Enjoy skip-the-line access for a hassle-free entry into the Prague Castle complex and the medieval Astronomical Clock Tower. Here you will learn the history of the clock tower and discover how it still tells the time, the date, and astronomical information. The combo ticket costs €30, so you’ll save €3.

5. Prague Card/CoolPass – is it really worth the price?

If you are planning on staying in Prague for a few days and doing as much sightseeing as possible, you may be considering getting a Prague City Card (now called the Prague CoolPass)

Many cities offer special attraction passes for tourists, which include entrance into a huge range of attractions and transportation options for one single price. Often this can be a great way to save money, but sometimes, they are not worth it if you don’t have time to visit enough attractions. So let’s find out how the Prague pass compares! 

The Prague card is available to purchase from 2-7 days, but consider that it is valid for days and not hours. So make sure you validate the ticket in the early morning to enjoy its full value!

Here are the adult prices:

• 2-days: €76 
• 3-days: €87 
• 4-days: €94 
• 5-days: €103
• 6-days: €112
• 7-days: €120

Even though the pass would offer great value if you could visit all the included attractions, unfortunately, that is pretty impossible in the limited time frame. 

From my calculations, you won’t easily get value from the 1 and 2-day passes, so here I have calculated the price of the most popular attractions on the card which you would be able to see in 3 days, to see if it really saves you money: 

Bus tour of the city (€19) + Prague Castle Ticket (€10) + River Cruise (€17) + Prague Zoo (€10) + Prague Planetarium (€6) + Jewish Museum (€14) + National Museum & New Building (€25) + Staropramen Visitor Center (€10) = €111

€111 (individual prices) – €87 (3-day pass) = You save €24

Is it worth it? As you can see, by visiting the major attractions in 3 days, yes, you can easily save money! What’s more, the card gains even more value the more days you purchase. 

Of course, you can try to squeeze as many attractions as you can visit into two days, but I don’t think you would fully enjoy them (no one likes to be in a rush), so in my opinion, only 3+ day cards are worth it.

PRO TIP: They have a cool calculator on their website where you can add all the attractions you want to see and choose the pass length you are interested in, then it will show you how much money you will save (or not) with the pass!

6. How to visit Prague Castle for free

As we have already seen, the historic buildings of the Castle require a ticket to enter, but there are actually parts of the Prague Castle complex that you don’t need a ticket to access. So while you can’t see all the decadent interiors, it is possible to visit it for free on your own! 

The free areas you can visit are:

• Deer Moat (free daily after 5 pm)
• The Castle grounds
• Golden Lane only after 6 pm (when all the souvenirs shops are closed)
• All the many courtyards and gardens (check out the map in my section on important info below for more info!).

And if you’re interested in the St. Vitus Cathedral, you can even look at its inside from the front door for free, but you cannot walk around and admire all the details without paying!

I honestly think that if you are interested in the history of the Castle, it is worth it to pay for the ticket because the free areas won’t give you a real feel of the attraction and you won’t be able to learn about what you are seeing! 

But don’t get me wrong, the free areas are still interesting and beautiful to visit, but are best in combination with the paid bids.

PRO TIP: If you don’t want to visit the paid parts of the castle but still want to learn about its history, I recommend you join a Prague Castle District walking tour, which takes you all around the castle districts and to the free parts of the castle with a knowledgeable guide for only €12!

Important things you should know about Prague Castle

Now that we have gone through all your different ticket options, let’s see some useful information about Prague Castle. Here are some things you should know before buying the tickets and visiting!

1. Layout of the Prague Castle & ideal route

The Prague Castle complex is spread over 110 acres of historic palaces, churches, courtyards, and gardens. Some of them are free of charge, while to visit others you need to pay. 

Fun fact: The castle is now the seat of the Head of State of the new Czech Republic!

Let’s see them all, so you can have a general idea of how the whole castle is structured and what to focus on:

Paid Parts (shown in red):

All the paid historical buildings of the complex are located between the Royal Gardens and the Southern Gardens (which are free), and are accessible by buying a Prague Castle circuit ticket. 

• I – Old Royal Palace: This has always been (and still is) the site of a statehouse and offers many rooms from the 12th century to explore, the most famous of which is the Vladislav Hall. On the floor right up this room, you will find The Story of Prague Castle (II) historical exhibition – that you can access by paying an extra €6.

• II – The story of Prague Castle: This exhibition tells the story of the castle complex, its rulers, and all the people connected to it (presidents, aristocrats, artists, servants, etc.), plus it houses the Czech crown jewels and the St Vitus treasury! The entrance fee is €6.

• III – St. George’s Basilica: This is the oldest building in the castle, featuring 2 towers (Adam and Eve) and beautiful frescoes and religious sculptures inside.

• V – Golden Lane: This is a lane full of colorful tiny houses, which were inhabited until the end of World War II by artists and craftsmen (now many of them are souvenir shops). If you don’t want to pay for it, you can visit it for free from 5 pm until closing.

• VIII – St. Vitus Cathedral: This majestic cathedral is the largest church in the Czech Republic and one of the biggest landmarks of Gothic design and architecture in the world, with Biblical scenes, gothic and gold details on the outside, etc.

• X – Tower of the Cathedral: This is a 100-meter-high tower with more than 280 steps to climb… at the end of which you’ll be able to gaze at the most beautiful and unique views of Prague and the bells of St. Vitus Cathedral, for €6!

Free parts (shown in green):

The castle grounds, featuring gardens and courtyards, are all free of charge, plus there are also some other buildings you can explore without paying. Let’s see them all: 

1. The Royal Gardens: These Italian Renaissance gardens are located on the northern side of the castle complex and offer exotic plants and animals and some cool attractions like the Ball Game Hall, the Orangery, and the Queen Anne’s Summer Palace.

2. South Gardens: The South Gardens run along the southern wall of the castle complex, between the paid bits and Prague. Here you’ll gaze at Classical Greek fountains and statues, Doric columns, and a small obelisk along the pathway. 

3. Stag moat: The Stag Moat, former breeding of deer in the 17th century, it’s the perfect place to take a break from the city and just relax in nature, maybe with a picnic. NOTE: The Stag Moat is open to the public only in the summer season.

Castle courtyards:

Apart from the main gardens mentioned above, there are other free areas in the complex, the beautiful courtyards. In fact, when you enter the castle grounds, you will pass through many courtyards that connect the entrance to the main paid parts of the castle.

Even if they’re not visible on the map, they are the blank parts inside the walls between the entrance and number VIII. Let’s see what you will find in each one: 

• X1 – Courtyard I: This courtyard is located right after the Hradcany Square Entrance and before the actual castle grounds, featuring the famous Matthias Gate, the Gate of the Giants with the Wrestling Titans.

• X2 – Courtyard II: Here you’ll find the New Royal Palace, serving state functions nowadays, the Chapel of the Holy Cross – a huge white building with a tower – and the Kohl’s Fountain

• X3 – Courtyard III: Here you’ll find the former home for the Bishop of Prague: the Old Provosty), which is not open to visitors. Other highlights are the statue of St. Wenceslas, The obelisk to commemorate the Czech dead of World War I, and the statue of St. George on a pedestal

• X4 – Courtyard IV: When you enter the last courtyard, you’ll find a window that will allow you to look into the ruins of the Church of the Virgin Mary, the oldest on the Castle grounds, built in the 9th century. At the end of the courtyard, there’s also the Garden on the Bastion. 

Changing of the guards

Every hour (from 7 am to 8 pm in the summer and to 6 pm in the winter), in the Hradcanske Square of Prague Castle, you can see the ceremonial changing of the guards. 

But if you want to see something special, arrive just before 12 pm, this is the main change throughout the day, and it also features a fanfare and flag ceremony!

Suggested Route: 

If you want to make the best out of all the attractions of the Prague Castle complex, I suggest you follow this route:

PRO TIP: I suggest you enter from the tram stop called “Pohořele” instead of the Pražský Hrad main entrance. This is because the Pražský Hrad entrance is super popular and it can have long lines to get through security, so you may have to wait for a long time! But since less people know about the Pohořele entrance, there is barely any queue! 

2. Opening hours & best time to visit Prague Castle

Here are the Prague Castle opening hours, which change for the different buildings of the complex:

• Prague Castle Grounds: 6 am to 10 pm (Monday to Sunday)
• Historical Buildings: 
  • From April to October: 9 am to 5 pm (Monday to Sunday)
  • From November to March: 9 am to 4 pm (Monday to Sunday)
• St. Vitus Cathedral: 9 am to 5 pm (Monday to Saturday). Sunday – 12 am to 5 pm. 

The last entrance is usually twenty or thirty minutes before the closing times, so make sure you arrive on time!

NOTE: Check the schedule for St Vitus Cathedral on the official website to ensure there are no services or official events happening, as it is still a functioning church, and when things are on, the church is closed to visitors!

Best time to visit

I suggest you visit the Castle grounds and gardens early in the morning (around 8.30 am), before you go exploring the historical buildings and especially before the crowds start gathering up (usually at noon).

How long does it take? 

If you want to explore all the attractions of Prague Castle: the free grounds, the historical buildings, and maybe even the tower of the Cathedral and/or the Story of Prague Castle exhibition, you should count at least 4 hours, but you can spend way more than that there if you are interested in history!

PRO TIP: The ticket is valid for 2 days, so if you have the time, it might be a nice idea to split up your visit so you aren’t so overwhelmed in one day.

3. How to get to Prague castle

Let’s see all the ways of getting to Prague Castle from Prague’s historic center, one of the best areas to stay in the city:

• By tram: The tram is one of the best and easiest ways to reach Prague Castle. Take tram #22 from Malá Strana for about 15 minutes, get off at Pražský Hrad and walk 5 minutes to the entrance of the castle complex. A 30-minute ticket costs €1.

• By metro: Take the Metro Line A (Green Line) connecting from anywhere in the city and get off at Malostranská station, then walk for about 500m to reach the castle complex. It will take you around 20 minutes and cost you €1.

• By car: Getting to the castle from Prague city center will take you about 10 minutes. There is a public car park right next to the Pražský Hrad tram stop, but parking spaces are limited. Otherwise, you can use the paid parking near the castle for around €3 per hour.

• Taxi: A taxi from Prague city center to the castle will take you about 10 minutes and cost you around €5.

4. What to bring (and not) to Prague castle

What to bring:

• Tickets (printed or presented on your smartphone)
• A valid ID card to take advantage of age discounts
• Food and drinks for a picnic in the gardens!

What Not to bring: 

• Weapons/explosives, 
• Flags or any sort of banners

NOTE: You will undergo a security screening at the entrance to check your luggage/backpack/bag so it is easier if you don’t bring any big items. 

5. Audio guides

If you buy your ticket at the entrance of the castle, you can also choose to hire an audio guide to learn more about its history. The audioguide features 96 stops at Prague Castle in total, covering both the exteriors and interiors of St. Vital, Basilica of St. George, and the Old Royal Palace.

The whole length of the recording is around 3 hours, but you can choose the places you want to stop at and learn more about. 

When you get the audio guide, you can choose to set it in your preferred language, from Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish,  Russian, and Korean (and change it at any time during the tour).

Price: €14

NOTE: If you don’t want such an in-depth explanation but still would appreciate a quick introduction to the castle, I suggest you buy a ticket with Headout. With this ticket, you can add an online mobile guide that will give you a 15-minute introduction (in English) and some interesting info about the most important places, artworks, and personalities of the complex, for just €2 extra.

6. Facilities inside & nearby Prague Castle

Luggage storage: There are no storage lockers available in the castle complex, so it’s better if you don’t bring luggage with you. 

Parking: There are 2 parking areas within walking distance from the castle complex; a public car park right next to the Pražský Hrad tram stop, and paid parking near the castle for €3 per hour.

Wheelchair accessibility: Every part of the castle complex apart from the Great South Tower of the Cathedral is accessible. 

Souvenir shops: You will find many souvenir shops on Golden Lane with unique hand-crafted things to take home. 

Food: There are several restaurants and bars in and around the castle if you want to take a snack or have a meal after visiting but be warned, they’re all quite expensive, and the food can be pretty average. I would suggest you eat somewhere outside the castle or bring a picnic to have in the gardens!

Toilets: There are toilets in the South Gardens and at all the entrances of the Castle complex.

FAQs about Prague Castle

Conclusion

Well, here we are! Now you know all the possible ways to get tickets to Prague Castle, how to visit it for free, with a tour, or with combo tickets.

I always suggest you buy your tickets online if you are going there during the peak season or school holidays to avoid the lines, otherwise, in the low season you can easily buy them at the entrance.

I’ve also provided you with some useful information about opening hours, suggested paths, facilities, and much more… So you should have everything you need to make the right choice!

I hope you enjoyed my guide, but if you still have any questions for me, please share them in the comments below. I am looking forward to answering you!

Enjoy your visit,

Elena 

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