2 Days in Prague Itinerary: A Fairytale City Break

Fairytale Prague is one of the most enchanting cities in Europe. Prague has managed to retain its charm despite being one of the most popular cities to visit in Europe. Prague is small and can easily be explored in a weekend, which is why I’ve compiled my ultimate 2 days in Prague itinerary!

This itinerary is perfect for a first trip to Prague, and will allow you to see all the highlights of the city, including Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the Lennon Wall, & more. If you have longer to spend in Prague see my full travel guide here!

Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!

2 Days in Prague Itinerary

Day 1: Old Town Walking Tour, New Town, Rooftop Drinks & Dinner

10AM: Old Town & Jewish Quarter Walking Tour

Free walking tours are one of my absolute favorite ways to explore a city (don’t forget to tip your guide 🙂 ) I did this walking tour in Prague and it’s a great introduction to the city and Czech culture. It’s 2.5 hours, wihch to me is the perfect time for a walking tour. Some of the longer ones tend to be a bit slow and information overload in my opinion!

This walking tour does a deep dive into Old Town Prague, the most popular part of the city, and an intro to Prague’s Jewish Quarter, where you’ll visit the Old-New Synagogue and a few other stops.

Other Old Town Highlights include:

• Old Town Square & its architecture
• the Astronomical Clock
• Church of Our Lady Before Tyn & Basilica of St. James
• Cubist House of the Black Madonna
• Seat of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

12:30PM: Explore the Charles Bridge

Your walking tour will end right near the Charles Bridge. The Charles Bridge is one of the most famous landmarks in Prague building of this medieval stone arch bridge started in 1357, and it still is actively in use today. It is lined on either side with a total of 30 statues of saints.

You’ll see the bridge many times in these 2 days, but take some time to explore it and admire the intricacies as you head across the bridge towards the neighborhood on the other side of the river, known as “Lesser Town” You’ll explore more of this area tomorrow, but now lunch on the river!

1PM: Lunch on the Vltava River

Head to one of Prague’s most picturesque restaurants, BRICK’S | Hergetova Cihelna for an upscale lunch with stunning river views. Reward yourself with a Czech beer after all that walking, and don’t worry, you’ll walk more of it off this afternon!

3PM: Explore Prague’s New Town

Head back across the river (try taking the Legion Bridge this time) This will bring you to the New Town area of Prague. To me, this area is not quite as picturesque as Old Town, but there are still a ferw cool things to see here!

Highlights of New Town to Explore:

• Karlovo náměstí – this is the main New Town Square, where you’ll find the New Town Hall (plus tons of shopping and nightlife if you’re looking to explore later!)
• Dancing House – Prague’s Dancing House is one of the most unique pieces of modern architecture in Prague. The building was designed by Frank Gehry, a world-famous architect. The building is also sometiems referred to as “Ginger and Fred” because the dancing towers mimic the famous dancers Ginger Rogers and Fred Astair. The location of the Dancing House is significant because it was the location of an apartment building destroyed by the U.S. bombing of Prague in 1945. The most impressive part is the outside, but you can also go inside for free (it’s a hotel)
• Rotating Head of Kafka – The Rotating Headof Kafka by artist David Cerny is another interesting modern thing to see in Prague. The memorial is inspired by Kafka’s short story Description of a Struggle

Depending on your pace you likely only need an hour or two here, giving you time to go back to the hotel to change/rest before the evening if you’d like!

6PM (or sunset): Find the Best View in Prague at Hotel U Prince Rooftop Bar

As you many know from reading this blog, finding a drink with a view is always a must on any trip to a new city, and Prauge does not disappoint. Hotel U Prince Rooftop Bar overlooks Old Town Square and offers the best views of the whole square. It’s stunning, especially at sunset.

I was able to walk right in when I was there in the spring, but you may want to reach out to try to make reservations! This is the perfect spot for a pre-dinner drink.

8PM: Dinner in Old Town Square at Restaurace Mincovna

I almost never recommend restaurants in the main tourist square of a city, as they tend to not be the most authentic of best options, but Restaurace Mincovna is absolutely the exception. This restaurant was recommended to me by several locals, who all noted they eat there regularly.

You’ll find traditoinal Czech food with a modern twist at affordable prices in the most stunning setting. It’s a can’t miss, I had the beef brisket and it was incredible.

Day 2: Prague Castle, Lennon Wall, & Lesser Town

10AM: Prague Castle

The Prague Castle dominates the Lesser Town of Prague. It’s famous for being the world’s oldest and largest ancient castle complex, and it really is massive. It can be a bit confusing to visit as it’s so big and includes many of the streets and areas around the castle.

Certain parts of the castle are free to visit, while some require a ticket to enter. The courtyards and gardens surrounding the castle are free to visit + a small area of St. Vitus Cathedral. You can also visit Golden Lane for free outside of castle opening hours. Golden Lane is a colorful street where workers of the castle lived.

Tickets get you access to Old Royal Palace, Basilic of St. George, Golden Lane and St. Vitus Cathedral. I highly recommend a skip the line ticket if you’re visiting during spring, summer or fall. The lines can get insanely long.

I’d plan to get there early, and try to look at a map and decide what you want to see in advance as you may get a bit lost wandering around! Give yourself about 2 hours to explore this area. It’s also up quite a hill so prepare yourself for the walk!

12PM: Lennon Wall

An anonymous artist originally created the Lennon wall after the murder of John Lennon along with art & Beatles lyrics. It soon became people to express irritation with the communist regime in then Czechoslavakia. The wall has been repainted multiple times since its inception, usually as a form of protest.

It’s free to visit, and doesn’t take long, althoug the cute streets nearby can be fun to explore in Lesser Town. I like the square around Na Kampě, it’s one of the most picturesque areas of Prague

12:30 PM: Lunch in Lesser Town

This area and the neighborhood mentioned above are a great place to grab lunch (or you could head right back across the Charles Bridge. Here are some of my recommendations

Lesser Town:

• U Glaubiců – traditional spot right near Lennon Wall
• Laboratorio della pizza – AMAZING pizza if you need a break form heaver Czech food

Old Town:

• U modré kachničky II – traditional fare right in Old Town
• FAT CAT – fun spot with tex mex, burgers and more if you’re looking for something a little different!

2:30 PM: Try one of Prague’s Infamous Beer Gardens – Letna

After a day and a half of a jam packed itinerary I recommend a more chill afternoon exploring Prague like a local. Letna Park offers stunning panoramic views of Prague, and its beer garden is popular with locals and tourists alike for good reason. If the weather is nice this is a great place to spend your afternoon.

Letna is a bit of a walk (30 minutres from the Lennon Wall, or 20 minutes from Old Town Square, but it’s so worth it and a great way to see more of the city.

If the weather isn’t nice or a beer garden isn’t your thing, you could also opt to explore some of Prague’s other highlights, like the Infinity Book Tower or the Kafka Museum

5PM Try a Traditional Trdelnik 

You can’t leave Prague without trying a traditional Trdelnik – these chimney cakes are cooked right in front of you over an open flame and rolled in cinnamon sugar, you can get them fillled with a variety of things and topppings added. I love vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Grab one at one of the many, many spots you’ll pass on your way to the Charles Bridge for sunset. It’s the perfect combo!

6PM (or sunset): Head to the Charles Bridge

Sunset at the Charles Bridge is a must on your Prague trip. SO, so stunning!

8PM: Dinner at one of Prague’s Most Iconic Restaurants

Lokál Dlouhááá

This local watering hole was one of my absolute favorite spots in Prague. Filled with locals and tourists alike, this friendly no-frills spot serves great Czech food (and beer) at a reasonable price. It was recommended to me by several locals and I could not agree more with their recommendation! This is a super fun place to wind down after a long 2 days in Prague,

If you’re still up for it Prague has super fun nightlife! There’s live music in many of the places around Old Town Square, you can find tons of bar crawls, and New Town is filled with nightclubs open to the early morning!

Prague Travel Map

Where to Stay in Prague

Hotel Paris Prague

I loved this classic, old-school, Art Nouveau style hotel in Prague Old Town. Hotel Paris was upscale, clean, and felt like how I picture fancy hotels being back in the day. They had a stunning cafe, a restaurant/bar, and a spa in the basement.

Josephine Old Town Square Hotel

I stayed at this hotel on my recent trip to Prague for the Christmas Markets and it was the absolute perfect location, it’s only a 2 minute walk from Old Town Square. This hotel is located in a historic building and has a traditonal feel with antique furniture and decor. I would recommend it just on the location alone!

Other Travel Content

See my other Prague travel content. Planning a longer trip? I love combining a Prague and Budapest trip. See itineraries below!

• 10 Best Restaurants in Prague
• 8 Best Things to do in Prague
• 3 Days in Budapest Itinerary