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I visited Prague for a few days in the summer and it is just as lovely as everyone had mentioned. There is so much history, gorgeous architecture, delicious food, and wonderful people in this beautiful city. There is so much to see and do here that I was a little overwhelmed in the beginning but I figured out a great 3-day itinerary and I hope this will help you out on your trip to Prague too!

OVERVIEW

DAY 1 - Charles Bridge, John Lennon Wall, Kampa Island, Mala Strana, Lokal, Astronomical Clock, Creme de la Cream, Zamecke Schody Stairs

DAY 2 - Old Town, Den Noc, Jewish Quarter, Dancing House, Vysehrad, InterContinental Prague Rooftop Bar

DAY 3 - Cafe Louvre, Prague Castle, Wenceslas Square, Franciscan Gardens, U Pinkasu, Head of Franz Kafka, Lucerna Hall

DAY 1

MORNING

7AM Charles Bridge

Start your day early and check out the Charles Bridge first. It’s one of Czech Republic’s most iconic landmarks. A historic bridge built in 1357 that crosses the Vltava river, the bridge used to be an important trade route between Eastern and Western Europe. There are a line of statues along the bridge and the most notable one is John of Nepomuk, the saint of Bohemia in the 13th century. You’ll be able to spot out his statue easily because there is a ring of stars above his head. They say that if you touch his statue, it will bring you good luck.

If you touch the bottom of this statue, it’s said to give you good luck

8AM John Lennon Wall (4-minute walk)

Right under the bridge is the John Lennon Wall. It’s not the prettiest wall with crazy graffiti drawn by millions of tourists but it is a symbolic wall. During its Communist regime, protestors would come out here at night to declare their freedom of speech. The wall was in front of a French Embassy (meaning there were no spies) so the Communist soldiers would not catch it until the following day. The wall would be painted back to its original color but the protestors kept on coming back. After the fall of Communism, a portrait of John Lennon was drawn on the wall to symbolize freedom. Nowadays, tourists from all over the world write down their messages of freedom and love.

Layers and layers of paint on the John Lennon Wall

9AM Kampa Island (3-minute walk)

Nearby, you can walk to Kampa Island where you can view the pretty swans of Prague up close. You can also see the giant creepy baby sculptures created by the controversial artist David Cerny. He is a Czech artist with over ten different sculptures located around Prague and this is one of his famous ones.

You’ll usually see some swans around Kampa Island

10AM Mala Strana (8-minute walk)

Mala Strana is a charming area of Prague filled with beautiful baroque-style buildings and churches. There are several eateries to enjoy around this area. The St. Nicholas Church is also located here and it’s famous for Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart both having concerts here. If you want to take a look inside the church, it will cost 100 kr.

AFTERNOON

1PM Lokál U Bílé kuželky (3-minute walk)

Grab some lunch and beer at one of Prague’s most popular and authentic restaurant and pub. You’ll enjoy freshly prepared homemade food and draft beer straight from the tanks.

3PM Old Town - Astronomical Clock Show (14-minute walk)

Prague's Astronomical Clock is the oldest working clock in the world built in 1410. Located in Old Town, it puts on a show on the hour every hour with four figurines coming out representing four things that were despised in the 15th century: vanity, greed, death and lust.

You’ll definitely want to catch one of the shows when you're in Prague BUT be prepared for the massive crowds. You can also go to the top of the tower and get a great view of Prague.

Be prepared for mass amounts of people at the Astronomical Clock

4PM Ice cream at Creme de la Cream (3-minute walk)

If you’re hungry for some snacks, this ice cream shop is the perfect stop. I loved their ice cream so much that I stopped by here THREE times. They have vegan ice cream as well (get the salted peanut butter!).

EVENING

6PM Zámecké Schody Stairs and Sunset by Wrestling Titans (18-minute walk)

Walk up the Zámecké Schody Stairs (or Old Castle Stairs) to the top of the hill by the Wrestling Titans to get a grand view of Prague. The views are incredible and the walk up hill is well worth it. The best part is that it’s not too crowded. Around this time and in the summer, it’s nearly impossible to go anywhere without a crowd, so it’s a nice treat. Thanks to my friend, darling traveler for the tip!

8PM Dinner at Velkoprevorsky Mlyn (14-minute walk)

Right by the John Lennon Wall is a lovely restaurant with a great view of The Grand Priory Mill, one of the two wheels remaining on Devil’s Stream. Velkoprevorsky Mlyn serves traditional Czech food and a variety of other European dishes.

DAY 2

MORNING

7AM Old Town

If you don’t care about seeing the Astronomical Clock show or want to see Old Town in a more quiet setting, wake up early and admire the beautiful square. There will be a few early risers and wedding shoots going on but it’s a totally different vibe from the busy afternoons.

8:30AM Breakfast - Den Noc (4-minute walk)

If you’re hungry for some breakfast, head on over to Den Noc. It is the cutest restaurant with wonderful pancakes and other breakfast foods. Get here early to beat the crowd because the seating is limited and it’s pretty popular.

Delicious mini pancakes with fruit at Den Noc

10AM Jewish Quarter (7-minute walk)

Next, take a stroll around Jewish Quarter. This used to be one of the poorest neighborhoods in Prague and now it’s one of the richest with high-end stores like Valentino and Gucci. Next to the shopping area are several synagogues you can visit along with the Old Jewish Cemetery.

AFTERNOON

12PM Dancing House (25-minute walk or 7-minute tram ride)

To view a little more modern structure in Prague, stop by the Dancing House. It was created in 1996 by Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry and was a bit controversial at the time because the building is a stark difference from all of the beautiful Baroque, Gothic and Art Noveau buildings in Prague. It is also known as Fred and Ginger named after the famous dancers, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as it resembles a pair of dancers.

1PM Vysehrad (22-minute walk or 4-minute tram ride)

Vysehrad is a little out of the city center but it’s super simple to reach via tram (only a 4 minute tram ride from the Dancing House). It dates back to the 10th century and has changed its function and appearance several times over the years. It was a royal castle, a city, a fortress and at the end of the 1800s it became a national symbol and the cemetery of the most famous Czechs.

This was one of my favorite sites in Prague and if you have extra time to spare, I highly recommend spending it here. There is so much to explore and it’s more enjoyable with less crowds. Even the locals like coming here.

EVENING

7PM InterContinental Prague Rooftop Bar (11-minute tram ride)

You could end the evening in Vyshrad’s beer garden with cheap beer, great grilled food and fantastic views of Prague or head back into the city center and enjoy a rooftop view at Intercontinental Prague.

DAY 3

MORNING

8:30AM Breakfast at Cafe Louvre

Cafe Louvre, which first opened in 1902, is one of Prague’s top cafes. Albert Einstein and Franz Kafka used to frequent this cafe. It’s a lovely cafe overlooking Narodni street and they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. I tried their famous pancakes with raspberry sauce and although the sauce was a little too sweet for me, I can see why others would enjoy this dish. They also serve excellent coffee and desserts.

10AM Prague Castle (19-min tram)

There is a lot of ground to cover at Prague Castle, 750,000 square feet to be exact, and depending on what you want to explore, you can spend all day here. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world built in the 9th century. You can explore the front part of St. Vitus Cathedral for free but you will have to decide which ticket you want to purchase to see the rest of the grounds.

Golden Lane is also free after 5pm. Although all the shops will be closed, you can still explore the narrow street lined with miniature houses from the 16th century that used to be home to the castle’s servants.

Prague Castle (view from Charles Bridge)

12PM Official Change of Guards Ceremony

The changing of the guards at Prague Castle happens every hour on the hour but their official ceremony happens at noon. It’s a fun event to watch.

AFTERNOON

1PM Wenceslas Square, Franciscan Gardens, and More (11-minute tram ride)

You can either explore the rest of Prague Castle or head back to the other side of the bridge and check out some of these notable sites: Wenceslas Square, Franciscan Gardens, U Pinkasu, Head of Franz Kafka, IL COMMENDATORE by Anna Chromý and Grand Cafe Orient. They’re all located pretty close to each other so it’ll be a nice walk around New Town in Prague.

Wenceslas Square - Many historical events occurred here such as the Velvet Revolution

Head of Franz Kafka (Czech novelist from the 20th century)

Franciscan Gardens - lush public garden with church in the background

EVENING

6PM Lucerna Hall (5-minute walk)

In the evening, check out Lucerna Hall where one of Prague’s famous statues hangs on the ceiling, King Wenceslas Riding an Upside Down Horse. It’s one of David Cerny’s controversial statues in Prague. There’s also a cafe, cinema and music bar here but the most interesting thing to see here are the non-stop running open wooden elevators called Paternosters. If you want a break and have a drink with a view, get off at the top and go to the Stretcha Rooftop (thanks to the Honest Guide for this tip).

If this isn’t your thing, you can go to Petrin Hill instead on the other side of the bridge and get a grand view of Prague.

David Cerny’s Upside Down Horse at Lucerna Hall

TIPS

Make sure to exchange your money at a legit establishment. THIS VIDEO gives you great tips on where to exchange your money at a fair exchange rate.
Uber worked out great for me in Prague and it’s reasonably priced as well. A ride from the airport to the city center was about 420 Kč (~$19 USD).
There are scooters scattered around the city but I would advise against using them as most of the streets are cobblestone making it difficult to ride and there are strict regulations on where you can park the scooters.
Take advantage of the early mornings when there are less people around. Prague can get overly crowded; especially in the summer.
Prague is a very walkable city but there are times you will want to use the tram or other public transportation to go a bit further. Their 24-hour pass is 110 Kč (~$5) and you can ride any mode of public transport including the metro system, all city trams and buses.
Make sure you validate your public transport ticket on your first use. All tickets must be validated with a stamp by inserting them in the yellow validation machines. Once validated, you do not need to stamp them again.

WHERE TO STAY

InterContinental Prague
- Right next to Jewish Quarter, 5-minute walk to Old Town and 10-minute walk to Charles Bridge

Dominican Hotel
- Right next to Old Town Square, 6-minute walk to Charles Bridge, 9-minute walk to Jewish Quarter

Hotel Kings Court
- 10-minute walk to Old Town, 15-minute walk to Charles Bridge

RECOMMENDED TOURS

I am a huge fan of Airbnb Experiences because they are almost always more intimate and you get a lot more out of these experiences than the free tours offered by the major companies. These were the two tours I enjoyed most in Prague:

Amazing Prague Tour - This was such a fantastic 3-hour tour of Prague. Our host, Sara, was wonderful and she took us around the most notable place of Prague along with a quick stop at a cute chocolate cafe for drinks and desserts. The group was small with about 8 people and I met a few solo travelers like myself on the tour.

Experience Real Photography with a PRO - If you want some professional photos of yourself around Prague, these are the guys to go with. Not only were they amazing but extremely kind and fun to hang out with. The best part was getting to spray paint our own message on the John Lennon Wall.