Prague Castle circuit ticket: what each one includes

Quick summary: the circuit ticket in one table

The Main circuit — 450 CZK

Four buildings, and between them the reason Prague Castle is on every itinerary. The Roman numerals below are painted beside each entrance, so the ticket doubles as a map.

Old Royal Palace (I)

Vladislav Hall, completed in 1502 by Benedikt Ried, runs 62 metres with no supporting columns and a rib vault that curls like plant growth — the largest vaulted secular space of medieval Prague. The Riders' Staircase beside it was built wide and shallow so knights could ride horses indoors to tournaments. Through the far door is the Bohemian Chancellery, where on 23 May 1618 two imperial governors were thrown from the window, triggering the Thirty Years' War. They landed in a heap and survived.

St. George's Basilica (III)

Founded in 920 and the oldest surviving church building inside the walls. The brick-red baroque façade is a 17th-century face on a Romanesque body: bare stone, twin towers, a raised choir. After the cathedral it registers as a completely different kind of silence.

Golden Lane with Daliborka Tower (V)

Sixteen small houses built into the northern fortification wall in the 16th century for castle marksmen, occupied as ordinary housing into the 1950s. House No. 22 belonged to Franz Kafka's sister Ottla; Kafka worked there through the winter of 1916–17. Above the houses runs a defensive gallery lined with historical armour, and Daliborka Tower at the end served as a prison. Full detail on our Golden Lane page.

St. Vitus Cathedral (VIII)

Begun in 1344 under Charles IV and finished in 1929 — 585 years visible in the stonework. The ticket covers the nave, Peter Parler's choir, the St. Wenceslas Chapel with its walls set in semi-precious stones, and Alfons Mucha's Art Nouveau window of 1931. More on the St. Vitus Cathedral page.

The Permanent exhibitions ticket — 300 CZK

• The Story of Prague Castle (II) — the archaeology of the site from the 9th century onwards, in the Gothic cellars beneath the Old Royal Palace. The best of the four, and genuinely good if you like objects and stratigraphy.
• Castle Guard Exhibition (IV) — uniforms, insignia and the history of the presidential guard. Short.
• Prague Castle Picture Gallery (VI) — what survives of the Habsburg collection, in the former Imperial Stables. Sold separately for 200 CZK if it is the only one you want.
• Rosenberg Palace (IX) — a restored noblewomen's institute, quiet and rarely crowded.

Buying both circuits costs 750 CZK and there is no combined discount. For a first visit that is usually 300 CZK spent on the wrong things — take the Main circuit and put the difference towards the tower climb or a guided tour.

Circuit contents and prices from the official English price list on hrad.cz. We are an independent guide, not the ticket seller.

Ticket comparison: which circuit combination to buy

What no circuit ticket covers

• Great South Tower of the Cathedral (X) — 200 CZK on its own, 287 steps, and the best rooftop view in Prague on a clear day.
• Temporary exhibitions in the Riding School, Imperial Stables and Theresian Wing — priced per exhibition, 10:00–18:00.
• Concerts and one-off events — separate tickets, sold by the organiser.
• The Crown Jewels — kept in the St. Wenceslas Chapel's crown chamber behind a door with seven locks and shown to the public only on rare announced occasions. No ticket exists for them.
• The gardens — free, but seasonal: closed 1 November to 28 February.

Timing is everything: how to spend a circuit ticket

Two days of validity, one entry per building. Most people ignore this and march through everything in one exhausting block. The better plan splits it.

1. Day one, 8:30 — arrive before openingEnter at Prašný most, photograph the empty courtyards, then take the cathedral at 9:00 with the first handful of visitors.
2. Day one, 9:45 — the Old Royal PalaceVladislav Hall and the Bohemian Chancellery while the crowd is still in the cathedral. Leave before noon.
3. Day two, 9:00 — Golden Lane and the basilicaThe lane is two metres wide and unbearable after 10:30. Arriving at opening on the second morning is the single biggest quality-of-visit improvement available.
4. Day two, 10:30 — the tower, if the sky is clear200 CZK extra, 287 steps, 30 minutes. Do not climb it in fog — you are paying for the view.
5. Either day, after 17:00 — the free halfBuildings shut, grounds open until 22:00. Golden Lane opens for free walking, the courtyards empty out, and the light is at its best.

How to save on circuit tickets

• Reduced rate — 300 CZK on the Main circuit — for ages 6–16, full-time students up to and including 26, and adults 65 and over. Proof is checked at each building's door.
• Family ticket — 950 CZK — one to five children under 16 with a maximum of two adults. Cheaper than singles for any family of four or more.
• Children under 6 are free, no documentation needed.
• Free entry for disability ID card holders plus one accompanying person named on the card, and for licensed EU guides with ticket-holding clients.
• Skip the second circuit unless you have a full day. 300 CZK saved buys the tower climb and a coffee.
• Do not rent the audio guide at 350 CZK plus a 500 CZK deposit — an online bundle with app-based audio usually costs less overall.

The complete discount table is on our ticket prices page.

The insider entry: buying and using the circuit ticket

• Ticket offices are the information centres in the Second and Third Courtyards, plus a window at Golden Lane — all inside the security perimeter.
• Enter at Prašný most for the fastest security line and the shortest walk to the Second Courtyard office.
• Entering from Malostranská up the Old Castle Stairs puts you at the Golden Lane window, which lets you buy and start the circuit in reverse — against the flow.
• Your ticket is scanned at each building's door, not at the gate. Keep it accessible.
• Offices stop selling before closing time. A 15:30 arrival in winter can mean a shut counter and an open monument you cannot enter.

How fast-track products interact with this is covered on the skip-the-line page.

How to get to the castle

Routes follow the official access guidance on hrad.cz. Confirm tram stop status on the day — Prague rebuilds sections regularly.

Planning the day around opening times? The full seasonal timetable is on the opening hours page.

Prague Castle tickets: frequently asked questions