Prague has a way of stopping you dead in your tracks. You turn a corner and there's a medieval astronomical clock ticking away since 1410, a Gothic church dripping with gargoyles, or a cobblestone lane lit by gas lamps that feel like they belong in a Kafka novel — because they do. Four days is enough to get under Prague's skin without just skimming its postcard surface.

This itinerary goes beyond the Charles Bridge selfie to include neighborhoods locals actually use, restaurants that don't gouge tourists, and a few hidden layers that reward the curious.

Prague Basics: What to Know Before You Go

Currency: Czech Koruna (CZK). €1 ≈ 25 CZK. ATMs are everywhere; skip the airport exchange desks, which charge brutal rates.

Getting there: Václav Havel Airport is 30 minutes from the center. Take Bus 119 to Nádraží Veleslavín, then Metro Line A downtown — total cost: 40 CZK (~$1.80). Taxis cost 400–600 CZK.

Getting around: Prague's metro (3 lines) and trams cover everything. A 24-hour pass costs 120 CZK (~$5.50). Walking is viable for Old Town and Malá Strana.

Best time to visit: April–May and September–October offer mild weather with smaller crowds. Avoid the Christmas markets unless you love 40-minute mulled wine queues.

Budget snapshot:

Category	Budget/Day	Mid-Range/Day
Accommodation	700–1,200 CZK ($32–55)	1,500–3,000 CZK ($68–136)
Food & drink	400–700 CZK ($18–32)	800–1,500 CZK ($36–68)
Transport	120–150 CZK ($5–7)	120–300 CZK ($5–14)
Activities	100–300 CZK ($5–14)	300–600 CZK ($14–27)

Day 1: Old Town and Josefov — The Medieval Core

Morning: Staré Město Before the Crowds

Start at Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) at 8:00 AM, before the tour groups flood in. The square is anchored by the Astronomical Clock (Orloj), which has been measuring solar time, lunar cycles, and the positions of the sun and moon since 1410. The hourly skeleton-and-apostles show runs from 9 AM to 11 PM — catch it, then move on; locals find it mildly ridiculous.

Cross to Týn Church, the twin-spired Gothic monster that lords over the square. Entry is free. Inside, the tomb of astronomer Tycho Brahe sits quietly in the right nave — the man who lost his nose in a duel and wore a metal prosthetic deserves at least a glance.

Walk the Royal Route (Královská cesta), the coronation road that winds from Old Town toward Prague Castle. Stop on Charles Bridge early: by 10 AM it's already packed, but the view of the Vltava with morning mist rising is genuinely one of Central Europe's best.

Afternoon: Josefov and Šporkova Alley

Josefov, Prague's former Jewish ghetto, is one of the best-preserved Jewish quarters in Europe. The Old Jewish Cemetery — where bodies were stacked 12 layers deep over 400 years because the Jewish community wasn't allowed to expand the cemetery — is haunting and unforgettable. The combined ticket for the Jewish Museum of Prague costs 420 CZK ($19) and covers six sites including the cemetery and the Old-New Synagogue, Europe's oldest active synagogue (built around 1270).

For lunch, escape the tourist drag and head to Lokál Dlouhááá (Dlouhá 33) — a Czech beer hall institution serving tank-poured Pilsner Urquell and solid svíčková (beef sirloin in cream sauce). Mains run 180–280 CZK ($8–13).

Evening: Dinner and the Prague Beer Scene

Prague has one of the world's cheapest quality beer scenes. A half-liter of Czech lager in a proper hospoda costs 40–70 CZK ($1.80–$3.20).

U Medvídků (Na Perštýně 7) claims to be Prague's oldest beer hall (since 1466) and brews its own X-Beer 33, one of the world's strongest lagers at 12.6% ABV. Dinner here with goulash and dumplings runs 250–400 CZK per person.

For something more contemporary, Pivovar Národní (Národní 1) is a craft brewery in a stunning 1912 building. Try the unfiltered pale ale with grilled trout.

Day 2: Prague Castle and Malá Strana — The Hill Above the City

Morning: Prague Castle Complex

Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) is the world's largest ancient castle complex, stretching 570 meters east to west. Allow 3–4 hours. Buy tickets online (350–650 CZK depending on circuit) to skip the lines at the gate.

Highlights within the complex:

St. Vitus Cathedral — the Gothic cathedral took 600 years to complete (1344–1929). The stained glass includes a window designed by Art Nouveau master Alfons Mucha.
Old Royal Palace — the Vladislav Hall, a vaulted Gothic/Renaissance ballroom where jousting tournaments were held indoors
Golden Lane — a row of tiny Renaissance houses built into the castle walls. Franz Kafka lived at No. 22 for a winter while writing. Entry included with castle ticket.

Lobkowicz Palace (separate ticket, 295 CZK) is the only privately owned building in the complex and contains an extraordinary collection including original Beethoven manuscripts and a Bruegel painting.

Afternoon: Malá Strana Exploration

Descend from the castle via the Old Castle Steps or the Nerudova Street — both are steep and charming. Malá Strana (Little Quarter) at the foot of the castle hill is Prague's baroque neighborhood: palaces, gardens, hidden courtyards.

Don't miss:

Wallenstein Garden (Valdštejnská zahrada) — a formal baroque garden with resident peacocks. Free entry. Open April–October.
Kampa Island — a small island below Charles Bridge with a David Černý sculpture park. Černý's giant crawling babies and other provocative pieces are scattered across Prague; this is your first encounter.

Lunch at Café Savoy (Vítězná 5) — a restored fin-de-siècle café with Neo-Gothic ceilings, excellent coffee, and a full bakery counter. The svíčková here is polished; budget 350–500 CZK.

Evening: Sunset from Petřín Hill

Take the funicular (30 CZK, or included in metro pass) up Petřín Hill. The Petřín Lookout Tower is a one-fifth scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, built in 1891. The real reward is the panorama of Prague's spires at golden hour. Descend through the orchards as the city lights come on.

Dinner in Malá Strana at U Malé velryby (Malostranské náměstí 15) — a tiny, beloved spot doing modern Czech cuisine. Book ahead: only 30 seats.

Day 3: Vinohrady, Žižkov, and Nusle — Prague Beyond the Tourist Zone

Morning: Vinohrady — Prague's Best Neighborhood to Live In

Vinohrady is the Art Nouveau district that feels like Paris without the attitude. The residential streets radiating from Náměstí Míru (Peace Square) are lined with late 19th-century apartment blocks, independent cafés, and bakeries.

Start with coffee at Café Záhrada (Mánesova 79) — a garden café inside a historic building, locals-only vibe. Then walk to Riegrovy sady park, where a beer garden with possibly the best hilltop view of the Žižkov TV Tower operates from spring through autumn. Order a Kozel (dark lager, 45 CZK) and stare at the tower.

The Žižkov Television Tower (Žižkovský televizní vysílač) is simultaneously the ugliest and most fascinating piece of architecture in Prague. Built 1985–1992, it stands 216 meters tall and is decorated with enormous crawling babies — again, David Černý. Ride to the observation deck for 250 CZK; try to book the one-room hotel suite inside if you want the most unusual night in Prague (from €120/night).

Afternoon: Žižkov Cemetery and Nusle

Olšany Cemetery is one of Prague's most atmospheric corners: Kafka is buried here, along with a Who's Who of Czech intellectual and cultural history. Stroll the tree-shaded lanes among the Gothic tombs and find the monument to Soviet soldiers that locals have complicated feelings about.

Lunch at Vršovická hasička (Krymská 18, Vršovice) — a converted fire station turned neighborhood beer hall. Czech classics, zero tourists, excellent tank beer. Mains: 160–220 CZK.

Evening: Žižkov Bar Crawl

Žižkov has the highest bar-per-capita ratio of any neighborhood in Europe (allegedly). Start at:

Bar and Books (Mánesova 79) — whisky bar in a book-lined room
Bukowski's (Bořivojova 86) — the original Žižkov dive, named after the author, still dark and cheap
Storm Bar (Seifertova 26) — the craft beer spot with 16 rotating taps

Dinner can be a second snack at any hospoda — trdelník (chimney cake) on the street is a tourist trap; opt for a fried cheese sandwich (smažený sýr) from a food stand for 60–80 CZK.

Day 4: Day Trip or Deep Dive — Kutná Hora or Nusle Bridge + Vyšehrad

Option A: Kutná Hora Day Trip (Recommended)

Kutná Hora is 1.5 hours from Prague by direct train (ticket: ~80 CZK each way from Masarykovo or Hlavní nádraží). The town peaked as a silver-mining boomtown in the 14th century and has three UNESCO-listed sites.

The Sedlec Ossuary (Kostnice) is the reason most people come: a small chapel whose interior is decorated with the bones of 40,000–70,000 human skeletons, arranged into garlands, chandeliers, a coat of arms, and a chandelier containing every bone in the human body. Entry is 120 CZK. It is genuinely one of the strangest and most memorable rooms on Earth.

In the town center, St. Barbara's Cathedral rivals the best Gothic churches in Western Europe and sees a fraction of the visitors. The miners who funded it put secular imagery — scenes from their work and daily life — alongside the saints. Entry: 150 CZK.

Return to Prague by 6 PM for a farewell dinner.

Option B: Vyšehrad and Nusle Viaduct Walk

Vyšehrad is the cliff-top fortress on the south edge of the city center that predates even Prague Castle. The Slavín Cemetery here is where Czech luminaries are buried: Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, Alfons Mucha. The fortress ramparts offer views down the Vltava that most visitors never find.

Below the fortress runs the Nusle Viaduct — a brutalist concrete highway bridge across the Nusle Valley. From the bridge, walk down into the valley and back up through the staircase neighborhoods; it's one of Prague's great forgotten urban walks.

Final dinner: Restaurace Na Příkopě (Na Příkopě 15) does Old Bohemian cuisine in a vaulted 16th-century basement — roast duck, svíčková, and Trdelník done properly. Splurge-worthy farewell meal.

Practical Tips for Prague

Accommodation zones:

Old Town (Staré Město) — most central, most expensive, can be noisy
Vinohrady/Žižkov — quieter residential areas, 15 minutes by metro, better value
Malá Strana — beautiful but limited options, premium pricing

Food to try beyond the classics:

Svíčková na smetaně (sirloin in cream sauce with bread dumplings)
Kulajda (dill and mushroom soup)
Trdelník — but from an actual bakery (Café Savoy, Bakeshop Praha), not tourist street stalls
Palačinky (Czech crepes with jam or ice cream)

Day trip options beyond Kutná Hora:

Český Krumlov — 3 hours by bus; UNESCO medieval town. Check buses at FlixBus or RegioJet
Karlštejn Castle — 40 minutes by train; Gothic castle above a valley
Terezín — the WWII ghetto/transit camp, an hour by bus; essential for history travelers

Faroway tip: Before your trip, use Faroway to build a personalized Prague itinerary. Plug in your dates, interests (architecture, nightlife, history), and budget and Faroway generates a day-by-day plan with real transport times and accommodation picks — no spreadsheet required.

Sample 4-Day Budget

	Budget	Mid-Range
Flights (roundtrip Europe)	€40–100	€100–200
Accommodation (4 nights)	€120–220	€280–550
Food & drink	€75–130	€150–280
Transport (in-city)	€20–25	€25–50
Activities/museums	€40–55	€60–90
Day trip to Kutná Hora	€15	€15
Total	€310–545	€630–1,185

Four days in Prague is never quite enough. You'll leave with a mental list of things to return for — that castle you couldn't get into, the wine bar in Vinohrady someone recommended, the town of Kutná Hora you didn't get to. That's Prague's design. Use Faroway to plan your next visit before you're even on the plane home.

4 Days in Prague Itinerary: The Gothic Gem of Central Europe