Prague was breathtaking.
Every inch of the city was colorful, vibrant and fun, yet filled with so much history. Whether you’re keen to see the main sites of Prague, learn about it’s background, or simply visit the more quiet, less-touristy areas of the city, read on.
How do you do Prague in one day (on a student budget)?
9:30am: Breakfast. PRICE: 150CZK
Visit a small but delicious juice bar, located in the centre of Prague, near the main square. At Fresh Life Juice Bar, you can get a freshly squeezed juice of your choosing, and they also sell small snacks like baguettes and croissants. Sooo refreshing.
10am: Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock. PRICE: FREE
While sipping on your juice, walk into the main square and visit the Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock. If you get to the clock a few minutes before 10, STAY! Every hour on the hour, small figures appear inside the clock, making a cute show for a few minutes. Must see!!
After a small breakfast and so much walking around, you might be working up an appetite at this point. If you’re looking to stay on budget, you can grab a sandwich, sausage, fruit basket, and more for about 100CZK or less at any of the markets that you come across (they are everywhere, and they’re super cute). If you have a little extra money to spend, visit Vytopna Restaurant. This awesome restaurant has decently priced and delicious food, but the coolest thing about it is the way your drinks are served: by model train! A few trains circle the restaurant on individual tracks that visit each table. The train stays for about 5 minutes (enough for you to grab your drink), and then takes off! Lunch here is about 300CZK or less.
Visit the Prague Castle (this part is free), and enjoy the largest coherent castle complex in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The castle complex contains buildings of several different architectural styles, and is the main destination for tourists in this city, meaning it can get busy! However, it is a must see when in Prague.
After exploring the castle complex, climb the spiral staircase up the South Tower. This is a nice workout for your thighs, but totally worth it! There are more than 280 steps, but once you get to the top, the view is crazy. You can see the entire city – the Cathedral bells, the Charles Bridge, the River, the Gardens, and more.
4pm: Chill time. PRICE: FREE
Have a seat somewhere in the shade near the castle and rest after hiking up the South Tower. Grab a snack at a small café, and enjoy the fresh air and breeze at the top of the biggest hill in Prague. The walk down from the castle is definitely easier than going up, but it will be nice to catch a break at this point before heading down.
5pm: Dancing House. PRICE: FREE
After you walk down from the Castle, cross the Charles Bridge, and stroll along the river towards the Dancing House. This building was very controversial at the time is was built because it stood out from the other Baroque and Gothic buildings that Prague is famous for. However, it provides a modern break from the traditional styles of architecture in the city.
Though this price seems to be a lot, it was worth it. During the pub crawl, you visit 5 or 6 different, popular pubs and bars in Prague. The first pub you visit offers a “power hour” – one hour of unlimited, free drinks! If you do this right, you don’t have to buy any more drinks for the rest of the night. The last club you end up at, Karlovy lazne, is a 5 storey club with a different theme/genre on each floor. The energy in here is awesome, and this club is considered to be the biggest club in all of Europe. Even if you’re not into the clubbing scene, the top floor is a “Chill Out”, where you can go just to casually sip and chill. Make sure to buy your pub crawl tickets from an authorized hostel or office, and make sure they give you a receipt in return. You have to trade in this receipt later for your ticket. Don’t buy tickets off the street either, as there are some scammers that will take advantage of you.
That sums up a full day in Prague, hitting all the awesome spots to visit, for about 650CZK, which converts to around 40CAD. The Pub Crawl adds about 30CAD to this, but in return you get a fun night out in Prague, with an hour of free drinks!
Next time I’m in Prague, I want to check out the outskirts of Prague, or do a few day trips. Looks like I’ll have to come back.
