2 Days in Prague on a Budget

After an incredible four days in Amsterdam having some of the best brunch and beer the city had to offer we had a direct flight from Amsterdam to Prague on KLM, which only cost us about $100 per person. The quick hour and a half flight from Amsterdam to Prague not only cost less than taking the train, but it also saved us about 10 hours of travel time since you must connect in Berlin if you wanted to take the Eurorail. Arriving in Prague we knew we had two days in Prague on a budget, so we were going to make the most of our time and money! If you’re on a tight budget I’ll help you decide where to stay in Prague, what to do in Prague including day trips from Prague, and where to eat in Prague all while keeping your budget in mind.

Where to Stay in Prague on a Budget

Prague is definitely a city that has plenty of options for any budget, and even the swankiest hotel in Prague usually won’t cost you more than $200/night! In fact, a quick search on Priceline revealed that there were several chain hotels like Marriott and Sheraton with rooms from $4 per night! We stayed in the BoHo Prague Hotel, which had a great location near the center of Old Town Prague. The BoHo Prague cost us about $100/night split three ways for one of their larger rooms. The hotel was clean and modern and had a great spa, hot tub, and sauna!

Luxury Hotels in Prague

For a luxurious hotel right in the center of Old Town Prague, you should try the Hotel Paris Prague. Rooms start at $160 per night you are in the middle of everything. The hotel is right near a large shopping area and has some high-end shops right on its ground floor. From the Hotel Paris Prague, you are less than 500m from the Astronomical Clock and the Old Town Prague center. Check Prices for The Hotel Paris Prague.

Another option for a luxurious stay near the Prague Old Town is The Four Seasons Prague. With rooms starting around $400/night it isn’t as budget-friendly as some of the other options, but staying at the Four Seasons never disappoints. Check Prices for the Four Seasons Prague.

Budget Friendly Hotels in Prague

For a budget-friendly hotel near Prague Castle, you should check out Hotel Residence Bijou de Prague. This hotel is only 400 m from Prague Castle and is full of charming original details like the parquet floors and hand-painted ceilings. The best part about this hotel is rooms start at only $60 per night, so if you’re looking for an inexpensive hotel in Prague you can’t go wrong with Hotel Residence Bijou de Prague! There are only 6 rooms in this small hotel, so check availability well in advance.

Another highly rated budget-friendly option in Prague would be MH Suite Palace. With rooms starting under $100 per night you’ll have plenty of cash left for tours or beers while exploring this beautiful city. Check prices and availability for MH Suites Palace Prague. Marriott also has some great options near the city center if you tend to stick to one hotel chain.

Hostels in Prague

Hostel life isn’t for me, but if you are stretching a budget across a few months in Europe, you may have no other choice. To me, I’m reminded of the horror film Hostel, which takes place in the Czech Republic’s neighbor and sister country Slovakia. Nevertheless, Prague has plenty of hostels to choose from with a night as cheap as $5. My pick for the hostel in Prague you should try is Miss Sophie’s. It was rated by the UK’s Daily Mail as one of the world’s most luxurious hostels, so if I had to stay in a hostel I’d choose Miss Sophie’s!

What to Do in Prague

Not only is it easy to choose where to stay in Prague on a budget, but there is plenty to do in and around Prague, and much of it is free! Our arriving flight from Amsterdam to Prague was delayed for about 2 and a half hours, so our two days in Prague quickly turned into a day and a half in Prague. With our limited time, we maximized our only full day in Prague by saving some of the highlights in google maps and walking a big loop through the city. Fill out the form below to get my google map with all of Prague’s highlights on it.

Prague is a very walkable city, in fact, we did almost 10 miles the day we explored everything there is to do in Prague. There are a few things you can’t go to Prague and leave without seeing. Here are my top 5 things every tourist must-see in Prague:

Astronomical Clock in Prague

There aren’t very many clocks more famous than the Astronomical clock in Prague. You have Big Ben (which is actually the bell) in London, the Makkah Royal Clock Tower in Mecca, and that may be about it. The Astronomical Clock in Prague was built in 1410 making it the oldest astronomical clock still in operation today. It’s amazing how complicated all of the movements are especially considering mechanism inside is more than 600 years old! Located in Prague’s Old Town Square you can catch a glimpse of its “show” at the top of every hour.

Prague Castle

Straight out of a fairy tale, Prague Castle sits atop a hill overlooking the Vltava River Prague Castle is a picturesque spot you need to visit in Prague. Built nearly 1200 years ago this castle has been called the largest ancient castle by the Guinness Book of World records and has been home to Holy Roman Emperors, King’s of Bohemia, and most recently the President of the Czech Republic. Be sure you visit Prague Castle if you have the chance. Our trip to Prague was a whirlwind, so even though we didn’t go inside the castle, I did manage to snap some pictures from Charles Bridge.

Prague’s John Lennon Wall

This ever-changing wall is a favorite among travel bloggers and Instagrammers visiting Prague. The wall is full of John Lennon inspired graffiti, Beatles lyrics, and other peace-filled art. Located right near the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle there is no excuse to miss the Lennon Wall in Prague. You will often find local musicians playing in front of the wall, and there are plenty of colorful buildings and cobblestoned streets for those perfect Prague Instagram shots!

Vyšehrad

The original castle of the kings of Bohemia is situated atop a steep cliff overlooking the Vltava River. Its a bit of a hike to get up to the Vyšehrad grounds, but it is worth the effort! Not only are the views within the fortified grounds beautiful the vantage point of the Vltava River and the rest of Prague are remarkable as well!

Prague’s Jewish Quarter

Nowhere in Europe will you find more synagogues from before World War II than in Prague. Prague’s Jewish Quarter or Josefov is a reminder of the tragic history that took place there 77 years ago. Now revitalized, you can experience both history and some beautiful Baroque architecture. The streets of Josefov are now lined with high-end designer boutiques like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Salvatore Ferragamo. One thing you should definitely not miss is the Old Jewish Cemetary. The Old Jewish Cemetary in Prague is Europe’s oldest Jewish Cemetary, and over the three hundred years the cemetery was active up to ten new layers of soil had to be added due to lack of space for expansion, so there is likely up to ten people buried below each gravestone you see at the cemetery today.

Day Trips From Prague

Terezin Concentration Camp

I haven’t visited any of the concentration camps from WWII, but speaking with people who have they are very emotional places. Places where terrible things happened that serve as a reminder so they never happen again. Book your full-day tour to Terezin from Prague.

Visit Český Krumlov from Prague

Located about two hours south of Prague is the UNESCO Heritage city of Český Krumlov. This beautiful medieval town is full of character. Book a full-day guided tour that includes lunch and transportation.

Where to Eat in Prague

Probably my favorite part about Prague was how inexpensive, yet delicious the food and beer was! Below you will find some of the places we tried and others that were suggested to us for where to eat in Prague and where to get a drink in Prague! I’ll include the prices for some of our meals to show you how easy it is to travel to Prague on a budget!

Pivnice U Rudolfina

This place is authentic. Described to us by our tour guide as classic Czech fare and one of the few places in the Old Town Prague that the locals still frequent for hearty food and cheap beer. Located about half a block from the Charles bridge and almost directly across from the Czech Philharmonic it’s surprising that somewhere this convenient is still so authentic and full of locals having a beer or getting a meal.

Meat & Greet Burgerhouse

Meat & Greet Burgerhouse is a small restaurant right near the BoHo Prague Hotel. Small and trendy with just a few beers on tap, this was easily one of the best burgers I have ever had. They also make their own ketchup and Siracha sauce to dip their equally impressive french fries in. If you are craving a burger in Prague, don’t miss Meat & Greet Burgerhouse! All three of us had a burger and two beers and the total price was under $50.

Prague Beer Museum

Although there is actually a beer museum in Prague this quaint little pub on the Smetanovo nábř directly across from the river is a fantastic place to try some local Czech Craft Beer. The Prague Beer Museum has more than 30 beers on tap, and you can do a flight with all thirty for 999 Koruna, which is about $45. If a 30 beer flight is too much for you (as it is for most of us), the pints and smaller flights are much more reasonably priced. I had a full lunch and a flight for the equivalent of $11.

Letná Zahradní Restaurant

This is probably one of the best places in Prague to grab a beer and hang out with your friends. A large beer garden on top of a hill overlooking Old Town Prague. We, unfortunately, didn’t have a chance to make it here, but our tour guide told us that it is also probably the best spot in town to get your sunset pictures.

Street Food in Prague

In the larger squares, especially Old Town Square where the astronomical clock is you will find the sidewalks lined with vendors selling different local foods. The Czech street food you absolutely cannot leave Prague without trying is the trdelník. Trdelník is pastry dough similar to a churro but wrapped around a metal or wooden skewer and cooked over an open flame. Traditionally served with sugar and cinnamon, but you can also get it filled with Nutella or ice cream! Smažený sýr is another popular Czech street food. Smažený sýr is deep-fried cheese often served with fries or bread.

Have a 3 or 5 Course Medieval Dinner

I wish I would have found this experience before we visited Prague. You can get a 3-course or 5-course dinner with unlimited drinks to go along with a show that includes jugglers, swordsmen, and bellydancers for less than $45! Reserve your spot at the medieval dinner here!

Conclusion: 2 days in Prague on a Budget

Prague is a very budget-friendly city that is full of history and culture. We saw a good chunk of both the old town and new town via a free walking tour since one of Thad’s old co-workers moved to Prague. The tours meet every day at 2 PM in front of Cartier in the Old Town Square and can usually be found via their blue shirts. Our NEXT City Tours guide was Myles and he definitely knew what he was talking about and had some great insight into other things to do in Prague as well as suggestions on where to eat in Prague.

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