6 BEST DAY TRIPS FROM PRAGUE FOR BACKPACKERS

Prague is easy to get stuck in.

There is always another neighbourhood to explore, another pub somebody recommends and another night that goes on longer than planned.

But if you are staying for more than a couple of days, it is worth leaving the city for a while.

You do not need a rental car or an organised tour. Czech trains and buses can take you to medieval castles, small towns, a former silver-mining city, one of the most important WWII memorial sites in the country — and the city that gave the world Pilsner beer.

Leave in the morning, spend the day somewhere completely different and come back to Prague in time for a beer at the hostel.

Here are six trips we would actually recommend.

1. Kutná Hora – bones, Gothic architecture and silver

Best for: history, something weird and a proper full-day trip

If you only have time for one classic day trip from Prague, Kutná Hora is probably the safest bet.

It was once one of the richest towns in the Czech Kingdom because of the silver mined beneath it. Today its historic centre is UNESCO-listed, with the huge Gothic Church of St Barbara as its most recognisable landmark.

But most backpackers probably hear about Kutná Hora for another reason: the Sedlec Ossuary.

The small Gothic chapel is decorated with human bones from tens of thousands of people. There are pyramids of bones, crosses, a coat of arms and a huge chandelier made using almost every bone in the human body. It is strange, dark and unlike anything you are going to see in central Prague.

Do not make the mistake of visiting the Bone Church and immediately getting back on the train.

Continue into the historic centre, walk around St Barbara’s Church and the former Jesuit College, have lunch and give yourself time to wander through the smaller streets. Kutná Hora works well because there is enough to fill most of a day without needing a complicated itinerary.

It is also an easy independent trip from Prague; VisitCzechia lists the rail journey at roughly an hour and a half.

ELF tip: Do Sedlec first and the historic centre afterwards. It makes much more sense than constantly travelling backwards and forwards.

2. Karlštejn – the easiest castle escape from Prague

Best for: your first Czech castle out of Prague

Karlštejn is the obvious castle trip from Prague — and in this case, obvious is not necessarily bad.

Charles IV founded the castle in the 14th century as a place to protect royal treasures, holy relics and the crown jewels. It sits above the small town of Karlštejn, surrounded by the wooded landscape of the Bohemian Karst.

Part of the appeal is how straightforward the trip is.

Take the train out of Prague, walk through the village and follow the road uphill towards the castle. You do not need a tour company and you do not even have to enter the castle if you are travelling cheaply. The exterior, valley and surrounding countryside already make it a worthwhile change from Prague.

If you do want to see the interiors, check the official castle website before leaving. Karlštejn is operating in 2026, but opening days and individual tours vary through the year; some specialised tours also require reservations.

We will leave Velká Amerika, Svatý Jan pod Skalou and the longer routes through the Czech Karst for our separate hiking guide. They deserve more than being squeezed into a paragraph here.

For a simple day trip, Karlštejn itself is enough.

Have a look around, get some food or a beer and take the train back when you are done.

ELF tip: Karlštejn is popular. Go earlier if you can, especially on sunny weekends.

3. Pilsen – go to the city that invented Pilsner

Best for: beer

This one belongs on a backpacker list for a very simple reason.

Pilsen is the home of Pilsner beer.

The first Pilsner Urquell was brewed here in 1842, and the pale golden lager that came out of Pilsen went on to inspire an entire category of beer around the world. The brewery still operates in the city and runs visitor tours.

If you are interested in Czech beer, this is much more interesting than paying for some generic “beer experience” in central Prague.

Take a morning train to Pilsen, walk through the historic centre and book a Pilsner Urquell Brewery Tour. The current tour includes the brewery itself and the historic cellars; the visitor programme was updated with a new ingredient exhibition in 2025.

Then do the obvious thing and have a beer.

There is a large brewery pub, Na Spilce, directly in the former fermentation cellars, but you can also explore pubs around the centre instead of spending your whole day at the brewery.

Pilsen is a real city rather than a single tourist attraction, which is another reason we like it. You can see the main square, wander around without much of a plan, eat something and spend the afternoon trying Czech beer before heading back.

Just remember that brewery tour tickets can sell out, so this is one trip where booking ahead actually makes sense.

ELF tip: Do not schedule your return train five minutes after the brewery tour. You came to Pilsen. Leave enough time for another beer.

4. Mělník – wine, rivers and a slower Czech day

Best for: wine and taking it easy

Not every day trip needs to involve a huge attraction.

Mělník is for the day when you want to leave Prague, see a small Czech town, drink some wine and not spend eight hours ticking monuments off a list.

The old centre sits high above the place where the Vltava and Elbe rivers meet. The château overlooks the vineyards below, and Mělník is one of the most important wine-growing areas in Bohemia. The Lobkowicz château has historic wine cellars and produces local wines.

That makes Mělník quite a nice contrast to Prague.

Walk through the small centre, head to the viewpoint above the confluence, have lunch and try a glass of local wine.

There is no need to rush around.

Current PID timetables include direct regional bus connections between Prague and Mělník, so it remains straightforward to do without a car.

This is probably not the trip we would recommend to somebody with only two days in Czechia.

But after three nights of Prague sightseeing and late hostel evenings?

Mělník starts making considerably more sense.

ELF tip: This is the recovery-day option. Coffee, views, wine, food, back to Prague.

5. Terezín – a difficult but important day trip

Best for: modern European history

Terezín is completely different from every other place on this list.

Do not go expecting a fun day out.

The fortified town was originally built in the 18th century, but during the Nazi occupation it became a Jewish ghetto and transit camp, while the nearby Small Fortress was used as a Gestapo prison. Today the Terezín Memorial preserves these places and commemorates the victims of Nazi persecution.

It is a heavy visit, but an important one.

Allow enough time for the Small Fortress and the sites connected with the former ghetto rather than trying to rush through everything in an hour. The memorial remains open to visitors in 2026; current opening times and accessible exhibitions should be checked directly with the Terezín Memorial before travelling.

There are bus connections from Prague, and the memorial itself gives directions for visitors arriving by public transport, including the stop for the Small Fortress.

This is not something we would combine with a brewery or another attraction to “make the most of the day”.

Go there for Terezín.

Take your time.

Then return to Prague.

ELF tip: Read a little about Terezín before you arrive. Knowing what the individual buildings were used for makes the visit much more meaningful.

6. Křivoklát – a castle hidden in the forest

Best for: a less obvious castle trip

If Karlštejn feels too obvious, take a look at Křivoklát.

Křivoklát is one of the oldest and most important royal castles in Czechia, with origins going back to the 12th century. Unlike Karlštejn, it sits deep in a wooded landscape that once served as royal hunting grounds.

The castle itself feels more enclosed and medieval than Karlštejn, with large stone courtyards, a round tower and Gothic interiors.

It is also far less likely to be the first place every traveller in your dorm has already visited.

Go for the castle, spend some time around the village, find somewhere for lunch and enjoy being somewhere that feels properly removed from Prague.

As with Karlštejn, check the official website before leaving because opening times and available tour routes vary with the season. The castle is operating normally in 2026 and online tickets are available through its official site.

The surrounding Křivoklátsko countryside is also excellent, but again — we are saving the proper walking routes for the hiking article.

This time, just enjoy the castle.

ELF tip: Pick Křivoklát over Karlštejn if you want something quieter and slightly less obvious.

Which Prague day trip should you choose?

Still cannot decide?

Here is the simple version.

For your first day trip: Kutná Hora
You get a beautiful historic town, Gothic architecture and the Bone Church in one trip.

For a castle: Karlštejn
Easy, iconic and difficult to get wrong.

For beer: Pilsen
No competition.

For a slow day: Mělník
Wine, views and no need to rush anywhere.

For modern history: Terezín
A serious visit and one of the most important places on this list.

For something less obvious: Křivoklát
A proper medieval castle surrounded by countryside.

Do it yourself

One of the best things about these trips is that you do not need to book a coach tour from Prague.

Check the connection the evening before, get up, grab some breakfast and go.

For trains, use the current Czech railway journey planners; for regional public transport around Prague and Central Bohemia, PID Lítačka is useful. Timetables can change because of engineering works and seasonal schedules, so always check the connection rather than relying on an old blog telling you to catch a specific train at 08:42.

And do not try to fit two of these places into one day just because Google Maps says it is technically possible.

Pick one.

Spend some time there.

Have lunch.

Have a beer — unless you are in Terezín.

Then come back to Prague.

Final tip

Prague is worth several days on its own.

But Czechia is small enough that staying in Prague does not mean you have to spend your entire trip inside Prague.

See the bones in Kutná Hora.

Walk up to Karlštejn.

Drink Pilsner in Pilsen.

Try Czech wine in Mělník.

Spend a serious day learning about Terezín.

Or choose Křivoklát when everybody else in the hostel is heading to the same famous castle.

Then come back and decide what happens tomorrow.

Staying in Prague for a few days? Use Hostel ELF as your base and explore from here.