Best Things to Do in Czech Republic (2026)

The Czech Republic is richer in substance than most visitors realise. The things to do in Czech Republic centre on Prague but extend well beyond it: Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO-listed castle town on a river bend in South Bohemia, draws fewer visitors than Bruges but is equally beautiful; the spa town of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) is where Beethoven, Chopin, Goethe, and Peter the Great took the waters; and the Sedlec Ossuary at Kutna Hora, where a Czech monk arranged the bones of 40,000 people into chandeliers, coats of arms, and bone sculptures, is one of the most singular places in Europe. Czech beer — Pilsner Urquell from Plzen, Budvar from Ceske Budejovice, Kozel from Velke Popovice — is the world standard from which all lager descended.Best time to visitMay through September is the most pleasant season. Prague’s Christmas market (late November through December) on the Old Town Square is one of the most atmospheric in Central Europe; the mulled wine is good and the crowds are manageable before Christmas Day. April and October have fewer tourists at the major sites and comfortable temperatures (10-18C). July and August in Prague are the busiest and most expensive; the city is genuinely crowded. Winter (January-February) is cold (-5 to 5C) but Prague is beautiful in snow and almost entirely free of tourist queues at popular sites.Getting aroundVaclav Havel Airport (Prague) is the main gateway. The metro (lines A, B, C) covers central Prague and connects to the airport (Bus 119 to Nadrazi Veleslavin, then Line A). Trams cover the broader city including Hradcany Castle and the Vinohrady neighbourhood. Cesky Krumlov is 3 hours by bus from Prague (Student Agency/Regiojet). Karlovy Vary is 2.5 hours by bus. Kutna Hora is 1 hour by direct train from Prague Hlavni Nadrazi — an easy day trip. A rental car unlocks the Bohemian castles and the Elbe river valley cycle route.What to eat and drinkCzech food is filling, meat-centred, and excellent in its own terms. Svickova (beef sirloin in cream sauce with bread dumplings) is the national dish; try it at Lokál on Dlouha in Prague — a deliberately traditional Czech pub that does everything correctly. Bramboracka (potato soup served in a bread bowl) is the best street food in the Old Town. For trdelnik (the spiral pastry sold everywhere in Old Town Square), ignore the tourist-facing tourist traps and note that it is not a traditional Czech food — it’s Slovak. Czech Pilsner: Pilsner Urquell, served properly unfiltered (nepasterizovany) in Prague’s Lokál pubs, is different from any bottled version you’ve had abroad. Slivovitz (plum brandy) and Becherovka (herbal liqueur from Karlovy Vary) are the national spirits.Neighborhoods to exploreStare Mesto (Old Town), Prague — The medieval core: the Astronomical Clock, the Old Town Square, the Jewish Quarter (Josefov), and the Charles Bridge over the Vltava.Mala Strana (Lesser Town), Prague — The baroque neighbourhood below Prague Castle: the St. Nicholas Church, the Kafka Museum, and the gardens that climb to the castle terrace.Vinohrady, Prague — The residential neighbourhood east of the city centre: Art Nouveau apartment blocks, Riegrovy Sady park (with the city’s best beer garden), and the city’s most authentic local restaurants and coffee shops.Cesky Krumlov Old Town — The UNESCO-listed town wrapped in a river bend: the 12th-century castle complex (the second-largest in Bohemia), the baroque theatre, and the surrounding forest that makes it feel entirely apart from the modern world.Josefov (Jewish Quarter), Prague — The former Jewish ghetto, rebuilt in the 19th century: six synagogues (including the Old New Synagogue, in continuous use since the 13th century), the Old Jewish Cemetery, and the Jewish Museum of Prague.Kutna Hora — The UNESCO-listed mining town 70km from Prague: the Sedlec Ossuary bone church, the Gothic Cathedral of St. Barbara, and the medieval silver mine experience at Hradek.FAQWhat are the best things to do in Czech Republic?The best things to do in Czech Republic include crossing the Charles Bridge at dawn (before the crowds), touring Prague Castle’s St. Vitus Cathedral, visiting the Sedlec Ossuary at Kutna Hora, exploring Cesky Krumlov’s castle and old town, tasting unfiltered Pilsner Urquell at a Lokál pub in Prague, and attending the Prague Christmas market on the Old Town Square in December.How many days do I need in Czech Republic?Five days covers Prague well and allows day trips to Kutna Hora and Karlovy Vary. Seven days adds Cesky Krumlov overnight. Ten days lets you explore the Bohemian spa triangle (Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne, Frantiskovy Lazne) and the castles of the Elbe river valley.Is Czech Republic safe for tourists?Very safe. Prague has a low violent crime rate. Pickpocketing is the main risk, concentrated in the Old Town Square, on Tram 22, and at the Easter and Christmas markets. The ‘tourist taxi’ overcharging scam has improved since Uber and Bolt became available. Cesky Krumlov and other Czech towns are extremely safe.What is the best time to visit Czech Republic?May-September for pleasant weather. Late November-December for Christmas markets (Prague’s is exceptional). April and October for shoulder-season prices and fewer crowds at Prague Castle. Winter is cold but atmospheric and uncrowded.How do I get around Czech Republic?Prague metro and trams for the city. Train from Prague to Kutna Hora (1 hour), Cesky Krumlov via bus (3 hours), Karlovy Vary by bus (2.5 hours). Rental car for Bohemian castles and the countryside. Vaclav Havel Airport to city centre by Bus 119 + metro (40 minutes).Is Czech Republic expensive?Czech Republic remains one of Western and Central Europe’s better-value destinations, though Prague has become noticeably more expensive since 2015. A mid-range hotel in Prague’s old town runs 120-220 euros per night. A half-litre of Pilsner Urquell at a local pub costs 40-60 CZK ($1.80-2.70). A sit-down dinner at Lokál costs 300-500 CZK ($14-22). Prague Castle entry is 350 CZK ($16).What are hidden gems in Czech Republic?The town of Telc in South Moravia — a UNESCO-listed Renaissance town square surrounded by a fishpond system — is one of the most beautiful towns in Central Europe and visited by almost no international tourists. Moravian wine country around Mikulov and Lednice (the Liechtenstein summer palace in a landscape garden the size of a small country) is 2.5 hours from Prague by train and largely unknown outside the Czech Republic. The Stara Posta cable car in the Krkonose Mountains is the longest funicular railway in the country.