How to get to Kutna Hora from Prague by public transport (2025)
There are a lot of tourist companies that offer Kutna Hora guided tours from Prague, so most people don’t realise that Kutna Hora is actually really easy to get to by public transport and it’s only 50 min – 1hr away from Prague.
Over the years, I’ve visited Kutna Hora many times, mostly by train, but recently I also took a bus to see, which is better.
Kutna Hora is one of the most visited towns after Prague, because it’s so pretty and the journey to get there is fairly short.
It’s a medieval town set on a top of hill surrounded by beautiful countryside. The historic centre of Kutna Hora is beautifully preserved, has been on a UNESCO World Heritage List since 1995, and it’s also very picturesque as you can see from my photos.
The only drawback is that over the years, it has become incredibly touristy and quite crowded at times. Statistics published by the Kutna Hora town hall show that in 2019 around 1,4 million people visited the city. Naturally the visitor’s numbers have come down in the last few years, but by 2022 they have already climbed to close to 900 000 visitors a year.
My tip, is to plan your trip during a week day and slightly off the main season to experience the town in a slightly less crowded way. If you stay a little longer in the afternoon, when everyone leaves, you can walk through practically empty streets.
This is mainly because all the businesses (apart from a few local pubs) are closed by 5 pm. The last time I visited was in late summer after a day trip to Kacina Chateau nearby and the town was very quiet and such a lovely experience to walk around.
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Why visit Kutna Hora?
Kutna Hora is 50 min -1.5 hr from Prague by bus or train. If you go by train, you can visit the Sedlec Church first and then continue to the Kutna Hora town.
There are also green walks around the town if you want to escape the crowds. Kutna Hora is definitely doable as a day trip from Prague, but since there is so much to see, it’s still a jam-packed day out so start your day early.
In medieval times, Kutna Hora was the richest city in the Kingdom of Bohemia, competing in power even with Prague and this was because of silver mining and special kings privileges such as silver coins mint press.
Today, you can admire this beautiful medieval town with its quirky streets, squares and beautiful churches. The most outstanding site is the Late Gothic St. Barbara’s Cathedral, the Coins Mint Building, the Italian Court Castle, the Stone House, and the Monastery of the Order of St. Vortislava.
In the Sedlec quarter, there is a five-nave Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist and the Church of All Saints with the famous bone ossuary.
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The easiest way to get to Kutna Hora on public transport
The quickest way to get to Kutna Hora is to use a direct train.
- Direct train from the Main Train Station in Prague
- 50 minutes journey
- 150 CZK one way ticket (concessions for students, senior citizens and children available)
- Fastest trains are every 2 hrs at 6:06 , 8:06, 10:06, 12:06 etc.
The next step if you are visiting the Bone Ossuary Church
The main train station at Kutna Hora is about 15 minutes walk from the Bone Ossuary Church, so it’s perfect if you want to start your visit to Kutna Hora there.
The next step if you are visiting the historic centre of Kutna Hora
If you don’t want to visit the Bone Ossuary Church, I recommend you still take the same train and then use local bus from the main train station at Kutna Hora to the bus station at the Kutna Hora town). It’s still quicker than going by a bus all the way from Prague.
The local bus stops directly in front of the main train station to Kutna Hora and it costs about 20 CZK to get there. The buses are frequent and linked to the arrival of the trains, so you shouldn’t be waiting for very long before the bus arrives.
Local people use it too, because the historic centre of Kutna Hora is about 3 km walk!
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Is it better to travel to Kutna Hora by bus or by train?
From my experience, I think it’s definitely better to take the fast train from Prague and then the local bus to the centre of Kutna Hora (or walk 10-15 minutes to the Bone Ossuary Church).
I always take the train from Prague Main Train Station to Kutna Hora, but once took the bus back to Prague, because I was in the historic centre and the train connections plus local bus or walk would taken about the same time.
The bus is good if you like watching the countryside and the little towns on the way and are on very tight budget. The bus ticket is about 1/2 price of the train ticket, but the bus has 45 stops on the way to Prague and doesn’t go to the centre, but finishes (and starts) at Praha – Haje (Haje Underground – about 20 minutes from the centre).
Train
- Trains depart every hour or more frequently in the morning and evening
- Direct train runs every 2 hrs and indirect trains every hour (change at Kolin)
- Journey is only 50 minutes (plus walk or local bus to the centre)
- Can buy ticket on the day (usually no need to book in advance and reserve a seat, apart from the weekends in summer or busy event days)
- Last train from Kutna Hora is at 22.20 pm (change at Kolin), last direct train is at 21:01
Bus
- journey takes about 1 hr 40 – 50 minutes depending on the bus
- There are 45 stops between Prague and Kutna Hora
- Direct connection – no need to change anywhere
- Departures are from Haje Prague Underground
- Bus stop is only 5 minutes walk from the historic centre of Kutna Hora
- Cheaper than train (about 1/2 price)
- No need to pre-book, buy ticket from the bus driver
- Last bus from Kutna Hora is at 22.19 pm
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How to get to Kutna Hora from Prague by train
All trains depart from the Prague Main Train Station and some involve a changeover usually at Kolin. The fast train is called Vysocina and it’s final destination is Brno.
This direct train departs at 6 minutes past the whole hour – every 2 hrs, starting at 8:06 am. You can also take other trains before and after 8 am and change at Kolin – there are plenty of connections through the day and usually don’t take much longer than the direct connection.
The train station in Kutna Hora is about 30-45 minutes walk from the historic centre of Kutna Hora, but only about 10-15 minutes from the Bone Ossuarry Church.
My local tip: If you are visiting the centre of Kutna Hora first, take the regular local bus from the train station. The walk on the main road is up hill and in not so pretty surroundings, so there is no point saving that 20 CZK that the bus ticket costs.
If you really fancy the walk follow the red tourist trail, which takes you first to Sedlec Bone Ossuary and then following the local train track through a tree lined path and green parks to the centre of Kutna Hora. It’s about 3 km long walk, mainly flat and it’s much nicer surroundings than through the suburbs of Kutna Hora.
How to buy a train ticket
To buy your train ticket at the Main Train Station, simply walk down to the ticket office and buy your ticket there. You can buy your ticket on the day (just before you travel), but if you are a bit organised, you can also buy your ticket in advance (just make sure you specify the day you want to travel).
If you know the exact connection you want to travel, the tickets are usually cheaper. Buying return ticket at the same time has no benefits, the cost is the same.
When you are going back, you can buy your ticket at Kutna Hora train station. If the ticket office is closed, you buy your ticket on the train from the train ticket officer (without extra charge).
How to get to Kutna Hora from Prague by bus
The Prague integrated bus no. 381 departs from Haje bus station, which is the ‘Haje’ underground station on line C (the last stop). Depending on where you are staying in Prague, it might take about 20 minutes to get there using the Prague underground from the centre.
The bus leaves at the whole hour, every hour and take 1 hr and 40 to 50 minutes depending on the time of the day. There are 45 bus stops between Prague and Kutna Hora.
Bus ticket cost
The bus ticket from Prague to Kutna Hora cost between 60-80 CZK one way.
If you have a valid Prague day or 3 day pass (or monthly pass) you can ask for a ticket from Praha – Uhrineves (or say ticket to Kutna Hora with a Prague travel card) and you’ll save about 20 CZK on the ticket price. Adult ticket is about 80 CZK and students, senior citizen’s and children tickets are also available.
How to buy your bus ticket
Not a lot of people travel by bus to Kutna Hora and the bus is not really ment for a longer journeys – it connects many towns and villages from Prague all the way to Caslav. You can only buy ticket from the bus driver as you are entering the bus. Advance tickets can’t be bought and return tickets are also not a thing!
The bus stations & Train Station at Kutna Hora
The buses leave from the Kutna Hora main bus station, which is about 5 minutes from the centre of the town.
The main train station at Kutna Hora is 3 km walk from the historic centre. There is also a Kutna Hora – Mesto train stop, which is only about 10 minutes walk from the centre, but to be honest it’s much quicker and easier to take the frequent local bus from the train station to the centre than wait for the local train.
How to get back to Prague from Kutna Hora
There are regular buses and trains from Kutna Hora until 10 pm each day, so you should have no problem getting back to Prague.
How much time to allocate for your Kutna Hora visit
In all honesty, a trip to Cesky Krumlov from Prague is always going to be a long day. To maximize your time at Cesky Krumlov I’d recommend to leave as early in the morning as possible, especially if you are planning to take the tour of the castle.
The last connection is at 10 pm, but most of the attractions and some shops and tearooms close at 5 pm, so you want to make sure that you arrive no later than say 1-2 pm to visit any attractions you like and then enjoy the late afternoon and evening in Kutna Hora after most people have left.
Is it worth going to Kutna Hora by public transport than going on a guided tour?
If you like to travel independently, then yes, travelling to Kutna Hora by public transport is very cost-effective.
Most tour prices are around 1600 CZK (£55) and the price usually includes an entrance ticket to the Sedlec and St. Barbara’s Cathedral.
If you go by a train, you pay 300 CZK for the travel plus 360 CZK for the combined ticket for Sedlec & St.Barbara’s Cathedral. This is a great saving of 940 CZK per person and some of which you can happily spend on a nice lunch, have a coffee break and buy some souvenirs to take home.
The other reason, why I think travelling by public transport is better is because you get more time in Kutna Hora.
I’ve noticed, that most travel agencies allocate 6 hrs for the whole trip, which means that with 2 hrs travel (1 hr one way) you are left with just 4 hrs to explore the town.
Whilst 4 hrs is just enough time to visit the Sedlec, Cathedral and walk through the town, it’s hardly enough time to have a leisurely lunch, sit for a bit in the cathedral park, and walk outside the town to see the green valley.
Also because most tour organisers arrange to arrive around 11-12 and leave around 4 pm, if you stay longer you can carry on enjoying Kutna Hora until the late afternoon and early evening.
Also if you arrive with the first or second train from Prague, you’ll be first in the queue for the Sedlec Bone Ossuary, before the guided tours buses get there.
This blog post was originally written on 24 July 2024 and last updated on 24 July 2024
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