2026 Schedule · Updated Seasonally
Grounds open 6 AM daily. Buildings open 9 AM and close at 5 PM (summer) or 4 PM (winter). Here's the full schedule — and when to arrive if you hate crowds. For month-by-month crowd levels, see our best time to visit guide. Arriving by tram? See how to get there.
Different parts of the complex keep different hours. This is the full breakdown.
| Area | Summer (Apr – Oct) | Winter (Nov – Mar) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Grounds & Courtyards | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM | Free, no ticket needed |
| St. Vitus Cathedral | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Last entry 15 min before close |
| Old Royal Palace | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Includes Vladislav Hall |
| St. George's Basilica | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Oldest surviving Romanesque church in Prague |
| Golden Lane | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Free to walk through after 5 PM (exterior only) |
| Royal Garden | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Closed | North of the castle; free entry in summer |
| South Gardens | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Closed | Ramparts & garden terraces; views over Malá Strana |
| Lobkowicz Palace | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Separate ticket required; café inside |
Prague Castle gets around 10,000 visitors on a busy summer day. Timing your arrival makes an enormous difference.
The courtyards are nearly empty. Perfect for photography, the changing-light atmosphere, and getting your bearings before the crowds arrive. Bring a coffee — nothing else is open yet.
This is the prime slot. The tour groups haven't arrived yet. You can stand in Vladislav Hall almost alone, and St. Vitus Cathedral feels genuinely cathedral-sized rather than a human traffic jam. Arrive before 9:15 AM to beat the first guided tour wave.
Tour groups are in full swing. Still enjoyable, but you'll be navigating around groups in narrow spaces like Golden Lane. The noontime guard ceremony draws big clusters around the First Courtyard from about 11:30 AM.
This is when the day-trippers from Old Town arrive after lunch. The cathedral queue can stretch into the courtyard. In summer this is also the hottest part of the day on the exposed stone courtyards. If you're here at this time, hit the gardens instead — or consider a skip-the-line ticket to at least avoid the ticket office wait.
Groups start heading back to the city for dinner. Visitor numbers drop noticeably after 3:30 PM. You get 90 minutes of relatively uncrowded buildings before last entry. The late-afternoon light on the cathedral is also exceptional.
The courtyards and walkways are open until 10 PM. In summer, the castle at dusk with the city lights below is one of the best views in Europe. Golden Lane can be walked freely (the houses are shuttered). No ticket required.
| Date / Period | Buildings | Grounds | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 (New Year's Day) | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM | Winter hours apply; can be busy after NYE |
| Good Friday & Easter Saturday | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM | Normal hours; very busy — book tickets early |
| Easter Monday | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM | Public holiday; tourist season begins |
| December 24 (Christmas Eve) | CLOSED | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM | Only day all ticket buildings are closed |
| December 25–26 (Christmas) | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM | Winter hours; usually quiet — a genuinely peaceful visit |
| Czech public holidays | Usually normal hours | Open | Always verify at hrad.cz before your visit |
Both tours below start early and take advantage of the quiet morning window. Entry ticket is included.
Starts 9:00 AM · 2.5 Hours
A licensed guide gets you inside before the main crowd wave. Covers the cathedral, Golden Lane, and Old Royal Palace in the optimal order for avoiding queues inside the buildings.
Book Morning Tour →3 Hours · Old Town + Castle
Start in Old Town Square and walk up to the castle with a local guide. Covers both sides of the river and arrives at the castle while the morning light is best and queues are shortest.
Book Walking Tour →The castle grounds open at 6:00 AM every day — you can walk the courtyards, gardens, and viewpoints before the buildings open. The ticket-required buildings (St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, Golden Lane, St. George's Basilica) open at 9:00 AM.
Buildings close at 5:00 PM in summer (April–October) and 4:00 PM in winter (November–March). The last visitors are admitted 15 minutes before closing.
The grounds are open every day of the year, including weekends and most holidays. The ticket-required buildings are closed only on December 24 (Christmas Eve). On other Czech public holidays they typically keep normal hours — but always verify at hrad.cz before a holiday visit.
The sweet spot is 9:00–10:30 AM when the buildings first open. Crowds are thinnest, the air is cooler, and you can move through the key spaces without fighting tour groups.
The second-best window is after 3:30 PM, when day-trippers start leaving and you get 90 minutes of relatively uncrowded buildings. Avoid 11 AM – 2 PM — that's peak crowd time and peak heat in summer.
The only full building closure is December 24 (Christmas Eve). The grounds stay open year-round. On other Czech public holidays — Christmas Day, Easter Monday, Czech Statehood Day — the castle usually keeps normal seasonal hours. Check hrad.cz for the most up-to-date information before your visit.