Türkçe

Prague Christmas: 1-Day Itinerary

24 December: museums and market shopping in the morning; tree lights, Christmas dinner and open-air mass in the evening. Pick one of two paces: relaxed or balanced–packed.

Plan with your own dates

Enter your arrival and departure; the route adapts to your flights and that day’s markets and opening hours.

Relaxed

More chilled: late starts, plenty of market and café breaks and an afternoon rest at the hotel; at most one or two interiors a day.

Thursday 24 December10:00–22:00

Christmas Eve: Markets by Morning, Lights by Night

Stalls are open until 2 pm, so shop in the morning. The bridge and a rest in the afternoon; tree lights, Christmas dinner and open-air mass in the evening.

  1. 10:00

    Old Town Square Christmas Market 45 min

    On 24 December the stalls are fully open until 2 pm, then only food and drink: do your shopping in the morning.

  2. 10:45

    Astronomical Clock 20 min

    The 11 am show.

    Want to climb the clock tower (Old Town Hall Tower)? Add 40 minutes for a bird’s-eye view of the square and the market.
  3. 11:05

    Shopping on Celetná 40 min

    On 24 December large stores close at noon; small shops stay open.

  4. 11:45

    Walk · 5 min

    On foot.

  5. 11:50

    Havelská Market 25 min

    A small year-round street market: wooden toys, handmade gifts, dried fruit.

  6. 12:15

    Walk · 5 min

    On foot.

  7. 12:20

    Lunch, Old Town 75 min

    Czech cooking: goulash, svíčková, dumplings. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.

  8. 13:35

    Karlova Street 20 min

    The winding lane down to the bridge: puppets, glass ornaments and souvenir shops.

  9. 13:55

    Charles Bridge 35 min

    Walk to the middle of the bridge for the statues, the river and the castle view, then come back the same way.

    Fancy the view? Climb the tower at the Old Town end of the bridge: +25 minutes, tickets at the door (250 CZK); best at sunset.

  10. 14:30

    Walk · 10 min

    On foot.

  11. 14:40

    Rest at the Hotel 95 min

    Rest at the hotel and recharge for the evening.

  12. 16:15

    Walk · 10 min

    On foot.

  13. 16:25

    Christmas Mass at Týn Church (optional) 60 min

    The 4:30 pm mass; free entry, arrive early.

  14. 17:25

    Christmas Tree Light Show 40 min

    The light show on the Old Town Square tree (5:30 pm), with a mulled wine. On 24 December the stalls only sell food and drink after 2 pm.

  15. 18:05

    Walk · 10 min

    On foot.

  16. 18:15

    Christmas Eve Dinner 120 min

    The traditional menu: carp and potato salad. On 24 December only some restaurants open and all are full; booking is essential.

  17. 20:15

    Walk · 5 min

    On foot.

  18. 20:20

    Christmas Tree Light Show 35 min

    The light show on the Old Town Square tree (8:30 pm), with a mulled wine. On 24 December the stalls only sell food and drink after 2 pm.

  19. 20:55

    Walk · 5 min

    On foot.

  20. 21:00

    Open-air Christmas Mass (optional) 45 min

    On Old Town Square at 9 pm, free. For midnight mass: Strahov Basilica and other churches (plan a taxi back; trams stop regular service around 6 pm).

  21. 21:45

    Walk · 15 min

    Back to your Old Town hotel on foot. The metro runs until about 2 am, then night trams take over.

Open the route on the map

Balanced–packed

Covers everything: the castle buildings, the Old Town Hall tower, the Jewish Quarter and Strahov; no hotel break, but historic café and beer hall stops instead.

Thursday 24 December09:00–22:00

Christmas Eve: Towers, Josefov, the Bridge and the Lights

Museums close at 2–3 pm, so the interiors come first; the castle buildings are closed but the courtyards are open. Tree lights, Christmas dinner and mass in the evening.

  1. 09:00

    Astronomical Clock 10 min

    The 9 am show.

  2. 09:10

    Old Town Hall Tower 40 min

    Up by lift for a bird’s-eye view of the square and the market, with Týn Church and the castle in one frame.

    Ticket needed: book at least 1 day ahead
  3. 09:50

    Walk · 5 min

    On foot.

  4. 09:55

    Pinkas Synagogue 25 min

    The memorial synagogue whose walls bear 80,000 hand-written names; upstairs, drawings by the children of Terezín.

    Ticket needed: book at least 2 days ahead
  5. 10:20

    Old Jewish Cemetery 25 min

    Hundreds of tilting, layered headstones in one of Europe’s oldest Jewish cemeteries.

  6. 10:45

    Klausen Synagogue 15 min

    By the cemetery exit; an exhibition on Jewish customs and daily life.

  7. 11:00

    Spanish Synagogue 25 min

    A gilded, Moorish-patterned interior inspired by the Alhambra; the most dazzling building in Josefov.

  8. 11:25

    Walk · 10 min

    On foot.

  9. 11:35

    Old Town Bridge Tower 25 min

    The Gothic tower at the Old Town end of the bridge: bridge, river and castle in one frame. Tickets at the door (250 CZK).

  10. 12:00

    Charles Bridge 30 min

    Baroque statues, the river and the castle above. As you cross, Kampa is on the right and the Old Town skyline behind you.

  11. 12:30

    Kampa Island 15 min

    A quiet island park on the river, with Old Town views from under the bridge.

  12. 12:45

    Lennon Wall 10 min

    The ever-changing graffiti wall on the way to Kampa.

  13. 12:55

    Lunch, Malá Strana 60 min

    Czech cooking: goulash, svíčková, dumplings. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.

  14. 13:55

    Walk · 25 min

    Up Nerudova to the castle.

  15. 14:20

    Prague Castle Courtyards 25 min

    On 24 December the castle buildings are closed but the courtyards are open: the cathedral front and rose window.

  16. 14:45

    Hradčany Viewpoint 15 min

    Red roofs and spires from the terrace beside the castle gate.

  17. 15:00

    Walk · 10 min

    Down the Old Castle Stairs; downhill with a view.

  18. 15:10

    Metro · 10 min

    Line A from Malostranská to Staroměstská; Old Town Square is 5 minutes away.

  19. 15:20

    Warm-up Break: Historic Café 60 min

    A long break in one of Prague’s historic coffee houses. Options: Grand Café Orient, Café Louvre. Check holiday hours before you go.

  20. 16:20

    Christmas Tree Light Show 45 min

    The light show on the Old Town Square tree (4:30 pm), with a mulled wine. On 24 December the stalls only sell food and drink after 2 pm.

  21. 17:05

    Aperitif: Beer Hall or Bar 55 min

    A Czech beer or a glass of wine before dinner. Options: U Fleků, Lokál, Café Imperial.

  22. 18:00

    Christmas Eve Dinner 120 min

    The traditional menu: carp and potato salad. On 24 December only some restaurants open and all are full; booking is essential.

  23. 20:00

    Walk · 5 min

    On foot.

  24. 20:05

    Christmas Tree Light Show 50 min

    The light show on the Old Town Square tree (8:30 pm), with a mulled wine. On 24 December the stalls only sell food and drink after 2 pm.

  25. 20:55

    Walk · 5 min

    On foot.

  26. 21:00

    Open-air Christmas Mass (optional) 45 min

    On Old Town Square at 9 pm, free. For midnight mass: Strahov Basilica and other churches (plan a taxi back; trams stop regular service around 6 pm).

  27. 21:45

    Walk · 15 min

    Back to your Old Town hotel on foot. The metro runs until about 2 am, then night trams take over.

Open the route on the map

Tips

  • Don’t leave your shopping until late on 31 December: large stores close at 5–6 pm. On 1 January and 25–26 December stores over 200 m² are closed by law, and on 24 December they close at noon; small gift shops are up to their owners.

  • The neighbourhood markets (Náměstí Míru, Náměstí Republiky) end on 24 December. Over New Year only the Old Town and Wenceslas markets are open (until 6 January). To see them all, go in the first half of December.

  • Book New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve dinner in October or November: most restaurants serve a set menu and fill up early.

  • Prague has no official fireworks display; at midnight people set off fireworks all over the city. Watch out for fireworks in the crowd.

  • Visit the castle on the morning of 31 December: St Vitus closes at 3 pm that day, opens at 12:30 on 1 January, and the castle buildings are fully closed on 24 December.

  • On 31 December trams switch to the night timetable around 10 pm and the metro runs to the centre until about 2 am. On 24 December trams stop regular service around 6 pm. Staying in the Old Town and walking back is easiest.

  • Churches aren’t heated (St Nicholas included), so keep your coat and gloves on inside. In December it gets dark around 4 pm.

  • The Jewish Museum is closed on Saturdays. Jewish Museum tickets

Times are for Thursday 24 December and were checked against official sources (20 October 2026); holiday hours can change. See the guide page for sources and the open/closed table. Christmas in Prague

Frequently asked questions

Is 1 day enough for Prague Christmas?

One day is enough for Christmas Eve; the castle buildings are closed on 24 December, so seeing inside needs a second day.

Which places do you go inside?

Relaxed: no ticketed museums; markets, streets and churches. Balanced–packed: Old Town Hall Tower, Jewish Museum.

How far ahead should I book tickets?

Old Town Hall Tower at least 1 day ahead; Jewish Museum at least 2 days ahead. Queues are long in the holiday week.

I’m going on different dates; how does the route change?

Enter Prague and your arrival and departure in the planner on the home page. For any date from 25 November to 5 January it builds the route around that day’s markets and opening hours: New Year’s Eve on 31 December, Christmas Eve on 24 December, and closed markets are dropped.