Private Prague excursion - Full-day sightseeing
The 1st part of the detailed day tour of Prague is packed with all the best monuments and also some less known places. The 2nd part can be more focused on the area of your preference - please see the recommended sightseeing spots in Prague below.
Since most of the "city of 100 spires" was spared of bombings in WWII, we have no earthquakes and the buildings were mainly constructed using solid stone, you can marvel at the well-preserved and thoughtfully restored churches, palaces, and burger houses, some dating back to medieval ages. But Prague also offers splendid modern architecture which blends well with the old.
The 1st part of the Prague excursion includes a quick peek into the library of the Strahov monastery, the Prague castle (St.Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace and St.George basilica), Charles Bridge, one of the Royal gardens and the Old Town, but we can customize the tour according to your preferences.
1st part: The best Prague landmarks
These are our recommended sightseeing spots in Prague for the first part of the excursion. If you are on a tight schedule, the majority of them can be squeezed into our half-day city tour. The 2nd part of the full-day excursion is described under this section.
Strahov monastery
A quick tour of the monastery founded in 1143, including a glance to the beautiful library from the corridor. Don't miss the breath-taking view from the terrace!
Prague castle
The dominant of Prague and seat of the Czech rulers for 1000 years! We will visit the St.Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, Golden Lane and church of St.George.
Castle garden(-s)
If it's not winter, enjoy the relaxed and calm atmosphere in one of the gardens around the castle - the Wallenstein garden or the Summer Palace garden.
Charles bridge
The iconic bridge built by Charles IV in 1357. We recommend climbing up the bridge tower for great photos of the castle towering above Vltava river (no lift).
Old Town Square
Colorful houses, Tyn church, St. Nicholas church and the Old Town Hall with the famous Astronomical clock. We recommend going up the tower (lift).
Jewish quarter
Take a walk or a short drive through the Prague Jewish Quarter. If you wish to enter the synagogues or the museum, we can add it to the tour cost.
!! If you add the entrance to the synagogues or Jewish museum, we may need to shorten some other program !!
2nd part: Choose an area of interest
After the 1st part of Prague excursion focused on the must-see sightseeing spots, the 2nd part starts. We can either stick to the standard plan below or you can let us know your preference and we can focus on the area of your interest (e.g. modern architecture, theaters, river cruise, classical music, etc.)
If you choose the option without a car, then only visiting the Municipal House will be feasible.
Municipal House
Visit the free zone of this gem of the Czech Art Nouveau architecture. We can also arrange a public guided tour including the famous Smetana hall (and add it to the tour cost).
Drive by the river
Take a short break and let us drive you by the Vltava river. Enjoy the views of the castle, the Dancing House and a short photo stop by the National Theatre.
Vysehrad
Once the seat of the Czech kings, a baroque fort, now a peaceful park dominated by the Sts. Peter & Paul's church, with the cemetery of the famous Czechs.
!! If you add the public tour of Smetana Hall, we may need to shorten some other program !!
Contents of the detailed Prague excursion
The full-day Prague excursion begins when our guide (and driver) pick you up at your hotel. We will first drive the Strahov monastery, the quick basic tour includes a quick peek into its marvelous library - often ranking in the top 5 most beautiful libraries in the world (we can also arrange entry and a private tour of the library upon request). You will be amazed by the view of the Lesser Town and the castle from the monastery terrace.
We continue to the Prague castle, where (apart of the free zones and courtyards) we will show you the breath-taking St.Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, St.George's church and the Golden Lane. Next on the list is enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of one of the gardens around the castle or the John Lennon's wall in the Kampa park.
The other dominant of Prague is the Charles bridge, the second oldest stone bridge in the Czech Republic, and its 30 monumental statues. We can climb up the bridge tower to take great photos of the river+bridge+castle combo (no lift!).
Then we transfer to the Old Town and have a free time for lunch (the guide can recommend a suitable restaurant). Afterward, we will show you the Old Town square with its richly decorated burger houses, Tyn church, St.Nicholas church and the statue of Jan Hus. Finally, you can enjoy the 400-year old moving Astronomical Clock (Orloj) of the gorgeous Old Townhall. We recommend to go up to the Old Townhall tower to experience the bird's view of the Old Town.
Based on your preference, we can just take a stroll through the Jewish Quarter, or we can add a combined ticket to the Jewish museum, cemetery and a synagogue or two. Mind you, the itinerary may become tight.
We get in the car again and transfer to the Municipal House, where the opening of the world-famous music festival Prague Spring takes place every year. We can see the free zone around the entrance and the restaurants and/or have a coffee in their gorgeous cafe and move on. Or we can arrange a public guided tour and show you the amazing Smetana Hall and richly decorated interiors. Again, we may need to shorten some other program.
If enough time left, we will drive through the city around the Dancing House and the National Theatre to the Vysehrad hill, where famous Czechs are buried.
Important tour info:
- Many parts of Prague are car-free zones, these will be done on foot
- Prague castle is the seat of the Czech president, everyone must undergo a quick security check upon the entrance. The waiting times in peak times in the high season can be up to 15-20 mins (the views are nice and our guide will be providing a general explanation about the castle while in the queue)
- The St.Vitus cathedral is closed until approx. noon every Sunday due to mass
- If you do not include the tickets to the Prague castle, you can still see the free zone (about 6 meters = 20 feet from the entrance) of the St.Vitus cathedral and pass through the castle courtyards
- There is no lift in the tower of the Charles bridge
- The lift is present in the tower of the Old Townhall (you may need to wait for a little)
- The tour is fully customizable. If you wish to start (or finish) the Prague excursion from the airport, it is possible, but an additional charge may incur
- Your lunch is not included in the tour fee. Our guide will be happy to recommend a restaurant. The guide and driver do not eat with you unless asked to
- Please note that if you wish to add the optional guided tour of the Municipal House, then the itinerary will be very tight - and we may need to shorten/cut some other parts of the program
- The optional guided tour of the Municipal House is with other tourist and done by a local guide
- The timings and availability of the optional tours of the Municipal House are advised about 2 weeks in advance and depend on their events, concerts, rehearsals, etc.
- If you add the optional Jewish Museum, we will have time only for a quick tour and 1-2 synagogues - unless we shorten/cut other parts of the itinerary
- It is possible to extend the excursion and order an additional hour (please discuss it with our staff)
The tour ends either at your hotel, or we can recommend a restaurant for dinner (you can order an additional dinner transfer).
