Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, was always on my bucket list and I couldn’t have been more excited to finally make this dream a reality! Accompanied by a very good friend, we embarked on a four-day journey to immerse ourselves in the rich history, cultural wonders and architectural marvels that Prague had to offer. Let me give you a snapshot of the memorable experiences we had during our trip to Prague:

Day 1: Exploring the Old Town and Iconic Landmarks
Our trip started at 3am in the morning, as we wanted to arrive early at Zurich airport. Arriving at the airport around 5am was an entirely new experience for me, lol! A lot of shops and restaurants were closed, thankfully, we stumbled upon the Center Bar and Kitchen, one of the very few cafes open at that time. Our boarding time was set for 07:30 and the short flight to Prague took approximately one hour. Upon our arrival before noon at the hotel, we were delighted to discover that our room was ready for check-in. This was a pleasant surprise as the usual check-in time is around 3pm. The early availability of our room allowed us to rest for a while and drop off our belongings, before we started our day with sightseeing!

Our hotel was just 6min by foot from Main Railway Station and 13min until you reach the Old Town Square. We were hungry, so we decided to look for a lunch spot and we ended up at the Deer Restaurant. After replenishing our energy with a delicious meal, we resumed our sightseeing journey. We did the sightseeing spots in following order:

♡ Old Town Square / Prague Astronomical Clock
♡ Crossing the Mánes Bridge to get to the Narrowest Alley in Prague
♡ Break at the Restaurant Čertovka (our highlight was the Mango Ice Tea and the lovely view of the Charles Bridge)
♡ Crossing the Charles Bridge
♡ Walk to the Dancing Houses (and coffee break)

We wanted to see the rotating head of Franz Kafka, but after more than 15k steps, we decided to go back to our hotel room with a quick stop at the Billa supermarket. We agreed to save our visit to Franz Kafka for the following day when we would be refreshed and ready to fully appreciate the experience.

Day 2: Discovering Prague’s Panoramic Views and More
On the second day, our first stop was the TV Tower Žižkov. According to a friend, the TV tower was once voted as one of the ugliest buildings in Europe! Our original plan was to have breakfast at Bistro 66, unfortunately, the restaurant was closed for renovation reasons. The admission free for adults was 300 CZK. Prague’s TV Tower is an iconic structure standing tall at a height of approximately 216 meters. The tower is located in the Žižkov district, making it a prominent landmark on Prague’s skyline. It was designed by architect Václav Aulický and construction was completed in 1992. Although the observation deck of the TV Tower was relatively small, the view it offered was simply breathtaking. Afterwards, we were looking for the next best Café, as we hadn’t had breakfast yet. We found Cafefin, a cozy little Café, where I ordered a matcha latte and a delicious avocado toast.

Our next destination was the Franz Kafka Rotating Head and luck was on our side as we arrived just 10 minutes before the head began its mesmerizing 15-minute show. Continuing our journey, we made our way to Letná Park. Following that, we hopped on a tram to Malostranské náměstí station, where I wanted to visit the Starbucks located near the Palais Salm National Gallery. I had seen this Starbucks on Instagram and it lived up to the hype – offering not just an Instagrammable experience but also a great place to enjoy with a stunning view! To conclude our day, we made our way back to the Old Town to try a Trdelník (Chimney Cake), a must-try traditional pastry that you simply cannot miss!

Day 3: Enjoying Fine Dining and Shopping
For a delightful start to our third day, we treated ourselves to breakfast at Terasa U Prince. I booked us a table online for 09:30. They have a lovely terrace with picturesque views of the Old Town. I was particularly excited to try their egg benedict dish, hehe! The restaurant’s ambiance made it the perfect spot to enjoy a leisurely morning.

After a hearty breakfast, we explored the city’s shopping scene at Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square). The long boulevard is lined with an array of stores, boutiques and shopping centers.

Day 4: A Relaxing Farewell
On our final day in Prague, we decided to take it easy and enjoy a relaxing breakfast at James Dean, where we treated ourselves to an authentic American breakfast. The relaxed ambiance provided a perfect way to say goodbye to this enchanting city.

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Useful Travel Tips for Prague

Currency
The currency of Prague is the Czech Koruna/Crown CZK. One Czech Crown is around 0.041 Euro / 0.045 US dollars (08.2023).

Adapter
In Czech Republic the power plugs and sockets are of type E. The socket also works with plug C and plug F if it has an additional pinhole. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz (same to Switzerland).

Transportation
Airport Shuttle
We used the Airport Express (AE) at Terminal 1, Gate G. The bus operates daily from 7am to 9pm (30min interval) and it takes only 40min journey time between Prague Airport and Prague Main Railway Station. A regular ticket is 100 CZK one way (3.96 CHF / 4.54 US$). You can buy the ticket from the ticket office, at the ticket machines or from the bus driver.

In Prague City
You can buy transportation tickets from the yellow vending machines at ticket offices or at the metro station. During our stay in Prague, we bought a 72h ticket for 330 CZK (approx. 13.06 CHF / 14.97 US$). We could use the metro, tram or local bus within the entirety of Prague (excluding the AE route and the Petřín funicular). You can also buy tickets for 30min (30 CZK) 90min (40 CZK) or a24h ticket for 120 CZK. *half price for kids. Important: don’t forget to stamp the ticket in the yellow box before/right after entering the metro, bus or tram! The validation machine will stamp the date and time on the ticket.

Sightseeing & Attractions

• Charles Bridge (Karlsbrücke)
• Old Town Square (visit Terasa U Prince to get a nice view from the terrace)
• Prague Astronomical Clock
• Municipal Library of Prague (Infinity Book Tower)
• Prague’s Narrowest Alley (visit Restaurant Čertovka to get a nice view of the Charles Bridge)
• Franz Kafka – Rotating Head (every hour for 15min)
• Žižkov Television Tower (have breakfast at Bistro 66)
• Dancing House
• Prague Castle

Shopping

• Obchodní centrum Nový Smíchov (Mall in Anděl)
• Shopping centrum Černá růže (Shopping Mall)
• Wenceslas Square (Shopping Street)
• Palladium (Shopping Mall)

Parks

• Letna Park
• Ysehrad Park
• Kampa Park
• Kralovska Obora-Stromovka
• The Vrtba Garden
• Royal Garden
• Park in Vinohrady

Museums/Zoo

• Prague Museum of Fantastic Illusions
• Madame Tussauds Prague
• Prague Dungeon
• Museum of Alchemy
• Kafka Museum
• Strahov Library
• Jewish Museum
• Franz Kafka Museum
• Museum of Communism
• Mucha Museum
• National Museum of Agriculture
• Prague Zoo
• World of Jellyfish

Restaurants & Cafés (Personal Highlights)

• Deer Restaurant
• Terasa U Prince (great for bunch)
• James Dean (American Restaurant)
• Hanzu (Asian Restaurant)
• Cafefin (Café)
• The Alchemist Bar (bucket list)
• Harley’s (friend’s pick / bar)
• QQ Asian Kitchen (friend’s pick)
• Cat Café