Our picks for the best day trips from Prague! Take some time to get out of the city and see the countryside, medieval villages, centuries old castles, and much more on one of the many amazing day trips from Prague!
Prague Trip Planning Resources: Where to Stay | Things to Do | What to Pack
After living in Prague for over a year, we've had more than enough time to explore the city and beyond. And that includes some truly spectatcular day trips.
While there's more than enough things to do in Prague to keep you busy, there are some wonderful destinations just outside the city as well. If you have the time, consider exploring with one (or more) of these amazing day trips from Prague.
I've really tried to keep in mind everyone's different travel styles, so I've included information for independent travelers, and for travelers who'd prefer to take a tour.
As always, the tours we recommend are through Get Your Guide, because they offer spectacular service and always get great reviews from our readers. If you're planning to tackle these day trips on your own, I recommend using RentalCars.com to find the best rate on a local car rental.
And if you're just beginning to plan your Prague vacation, be sure to check out our Prague Neighborhood Guide as well, which will give you all the information you need on Prague's various districts and top hotels.
And now, without further adieu... here are our favorite day trips from Prague!
Day Trips from Prague
Take a day trip from Prague to Kutna Hora, and explore the UNESCO World Heritage Town and the Bone Church.
The Bone Church in Kutna Hora, as it’s colloquially known, is one of the first day trips we did from Prague, and it remains a highlight of our time there.
An ossuary with very creative decorations (chandeliers, coats of arms, and more) made from human bones. It's an impressive and sobering site.
Click to read more about organizing a day trip from Prague to Kutna Hora.
Take a day trip from Prague to Terezin Concentration Camp, to remember and honor the Holocaust victims who lost their lives.
It took us quite a while to make a trip to Terezin. After visiting some of humanity’s darkest sites, such as the Killing Fields in Cambodia, Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland, and the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Berlin, our hearts just couldn’t take it, and Terezin has a particularly sad history.
That said, it's an important part of Czech history, and incredibly important that we remember those sad times so that we can be sure they're never repeated.
Terezin is an incredibly interesting place and a wonderful memorial to the many people who lost their lives during this part of our history.
Click to read more about organizing a day trip to Terezin from Prague.
Take a day trip from Prague to Cesky Krumlov, an insanely pretty ‘mini Prague’ in South Bohemia, and yet another UNESCO World Heritage site.
Cesky Krumlov is a spectacular medieval town just a few hours south of Prague, and I’d go so far as to suggest it’s a “must-see” if you’re in the Czech Republic.
It’s easy to visit on an overnight trip on your own, or as a day trip with a tour, and really is worth the time. It’s just so pretty!
If you go in the summer, one of the popular activities is floating down the winding river, looking up at the castle. We visited in October, and kept ourselves warm with Czech food in traditional pubs!
If you are looking to book with a tour company for a day trip, we highly recommend this tour from Get Your Guide.
If going on your own, you should plan to stay overnight to avoid driving in the dark. We recommend staying at the Ubytování u BÍLÉ PANÍ, which is right in the heart of the town.
Take a day trip from Prague to Karlstejn Castle and town - it's the closest castle to Prague (other than Prague Castle itself), set in a pretty village in a pastoral setting.
Karlstejn is one of the easier day trips from Prague, and in our opinion, it’s really fairly easy to get there on your own or as part of an organized tour.
The castle itself is pretty, but my favourite part of our day trip to Karlstejn was the views…it’s a really gorgeous area!
Click to read more about organizing a day trip from Prague to Karlstejn.
Take a day trip from Prague to Karlovy Vary Spa Town, to bask in the natural hot springs.
If I had friends coming to Prague for 2 weeks, I’d suggest they took the time to visit Karlovy Vary as a day trip from Prague. However, if I had friends visiting Prague for just 1 week or less, I’d probably suggest they focus on some of the other day trips I’ve suggested in this list.
The history of the city dates back to the 14th century, when the local mineral springs were used as treatments for famous figures such as Peter the Great and Goethe. The hot spring is the most famous attraction - spewing out hot thermal waters to a height of 12 meters.
An organize tour is the easiest way to see Karlovy Vary in a single day. We recommend this tour from Get Your Guide. It includes transporation from Prague. You'll tour the town to see the historical and modern colonnades the city is known for, taste the water from all 12 natural mineral springs, and sample the traditional liqueur of Becherovka.
If you decide to tour on your own, I recommend staying overnight at Villa Rosa, which has amazing views of the town!
Take a day trip from Prague to Dresden Germany!
I know – I’m getting crazy over here, suggesting day trips to entirely different countries.
But Dresden is REALLY cool. And it’s not a top tourist destination for many people who visit Germany, so visiting as a day trip from Prague is actually not a bad way to see Dresden.
We’ve done this ourselves, and we’ve sent visiting friends up to Dresden as day trips, all to great reviews!
The simplest way to take a day trip from Prague to Dresden is on an organized tour like this one. It includes transpiration to and from Prague, and a full-day guided tour of this charming city.
If you decide to visit on your own, consider staying the night. I suggest the Star Inn, which has a great location in the center of the action.
Take a day trip from Prague to Pilsen, or Plzeň as it’s spelled locally.
I always thought Pilsen was a type of beer rather than a brewing style. Either way, the word is synonymous with Czech beer, and has been imitated the world over (think Beck’s or Heineken).
And it all began here, in Pilsen, about 90km from Prague. Learn about the history of the famous brew on an entertaining tour of the Pilsner Urquell Brewery that ends with a sample straight from the barrel!
Pilsen itself is a great opportunity to see another Czech city on your trip without investing a lot of time. The town doesn't have as much charming appeal as others on this list, but you come for the beer anyway!
Spend some time in the old town square, visit St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral (which is the highest tower in the country), and the Jewish Synagogue (the second largest synagogue in Europe).
Click to read more about how to organize a day trip to Pilsen from Prague.
Also, feel free to pin this for later!
Kassie says
This is a great list! I only had a short amount of time in Prague so I spent it all exploring the city but I would love to go back and see some of these sights!
Katie Matthews says
Glad we could be of help and hopefully you do get to return to Prague one day. It's such a fantastic city!
Gessell says
Great write-up. Looks like Karlstejn Castle really is pretty easy to get to from Prague. We're going to make it a point to head there this year. For the last few years we've spent Christmas in the Czech Republic and this year I wanted to make sure we visited someplace new as well. Thanks for the information!
Katie Matthews says
Fantastic - Christmas is such a lovely time to visit. Hopefully Karlstejn will be blanketed in snow :)
Enjoy!
Lewis Watson says
Thanks for sharing an informative blog. The information you have shared really helpful to all tour lovers. It's very much true that there are many beautiful places in Prague to travel like Charles Bridge, Old town square, St. Vitus Cathedral etc. [Comment edited by moderator due to advertising].
Kong says
Thanks for the guide! My wife and I will be going to Prague in August and will try doing a couple day trips!
Geoff Matthews says
Excellent! Glad you found it helpful...have fun!
Tetesa says
Thanks for your information. My husband and I are thinking of going to Prague in September and staying in the centre of the city as a home base . The day trips sound very interesting.
Katie Matthews says
Perfect plan! Also, Prague in September is usually quite nice. If you like wine, there might be some harvest festivals on around that time too!
Shweta says
Hi...i arrive at 11am in prague and want to do a half day trip smwhr outside the city as i will be doing tge city tour the next day. What can you recommend? A trip starting at about 2pm. Thanks
Katie Matthews says
Kunta Hora might be fun, or you could go to Karlstejn Castle as well. You won't be able to get to Cesky Krumlov in that time. Regarding specific tours and starting times, check out Get Your Guide. We've also used and recommend Context Travel before (although we haven't used them in Prague - just Rome and Budapest), but I don't know if they have day trips - might just be more trips in the city.
Bethany Ridings says
Im going to Prague for a week in December. Do you recommend any of these more than others as better to visit during the holiday season?
Katie Matthews says
Hi Bethany - so sorry for the delay in getting back to you, and thanks for getting in touch. A trip up to Dresden would be awesome at this time of year, as the Germans truly know how to do Christmas! The Christmas market in Dresden is supposed to be fantastic, and we sent some friends on a Dresden day trip in December a few years ago, and they came back with high praise. Cesky Krumlov is also supposed to have a lovely Christmas ambience, but we haven't experienced it personally (a bit more reading). Hope this helps!
Hitesh Bhatia says
If I could do only 1 on these which one would you recommend? I have 3 1/2 days in Prague and I want to give Prague 2 1/2 full days for I am keen to return in the evening/night itself. My travel is Mid-October.
Katie Matthews says
Hi Hitesh!
It depends on what you're interested in, but I would probably suggest Kutna Hora (because the "bone church" is so unique), Pilsen (to see a smaller Czech city, but especially if you're interested in beer and taking the brewery tour) or Karlstejn (who doesn't like castles!?! Also, I think the views would be spectacular in October with the autumn leaves changing to reds and oranges). I think Cesky Krumlov is too far to go for a day, and Karlovy Vary is a bit more difficult for a day as well. If I had to rate them in order of my personal preference, I would say #1 is Kutna Hora, followed by Karlstejn and then Pilsen. I hope this helps and have a great trip! October should be a great time to travel :)
Jenn says
These are great suggestions. I’ve only had the opportunity to visit Sedlac Ossuary and Terezin. I highly recommend both.