My favourite places to visit in Prague in January 2024, including travel tips, weather and what to pack when you are heading off to Prague in winter.
Is January a good month to visit Prague?
This really depends on what you want to do in Prague. It will be quiet, cold and nothing much will be happening, but equally, it could be a great opportunity to come to Prague during the low tourist season.
When I visit Prague in January or in February, I usually spend a lot of time re-visiting museums, galleries, reading books in cosy cafes and going to the theatre or seeing the latest movie in my favourite independent cinema.
On a bright sunny day, I also love getting out of Prague for a day trip (like my recent trip to Pardubice) and a long walk in the countryside.
One thing I should say is, be prepared to be cold! The weather is much cooler than in November, or December so you’ll need warm winter clothes and good shoes.
Most attractions outside of Prague such as museums and castles are closed for winter or might be open only at weekends and for a slightly shorter time.
If you want to plan any day drips, it’s worth getting up earlier in the morning as by 3 pm it can be virtually dark or very grey.
Prague is very quiet during January, especially as most people leave at the beginning of January, after the New Year’s Celebrations.
It’s the perfect month to visit Prague if you want to escape the tourist crowds and you can follow my fun non-touristy list of things to do in Prague to enjoy your stay.
PRACTICAL TRAVEL TIPS
What’s the January weather like?
Most years, Prague and Czech Republic’s January weather is very cold with temperatures dropping well below 0 C.
One important thing to mention about the cold in Prague. It might be below zero, but because this cold is ‘dry’ it doesn’t feel as cold as if it was 0 or even 2-3 C in London or UK. This is because of relatively low humidity.
The reason why I’m saying this is, as long as you are sufficiently wrapped in good warm clothes and have decent winter shoes, you don’t have to worry that you’ll be cold!
What is the January temperature in Prague ?
During the night the temperature can drop down to -3-10 Celsius and during the day (and if it’s sunny) might hover around 2-3 Celsius but can easily stay well below 0 Celsius.
You might get lovely sunny days in January, but it will feel chilly at the same time and especially when the sun comes down in the afternoon.
January day light
The daylight is from about 8 am to 4 pm with light visibility until about 4.30 pm.
If you are unlucky you might get days when the sky will be grey and permanently cloudy. It will feel like it’s getting darker even sooner than 2-3 pm if it’s cloudy and raining, so definitely plan some indoor activities.
Does it snow in Prague in January?
Yes, you are more likely to see snow in Prague in January than in early part of the winter. This is because traditionally January is the coldest month of the winter season and when the temperature drops to 0-2 Celsius, it often snows.
The snow often doesn’t stay for very long, especially in the centre of Prague. If you visit the outskirts of Prague (or Prague parks) you will see that the snow stays there for much longer.
If you venture for a day trip to the mountains, you are pretty much guarantee to get snow on the ground and the skying slopes.
MORE TRAVEL TIPS
- 1 day in Prague – how to get the most from your visit >>
- Travelling on the Prague tram network >>
- Can you speak English in Prague ? >>
What to pack for your visit
Apart from the general packing advice make sure that you have warm walking shoes, warm fleece or jumper and a winter jacket.
I tend to go for warm layers, so I pack a warmer body layer with long sleeve, fleece and a jacket or a coat.
If the weather is warm (for whatever reason), it might rain instead of snow, so bring an umbrella or rainproof jacket.
An umbrella is also handy unless you have a good waterproof rain jacket.
If you are planning to do longer day trips, it’s a good idea to bring a good day backpack and add an extra layer, hat or extra pair of socks for when the temperature drops in the evening.
Instead of a water bottle, I often take a hot coffee flask with me on my day trips. I’d still stop for a coffee or a tea during the day, but you never know if there is going to be a suitable place open where you are heading.
This is especially useful if you are thinking of travelling further from the centre in the afternoons or weekends.
What to wear in Prague in January
You definitely want to wear warm winter clothes in January. Plan to wear different layers rather than one thick jacket or jumper as layers will protect you agains the cold better.
Whenever you go indoors you will feel quite hot, so wear layers that are easily removable.
If it’s very cold and I decide to wear a shorter jacket I also wear a pair of leggings, especially under jeans. Jeans are one fabric that doesn’t actually make your body warm, so leggings or warm tights are a must (for me anyway!).
I also bring a winter hat or a cap as it gets colder in the evening and the wind can be quite freezing.
You’ll also need warm gloves and a scarf, depending on much you feel the cold.
If you feel the cold, I really recommend walking shoes with thick rubber soles (that keep your feet off the ground), thick socks (or two pairs of socks), leggings or thick tights under good warm trousers, long winter feather down jacket, scarf, gloves and a winter hat that covers your forehead.
I find by that stopping the cold from getting into my body through thin shoes and stopping it from escaping by wearing a winter beanie hat, I feel always nice and toasty!
Important dates
1 January – New Year
The first day of each year is a national holiday, but if it falls on the weekend, you don’t get another day off during week.
Most shops (especially the larger ones, including food shops) are closed on this day as well as offices, banks and government buildings. Small food shops are usually open as well as museums and other attractions.
6 January – Three Kings
The 6th of January celebrates the arrival of three kings to Jerusalem to see baby Jesus. Many churches celebrate this with special services, concerts and theatre events.
Traditionally, Czech people would keep their Christmas trees and decorations until 6th January, so if you are around after this date, you might see a lot of discarded Christmas trees lying around.
The town Christmas lights and decorations are also put away around this date.
Things to do in Prague in January
Visit the ice sculpture exhibition – 11.12 – 15.4. 2024
The first ever ice sculpture exhibition – Ice Magic, is showcasing 70 sculptures made from 180 tonnes of ice. The sculptures were made by talented artists from across Europe.
The exhibition’s theme is fairy tales and you can see different characters such as Maya the Bee, Krtek – The Mole (both popular Czech children fairytale characters). There are also characters from Frozen, The Lion King and “Ice Age.
The exhibition is held in a special chilled tent with a temperature below zero, so make sure you wrap up warm!
- Location: Riegrovy Sady 28, Prague 2, Vinohrady – 10 min walk from Jiriho z Podebrad Underground Station
- Opening Times: Every day from 10:00 to 22:00
- Admission: adults 300 CZK, children 250 CZK, family of 3 persons 800 CZK, family of 4 persons 950 CZK, family of 5 persons 1150 CZK
James Bond Car Exhibition – 7 December 2023 – 31 March 2024
For the first time in Prague, you can see the amazing James Bond Car exhibition with over 75 original exhibits from James Bond movies.
You can see the legendary cars (including BMW R1200C from Tomorrow Never Dies, 1997 or Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger, 1964) , as well as planes, helicopters, and maritime and space vessels used by Her Majesty’s agents, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig. What I really like, is that each exhibit also has a short film showing how the car or prop was used in the film. On top of that you can taste James Bond’s favourite Martini in the exhibition bar. And in case you didn’t know parts of Casino Royale were filmed in Prague, so it makes a perfect sense to have the exhibition here.
- Location: Křižíkovy Pavilions B and C at Výstaviště – Exhibition Grounds, Prague 7 – trams 12 (about 20 min from Malostranska Underground Station)
- Opening Times: Tuesday – Thursday: 10:00–19:00, Friday – Saturday: 10:00–20:00, Sunday: 10:00–19:00 Closed Mondays
- Tickets: Prices range from 95 – 1495 CZK, adult tickets 445 CZK, family tickets 995 CZK (2 adults and max 3 children), group discount (min 6 people) 345 CZK per person, student 345 CZK, child – under 6 – free, child 6-15 years old 345 CZK
Visit a museum
There are so many museums in Prague on so many topics, that I’m sure you’ll find one that interests you. My favourite includes the Technical Museum next to Letna Park or the Prague Museum close to Florenc.
Prague Museum (Florenc) – Exhibitions about the history of Prague or particular areas and permanent exhibitions about Prague history.
Technical Museum – (close to Letna Park) – transport and travel exhibition (including trains, old cars, motorbikes and planes), home exhibition (how domestic helpers have developed over the century).
National Museum – (at the top of Wenceslas Square) Interesting exhibitions from the history of the Czech Republic and an impressive building to see from the inside.
Visit Prague Castle
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 including the historic Golden Lane), which is why I think it’s a perfect solution to a cold day.
Tram no 22 will take you all the way to the top of Prague Castle and you can explore the whole area walking downhill.
There are plenty of coffee shops and restaurants within Prague Castle, which means you can really spend the whole day just exploring the area.
Visit Prague parks in the winter
Prague parks are magical all year round. If you happen to get snow whilst you are in Prague, do visit some of the parks to get some fresh air and enjoy the winter scenery.
All the parks on my list are free to enter and they are easily accessible by public transport from the centre of Prague.
Go for a coffee in a cosy old-fashioned coffee house
There are so many amazing coffee places in Prague and winter is the perfect opportunity to sit indoors, relax and enjoy a nice hot drink.
Taste Czech traditional food
If you want to try something a bit different, taste some of the delicious Czech food, such as hearty beef goulash with dumplings, potato soup, filled potato dumplings with smoked meat and sauerkraut.
TASTE MORE OF PRAGUE
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- What is the traditional Czech breakfast? >>
- Popular farmers markets >>
Visit the Fata Morgana Greenhouse at Botanical Garden in Troja
If you are a bit fed up with the cold (and honestly I don’t blame you), why not warm up and transport yourself into a tropical forest by visiting the Fata Morgana Greenhouse in Troja. While it’s run by the Botanical Garden, the entrance is separate from the main area and you can visit the Greenhouse separately.
The entrance fee is 100 CZK (about £3. 50 or $5) and you’ll need about 60-90 minutes for your visit. The greenhouse is open every day, apart from Monday and in January it opens 9 am- 4pm
If you fancy a longer trip, you can visit the Fata Morgana in the morning and then walk around Troja or visit the Zoo or go to Troja Castle (it’s more like an art gallery)
Location: Nádvorní 2, 171 00 Praha-Troja, Bus 234 from Holesovice underground station
Ice-skating at outdoor ice-rings
Each year, there are different locations for outdoor ice-skating rinks, which is often next to a beautiful backdrop of old houses in the middle of Prague, such as the Wenceslas Square. You can borrow ice skates at the rink, so all you need to do is to turn up and be dressed appropriately.
A large ice-skating ring is also at the top of Letna Park (opposite Sparta Football Stadium – tram stop – Sparta) and another one with a great view is at Naplavka in Smichov (Prague 5 area), and this one is on the boat!
Letna Ice Ring
This year, the ice ring at Letna will have two separate rings – the usual large ring for everyone and a smaller ring for children. The ice ring facilities include refreshments, ice-skating rentals, lockers, toilets and seating areas.
- Location: Letna ice ring, Letna, Prague 7, nearest tram stop Sparta, tram numbers 12
- Opening Times: 1 December 2023 – 18 February 2024 (special opening times are 24. 12. 2023: 9.00–14.00, 31. 12. 2023: 9.00–16.00) open daily – Monday – Sunday 9 am – 9 pm
- Tickets: whole day entry 100 CZ – anyone over 18 years, under 18 years – free, ice skates rent 130 CZK for 2 hrs (adults) or 60 CZK under 18 years old (or you can bring your own ice skates), lockers 30 CZK
Capadlo Ice Ring
This is much smaller ice ring next to the Vltava River, but with a beautiful views of Prague Castle and Charles Bridge. Since it’s right next to the river, it’s also quite cold, so wrap up warm!
- Location: Ice ring ‘Capadlo’ bellow Smetanovo Nabrezi (Smetana Embankment), Old Town, Prague 1, nearest tram stop Narodni Divadlo or Karlovy Lazne, tram numbers 9,22,17, 18
- Opening Times: 15 November 2023 – January 2024 – open daily – Monday – Friday 2 pm – 10 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am – 10 pm
- Tickets: whole day entry 120 CZ – anyone over 6 years, under 6 years – free (when accompanied by adults), ice skates rent 150 CZK per hour (or you can bring your own)
You can find more ice-rings with similar prices and opening hours at:
- Wenceslas Square – lower part of the square
- Novy Smichov Shopping Centre – on the rooftop
READ MORE
Enjoy taking a stroll through special light display Parks
This year, there are three different light displays in Prague, that will get you into the festive mood, especially if you are travelling with children. Equally, what could be more romantic then to walk through millions of lights, whilst sipping on a mulled wine.
The light displays are colourful and turned into a fairy tale scenes, palaces, towns and there are also plenty of twinkling trees, angels and stars.
The Lumina Park and the ‘The lights tell a story…’ park are done in a more traditional way by creating sculptures and shapes with lots of lights. The Lumina Park is more interactive and has a colourful lights.
The Winter Wonderland is the biggest park out of all three and has over 100 different light installations, including colourful cut outs of characters from children fairy tales, illuminated large colourful scuptures of animals (from within) and also an amusement rides and interactive illuminations as part of the park.
I think, that if you have children they will enjoy the Winter Wonderland the most, but it’s also the most expensive of the parks (see my insider tip for a cheaper entrance fee).
Insider Tip: The tickets for all three parks are always more expensive at the weekend and evening. For example if you come before 4.30 pm to the Winder Wonderland Park the tickets are 240 CZK (adult prices) – weekend prices are 350 CZK. In the winter the sunset is about 4 pm in Prague, so it will be dark by the time you walk around. Tickets are also cheaper if you buy them in advance online.
LUMINA PARK
- Location: Lumina Park Light Display – Koupaliste Dzban – entry from Nad Lavkou Street, Prague 6, nearest tram no 20, 1 or 2 ‘Nad Dzbanem’ or 10 minutes walk from underground station Nadrazi Veleslavin.
- Opening Times: 20 October 2023 – 25 February 2024 – Tuesday till Sunday (closed on Mondays) from 4.30 pm (December), from 5 pm (January), 17.30 pm (February)
- Tickets: from 240 CZ – children/students or 280 CZK Adults (Tuesday – Thursday), 260 CZK – children/students or 310 CZK adults (Fri, Sat, Sun + public holidays) -, family ticket from 900 CZK, children under 2 years – free entry
WINTER WONDERLAND PARK
- Location: Winter Wonderland Park – oposit the Shopping Centre at Letnany – entry is from Tupolevova Street, few minutes walk from underground station Letnany or bus no. 136, 140, 110 to stop Tupolevova
- Opening Times: 20 October 2023 – 25 February 2024 – every day Monday till Sunday from 3 pm – 9.30 pm
- Tickets: 290 CZK Adults (Monday – Thursday), 350 CZK CZK adults (Fri, Sat, Sun + public holidays) -, family ticket from 990 – 1400 CZK, children under 80 cm (any age) – free entry, 240 CZK Monday – Thursday before 4.30 pm
THE LIGHTS TELL A STORY… PARK
- Location: Svetla Vypraveji (The lights tell a story…) – Zlute Lazne (Yellow Spa) – Podolske Nabrezi 1184/3, nearest tram no 2,3, 17 stop ‘Dvorce’
- Opening Times: 20 October 2023 – 31 January 2024 – every day – Monday til Sunday from 4 pm – 9 pm (last entry 8 pm)
- Tickets: from 150 CZ – children/students or 250 CZK Adults (weekdays), 200 CZK – children/students or 300 CZK adults (weekends + public holidays), family ticket from 700-900 CZK, children under 3 years – free entry
PIN THIS GUIDE FOR LATER
This blog post was originally written on 21 October 2021 and last updated on 10 January 2023