Prague Castle Tickets

Do you want to see Prague Castle but are confused about which Prague Castle ticket to buy? Don't worry! We are here to help you! This is our guide to Prague Castle, how to visit, what does skip the line ticket means, and which Prague Castle ticket will take you where.

We also offer a tour to Prague Castle which includes tickets: Prague Castle Tour w/ Tickets to Interiors.

The Basics

Prague Castle is the largest castle complex in the world according to The Guinness Book of records. There are many ways of how to see the complex, you can be there for 1 hour or for 2 days if you would like.

Do you need tickets for Prague Castle?

You don't need a ticket to Prague Castle if you only want to visit the castle grounds. You need the Prague Castle Ticket if you want to visit the Castle interiors.

Which Prague Castle ticket to get?

There is only one ticket that covers all Prague Castle's important sights such as St Vitus Cathedral, St George's Basilica, Golden Lane, and the Old Royal Palace - Prague Castle Circuit ticket. You cannot get individual tickets to these attractions. However, there are few other places in the Prague Castle where you will need to get a ticket, we will mention them below.

Prague Castle For FREE

Yes, you've read it right. You can see Prague Castle for free. Not everything though, of course! To make it simple, all of the outside parts of the castle are for free. To be more detailed, 4 courtyards of Prague Castle and 4 gardens, and the vineyard of St. Wenceslas are free to access. If you are not a history fan and care more about the visuals and great photos, visiting Prague Castle for free might be just enough.

• Opening hours to visit for free are 6 am - 10 pm.
• It takes around 1 to 3 hours to see Prague Castle for free.

Prague Castle - Circuit Ticket

This is the ticket you should go for if you want to get the most out of your visit, and see the best sights, and the most important interiors of the castle. With the Circuit Ticket, you will see the interiors of:

• St. Vitus Cathedral
• Old Royal Palace
• The Basilica of St. George
• the Golden Lane

It gives you access to the Tomb of St. Wenceslas, the place of the Third Prague Defenestration (some sources prefer to call it the Second), Alchemy Chambers, the House of Franz Kafka, and more.

The interiors have a few written info boards that explain the basics. If you want to go a little bit more into details, you can get the audioguide, or get a guide directly at the castle (cheapest option but not always available, since its a "wait and see if more people book" type of tour), or book a Prague Castle Tour which includes a ticket.

• Opening hours of Prague Castle Interiors: Summer 9 am - 5 pm, Winter 9 am - 4 pm.
• It takes around 3 - 6 hours to see Prague Castle with the Circuit Ticket.

Other tickets

Yes, there is more...

• The Tower of St. Vitus Cathedral: It costs 150 CZK, and you can climb the tower for a great view. There is no elevator. You've been warned!
• The Story of the Prague Castle: This is the largest exhibition dedicated to the Prague Castle and it's history. Perfect for history buffs and people who enjoy looking at old things...really old things. It costs 150 czk, and will take you around 1-3 hours.
• Prague Castle Picture Gallery: Paintings from Rubens, Rembrandt, and other famous painters.
• The Horse Riding School: A gallery with temporary exhibitions.

Skip the line ticket?

The only person who can purchase a skip-the-line ticket is a guide with a valid guiding license. It won't save you from all the lines, but it will save you from the worst one, which is the line to purchase the tickets.

• You can only get a skip-the-line ticket on a guided tour. it costs a little bit more but it saves a great deal of time.
• Some companies sell skip-the-line tickets for less than 20 euros. it means they go to Prague Castle ahead of you, wait in the line instead of you, and then sell you the ticket, possibly providing a quick intro before letting you explore the castle on your own. 
• There is no skip-the-line for security checks! Young and old, we all have to go through it together :)

Our Local Guide Tip

• Prague Castle gets the most crowded around noon. The reason for that is the main change of guards that takes place at 12 pm at the Giant's Gate. If you want to visit the interiors with the least amount of people, we suggest visiting at 1 pm. Get the tickets in the morning, see the change of the guards at 12 pm and then visit the interiors. We see the Big Change of Guards on our Prague Castle Free Tour at 11 am every day!

Where can I buy tickets for Prague Castle?

• You can buy the tickets physically in Prague Castle. There are multiple ticket offices, just choose the one with a shorter line. Don't go to the one you see first (For example the Golden Lane ticket office, which has nobody ever standing there)
• Here is the official website of Prague Castle tickets. Prague Castle does not sell tickets online yet. If you find tickets online, it is other companies who are reselling them.

See other Prague Travel Tips.

Author: Valeriia Zahradnikova and Vaclav Zahradnik, Prague guides certified by Prague City Tourism agency. Valeriia and Vaclav have worked in tourism for over 6 years and have guided thousands of Prague visitors.