Prague is one of the best European cities to visit at Christmas – a stunning market, amazing warm food and complete Christmas vibes. I spent (I have to admit) a little longer there than I probably needed to but overall had a great travel week again – going off my usual pattern of a few months over the summer backpacking. If you were on an extremely tight schedule, you could perhaps see Prague in 3 full days, but I’d recommend 4 to give yourself that bit of extra time to explore and stay a bit longer where you want to
Mini Itinerary (3 days)
- Day in Stare Mesto (main city side of bridge)
- Day across the bridge
- Day trip by train to Kutna Hora
Longer Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive, Stare Mesto and Christmas Market
Spend most of the day exploring the old town (this is where most of the hostels are). Iconic sights you can’t miss include the rotating face of Franz Kafka, the clock tower, and the main Basilica. The best time to visit the Christmas market is in the evening – think full fairy lights, mulled wine everywhere, busy market and music. It’s a very traditional Christmas market vibe and absolutely amazing (my favourite Christmas market alongside Edinburgh).
Day 2 – Day Trip to Kutna Hora
Kutna Hora is so good and a MUST DO daytrip from Prague. It’s about an hours walk maximum from the train station into the centre of Kutna Hora but there are beautiful churches to see on the way. The Sedlec Ossuary is one of the most unique religious sites I’ve ever been to (more info on that here: The Most Unique Religious Buildings to Travel to in Europe) and St Barbara’s cathedral is stunning. Plenty of cafes/lunch spaces here too with day menus if you fancy trying some traditional Czech food.
Day 3 – Jewish Synagogues and Food
So for me this day started off very culturally going around a lot of the Jewish synagogues (they’re stunning, worth the entry fee) and then ended up as per my usual travel style fairly food focused. Can highly recommend Sister’s Bistro for cheap sandwiches. Trdnelnik (Chimney cake) is a must try. There are plenty of stalls outside of the christmas market selling Trdnelnik too!
Day 4 – Cross the Bridge
So much across the bridge – castle, walls, walking, churches, gardens. You do need a full day here so make sure you give yourself time. There’s also an amazing goulash place down a side street but unfortunately I have no clue what the name of it was, only that their goulash was nice.
Other Points of Interest
Best Club in Prague: Duplex (free for students if you grab a code and register!)
Budget Traveller Notes: Not as cheap as the Balkans but as far as Christmas markets in Europe go it’s an extremely good option to balance experience and cost. Just book your accommodation early and the hostels aren’t too expensive!
