Prague Summer Travel Tips

Summer is arguably the best season to travel to Prague as the weather is consistently warm, days are long and you can pack your trip with lots of cool and fun activities. However, even Prague summer season has certain drawbacks that we want to warn you about in this article. 

What is Prague Like in summer? 

Prague’s average summer temperature is 21°C, with July being the warmest and also the rainiest month of the year. June and August temperatures are moderate, around 18°C, but hot days (over 25°C) are quite common. 

Does Prague get hot in summer? 

Despite the fact that the average summer temperature in Prague does not climb over + 30 C, July, and August are known to be the months of heatwaves. Unfortunately, days and weeks of unusually hot temperatures (+40 C/ 104 F) have become a norm in the past 5 years. Prague locals are aware of it, so they leave the city during this time, but a lot of tourists choose July and August specifically to travel here. If you do not handle really hot weather, perhaps opt for traveling to Prague in May, June, or September to avoid heat waves. 

Is AC common in Prague? 

Unlike people from the USA and other countries with warm climates, many Czechs refuse to install AC because they would only end up using it for about 1,5 months of the whole year. And we are not just talking about people’s apartments. You will be surprised how rare it is to enter an air-conditioned restaurant, cafe, museum, gallery, or tram in Prague. Even big companies that rent office spaces prefer not to install AC to the great disappointment of their international employees. 

Pro Tip: Make sure that your hotel room or rental has air-conditioning if you travel to Prague in July and August. 

Is Prague busy in the summer? 2023 

Every summer, Prague is visited by 4-5 million people which accounts for about half of all annual visitors. That is a huge number of people that you will most likely notice if you visit Prague in the high season, from June to September. Some travelers are surprised to see the crowded streets of Prague’s city center, a sea of heads on Charles Bridge, and lines to enter the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle. You should be prepared that the Czech capital is going to be extremely busy if you travel here in the summer. 

Pro Tip: Make reservations for restaurants, shows, tours, and other activities in advance! In general, you should book operas and theatre plays at least 2 months ahead of time. Reservations for tours and restaurants should be done 1-2 weeks in advance, depending on how popular they are. Our Prague Free Walking Tours usually get booked out a week prior. Believe it or not, even hotels (yes, we mean ALL hotels in the city) can be fully booked if you are visiting Prague on a hot summer weekend. 

Does it Rain in Prague in summer? 

Summer is known to be the wettest season in Prague with July having the highest precipitation of 87 mm (3.4 inches). However, it usually doesn’t rain for long periods of time, but mainly during quick and strong thunderstorms that are very common summer phenomena. 

Pro Tip: If you want to get a 30 min heads about the next thunderstorm that is about to hit Prague, check out free apps like Meteoradar (the saving grace of all tour guides) which track the movements of clouds and show how strong the rainfall is going to be. 

Outdoor swimming pools in Prague

How do locals deal with heat? We sweat, complain, and pack our bags for an outdoor swimming pool. There are a bunch of them in Prague, but prepare to travel 30-40 min to get there as they are located outside of the city center. Here is where you can go to take a break from sweating: 

• Podolí Swimming Stadium - this one is close to Vysehrad, you will enjoy its 2 swimming pools and a large lawn for sunbathing. Entrance free - 280 czk.
• Prazacka outdoor pool - a small outdoor swimming pool located in Prague’s Zizkov district. Entrance Fee - 180 czk.
• Swimming stadium SK Slavia Praha - a larger swimming pool, but beware there is no shade where you can hide from the sun! Entrance Fee - 210 czk
• Petynka Swimming Pool - a nice but popular place with a recreational zone and water slides. Entrance Fee - 220 czk.
• Stírka swimming pool - a small outdoor pool 30 min away from the city center. Entrance Fee - 300 czk.
• Biotop Radotín - a natural outdoor swimming pool with a recreational area 45 min away from Prague’s city center. Entrance Fee - 150 czk.
• Swimming pool Èakovice
• Swimming pool Ládví

Best Ice Cream and Gelato in Prague

• Angelato - family-ran ice cream manufacturer. We love their traditional and unique flavors such as olive oil&basil, parmesan, and rice.
• Creme de la creme - a famous chain of Italian gelato in Prague. It is delicious, so do not be surprised by long lines at Narodni Trida and their other locations.
• Grom Gelato - a newly opened Italian Gelateria at Manes gallery.
• Puro Gelato - another great gelato place that saves Prague locals from the hot weather in
  several locations.

Author: Valeriia Zahradnikova and Vaclav Zahradnik, Prague guides certified by Prague City Tourism agency. Valeriia and Vaclav have worked in tourism for over 9 years and have guided thousands of Prague visitors.