Prague Castle and Lesser Town Walking Tour

Our Prague Castle and Lesser Town walking tour starts where the story of Prague begins — at the top of the hill above the Vltava, where Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents have ruled for over a thousand years. From here we wind our way down through the cobblestone lanes of Malá Strana to hidden corners of the city that most tourists never find.

Two hours. Private guide. Just your group. That guide, like the whole of our team, holds the Degree II licence — the highest Czech guide qualification.

Prague Castle — the largest ancient castle complex in the world

Prague Castle is not one building. It is a city within a city — a complex of palaces, churches, gardens and towers spread across 70,000 square metres on a hill above the Vltava. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the largest ancient castle complex in the world. It has served as the seat of Bohemian kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of the Czech Republic for over a thousand years.

The tour begins in the castle courtyards, where your guide brings the history to life — the kings and emperors who ruled from here, the stories hidden in the stone, the events that shaped the Czech nation. Standing before St. Vitus Cathedral — one of the greatest Gothic cathedrals in Europe, whose construction began in 1344 and was not completed until 1929, nearly 600 years later — you will understand why Prague is called the city of a hundred spires.

From the castle ramparts, the view is one of the most iconic in Europe: the Vltava River below, Charles Bridge stretching across it, the Old Town skyline spreading out to the horizon. No photograph quite prepares you for it.

Malá Strana — the Lesser Town

From the castle the tour descends into Malá Strana — the Lesser Town — a neighbourhood of Baroque palaces, hidden courtyards, quiet gardens and cobblestone lanes that feel centuries removed from the tourist crowds just across the river.

This is where Prague reveals itself. Your guide will take you to the narrowest street in the city — so tight it has its own traffic light to manage the flow of pedestrians. You will come across David Černý's Pissing Men sculpture, one of Prague's most talked-about artworks, tucked into a courtyard most visitors walk straight past. And you will discover Prague Venice — a secret canal hidden behind the city, where the atmosphere shifts completely and the noise of the tourist trail disappears.

Two tours, one full day of Prague

This tour covers the left bank of the Vltava. For the right bank — the Powder Tower, Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock and Charles Bridge — see our Charles Bridge & Old Town Walking Tour. The two tours combine naturally into a complete day of Prague. For a second day above the river, our Vyšehrad — Prague's hilltop fortress tour covers the southern citadel where Princess Libuše prophesied the city's founding.

Want to read more before you visit? See our full Prague Castle Guide.