With its Gothic castle, Baroque churches and Renaissance palaces, Prague is easily one of the world’s most beautiful capital cities. Wandering its cobbled streets is like visiting an open-air museum, studded with spires, medieval squares and ornate bridges spanning its River Vltava. Yet the city is far from stuck in the past. Its young population and thriving university gives the capital a forward-thinking feel and its historic streets are filled with stylish hotels, cool microbreweries and cutting-edge galleries. There’s plenty of time to experience the best of both over 72 hours in the city, with our handy guide to the Czech capital.
How to Spend 72 Hours in Prague
Words by
Siobhan Grogan
5th January 2026
Siobhan Grogan offers an easy guide to 72 Hours in Prague, including the cultural must-sees and restaurants you won’t want to miss. Known for its charming old town, striking architecture and lively bar culture, Prague makes a great weekend away.
Day One
Terrace at The Mandarin Oriental
Keep everything within walking distance by basing yourself in Lesser Town (Mala Strana). It’s just as beautiful as the Old Town but on the other side of the river across the historic Charles Bridge, close to the Church of St. Nicholas and Petrin Hill. Though it has plenty of restaurants and shops, it tends to be quieter than the Old Town with fewer crowds, particularly after dark. The five-star Mandarin Oriental, Prague is in a former Dominican monastery in the neighbourhood and pairs chic contemporary décor with vaulted ceilings, parquet floors and stone archways. The remains of a 14th-century church are still visible under the glass floor of the spa and some rooms overlook Prague Castle.
Church of St. Nicholas in Lesser Town ©Larissa Steel
Get your hands on a 72-hour Prague Visitor Pass to make sightseeing simple. It includes unlimited travel on the city’s metro, trams, city buses, trolleybuses and ferries, but also offers free admission or discounts at over 70 experiences citywide including galleries, museums, cruises and historic sites. Start with one of the included walking tours. The two-hour tour of Charles Bridge and Lesser Town heads away from the main sights to explore the area around the hotel including the street art-emblazoned Lennon Wall and the Grand Priory of Maltese Knights.
Café Savoy is on the banks of the river and has been serving traditional Czech dishes in an Art Nouveau building since the 19th century. It’s worth visiting for the stunning interiors alone, including a soaring neo-Renaissance ceiling and huge modern chandeliers designed by Czech artist Veronika Richterova from recycled plastic bottles. Dishes include a half dozen oysters, chicken schnitzel and open sandwiches, but the café is renowned for its homemade desserts so save room for apple strudel or the much-loved větrnik, a choux pastry filled with cream and glazed in caramel.
Vltava River. ©Larissa Steel
See the city from the water on a boat cruise, also included in the visitor pass. One-hour sightseeing cruises on the 1920s ship Maria Croon travel upstream under the Chechuv, Manes and Charles Bridges, or join one with Prague Venice, which leaves underneath the Charles Bridge itself and sails along the Čertovka canal.
On the way back to the hotel, call to the Franz Kafka Museum in Mala Strana, which tells the story of the city’s most celebrated author through historical documents, photographs and manuscripts. The unique exhibition mirrors Kafka’s own existential anxiety and oppressive thoughts with low lighting, windowless rooms and unexpected layouts.
End your first night back at the hotel to dine in contemporary Czech restaurant Monastiq which has a menu inspired by Bohemia’s culinary traditions served under an arched ceiling and overlooking the courtyard. Start with a heady Kafka’s Treasure cocktail of cognac, amaretto, absinthe and nutmeg, then order steak tartare with wholegrain mustard ice cream and forest honey, and sweetheart cabbage in a spicy garlic sauce with a parmesan crumble.
Day Two
The Prague Astronomical Clock
Get up early to see the Old Town before the crowds descend. Wander cobbled alleyways lined with pastel-coloured medieval buildings, then head to the top of the Gothic tower at the Old Town Hall for the best view over the terracotta rooftops below. A procession of apostle figures emerges from the tower’s famous astronomical clock when it strikes the hour from 8am. In contrast, the new Signal Space recently opened in the Old Town Market Hall and is the country’s largest digital art gallery, allowing visitors to interact with light, sound and movement in a restored historic building.
Wander along Prague's colourful streets ©Larissa Steel
Hit the shops from there. Havelský Market dates back to the 13th century and sells foodie souvenirs and wooden toys among the fruit and vegetables. The tree-lined Pařížská Street has all the big-name designers, while Palladium Prague has five floors of shops, including Divoký býk for leather goods. Seek out independent Czech boutiques like Navarila for woollen clothes and Manufaktura for traditional handicrafts, ceramics and beer shampoo. Call by the recently renovated Máj department store to see giant butterfly sculptures by artist David Černý mounted on the outside.
Stop by Bistro Sisters to try one of the Prague’s classic open sandwiches. The avocado and prosciutto is one of the best, but be sure to order a portion of the café’s legendary potato salad on the side. Visit Ovocny Svetozorfor ice cream afterwards – the soft-serve banana and strawberry točená is unmissable.
Next, visit the National Museum at the head of Wenceslas Square, the spot where the country’s independence was declared in 1918 and where a peaceful protest in 1989 helped overthrow the communist government. The museum includes an exhibition charting modern Czech history from the First World War.
Inside Prague's National Museum
W Prague is right outside on Wenceslas Square itself. Located in a handsome art nouveau building that was once the city’s landmark Grand Hotel Europa, W Prague opened at the end of 2024 and its buzzy Le Petit Beefbar au Grand Café restaurant overlooks the square. Food is exceptional, with a menu featuring street food dishes to share (order the braised short rib quesadillas with Manchego cheese) alongside meat-focused classics such as Japanese wagyu striploin with truffle fries. Don’t even think about passing on the dessert menu either. The 70% Guanaja chocolate souffle with mango sorbet is to die for.
Have a nightcap at U Fleku, a 500-year-old pub that has been brewing continuously since 1499. There are eight extravagant drinking halls to choose from, including the atmospheric wood-panelled room where the Czech elite used to gather over its famous dark lager in the 19th century.
Day Three
The UNESCO-listed Prague Castle ©Larissa Steel
Work off breakfast by hiking up the hill to the UNESCO-listed Prague Castle, a rambling complex of palaces, gardens, churches and courtyards founded that looms over the city below and was founded in the 9th century. Once the seats of Bohemian kings – including Good King Wenceslas – it is now the official residence of the President of Czech Republic. It’s easy to spend the whole day here but make sure not to miss the ornate St. Vitus Cathedral, home to the Bohemian Crown Jewels, and Golden Lane, a cobbled street of tiny colourful houses where Kafka once lived and worked in No. 22.
Lunch in the Lobkowicz Palace Café & Restaurant inside a 16th-century palace within the castle complex. First look round the museum, which houses one of Europe’s oldest private art collections, then bag a table on the terrace at the back of the café for sweeping views across the city while you dine. Czech dishes, including beef goulash and homemade dumplings and confit duck leg with red cabbage, are a speciality, plus there’s excellent local wine too.
There’s still time to squeeze in another museum. Veletržni Palac is the home of the National Gallery Prague and has a superb collection of mainly 19th and 20th century art, including several works by Picasso, Renoir, van Gogh and Klimt. Alternatively, follow signs and walk the scenic 15 minutes to the 12th-century Strahov Monastery, with its spectacular library, art museum, flower-filled gardens and craft brewery, which has three unfiltered, unpasteurised beers on tap for a quick pit-stop.
River tour on the River Vltava ©Larissa Steel
Luckily, it’s downhill all the way back across the river to the Old Town. Call in to Perníčkův sen, a delightful gingerbread shop that specialises in traditional Czech decorated cookies. Continue onwards to the Jewish Quarter to visit the oldest active synagogue in Europe and the Old Jewish Cemetery, which dates back to the 15th century and is testament to the often-turbulent history of the city’s Jewish population.
Splurge on a final night dinner at Field, the Old Town’s Michelin-starred restaurant belonging to celebrated chef Radek Kašpárek, a judge on the Czech version of Masterchef. Six or ten course tasting menus focus on straightforward presentation of strong flavours with a creative twist, plus optional wine and intriguing juice pairings. Seasonal ingredients might include fallow deer, hare, chokeberry, pumpkin or black garlic.
Rooms at Mandarin Oriental, Prague start from £288. A 72-hour Prague Visitor Pass costs from 3200 CZK (approx. £116) for an adult. For more information on Prague, visit https://prague.eu/en/
