Visiting Prague in December 2025 – Travel Tips, Events & Things to do
December is a magical month to spend in Prague. The festive season starts at the end of November and continues into the first week in January. There are Christmas Markets, food festivals and exhibitions and if you are lucky the snow comes too!
If you are thinking of visiting Prague in December, then I’ve put together practical travel tips, my favourite places to go, plenty of things to do in Prague at Christmas and festive events to help you plan your trip to Prague.
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Is December a good month to visit Prague?
Yes, absolutely! December is just a most magical month in Prague, especially if you love Christmas, old-fashioned traditions and plenty of comfort food!
But, be prepared to be cold! The weather in December is much cooler than in November, so you’ll need warm winter clothes and good shoes.
Prague attractions continue to be open as usual with state co-owned attractions closing on Mondays. Private museums and attractions are often open on Mondays, so there are still plenty of places to visit.
Most attractions outside of Prague such as museums and castles are already closed for winter, but there are some castles that open in winter and during the advent weekends. I really like that during these special Christmas viewings, the whole castle is decorated in festive colours and decorations. If you want to escape the crowd then a day trip from Prague to visit a Christmas decorated castle is a real treat!
When it’s the best time to visit Prague in December?
Prague is very busy during December, especially as you get closer to the Christmas. If you want to get the Christmas feel, but still make it back home for your own Christmas, then the 2nd or 3rd Advent Weekend is probably the best time to visit.
I’ve put together a separate guide to spending Christmas in Prague as there are different opening times and it’s slightly different to the rest of the December.
You can still escape the tourist crowds and follow my fun non-touristy list of things to do in Prague to enjoy your stay.
Important dates in December
6 December – St Nicholas Day
This was my favourite day before Christmas when I was a child. We woke up very early in the morning to discover a Christmas stocking filled with sweets, chocolates, oranges, bananas and walnuts in our rooms.
We knew early on that this was our mum’s doing and not St. Nicholas as we were told to believe, but we could never catch her doing it! I remember we would try to wait for the door to open and the stocking being hung on the door handle, but we’d always fall asleep before that happened. So, in the end, it was a bit of a mystery after all!
St. Nicholas day has never been a national day off, so we would always go to school a bit bleary-eyed (since we got up about 5 am) and high on sugar!
On the 5th of December, you can see a trio of St Nicholas (dressed as an archbishop), an angel and a devil who visit children in their own home and give them treats if they were good or potatoes or coal if they were bad last year. Traditionally children need to sing a Christmas carol or say a little poem to ‘deserve’ the treats.
If you start to detect similarities between this and the stocking hanging by the fire on the 25 December in the morning in England, going carolling and Santa’s naughty or nice list, you are not wrong.
24 December – Christmas Day – Christmas Eve
The main Christmas event is celebrated on Christmas Eve in the evening. Bizarrely, the 24th of December is not a national holiday (day off), but a normal working day!
But over the years, banks, shops and offices would start closing a bit earlier to allow employees time to get home to their families.
The Christmas markets and other shops will still be open in the morning and there’s enough time to get your Christmas tree and a carp to take home to eat.
Most churches will have morning carol singing or a mass and also an afternoon service for children. You can also attend Midnight Mass in many churches, just check out your local one.
25 & 26 December – St. Stephens Day & Second Christmas Day
Most people are with their families or visiting their in-laws during the two Christmas Days. Most shops, banks and offices are closed and the 2 days are official national holidays.
But, unlike, say in the UK, if the 25 & 26 falls on the weekend, there is no ‘replacement’ day on Monday and Tuesday! This goes for any Czech national holiday, not just the Christmas days.
Most public transport in Prague will run reduced Sunday service and some train services will not run at all, so just double check your travel plans if you intend to travel during the holiday season.
31 December – St. Silvestr
The last day of each year is celebrated in the Czech Republic like anywhere in the world. It’s again a normal working day, but by night time every restaurant, pup or club venue will have some sort of event on.
All weekends in December
The last weekend in November is the first Advent Sunday marking the 4 weekends before Christmas. Most shops and venues will start to put up their Christmas decorations and food venues will begin to introduce festive twists on their regular offerings.
Outdoor markets and other festive celebrations will start to take place during the last November weekend, so keep an eye on the local news for updates on what’s happening around you.
My favourite things to do in Prague in December
Angels processions (3, 10, 17, 24 December)
The theatre artists from the Long Vehicle Circus group will walk the streets of central Prague dressed as large angels on high stills and interact with people around them.
An angel is not only a symbol of Christmas but also of hope, safety, and protection. The idea behind the project is to experience Advent ‘under angel’s wings’ and start slowing down or pause for a while and contemplate.
There is also a light installation in the Klementinum, where more actors perform usually with light or simple props.
Location: Marianske Square, near Old Town Square (usually start and finish)
Mint Market – 29 – 30 November 2025
Mint Market is a wonderfull fair with handmade gifts, pottery, designer stationery, fashion clothes, jewellery and also food stalls.
There are between 50-80 stalls with sellers from whole Czech Republic. All products are handmade or produced in small quantities by companies in the Czech Republic and the quality is always very high.
Location: Holesovice Market – Hall no. 13, Prague 7, trams 25, 1 stop right in front of the market area – tram stop ‘ Trznice’ and the entry to the event is free
Opening times: 10 am – 6 pm
Christmas exhibition at the Botanical Garden (29 November-31 December 2025)
This is one of my favourite places to go to soak up a real traditional Czech Christmas atmosphere. Each year, the Botanical Garden in Prague 2 puts on a Christmas exhibition focusing on different element of the Czech traditions around the festive times. There is also a little stall with handmade decorations, garden magazines and books.
If you are looking for an antidote to the shiny and noisy portrait of what Christmas has become, this place will transport you back to when Czech Christmas traditions were part of people’s everyday’s life. It’s a real treat, I promise!
I don’t think that the organisers ever thought that international visitors will be interested enough to visit, so unfortunately all signs are just in Czech language, but if you scan it to an online translate app, you should be able to follow everything just fine.
Entrance ticket is 120 CZK. The exhibition is just one large greenhouse, but there is a lot packed in, so I usually stay a good hour or so.
You can also take a walk in the garden and park surrounding the greenhouses before you head back to the centre of Prague. There are no refreshments, but toilets (payable) are available (side building as you walk in from the tram stop).
Location: Botanical Garden, Na Slupi 16, Prague 2 – trams 2, 14, 18, 24 stop Botanicka Zahrada
Visit Christmas exhibition in museums
There are so many museums in Prague on so many topics, including free museums, that I’m sure you’ll find one that interests you. During the festive season, most museums have a festive theme or exhibition that’s linked to Christmas.
My favourite museums includes the National Technical Museum next to Letna Park, the Public Transport Museum, the Prague Museum close to Florenc or the main historic National Museum on the top of Wenceslas Square.
You can also visit the free Army Museum in Zizkov District of Prague which despite it’s name is actually pretty interesting place and has newly re-designed exhibitions about history and weapons through the centuries with interactive displays. It’s also a very impressive building and the cafe has an amazing views of Prague.
The Crystal Garden at Botanical Garden (28 November 2025 – 15 February 2026)
The Crystal Garden (Křišťálová zahrada) exhibition is one of the several light trails and installations in Prague. It’s so much bigger (and even better) than last year and it’s truly the perfect way to spend a winter evening. The main garden area above the St.Clara’s vineyard is transformed into magical winter place of light, music, and glass art.
These amazing glass pieces look like plants, mushrooms and birds and were made by a famous Czech glass artist, Jiří Pačinek, and his team. He also created the decorative glass that was used for the Glass Onion film with Daniel Craig.
The artworks are lit up beautifully, which makes them look great during the day and even better at night. The evening shows are extra special because they include live music from the PKF – Prague Philharmonia and cool digital art and video projections by students from the UMPRUM art school.
My local tip: If you want to spend the whole day at the Botanical Garden and see the Fata Morgana Greenhouse you can as combined day and evening entry is allowed on the same ticket. You just can’t leave the garden, but there are restaurants & cafes and plenty to see, so arriving some time in the early afternoon is the perfect time to see the garden and instalations in the daylight and stay for the 5 pm light and music show.
- Location: Botanical Garden, Trojská 800/196, Prague 7 -Troja
- Opening Times
- Daytime Visit (Exhibition + Outdoor Expositions): Monday – Sunday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
- Evening Visit (Illuminated Exhibition with Music/Shows): Thursday – Sunday, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Ticket Prices:
- Adults: 180 Kč (save by buying your ticket online for 150 CZK)
- Children (3-15), Students (up to 26): 120 Kč
- Family Ticket (2 adults + 3 children): 540 Kč
- Seniors (60+), Disabled (ZTP): 95 Kč
Christmas Lamplighting on Charles Bridge (30 November-23 December 2025)
If you happen to be around the beautiful Charles Bridge as it starts to get dark, come and watch the old-fashioned tradition of lighting up the gas lights on Charles Bridge.
It’s done by an official gas lighter dressed in a period costume who walks across the bridge and lights up all the gas lights. It’s definitely a one-off experience and a lovely tradition, too.
The lighting starts from 4 pm and the lighting starts from the statue of Charles IV in front of the church and the Gothic bridge tower on the Old Town Square side of the bridge.
Visit Prague Castle decorated for Christmas (29 November 2025 – 6 January 2026)
You can easily spend a whole day at Prague Castle (both inside the various buildings and outside walking around the different squares and little lanes), which is why I think it’s a perfect solution for a cold day.
The whole castle area is one of the free things in Prague to enter and you only need to pay for the various exhibitions indoors and art galleries.
There are plenty of coffee shops and restaurants within the Prague Castle complex, which means you can really spend the whole day exploring the area at your leisure.
Enjoy a Christmas Concert
Each year, you can find many Christmas themed concerts in the church venues in the centre of Prague, including St.Nicholas, St.Salvator, St. Martin in the Wall, Klementinum or Spanish Synagogue. You can also check out the jazz clubs in Prague, that have a mixture of festive themed concerts and jazz and blues music.
If you want to try something very traditional (and Czech) go for a Christmas Mass by F. Ryba, who was a music teacher and this mass was his masterpiece.
Prague Symphony Orchestra Concerts (1-14 December 2025)
The concerts will be held in the beautiful Smetana Hall at the Municipal House.
Location: Municipal House, Republic Square 5, Prague 1 (nearest underground Namesti Republiky).
Nativity Scene Display at the Church of Our Lady Victorious and The Infant Jesus of Prague (25 November – 24 December 2025)
The nativity scene in front of the church is always very colourful and before Christmas there is also added live donkey and other animals to for the children to feed and pet.
You are also welcome to visit the church, which is one of the most beautiful churches in Prague, where you can find out more about the legend of the infant Jesus of Prague and spend some time in quiet space of the church.
Location: Church of Our Lady Victorious – U Jezulatka stop on tram number 22, 20, 12 close to the Malostranske Square, Prague 1
Go for a coffee in a cosy old-fashioned coffee house
There are so many amazing coffee places in Prague, including beautiful historic cafes, and winter is the perfect opportunity to sit indoors, relax and enjoy some nice hot drinks. You can also check out my favourite breakfast cafes and artisan bakeries in Prague to taste the local festive sweets, vanocka (Christmas bread) and other treats.
Prague Christmas Markets (25 November – 24 December 2025 & 6 January 2026)
From the first advent weekend – the end of November – you’ll find outdoor markets, festivals and other events starting to appear to celebrate the start of the festive season.
The markets are open from 10 am til 10 pm every day and whilst the smaller markets close down on the 24 December, the Old Town Square Market stays open until the 6 January (to mark the arrival of the three kings).
The Christmas markets are held in these areas:
- Old Town Square
- Wenceslas Square – close to the Mustek Metro – Underground
- Peace Square – Namesti Miru – in front of the St. Ludmila Church
- Namesti Republiky – Republic Square – in front of the Palladium shopping centre
- Andel – next to the Angel Metro – Underground
- Prague Castle
- Marianske Square
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Nativity exhibition at Bethlehem Chapel (29 November 2025 – 2 january 2026)
This is my favourite places to go around Christmas, but the exhibition usually opens during the first advent weekend and it’s open throughout the Christmas period until the first week in January.
It’s beautifully set out in the chapel’s crypt with different sets of nativity scenes – some very old and traditional made from wood, some modern made from textiles, glass or even gingerbread.
There is usually carol singing on the 24 December in the morning (which is when Christmas is celebrated in the Czech Republic). Entry is 120 KCZ (children 60 CZK) and there is always a little stall with handmade christmas decorations from this year’s exhibitors and you can also take a hot drink to walk around the exhibition. It’s magical!
Location: Betlemske Square, Prague 1, close to Old Town Square
Taste Czech Christmas
If you want to try something a bit different, taste some of the delicious Czech food available at Christmas. You can get most of these in the Christmas Markets, restaurants or local supermarkets. The traditional canteen style restaurants will also have more festive dishes on their menus and you can try something a bit different each day.
Sweet
- Vanocka – a light brioche style bread with almonds, dried fruits, which is similar to Easter Mazanec and often eaten for breakfast with coffee or tea.
- Stola – Stollen
- Pernicky – Gingerbreads decorated with lemon icing
- Vanocni Cukrovi – small Christmas biscuits or cookies – different flavours & styles, such as Vceli Uly (Beehive cookies) which are made with egg nog filling
Savoury
- Breaded & Fried Carp & Potato Salad – the traditional Czech Christmas Dinner
- Breaded & Fried Chicken or Pork with Potato Salad
- Fish soup – traditional starter on Christmas eve
Drinks
- Svarak – Mulled wine
- Hot Apple Juice with cinnamon
- Hot Pear Juice with spices
- Egg nog
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Get your skates on (25 November 2025 – 6 January 2026)
Each year there are many pop-up outdoor ice-skating rinks; often with a beautiful backdrop of old houses in the middle of the Prague.
You can borrow ice-skates at the rink, so all you need to do is to just to came along and be dressed appropriately (few layers, gloves, hat, but not too warm as you’ll get warm skating around the ring).
The largest ice-scating rink is in Letna (opposite the Sparta Footbal Stadium – tram stop ‘Sparta’ or you can walk there from the Letna park) and the smaller one is in Smichov (14 October Square – Namesti 14 Rijna) behind the St. Wenceslas Church.
Entrance is free and renting ice-skates start from 50-100 CZK. The ice-skating rinks are open every day from 10 am til late (usually until 9-10 pm).
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Visit the ice sculpture exhibition – Ice Magic – 5.12. 2025- 16.3. 2026
Coming back for it’s third year, this is the most amazing ice sculpture exhibition called Ice Magic, where you can see over 33 sculptures made from ice. The sculptures were made by talented artists from across Europe.
This year, you can also enjoy a drink at an ice bar, walk through a ice corridors to explore the ice sculptures or have a go at snowtubing. The whole ice park is over 2000 m2, but it’s all indoors. The exhibition is held in a special chilled tent with a temperature below zero, so make sure you wrap up warm!
- Location: Riegrovy Sady, Prague 2, Vinohrady – 10 min walk from Jiriho z Podebrad Underground Station
- Opening Times: Every day from 10:00 to 22:00
- Admission: adults 250 CZK, seniors 200 CZK, children under 80 cm go free, Bar with one drink 190 CZK, Snowtubing 150 CZK, All in one ticket 330 CZK or 530 CZK VIP ticket
Visit castles & chateaus opened in winter season
The castle and chateau official winter season is from 1 November until 31 March and most state and private castles and chateaus are unfortunately closed during that time. But the good news is that there are still some places that are open in the winter.
I’ve included my favourite 15 castles and chateaus that are open in winter in my latest guide. You can easily visit these as a day trip from Prague and I’ve included opening times, how to get there, ticket costs and my favourite insider tips.
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This blog post was originally written on 22 October 2021 and last updated on 15 October 2025
