Prague is a city where the most famous sights are free and the money goes on the views from above them. The castle grounds, the bridge, the main squares and the best panorama in the city all cost nothing. Almost everything below can be done for free, with the paid extras listed separately so you can pick and choose. Prices are in Czech crowns as published.
1. Prague Castle
The largest ancient castle complex in the world, and the grounds are free. Courtyards, the exterior of St Vitus Cathedral, the Garden on the Bastion and the changing of the guard — which happens on the hour, with the full ceremony at noon — all cost nothing. The complex is open 6am to 10pm daily, year-round.
Paying gets you inside the buildings. The Main Circuit, covering the Old Royal Palace, St George's Basilica, St Vitus Cathedral interior and Golden Lane, is 450 CZK for adults, 300 reduced, 950 for a family, and the ticket stays valid for two days. Individual buildings do close for maintenance at short notice, so check the castle's current closures page before buying if one of them is the reason you're going. Blanket security screening ended in 2023 — checks are now random — and the Hradčanské náměstí gate is exit-only.
2. Charles Bridge
Free, open around the clock, pedestrian-only since 1965, and best crossed between six and seven in the morning. That is not a throwaway tip: it is the only realistic way to see the bridge without a dense crowd, and it costs nothing.
The Old Town Bridge Tower at the eastern end is separately ticketed at 250 CZK for adults, with reduced rates for children, over-65s and 16–26s. The tower has been under a long-running heritage renovation, so confirm it is open before planning around it. If you do climb it, arrive in the first hour after opening for half price — a discount that applies daily at Prague's city-run towers.
3. Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock
The square never closes and costs nothing, and watching the Astronomical Clock strike on the hour is free — the best free spectacle in the city. Manage your expectations on the show itself: the apostles process for well under a minute, and the crowd is large. Stand back towards the Kinský Palace side rather than pressing to the front, and you will see it better.
Climbing the Old Town Hall tower costs 350 CZK for adults, 230 reduced, 280 for 16–26s, 750 for a family. The lift is a separate 100 CZK and is not included in e-tickets, so take the ramp if you are counting crowns. The same half-price first hour applies here. Note that several of the clock's sculptures have been away for restoration during 2026, with brief interruptions to the mechanism — some figures may be missing from the face when you visit.
4. Petřín Hill and Lookout Tower
A wooded hill on the left bank with a rose garden, orchards and the best walking views in Prague. The hill is a public park and entirely free. The climb from Újezd takes twenty to twenty-five minutes and the panorama opens up the whole way, which makes the walk itself the attraction.
The lookout tower at the top is 250 CZK for adults, 170 reduced, with 299 steps to the viewing gallery and a lift when in service. Half price in the first hour after opening, as elsewhere.
The funicular railway up the hill reopens on 22 September 2026 after two years out of service. It is no longer covered by a standard transit ticket — the fare is 100 CZK on the spot or 90 CZK through the PID Lítačka app, though it remains free for holders of 24-hour, 72-hour and longer travel passes, children under 15 and over-65s. If you already hold a multi-day transit pass, the ride is included.
5. Vyšehrad
The overlooked one, and the best-value thing on this list. The hilltop fortress south of the centre is free — the grounds, the ramparts walk with its panorama over the Vltava, the cemetery where Dvořák and Smetana are buried, and the exterior of the Basilica of SS Peter and Paul. No ticket, no queue, and a fraction of the crowds of the castle.
The only paid element is the guided underground tour of the Casemates to Gorlice, at 330 CZK for adults and 250 for students and over-65s, or 295 and 225 booked online. Tours are guided only and run in Czech and English, so book ahead. Go in late afternoon and walk back along the river into the New Town.
Worth knowing
- The half-price first hour applies at the city-run towers — Old Town Hall, the Old Town Bridge Tower and Petřín. Starting your day at one of them is the single easiest saving in Prague.
- Wenceslas Square is a building site. The upper end is under tram construction that is not scheduled to finish until summer 2027. It is still walkable, but it is not currently the photograph you have seen.
- A 72-hour public transport pass covers trams, metro, buses and — once it reopens — the Petřín funicular, which is worth weighing against single fares if you are staying three days.
- Prague's official ticket prices are published by the individual sites and do change. The figures above are the current published rates, but check before you travel if the budget is tight.
The short version
You can have an excellent day in Prague for nothing: the castle grounds, Charles Bridge at dawn, the clock on the hour, Petřín hill and the Vyšehrad ramparts. If you want to pay for one thing, make it a tower in the first hour after opening, at half price. Vyšehrad is the one most visitors miss and the one most worth the walk.