16 Things Not to Do in Prague (2026): A Local’s Guide on What to Do Instead
16 things not to do in Prague to help you to make the most of your visit – including practical tips based on local knowledge and how to avoid scams in Prague.
I’ve lived in Prague for a long time, and honestly, I think it’s one of the most beautiful and civilised cities in the world. As a local, I’m probably a bit biased! I truly believe you’ll have a wonderful time here, but because I want you to love my home as much as I do, I think it’s important to talk about the things that just aren’t worth your time or your hard-earned money.
In my experience, the “standard” guidebooks often point you towards the most crowded and expensive places. In this guide, I’m not really talking about scary scams, but rather those things that are a bit “overhyped” or just not very authentic. I want to share the things you can easily skip without feeling guilty, so you can spend more time enjoying the real, magical side of Prague.
And to be clear, I’m not saying you should not do all of these things if you really want to, but hopefully, this little guide of things not to do in Prague gives you ideas of what you can easily miss when you visit the city without feeling guilty.
My 16 tips are also budget friendly, so if you are travelling to Prague on a tight budget, it will help you to experience Prague in more authentic way. And I hope you enjoy trying something a bit different than your guide book tells you!
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1. Don’t visit Charles Bridge in the middle of the day
I love Prague, and I love that so many other people love it too, but it means that the main attractions, like Charles Bridge, get very busy.
So busy sometimes, that you can hardly see where you are going and need to shuffle along in a big queue of people going the same way.
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If you want to experience Charles Bridge for yourself go very early in the morning (I mean like 5 or 6 am in summer and 7-8 am in the winter) or very late at night (a midnight walk across Charles Bridge is truly magical!).
You can walk on other bridges in Prague instead and check out Charles Bridge when it’s less busy.
If you want to take a great photo of Charles Bridge from a place, that’s surprisingly not to crowded, step down from the bridge to Kampa Island walk on either side of the bridge to get an amazing photo or a selfie.
2. Don’t take a taxi from the airport
Unlike other major city’s airports, which are a fair distance from the centre, in Prague, you are literally 20-30 minutes from the centre by public transport.
If you have a lot of luggage, the whole family is travelling with you; you are not quite sure where your hotel is and have at least 600 – 800 CZK spare, by all means, use the taxi.
It might be still a comfortable way to arrive and start your holiday hustle free. I usually choose to keep my ‘taxi’ money and spend it on dinner for two!
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It’s very easy to get to the centre of Prague from Vaclav Havel Airport. You first take a bus or a trolley bus and then ‘metro’ (underground) to get to the centre.
The ticket is 50 CZK, and it’s valid for up to 90 minutes. You can change your public transport (bus, tram, underground, train) as many times as you like within the valid period.
You need to validate your ticket in a machine as you board the bus and then keep the ticket in your pocket until the end of your journey (you don’t need to validate it every time you change a bus, tram or underground).
Since 2024 the official taxi provider chosen by the Prague Airport become Uber. You can order your Uber taxi directly at the airport and you don’t need to use the app, if you don’t want to downloaded to your phone. The pricing is much clearer (and often cheaper than regular taxis) and you can see in advance how much your journey is going to cost you.
Unfortunately, there are still other taxi companies operating from the airport, making it look like they are the official taxis. The uber car will have an official black colour with Uber Airport written on it and once you order it, you’ll know exactly when the car arrives.
The other companies try to usher people to their cars as you come out of the airport, so just check that you are getting the right type of car if you are using Uber to get from the Prague airport.
3. Don’t visit Prague Castle if you have just one day in Prague
If you love history, Prague Castle will be definitely on your list. The problem is that if you have only one day in Prague, you can easily spend it just at Prague Castle and not see the rest of the city!
If you want to see the whole castle, you will need the entire day. There are many different buildings, exhibitions, cathedral, church and the Golden Lane to see. It’s a lot to take in!
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Go very early in the morning (or late in the evening) – the grounds are open every day 6 am to 10 pm. You can walk through the Prague Castle grounds and see all the buildings without paying for a ticket.
The only place you can’t go without the castle ticket during the day is Golden Lane, but if you arrive after 5 pm, you can see the little houses at Golden Lane for free.
Take a good guide book with you and read everything you want to know about Prague Castle as you walk around. This way you’ll see everything you want to and enjoy Prague Castle without the crowds.
4. Don’t exchange your money on the streets
These days I don’t see the point of exchanging for Czech money anyway, as in most places you can pay by card. Exchange some of your currency into Czech crowns before you leave your country and keep the change for public transport tickets and small purchases.
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Larger purchases can be made with card. Before you travel, check with your bank charges for ATM withdrawals. In most cases, you will find that your bank will give you a good deal on the currency exchange and won’t even charge you for withdrawing money abroad.
There are plenty of ATM machines available on the streets, but I would advise to walk into any large bank and use their indoor machines, where you will feel more secure.
5. Don’t eat in the restaurants in the Prague centre
First of all, I should say, that I don’t mind spending a bit of money on good food. Saying that I always find Czech restaurants a bit of a hit and miss when it comes to food quality.
What seems to work as guidance in many European Cities – i.e. the higher cost, the higher the quality of food or nicer the interior/ setting/customer service is. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to apply to many Prague restaurants, especially in the centre of Prague.
Step into one side street directly off the Old Town Square and the main course will set you back 490-790 crowns. It might be perfectly good quality, and yes, you’ll be directly in the centre, but a dinner in that kind of restaurant can easily cost than a night stay in a posh hotel!
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You can easily find same quality restaurants a little further away from the centre, where the main course could start from 200 – 250 crowns for a homemade goulash meal.
Another side note on Prague restaurants and their prices. The price for the main course is usually just for the ‘meat’ element of the dish.
You need to order the ‘side’ dish, like potatoes, rice, chips, vegetables or salad separately at extra cost. Also, water or soft drinks are not always cheaper than alcoholic drinks. When deciding what drink you would like to have, check the volume, you will be getting first.
Prices are often quoted for 100ml to appear cheaper and then you either need to tell your waiter that you want 250ml glass or they will select whatever glass they have and then charge you accordingly.
If you get any extra side dishes, that you didn’t ask for (like for example basket with bread, rolls or bowl of olives), please understand that these are not complimentary. If you start eating them, you will be charged for them.
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6. Don’t eat Trdelnik
By all means, have this deliciously smelling sweet dough snack that has taken over the streets of Prague! But do this on the understanding that it’s not a traditional Czech pastry (it comes originally from Romania) and no Czech person would have ever made it at home to eat nor it would buy it on the streets.
The stalls with Trdelnik have started to appear in the centre of Prague about fifteen years ago, so that’s as traditional as it gets.
The so called traditional Prague trdelnik might look impressive as you’ll watch it being baked and prepared with a lot of different fillings and the smell of cinnamon is amazing. But the chances are that you are very likely to be disappointed with the taste.
It’s made from bread dough which is fairly dry and often underbaked as the ‘trdelnik’ makers are in a hurry trying to get the pastries ready as quickly as possible.
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If you want to try real traditional pastry, go to any food supermarket in the centre or a traditional or artisan bakery in Prague and get traditional Czech cake called ‘kolace’ – round sweet pastry cakes filled with poppy seeds, apples or sweet curd cheese.
They are absolutely delicious and for a cost of one Trdelnik, you can have about 3-4 pastries (depending on size). Then walk around munching on these, feeling happy and slightly smug!
If you are visiting at festive times, you can also try Christmas Vanocka or Easter Mazanec (sweet bread dough with dried fruits and almonds), no-bake beehive cookies or traditional pancakes risen with yeast and topped with sweet cream cheese (tvaroh) or plum jam (povidla).
7. Don’t worry about missing the Old Town Square clock chiming
To visit the Old Town Square to see the historic clock chiming is listed as one of the ‘things you have to do’ when you are in Prague. To be honest, you’ll live even if you don’t see it.
Here is what actually happens: When the clock chimes at the whole hour, the two small doors above the astronomical clock open and you’ll see twelve apostles going around and turning as they pass the little doors. The skeleton statue will also move and at the end, you’ll hear the golden rooster crowing.
What is probably more fascinating is to watch hundreds of tourists standing still with their heads up staring at the clock for anything up to 15 minutes before the clock starts to chime! Seriously, the clock won’t chime any sooner than at the whole hour!
Joking aside, the Astronomical clock is very impressive installation as it not only tracks the time but also the moon and the clock also tells you what date it is.
It was originally built in 1410 and it’s one of the oldest astronomical clocks in working order in the world.
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Walk up to the Old Town Hall about ten pass any hour, when the crowds start to disappear and have the whole place to yourself to take nice pictures without people.
8. Don’t visit the major attractions at the weekend
The main attractions, like Prague Castle, the Jewish Quarter or Charles Bridge can be very congested, especially at weekends.
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If you want to avoid the crowds in Prague, I’d recommend that you plan your visit either for early in the morning or during weekdays.
You might be lucky enough to beat the crowd if you turn up just before 9 am, as most tourists would, wrongly, assume that castles, museums or other attractions open at 10 am (as it’s in many other European cities) and nobody wants to get up too early when they are on holiday.
9. Don’t join the “Selfie Queue” at the Library during the peak hours
You might have seen a famous video of a “tunnel of books” inside the Municipal Library in the Old Town. It looks amazing on camera, but in my opinion, it’s not worth the wait!
Since 2025, the queues have become huge, and you might spend an hour standing in line just to take one photo for five seconds. I know, because I often work from the library on my blog and walk pass the queue pretty much every day, when I’m in Prague.
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Try arriving early in the morning, just before 9 am when the library opens and there might be less people there. The library is open until 8 pm during the week and I always see the least amount of people as I’m leaving, just before the library closes.
10. Don’t buy traditional souvenirs, that are not traditional, like around the King’s Route
The King’s Route it’s not actually a street called ‘the King’s Route’ but the main Royal Coronation Route, which the kings took from their castle at the Powder Tower through the main square and over the Charles Bridge to the castle.
Pretty much every other shop is a souvenir shop, but not all souvenirs are traditional Czech ones (like all the Matryoshka dolls) or very original ones, come to that.
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Check out the souvenir shop with local artists (there are several as you walk from the Old Town Square to Charles Bridge), where you can buy locally produced and designed souvenirs and arts by Czech makers. I think you’ll find that a beautiful Enamel Mug (usually decorated with lovely flowers or animals) or a set of handcrafted Wooden Toys are much better than any plastic trinket.
If you want something a bit more special, I think you should look for Bohemia Glass or our famous jewellery. We are very proud of our Red Granát (a deep red garnet stone found in Bohemia) and Green Vltavín (a unique green gemstone made by a meteorite hitting the earth millions of years ago!).
11. Don’t drive in Prague
Prague roads can get fairly congested, which means that your car might not be even quicker than a tram.
It’s also quite difficult to find a parking place in the centre of Prague, so it’s probably best to park in one of the large shopping centres or designated parking places on the outskirts of Prague and take the metro – Prague underground to the centre.
If you do decide to drive in Prague, remember to drive on the right and keep your full lights on at all times (it’s a law).
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Driving in Prague is not necessary as public transport, especially the Prague tram system is a very efficient and a great value. You can easily get from the Vaclav Havel Airport to the centre of Prague and then anywhere you need very quickly and easily.
12. Don’t wear high heels, flip flops or flat shoes
The centre of Prague is best covered on foot, which can mean a lot of walking. Unlike other towns, Prague has pavements made out of stone cubes, old-fashioned cobbled stones and tiles, which are really tricky to walk on in high heels, flip flops or completely flat or thin shoes.
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When you are packing for your trip, make sure you include at least 2 pair of shoes to give your feet a little rest and swap them regularly. It’s best to wear comfortable, padded shoes, like trainers or other comfy shoes; otherwise, you might end up with blisters and very tired feet!
13. Swap the “Medieval Dinner” in the Old Town for a traditional meal
I think these medieval shows are one of the most overhyped things in the city center. You’ll see flyers for “all-you-can-eat” feasts with fire dancers and swordsmen.
In my opinion, the food is often a bit mass-produced and the atmosphere can feel a bit like a theme park rather than real history. Plus, they can be quite pricey!
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If you want a bit of history with your dinner, I think you should look for a traditional Hostinec (a local pub) in the Mala Strana district. You’ll get a much more authentic atmosphere, better beer, and you won’t have someone shouting in your ear while you try to eat your goulash!
14. Swap the modern museums for a traditional one
In my opinion, you should be a bit careful about which museums you choose to visit. While Prague has some world-class spots, like the National Museum at the top of Wenceslas Square, there are also a lot of “pop-up” museums in the centre that I think are a bit thin on the ground.
Places like the Museum of Alchemists, the new Mozart Museum, or the Illusions Museum can be a bit of a let-down because they don’t have much substance. I think they are often quite small and mainly designed for taking photos for social media rather than showing you real history.
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I think you’ll get much more value visiting the National Technical Museum or the Museum of Communism. These places have real stories to tell and are much more interesting than a room full of mirrors or fake potions! If you like art, I also think the Trade Fair Palace Art Gallery is a fantastic choice. These are the places where you can spend hours actually learning something new about our culture.
15. Don’t get too excited about special substances in the various green shops
As you browse through various souvenir shops, you might come across special substances flavoured sweets and drinks. Special substances from plants are illegal in the Czech Republic, so the chances of any sweet actually having any happy times substances are pretty non-existent.
Producers seem to use the picture of the plant to advertise their products and they use the plant seed to flavour the sweets or chocolates.
Not that I understand it much, but you apparently need the plant leaves to make the special substance and extract oil from the plant to get any high substances. You can buy the plant seeds in any health shops and they are perfectly safe to use and healthy too!
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Skip the overpriced candy shops and head to a local supermarket instead! I think you’ll have much more fun trying the traditional Czech treats, that I grew up with.
You should look out for Hašlerky (herbal liquorice sweets), Slavia (peppermint sweets with a cocoa centre), or a Kofila bar (coffee-flavoured chocolate).
I also think you should try a Sójový suk (a traditional, chewy soya roll that is sweet and nutty) my favourite to go snack for hiking trips in the Czech Republic.
If you want something more filling, I recommend a Margot bar (a chunky soya and coconut chocolate bar), Mila (a very popular wafer with a smooth, velvety milk cream filling) or Tatranky (crispy wafers with hazelnut cream).
For a lovely gift, I think you should buy some Lázeňské oplatky (huge, thin spa wafers) or a box of Lentilky (our famous colourful chocolate beans).
16. Don’t put “Love Locks” on the bridges
I know it looks sweet on Instagram to snap a padlock onto a bridge and throw the key in the river, but in my opinion, it’s a big “no-no” in Prague. These locks actually damage our beautiful historic bridges because they are so heavy. Every few months, the city has to come and cut them off with big power tools!
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I think a much better way to remember your trip is to take a beautiful photo or buy a small piece of local art. If you want to make a wish, you can walk up to the place where saint Jan Nepomuk was thrown into the Vltava River (about 1/3 into walking on the Charles Bridge from the Old Town) and touch the special plague that marks this place.
This blog post was originally written on 24 February 2019 and last updated on 8 January 2026
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