Prague 6 Days Plus Czech Day Trips

Prague 6 Days Plus Czech Day Trips

Six days: one in Prague, then five single-day trips, Kutna Hora, Karlstejn Castle, Terezin, Karlovy Vary, and Bohemian Switzerland, the last one a hiking day at the edge of what’s realistic without a guided tour. Have only five? See the 5 day version , which stops after Karlovy Vary. Want the city alone, no day trips? See the 6 day Prague itinerary instead.

Book these before you go:

Day Focus Travel time from Prague
1 Prague orientation None, you’re already here
2 Kutna Hora + Sedlec Ossuary 40 to 50 min by train
3 Karlstejn Castle 40 min train + 30 to 40 min walk
4 Terezin About 1 hour by bus
5 Karlovy Vary 1h35 to 2h15 by bus
6 Bohemian Switzerland 2.5 to 3 hours by public transport

Day 1: Settle into Prague

Morning: Land, check into Old Town or Vinohrady, and buy a 24-hour DPP ticket through the Litacka app or a station machine before you do anything else. Validate it the moment you board a tram, bus, or enter the metro; an unstamped ticket is not a valid ticket, and inspectors fine it on the spot, roughly CZK 1,500 to 2,500 (current fares at dpp.cz ). There’s no direct rail or metro from Vaclav Havel Airport, so budget the trolleybus 59 or bus 100 plus a metro transfer, about 35 to 40 minutes total.

Afternoon: Walk Charles Bridge and Old Town Square, both free, and watch the Astronomical Clock’s hourly show once. This day is intentionally light on the city itself, since the full walking-tour depth lives in the Prague guide ; this itinerary exists to get you out to the day trips with a clear head.

Evening: Dinner at a Vinohrady or Zizkov pub rather than anything on Old Town Square, a half-liter runs CZK 30 to 50 there against CZK 60 to 90 in the tourist zone for a worse pour.

Day 2: Kutna Hora and the Sedlec Ossuary

Morning: Trains from Hlavni nadrazi run roughly every hour and take 40 to 50 minutes; a return ticket costs CZK 100 to 140 (verify current fare). Book the Sedlec Ossuary’s timed entry ticket through sedlec.info before you leave Prague, since it no longer sells casual walk-up entry. Adult admission is CZK 220 and includes the neighboring Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec; the separate St Barbara’s Cathedral back in town needs its own ticket. Visits inside the ossuary chapel are capped at 30 minutes, and photography is not permitted.

Afternoon: Walk or take a short local bus into the main town for St Barbara’s Cathedral, a late Gothic church that rivals anything in Prague for ambition, and lunch in the market square. Kutna Hora is small enough that half a day genuinely covers it.

Evening: Trains back to Prague run through the early evening.

Day 3: Karlstejn Castle

Morning: Trains from Hlavni nadrazi run roughly hourly, about 40 minutes, ticket around CZK 78 one-way (verify at cd.cz ). From the village or station it’s a further 2.5km, 30 to 40 minutes, uphill to the castle gate, so wear shoes for it. The grounds and exterior are free to see; the interior is guided-tour-only.

Afternoon: Book ahead: a basic Imperial Residence tour runs about CZK 250, and the Chapel of the Holy Cross tour, the one with the real draw, the Bohemian crown jewels’ former resting place, runs about CZK 550 and caps its daily visitors, selling out weeks ahead in summer. Check current tour slots directly at hrad-karlstejn.cz , or use the GetYourGuide link above if you’d rather book everything in one place. Lunch in the village below the castle.

Evening: Trains back to Prague run into the evening; there’s no reason to rush this one.

Day 4: Terezin

Morning: A bus from Florenc, Prague’s main bus terminal, takes about an hour to reach Terezin. This is a WWII ghetto and transit-camp memorial, not a casual sightseeing stop, so pace the day accordingly and skip it with young children if the history feels too heavy for them. Entry to the main memorial sites runs around CZK 310 (verify current figure at pamatnik-terezin.cz ).

Afternoon: The Small Fortress, a separate Gestapo prison a short walk from the main memorial, rounds out the visit. Give it the whole afternoon; rushing Terezin does a disservice to what it’s there to communicate.

Evening: Bus back to Florenc, then something deliberately lighter for dinner.

Day 5: Karlovy Vary

Morning: Bus is the clear choice, 1h35 to 2h15 depending on the service, against roughly 3.5 hours and a less direct route by train. There’s nothing to book in advance; walk the colonnades and sip the mineral springs from the small spouted cups sold all over town.

Afternoon: Try Becherovka, the local herbal liqueur, at source, and take in the Grandhotel Pupp, a Casino Royale filming location, even if just from outside. This is a slow, strolling day, don’t stack it against another full walking day. Details on the springs at karlovyvary.cz .

Evening: Buses run back into the evening; there’s no ticket-office clock to beat here, unlike Karlstejn or the ossuary.

Day 6: Bohemian Switzerland

Morning: Independently, this is a 2.5 to 3 hour trip each way, train to Decin then a local bus to Hrensko, which turns the day into a genuine 10 to 12 hour round trip. A guided day tour, roughly EUR 45 to 95, cuts out the transfers and is worth booking for the time alone, see the link above.

Afternoon: The destination is Pravcicka brana, Europe’s largest natural sandstone arch, inside a park still recovering from the 2022 wildfire; check current trail access before you commit the day to it. This is the hiking day in this itinerary, pack accordingly.

Evening: Guided tours return by early evening; independent travelers should build in slack for the last connecting bus from Hrensko.

Is Bohemian Switzerland safe to visit after the 2022 wildfire?

Check before you commit the day, since the park is still recovering from a 2022 wildfire and trail access has changed as a result. The core route to Pravcicka brana has generally reopened, but conditions shift, so confirm current status rather than assuming the pre-2022 trail map still applies exactly.

Should I book a guided tour for Bohemian Switzerland?

Strongly recommended if you’re not driving. Independent public transport, train to Decin plus a local bus to Hrensko, runs 2.5 to 3 hours each way and turns the day into a 10 to 12 hour round trip. A guided tour cuts the transfers out and is worth the money for that alone.

Add a seventh day and the 7 day version closes with Cesky Krumlov, the one trip on this list that really wants an overnight rather than a seventh rushed day.