The largest castle complex in the world by area, and the one place in Prague where the difference between free and ticketed decides your whole morning.
What it costs
The grounds are free. You can walk in through the gates, cross all three courtyards, stand in front of the cathedral and walk out the far end down the Old Castle Steps without paying anything or queuing for anything.
What you pay for is going inside. The castle sells several circuits rather than one ticket, and they cover different combinations of the same handful of buildings — St Vitus Cathedral beyond the entrance bay, the Old Royal Palace, St George’s Basilica and Golden Lane. Decide which circuit you want before you reach the counter; the staff will not choose for you, and the queue behind you will not enjoy the deliberation.
When to go
The complex opens early and the paid buildings open later — so the first hour of the day is the free hour, with the courtyards nearly empty. The changing of the guard at the main gate happens on the hour, with the larger ceremony at midday; that is when the first gate is at its most crowded.
Coaches arrive mid-morning. By eleven the second courtyard is dense and stays that way until late afternoon.
Getting there
Tram 22 to Pražský hrad puts you at the top, beside the northern entrance. This is the direction that matters: ride up and walk down. Walking up from Malostranská metro station means the Old Castle Steps, and they are steeper than they look on a map.
If you only have an hour
Go in at the northern gate off tram 22, cross the courtyards, stand in the cathedral’s free bay, then leave down the Old Castle Steps towards Malostranská. That is the castle for nothing, in under an hour, and it is a genuinely good hour. Add a circuit only if you want the Old Royal Palace or Golden Lane specifically.
What people get wrong
Most visitors treat the castle as one attraction with one entry price. It is a walled district with a cathedral inside it, and a great deal of what people photograph costs nothing. If you only have a morning, the free walk plus one circuit is a better day than the full ticket rushed.
Nearby
Ticketing arrangements and opening patterns as published for 2026 and checked on 4 September 2026. Prices and hours change without much warning — confirm with the site itself before you travel. More sights, and how they fit together, in Landmarks & Sights.