How to visit Prague Castle in 2024

Written By Vaclav Zahradnik

Prague Castle is the most famous attraction in Prague, visited by millions of tourists every year. We are here to help you to orient in this maze of churches and exhibitions so you have the best day ever in the Prague Castle!

View from the tower of the St. Vitus Cathedral

How to get to the Prague Castle

If you need good sweaty cardio, you can climb the Old Castle Steps near Malostranska metro, or the New Castle Steps (I know, confusing) near the British Embassy, but that might take a while. We recommend taking tram #22 or #23 to the stop Prazsky Hrad or to a stop earlier called Kralovsky Letohradek. In both cases, the entrance to the castle will be just across the road.

Choose your entrance

Prague Castle has several entrances your choice of which will determine your whole visit. Again, if you don’t mind walking uphill, you can take the Old Castle Steps or enter via Deer Moat (only open in the summer season). The easiest way to get inside the castle is by taking a tram to the two tramstops we mentioned above. The official entrance to the Prague Castle is through the Giant’s Gate located on Hrdcany Square. To get there, you have to take a tram to either Brusnice or Pohorelec and walk 5-10 minutes from there.

Black Tower

Is Prague Castle free to visit?

Yes! Despite being on the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest ancient still functioning castle complex in the world, you can wander around there for free. You will be able to see all the courtyards and gardens without a ticket. In addition to that, you can also enter the Golden Lane for free after its museums close at the end of the day - 4 pm in winter, and 5 pm in the summer season. A small part of the St. Vitus Cathedral is also available to enter without admission, but sometimes it is closed due to reconstructions and special events.

Prague Castle Tickets

Let’s get straight to the big news - the Prague Castle administration has raised the prices for the tickets since March 1st. Now, the Mian Circuit of the castle which includes St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica, and Golden Lane will cost 450 crowns per person. Other admission fees had also gone up in cost. The student, family, and elderly discounts still work, but will only knock off 150 crowns from the overall cost.

Nevertheless, we will continue doing tours of the Castle interiors, just with the new price! So if you are interested, check out our tour description and find out more.

How to Buy Tickets to the Prague Castle?

The best option is to buy tickets directly in the castle in one of the info centers at the second and third courtyards.

You can also now buy tickets online via hrad.cz website, but you will still need to bring a printed copy.

Types of Prague Castle Tickets and Prices

  • Main Circuit Ticket - 450 crowns, includes Old Royal Palace, St George’s Basilica, St Vitus Cathedral, Golden Lane

  • Permanent exhibitions - 300 crowns, includes Story of Prague Castle, Castle Guard Exhibition, Prague Castle Picture Gallery, Rosenberg Palace

  • Prague Castle Picture Gallery - 200 crowns

  • Tower of the Cathedral - 200 crowns

Official pricelist of the Prague Castle

Opening Hours of Prague Castle

Prague Castle is opened daily from 6 AM till 10 PM.

Prague Castle is an active residence of the Czech President, so visits of foreign ambassadors and heads of other states are pretty common. That means certain parts of the castle can be blocked from the public. It is usually announced on the hrad.cz website so make sure to check it out.

Prague Castle with 100 Spires City Tours

Prague Castle Tours

BONUS TIP!

Prague Castle is located on a hill and it can get quite windy and cold up here. Make sure to dress appropriately!

We have made a video update for the Prague Castle on the Real Prague Guides Youtube Channel!

Thank you for reading! Check out our blog and other social media linked below :)

Vaclav Zahradnik
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