The best time to visit Prague
May, June and September keep Prague free of the summer crowds. December brings Christmas markets to Old Town Square, but also the year's longest queues.
- Best
- May–June and September
- December
- Christmas markets
- Summer
- The most visitors
The best months for Prague are May–June and September — spring and early autumn without the summer crush on Charles Bridge and in front of the Castle. December is its own story: the Christmas markets on Old Town and Wenceslas Squares are a reason to come, and also the reason for the year's longest queues. Josefov is shut on Saturdays every month, without exception.
If you only pick one month
If you only pick one month — September. Temperature is the mean over the whole day (not the daily high), and a rainy day has at least 1 mm of rain; averages for 2021–2024.
September keeps summer's warmth without its crowds — Charles Bridge and the Castle are crossed without a shove, and evenings are still warm enough for a walk along the Vltava. May and June carry the same mood, with a slightly higher chance of rain.
The most people, the longest queues
July and August are the city's busiest months: the queue for the Castle can run long, and Charles Bridge is crossed step by step at midday. Anyone arriving in this stretch should plan the Castle and the bridge for early morning, before the queues form.
The markets, and their cost in time
From late November to early January, Old Town and Wenceslas Squares carry Christmas markets, with mulled wine and trdelník on every corner. It's also the most crowded stretch of the year, denser than summer, so it only pays off if the queues are part of the plan.
Quiet, but cold by the river
January and February are the calmest months in the city, with no queue in front of the Castle, but also the coldest — a walk along the Vltava and standing at Vyšehrad call for a proper coat. Everything indoors, from the Castle to Josefov, runs as usual.
- Start early in summer. The Castle and Charles Bridge before 9 am, before the queues arrive.
- Book a room early for December. The markets draw guests from the whole year into three weeks.
- Josefov doesn't open on a Saturday in any month. Plan that quarter for any other day.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
When is the best time to visit Prague?
The best months are May–June and September, without the summer crowds and with evenings still warm.
Is December worth visiting?
It is, for the Christmas markets on Old Town Square, but it's also the most crowded stretch of the year.
Is Josefov open on Saturdays?
No, not in any month. The combined museum ticket works every other day.
Ready for Prague?
Where to next
Getting around Prague
→From the plane to Old Town Square in two steps: a trolleybus, then the metro. In town itself it's all on…
Kutná Hora · 63 km
→A town that turned silver into coin and cathedral, while the village beside it turned bones into ornament.
How well does Prague suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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