24 Hours In Prague: What To See & Do

This post will share how to spend 24 hours in Prague, Czechia.

For my 20th country, I decided to head back to Central Europe.

I visited Vienna and Budapest last year.

So, my travel schedule for this year had to include more countries in that region.

I booked a day trip because I decided I would spend no more than 24 hours anywhere outside of Southern and Western Europe.

While I love to explore new territories, I also want to be comfortable and not feel like an intruder to the locals.

So, based on previous experience, day trips are the sweet spot for these cities.

Also, I’m trying to travel smarter.

After visiting twenty countries and even more cities, I know what works.

This includes how 24 hours is more than enough for many cities.

After my first trip of the year to Alicante, I booked a trip to Palma de Mallorca in February.

But I had to cancel because I had to finish my master’s dissertation.

I didn’t feel comfortable travelling when I had a looming deadline.

I was eager to visit a new country after missing that trip – even though I wasn’t really sad about it as I’ve visited Spain multiple times.

Prague is the last major European capital city I have yet to visit.

Aside from the other Eastern European and Scandinavian cities, which don’t really count.

But that is going to change soon.

Anyway, let’s get into the details of the trip.

Here’s How To Spend 24 Hours In Prague

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, a country in Central Europe known for its storybook architecture and UNESCO World Heritage historic centre.

It is the most visited European city after London, Paris, Rome, and Istanbul.

Perhaps the city’s most essential aspect is its survival from the war and violence of 20th-century Europe.

Visiting this city felt like ticking off an item on my bucket list.

I wasn’t exactly excited, nor did I have any high expectations; I just wanted to see what the fuss was about and get over it.

I just dipped in and out, and I’m glad I did.

So, if you’re a Person of Colour, specifically a Black woman, this post will provide tips on enjoying your trip regardless of any discomfort.

Flights

Cost: £123.4 return

Finding flights for day trips can be challenging.

This is why I use the Kiwi app.

I input my dates, and it gives me details of same-day flights across various airlines.

For this trip, I took a 6:05 a.m. flight with EasyJet and returned with a 6:30 p.m. flight with Jet2.com, my first time with this airline.

Often, the dates and times you want are not the same as those of the same airline, so it is essential to be flexible.

I use both Skyscanner and Kiwi to find day-trip flights.

But I prefer Kiwi as the app is more seamless.

The flight took about 2 hours each way.

While I wanted to fall in love with the Prague Airport, the arrival process was shambolic, to say the least.

Passport Control literally took 45 minutes instead of the usual 10 – 15 minutes, which immediately derailed my day.

Mind you, I still had to take a 45-minute bus ride into the city centre, so I did not appreciate this delay at all.

Plus, the weather was also foggy, which didn’t help, so my day didn’t start off great.

Airport Transfer

Despite the delay, I tried to make the best of the trip.

Thankfully, I didn’t need to wait too long as the bus going into the city centre was about to leave.

There are two major ways to get from Prague Airport to the city centre.

Fortunately, I took both options, so I can recommend the best to use:

• Airport Express Bus: This direct bus takes you from outside Terminal 1 straight to the Prague Train Station. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend this because the train station is about a 15-20-minute walk to Old Town Square, which is the city’s centre. Tickets cost €2.50 one way, and you can pay by card on the bus. I took this when I arrived. For some reason, Google Maps was acting up, so the walk took longer than expected.
• Metro + Bus: Immediately, I saw that I had to change halfway through the journey, so I decided I wouldn’t go with this option. It turns out it was a better option, as the Metro station is about five minutes from the Old Town Square. I took this coming back, which was so much more convenient. Tickets cost €1.50 for 90 minutes, which covers both metro and bus.

I recommend the second option as it is faster and the metro takes you five minutes to the Old Town Square where you can begin your exploring.

Prague Public Transport

It’s super easy to move around Prague, especially if you have a lot of ground to cover.

I typically prefer to explore on foot, but you can hop on a bus, tram, or metro if you don’t want to.

The ticketing system is a centralised one that works across all modes of transport.

Experiences

Before I share the essential attractions you need to see in Prague, here’s a quick hack I always preach for day trips, especially if you’re working the next day and want a stress-free trip: hop on a hop-on-hop-off bus.

I know they might sound or look cliche, but it’s so much easier if you can see all the essential attractions at once.

If the stops aren’t long enough for you, hop off, explore and hop back on.

If you can visit a coastal city like Prague or Budapest, combine a 24-hour hop-on and off ticket with a river cruise.

It makes a huge difference, as you can enjoy the trip at your own pace without combining multiple attractions at once.

I preferred to take the boat cruises for the past couple of trips.

I can take stunning pictures of my coffee table books from the rooftops of the boats.

Remember that if you’re going on a boat cruise in the winter, it will be freezing, so plan adequately.

I noticed that bus companies prefer to use double-decker open-roof buses during warmer months compared to colder ones when roofs are closed.

Unfortunately, this limits the amounts of photos I can take without hopping off.

So I prefer to combine them with a 50-minute boat cruise to maximise the time.

Must-See Attractions In Prague.

Bus Route

If you’re looking to maximize 24 hours in Prague by jumping on the Hop On & Off Bus, here are the major attractions to see:

• Old Town Square: The historic town square in the Old Town Quarter has multiple historical buildings, statues and memorials.
• Prague Astronomical Clock: This is the world’s third-oldest and oldest working clock, installed in the 14th century.
• Old New Synagogue: The 12th century Europe’s oldest active synagogue.
• Powder Tower: The original city gates that separate the Old Town from the New Town.
• Old Jewish Cemetery: This is one of the most important Jewish historical monuments and the largest cemetery in Europe.
• Church of St. Martin in the Wall: The 11th-century Gothic church built adjacent to the walls of the Old Town.

River Cruise Route

• Prague Castle: The 9th-century castle is the largest ancient one in the world.
• Charles Bridge: This is a 13th-century medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the River Vltava, the Czech Republic’s longest river and national river, and was the first connection between Prague Castle and The Old Town.
• St. Nicholas Church: A 17th-century Baroque church on the former grounds of a Gothic church.
• Franz Kafka Museum: A museum dedicated to a famous author from Prague.

In Conclusion

Unfortunately, like Rome, Prague is one of those cities that requires at least an entire weekend to explore.

There’s just so much to see.

But this doesn’t mean a day trip is impossible; you must be reasonable with your itinerary.

Despite the stares and cold shoulders from the locals, spending 24 hours in Prague was a success.