Traveling is my biggest passion in life, after nutrition and healthy food. However, since both my husband and I run our own businesses and work crazy hours, we can’t take that much time off, which means our trips have to be super efficient! I totally geek out before each trip and the scientist/engineer side of me shines through. I do an in-depth research, read tons of TripAdvisor reviews, and document all my findings in an Excel spreadsheet. In the past couple of years, I’ve been lucky enough to have a large Instagram community from all around the world that have helped me with fabulous recommendations as well. So, I decided to put all that together into this Travel Guide to Prague, hoping it would help you save some time when planning your next trip.
The City
I had heard so much about how beautiful Prague (or as locals call it, Praha) is and it certainly didn’t disappoint. With the reddish-orange rooftops of centuries-old houses, green copper church domes, and gothic cathedral spires, Prague’s magnificent skyline managed to take my breath away! It’s the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, situated on the Vltava river. It’s home to a number of famous cultural attractions, many of which survived the violence and destruction of 20th-century Europe. The main attractions include:
- Prague Castle & St Vitus Cathedral
- Petřín Hill
- Charles Bridge
- Old Town Square with the Astronomical Clock
- The Jewish Quarter
- The Dancing House
- Vyšehrad Hill & Castle
The Astronomical Clock in Old Town Square
We had 3 days and 3 nights in Prague, so managed to see them all except for Vyšehrad, which is a bit farther from the old town center (about a 25-minute bus ride).
I feel 3 days was plenty of time for us to explore most of the attractions and get a good feel of the city. Even 2 days would have been enough, but 3 days gave us enough time to relax and maintain a balance between sightseeing and soaking in the culture.
Getting Around
Most of the attractions are located within the old town center (Prague 1). The old town square with the famous church and astronomical clock, the Jewish quarter, Charles Bridge, and Prague Castle are all located within a walking distance from each other in Prague 1. There’s also trams and buses available if your feet start to hurt, and also Uber, the most convenient way to get around and visit other districts.
We started our first day by walking up to Prague Castle, which offers the most beautiful views of the city. You can purchase a ticket to go inside the castle, but we preferred to spend most of our time outside as it was a gorgeous sunny day. After hundreds of photos (not joking;), we walked to the cathedral, which was built in over 600 years!
If you’re a fan of city views, be sure to check out Petřín Hill next. You can either walk up the hill or come down, take a tram, and then the funicular to get to Petřín Hill. You have to purchase a ticket to go up the lookout tower though, so if you’re on a budget you might want to skip Petrin Hill altogether, as you can’t see much more unless you get up the tower.
Another interesting part of the city is New Town, which was created by King Charles IV in 1348 as a spacious new area between Old Town and Vyšehrad. It serves as the main commercial district including businesses, hotels, banks, museums, the State Opera House, and Frank Gehry’s famous “the Dancing House” building.
Can’t visit the Dancing House without taking a cliche photo 😉
As much as I loved old town, I found most of the restaurants and cafes to be super touristy. So if you’re looking for more authentic places where locals hang out, check out New Town and the west side of Prague 10, which houses some of the coolest bars we visited in Prague (more on that below)!
Cafés & Breakfast Spots
The Farm Letna ($$): I found this place on Yelp and decided to go there for breakfast the first day as it was on our way to the castle. It’s such a cute hipster spot that reminded me of Vancouver, with lots of natural light, plants, and bikes hanging from the walls. It’s perfect for a healthy breakfast or brunch and also a great spot for coffee, fresh bread, pastries, or even wine! There’s also a nice shaded outdoor courtyard, but we decided to sit inside.
I had the avocado toast with poached egg and a soy cappuccino, and hubby had their egg benedict with mushrooms instead of bacon. The food was good–not outstanding–but we were quite happy with the options and also the charming decor and ambiance. The coffee was a bummer as it was too cold for both of us. However, I’m sure they would’ve offered to change it had we mentioned it to them. They also have an acai bowl, oatmeal, gluten-free pancakes, and vegan sausages on the menu that unfortunately we didn’t get the chance to try.
Café Letka ($): This is another cute café for breakfast, brunch, and beer that I found on Yelp with great reviews. It must be popular among locals cause it filled up quickly after we arrived even though it’s in the middle of nowhere! I adore everything about this place. The long communal tables, the quirky decor, and their super simple brunch menu with only 2 options at the time:
- Letka breakfast: Their choice of sweet and savory ingredients from local farms (which consisted of an egg, a selection of cheeses and bread, homemade marmalade, fruits, and a salad)
- Sweet breakfast: Seasonal fruit, yogurt, homemade granola and marmalades, butter, and bread
Excuse me as I enjoy my Letka Breakfast and soy cappuccino 😉
Café Savoy ($$): This 19th-century restaurant & coffee bar came highly recommended both by Insta friends and in online forums. They offer a wide selection of pastries, cakes, cheeses, breakfast, quiches, sandwiches, and gourmet main dishes. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to try their food, so stopped there for dessert and coffee. We ordered 2 espressos and a chocolate tart. It took them forever to bring out our order and when it arrived they had forgotten one of the espressos. We had to wait another 10 minutes or so, which is why we didn’t have a very pleasant experience there. The tart was rich and delicious, but nothing to write home about.
Café Neustadt ($$): This bohemian, modern, and lively café in the courtyard of the New Town Hall, was recommended to us by locals. They have excellent coffee, fresh-pressed juices, light lunch options, pastries, and wine. Apparently, on weekends they have a DJ and small parties too. It was the perfect spot for us to relax after a long day of walking. The soy cappuccino was hot and delicious and they kept refilling our water.
Restaurants
Lokál ($$): This place was recommended to us by locals and it was one of the best, most authentic meals we had. If you’re looking to try hearty, quality homemade Czech food you need to check them out. I believe they have 3 locations; we visited the one close to Charles Bridge, Lokál U Bílé kuželky. The menu is pretty meat-heavy though, so if you’re vegan, it’s probably not the place for you. We had the baked cheese appetizer, crushed potatoes, and chicken breast with mushroom seasoning and butter, which were all incredible.
Eska ($$$): My friend Diala recommended this place to me, saying it was one of her favorite restaurants in the world! So I went in with high expectations and Eska did not disappoint! In fact, I have to agree with her 100%. We were completely blown away!
Eska is a café, bakery, and restaurant in a converted fabric factory. The open kitchen and bakery are located on the ground floor, where you get to admire rows of their freshly-baked sourdough. They use traditional techniques like marinating and fermenting, and there are lots of jars filled with their homemade pickles and sauerkraut by the front door, which might be available for purchase (I’m not sure). There’s also a communal table where people can sit and enjoy incredible coffee and delicious homemade pastries. To the right, there’s a host stand that offers seated dining upstairs.
The restaurant has a stark, industrial feel with a high ceiling, exposed bricks, pipework, and girders. They serve modern casual Czech cuisine with locally-sourced ingredients prepared by seasoned chefs. We went for lunch so I didn’t get to try their amazing breakfast menu. Hopefully next time. But their Potatoes in ash with smoked fish, dried egg yolk, and kefir is a must try. I can’t even describe the depth of flavors I experienced! It was such a unique outstanding dish that I will remember forever! We also had the chicken, which was the most delicious chicken I’ve ever had in my entire life! I’m generally not a big fan of chicken, but the way they had seasoned and prepared theirs was just out of this world! We finished off our meal with espresso and a traditional Czech pastry made with plums from the cafe downstairs. Perfect!
U Kroka ($$): Another amazing meal recommended by my wonderful Instagram community. This place is a real gem, away from the touristy areas, with a cozy and casual atmosphere. It wasn’t until this very moment that I realized this restaurant is very close to Vyšehrad! So if you’re planning a visit there, make sure to stop by for either lunch or dinner. We tried the goat cheese appetizer baked in filo dough that came with a large salad, walnuts, cranberries, and honey. The portions were much bigger than we expected, so my husband was super happy! For mains, I had the gnocchi in a creamy white sauce and hubby had the sesame-crusted chicken with potato puree. The food quality, value, and presentation were all superb.
Dessert
You can’t visit Prague without trying their famous pastry, trdelník, from side street vendors! Trdelník is like a chimney cake made from rolled dough that is wrapped around a stick, then grilled and topped with sugar and walnut mix. There are multiple topping options like chocolate or fruits and you can even have them filled with ice cream. Yes I know, they’re far from healthy, but I think it’s OK to indulge in the local cuisine while traveling as long as they don’t make you feel sick. I personally do OK with indulging every once in a while and just hop back on my healthy eating routine as soon as I get home.
Just make sure to buy from vendors that make them fresh in front of you. The first night we arrived I got too excited and got this one from the first vendor in the busiest spot of the old town and it was pretty average. The one I had the next day was made to order and tasted amazing with a soft dough and not as much sugar on top. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of the good one 🙁
Cocktail Bars
Hemingway Bar ($$): The coolest cocktail bar located in the old town inspired by the hard-drinking author, Ernest Hemingway. They carry his favorite liquors such as Absinthe, rum, and champagne. They actually boast a diverse offering of Absinthe and over two hundred different kinds of rum! The cocktails are outstanding, prepared exclusively from premium ingredients and fresh fruit juices, and the presentation is beautiful. Our server, George, was very helpful in recommending drinks and super friendly. We asked him about other cocktails bars that were popular among locals and he suggested a few spots, including the two below that we visited the next day.
Café Bar Pilotů ($$): This place is both a cafe and a bar located in Prague 10, which is where I believe the young locals hang out. The owner is such a nice friendly guy who runs the place with his wife. They have a list of genuine cocktails that they created inspired by a few neighborhood places. The ambiance is charming and inviting with old furniture and a piano, and the music was just right–not too quiet nor obtrusive. The menu is also cute and creative with watercolor paintings of their popular cocktails. I had the Plevel Restaurant, which consisted of fresh carrot, fresh apple, fresh beet, gin, fresh sherry, and lime (I asked for no sugar). As the menu says it was a vitamin bomb on gin 😉 So good!
Café V Lese ($$): Looking for the Czech hipster crowd? Head to Cafe V Lese (“cafe in the woods”). This place gets packed at nights and apparently, they have something going on every day (concerts, theater performances, design markets, exhibit openings, discussions, etc.). The aim is to create a living room where people get acquainted, intrigue and encourage one another to do various projects, and find their own talents. Their drink menu is written on the boards above the bar and they also offer small Czech microbrews on tap.
So, there you have it! My travel guide to Prague, which took me forever to put together! Hope you enjoyed it and found it useful. Please leave your tips and favorite spots that I’ve missed below in the comments. I would LOVE to hear from you! XO
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