What to Expect on a Private Walking Tour of Prague
You have booked a private tour -- or you are about to. Either way, you probably have questions. What happens when you meet the guide? How long do you actually walk? Can you ask to change the route halfway through? This article walks you through a private tour from start to finish, so there are no surprises on the day.
Before the Tour -- Booking and Confirmation
Most private tour companies in Prague let you book online. When you book directly with a local operator, you will typically choose a date, a start time, and a tour type. Within 24 hours, you receive a confirmation email with your guide's name, a meeting point, and a mobile number for the day.
What to tell the operator when booking: group size, any mobility limitations, children's ages, and anything specific you want to see or skip. Good operators use this information to customize the route before you arrive. On our tours, we review every booking individually and adjust the itinerary based on what guests tell us. A couple celebrating an anniversary gets a different route than a family with a ten-year-old.
How far ahead to book: during peak season (April through October), we recommend booking at least a week in advance. From November to March, one or two days' notice usually works fine. Last-minute bookings are sometimes possible, but your preferred guide or time slot may not be available.
Meeting Your Guide
Most private tours in Prague start at a central meeting point -- often near Old Town Square, the Charles Bridge tower, or the entrance to Prague Castle. Your guide will confirm the exact location in advance, usually with a photo of the meeting spot.
The first five minutes matter. A good guide does not launch into a rehearsed monologue the moment you shake hands. The opening conversation is about you: where you are from, what you have already seen in Prague, what interests you most, and whether anyone in the group has walking limitations or time constraints.
Insider detail: we tell our guides to spend those first minutes listening, not talking. The information you share in the first five minutes shapes the entire tour. Mention you are interested in architecture, and the guide will stop at facades they would normally walk past. Mention you have a restaurant reservation at 1 PM, and the guide adjusts the pace to get you there on time.
You will recognize your guide by name -- they will be expecting you. No sign-holding, no megaphone, no scrambling through a crowd. Just a handshake and a conversation.
During the Tour -- Pace, Stops, and Questions
The biggest difference between a private tour and a group tour is control. You set the pace. If you want to spend ten minutes photographing a courtyard, the guide waits. If you want to move quickly through an area you have seen before, the guide skips ahead.
Photo stops are built in. Experienced guides know exactly where the best angles are and will suggest stops at moments when the light or the view is particularly good. You do not have to ask.
Questions are welcome at any point. There is no "please hold your questions until the end." The best tours feel like conversations, not lectures. When guests interrupt with questions, it usually takes the tour in a more interesting direction than the planned script.
Insider detail: on our Charles Bridge and Old Town tour, we build in a coffee stop partway through -- not because people are exhausted, but because sitting down in a local cafe for ten minutes changes the dynamic. It moves from "guided tour" to "exploring with a friend who knows the city."
A typical half-day walking tour covers 4-6 kilometres at a relaxed pace with frequent stops. You will not feel like you are on a forced march. If anyone in the group needs a break, the guide finds a bench or a cafe.
What the Guide Brings
Beyond knowledge and storytelling, a private guide provides logistical value that is easy to underestimate before the tour.
Skip-the-line access: licensed guides in the Czech Republic can use separate entrances at some heritage sites, including parts of Prague Castle. This can save 15-20 minutes during peak season.
Real-time adjustments: if it starts raining, the guide pivots to covered arcades, indoor courtyards, and nearby interiors. If a site is unexpectedly closed for renovation, the guide has an alternative ready. These backup plans come from doing this work daily.
Restaurant and cafe recommendations: after spending hours with you, the guide knows your taste, your budget, and your dietary needs. The dinner recommendations you get from your guide are not the same generic list every tourist receives. They are personal.
A local phone number: if you get lost later that evening, or if you need help with a taxi, a restaurant reservation, or a medical situation, most private guides are happy to take a call. This small detail gives guests genuine peace of mind, especially on their first visit.
Language bridge: menus, signs, and transport information in Prague are often in Czech only. A guide reads the tram schedule for you, explains what "svíčková" is before you order it, and negotiates if anything goes sideways.
What to Wear and Bring
Prague is a walking city with uneven surfaces. Here is what actually matters.
Shoes: flat, comfortable, closed-toe shoes with some grip. Prague's historic centre has cobblestone and uneven pavement everywhere. Heels and new shoes are a recipe for blisters by hour two.
Layers: Prague weather shifts quickly, especially in spring and autumn. A light waterproof jacket that fits in a bag is worth bringing even on clear mornings. Castle Hill is windier and a few degrees cooler than Old Town.
Water and snacks: your guide will point out places to refill a water bottle or grab a quick snack, but having a small bottle with you avoids unnecessary stops.
No special gear needed. You do not need binoculars, a guidebook, or printed tickets. Your guide handles entrance logistics. A phone for photos and a card for small purchases are all you need.
Sun protection in summer: Prague's squares offer little shade between 11 AM and 3 PM. A hat and sunscreen matter more than most visitors expect.
How It Ends -- and What Comes After
A private tour does not end with a megaphone announcement and a dispersing crowd. It ends with a personal handshake and a set of tailored recommendations.
The guide's goodbye package: most good guides leave you with a mental (or physical) map of what to do next. Where to eat dinner tonight. Which neighbourhood to explore tomorrow morning. What time to arrive at an attraction you did not cover during the tour. Some guides mark favourite spots on your phone's map app.
Insider detail: our guides carry a small printed map with personal recommendations -- not a generic tourist handout, but their actual favourite restaurants, bars, and viewpoints. Guests tell us this map is one of the most useful things they receive during their trip.
Evening options: many guests ask what to do the evening after their tour. Popular follow-ups include the Medieval Dinner Show (a theatrical dining experience in a Gothic cellar), a Vltava river cruise at sunset, or simply walking back through the Old Town once the day-trip crowds have gone home.
Tipping: tipping is not mandatory in Prague but is appreciated. For a private tour, €10-20 per group is common and generous. Cash is preferred -- Czech crowns or euros both work. For more on this, see our guide to tipping tour guides in Prague.
How Is It Different from What You Would Expect?
Most first-time tour guests expect a lecture. They expect to follow someone with a flag, stand quietly in a semicircle, and listen to a monologue about dates and kings. That is how group tours often work. It is not how a private tour works.
A private tour is a conversation. The guide talks, you respond. You ask a question, the guide goes deeper. You share a connection to something you see -- a family story, a profession, a place you visited -- and the guide builds on it. The best moments on our tours happen when a guest says something the guide did not expect, and the conversation takes a turn neither of them planned.
You are not performing the role of "tourist." There is no group to keep up with, no schedule to obey, no feeling that you are holding others back by lingering. You are simply walking through a city with someone who knows it well and genuinely enjoys sharing it.
The pace feels natural. Some guests are fast walkers who want to cover maximum ground. Others want to sit on a bench overlooking the Vltava for ten minutes and absorb the view. A private guide adapts to both.
If you are still weighing whether a private tour is the right choice, our article on private versus group tours breaks down the differences in detail. For pricing, see our 2026 cost guide.
Our Approach
We run private tours only -- no shared groups, no strangers joining midway. Every tour is booked for your group alone. Our licensed guides hold the highest certification issued by the Czech Republic and have guided thousands of visitors through Prague.
When you book with us, you receive a confirmation with your guide's name and direct contact. On the day, you meet a person -- not a company. That person has reviewed your booking, prepared a customized route, and is ready to adapt it further based on your first conversation.
Book a Private Tour
Ready to see Prague with a local who knows every street? Browse our private tours -- just your group, no strangers. From a focused Old Town and Charles Bridge walk to a comprehensive full-day Prague tour, every experience is tailored to your group.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a private walking tour of Prague last? Most half-day tours run 2.5 to 4 hours depending on the route and your pace. A full-day tour typically lasts 6-7 hours with a lunch break. We adjust timing to your energy and schedule -- there is no fixed endpoint.
Can we change the route during the tour? Absolutely. Private tours are flexible by design. If you spot something interesting, want to skip something, or need to adjust timing, the guide adapts on the spot. This is one of the main advantages over group tours.
What happens if it rains? Tours run rain or shine. Prague has covered arcades, indoor courtyards, and sheltered passages throughout the historic centre. An experienced guide shifts the route to take advantage of covered areas without losing the essential stops.
Is a private tour suitable for children? Yes. Our guides adjust storytelling for younger audiences -- more legends, fewer dates. For families with children under five, we recommend shorter tours (2 hours) or our car tour option. Children over ten can usually handle a full half-day walk comfortably.
Do we need to buy attraction tickets in advance? No. Your guide handles ticketing logistics on the day. For Prague Castle and the Jewish Quarter, the guide purchases tickets or uses pre-arranged access, so you skip the general queue.
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