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 the 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 how to see the complex, you can be there for 1 hour or 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's interiors.

Which Prague Castle ticket to get?

There is only one ticket that covers all of 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 a few other places in 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 4 gardens are free to access. If you are not a history buff 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 1-3 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 new price of the Prague Castle-Main Circuit ticket is 450 czk per person, starting from March 1st, 2024!
• 6-16-year-old kids, and full-time secondary school and university students up to 26 years old get a discounted price of 300 czk per person once they present their IDs or student IDs.
• A family of 1-5 children under 16 and 2 adults can get it for 950 czk.

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 it is 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 Main Circuit Ticket.

Other tickets

Yes, there is more...

• The Tower of St. Vitus Cathedral: It costs 200 CZK, and you can climb the tower for a great view. There is no elevator. You've been warned!
• Prague Castle Permanent Exhibitions - This circuit costs 300 czk per head and includes Rosenberg Palace, Prague Castle Picture Gallery, Castle Guard, and the Story of Prague Castle exhibitions. It will take you 3 hours minimum to see everything comfortably.
• The admission fee to Prague Castle Picture Gallery alone costs 200 czk.
• Prague Castle Horse Riding School and the Summer Palace of Queen Ann often host temporary exhibitions as well, but they aren't included in the Prague Castle circuit. 

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. 

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. Tickets are available to purchase on a Czech version of the website, however, you still have to print the tickets and bring the physical copy with you.
• Bear in mind, that some websites resell Prague Castle tickets for a higher price without including additional services, like a guided tour, in the cost.

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.