Prague is an absolutely stunning city, there’s no escaping the breathtaking architecture and culture that surrounds you on a visit but whilst that’s enough to make most adults fall in love with the place, it’s unlikely to keep the attention of most kids (for long anyway). So to help the whole family enjoy their visit to Prague, here is our ultimate guide to visiting Prague with kids.
This post may contain affiliate links which means we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase through these links at no extra cost to you! We were guests of some of these attractions for the purposes of this blog but as always all opinions are my own.
List of Contents
Things to do in Prague with kids
Old Town Square
All roads in Prague seem to lead to here so you’re bound to come across it at least once during your visit. It’s here you’ll find the fabulous architecture and historical buildings Prague is so famous for.
It’s also where the astronomical clock is located although it was unfortunately closed for renovations during our stay. Normally on the hour, every hour, death rings a bell and the 12 apostles parade past the windows above the clock. If you take a tour of the Old Town Hall, you can go behind the clock face and see the inner workings of the clock. (when it’s open again in late September). This is one of my favourite things to do in Prague with kids. It’s just so pretty.
The square is home to many, many street performers, dressed in costumes, or blowing huge bubbles which gives it a real party atmosphere, you will need to tip if you want to take any pictures.
There are loads of restaurants dotted around the outside of the square and surrounding streets. These are some of the most expensive in the whole city so probably best to avoid. If you want some food when you’re in the area then the street stalls are slightly better value and offer a good range of treats.
The Square is packed with tourists, you’ll see all sorts from stag dos to families and coach loads, it can feel a little too crowded so aim to visit early or late and keep a tight hold on any little ones who may run off chasing bubbles.
If you’re a fan of beautiful Czech cities with stunning castles, squares and great food, there are plenty of places to visit outside of Prague. Check out this wonderful guide to Czech Krumlov with a newborn
Charles Bridge
Perhaps the most iconic tourist spot in Prague is it’s oldest bridge, the Charles Bridge and the one you’ll find on all the postcards. It was built of Sandstone blocks in 1402 by Charles IV and is home to 30 sculptures of Saints, the bridge itself stands proudly on 15 pillars.
There are many licensed street sellers dotted along the bridge selling cards, jewellery or doing caricatures. If we weren’t pressed for time I would love to get one done of Piper.
The bridge will take you across the Vltava River and on the opposite side from Prague Old Town, you can walk up to Prague Castle. It’s on this side that you will find my absolutely favourite playground in Prague, not down to the amount of equipment (although there are plenty of swings, slides and climbing frames) but due to this view. Wow! Stay right as you exit the bridge and head down the hill.
Like many famous bridges around the world lovers have left marks of their everlasting love by attaching padlocks to the chains. They are pretty and Piper loved imagining romantic stories of couples visiting Prague with their true loves.
The bridge is busy pretty much any time of day so if you can make it super early in the morning you may miss some of the madness. You can read about the history of the Charles Bridge here.
Prague City Walking Tour
These walking tours can be spotted all over Prague, most of them start in Old Town Square and last for a few hours. We attended one managed by Prague City Tourism and loved following their guide around the city.
You’ll get to see many of Pragues most famous sites, the Powder Tower, Jewish quarter and Charles Bridge but also learn heaps along the way. As it’s a guided tour, your guide will tailor their commentary to the audience so will ensure it keeps the kids entertained and will point out things you would miss were you to go it alone.
I’ve written all about our Prague walking tour here.
Indoor activities in Prague
Old Town Hall Tour
Also located in the Old Town Square is the Old Town Hall, a wonderful building with a rich history.
We chose to take a guided tour which was fascinating and every bit as interesting to my 7-year-old as it was to us adults. The guides clearly love what they do and are full of so many interesting facts about Prague, you’ll realise just how little you know of the Czech Republics colourful history.
The best part of the tour was a trip beneath the Hall to the original city of Prague, you can read all about our tour in my Guided Tours of Prague post.
Prague Lego Museum
An absolute must for any lego lover old or young. And one of Pipers best things to do in Prague with kids. This is the largest collection of lego in the country and the many models are fun to see. They have some interactive sections where kids can sit and play for a while which was Pipers favourite part.
I’ve written a full review on our trip to the lego museum here.
Hamleys
Neither a gallery, cultural activity or family friendly museum but Hamleys, located on the main shopping street in the City Centre is a fun place to visit with kids. Yes, it’s a shop and they will happily take your money for popular toys and games but as I’m sure you don’t want to overload your suitcase, there’s also plenty of family friendly activities to warrant a visit.
On entering the store you can pick up a Hamleys card from customer services, which you can top up with CZK and use at the various attractions. There’s a carousel, a mirror maze, ride on diggers and model cars to ride. In the basement there’s even a butterfly house! Prices for these range from £1.75 to £9 and if you’re looking for some free fun, there are plenty of models to take a selfie with, toy demos and a snake slide.
Prague Gallery of Steel Figures
Prague is full of museums like this, they all seem like they’ve been thrown together in the past year by some entrepreneurial soul in any building large enough to hold them. This one is in an old department store, the closed down café and check outs are still evident as you walk round.
The Gallery of Steel figures is full of models made entirely of recycled steel parts, they’re intricate, clever and some, like the cars and motorbikes are interactive in that you can sit on them. Most of them are representations of icons from popular culture, many you or the kids will recognise like the throne from Game of Thrones
Or these cheeky minions
Adults tickets are 299 CZK (around £10), child tickets are 189 CZK (around £6.50) and children under 3 are free.
Gallery of Art Prague (GOAP)
The Gallery of Art in Prague is another of those museums that seems slightly thrown together for the tourists. It has three floors, each dedicated to a different artist. There’s Dali, Warhol and Mucha. You can pay the full wack and visit all three (adults 350 CZK around £12.50). Or take your pick and pay accordingly. (adults 170 CZK / around £6 for 1).
We explored the Dali floor, Piper loves this surrealist artist having recently visited the Dali Museum in St Pete, Florida. This one isn’t really on the same scale, a few reproductions of his work and some interesting info about him.
We also paid to visit the Warhol floor, one of my favourite artists. This I think was the best. The colours are entertaining even if they are reproductions and we learned a lot about the artist. There were also a couple of video installations that Piper enjoyed.
Choco Story
Having just visited the Choco-Story in Brussels, we didn’t feel the need (or have the time) to visit it but we really enjoyed the chocolate there so can imagine it would be fun if you haven’t just done it and need to get out of the weather or bribe the kids with some sugar.
Relax
After our visit to the Charles Bridge we were all hot, exhausted and in need of a sit down. Even though Prague is a very easy city to get around, the trams are cheap and regular, where possible we like to explore cities by foot. This means a cheap leg massage is always high on our list by the end of our visit. We managed to find a walk in Thai Spa near the Charles Bridge. It was heavenly and not bad value for somewhere so packed with tourists. Although not quite as good value as in Thailand itself.
What to eat and drink in Prague with kids
Captain Candy
This had to be top of my list, not because it is a particularly authentic Prague foodie experience but because Piper loved it so very much. No, it’s not one of the actual things to do in Prague with kids but it is a very fun activity. It’s every candy lovers heaven, barrels and barrels of every sweet known to child. You pick a selection and pay by weight. I have to admit it took quite a while for her to choose.
There are four stores dotted around Prague, we visited the Captain Candy near the old town square. (Uhelný trh 6)
Trdelnik
These are Prague’s chimney cakes, tasty sweet pastry tubes often filled with ice cream or cream. But most authentically filled with nothing at all. They can be found at many street vendors around the city. And are perfect for a quick pick me up when wandering the streets. The delicious smell will be enough to convince you to try one.
Fruit Lemonade
Something we don’t get much of in the UK but which seems to be available everywhere in Prague is homemade fruit lemonade. You can choose from a massive selection from original lemon to cucumber. Piper opted for the raspberry and it was sweet, fruity and delicious.
Absinthe
I’ll admit it, I’m really just including this one so I can post this picture of a beautiful shop front! It’s not at all family friendly. And apparently the absinthe is awful anyway. But these pretty shops are dotted around the city and all adds to the bohemian atmosphere.
Where to stay in Prague with kids
We stayed at the 3 Crowns Prague during our visit which unfortunately I can’t recommend as it was so very bad. The staff were some of the worst I have ever encountered. Rude, uncaring and they lost an important press pack the Prague tourist board had sent me. It was so disappointing in fact can’t bring myself to write my usual hotel review. From reading other family travel blogs about Prague, the following hotels sound like a safer bet:
Great value on the outskirts of town
Spacious family friendly rooms with lots of special touches for kids.
High end and centrally located
Getting around Prague with kids
The tram system in Prague is good value and easy to use to get around. You can get tickets from the yellow ticket machines or from inside the many tobacconists. Although they do not seem to sell discounted childrens tickets and the shop owners don’t seem all that helpful at assisting you. As a bonus, children under 6 can travel for free.
How to get to Prague
As we were on our great European Interailing adventure we arrived in Prague by train. We had a few delays along the way so turned up late at night at the central train Station. It wasn’t easy to find a taxi and we eventually had to call one. After walking around in the dark for about ten minutes. If you arrive in daylight I’m sure it’s much easier. Or you can get public transport to most parts of the city.
Most flights will take you to Václav Havel Airport, about 15km from the city and about 25mins in a cab. Make sure you have Euros, a taxi can cost up to €30 but an Uber will be cheaper. You can also take a bus from just outside the airport. This is a lot cheaper but obviously less comfy and direct.
Check for the cheapest flights to Prague on Skyscanner.
In summary, Prague is a great city to visit with kids, the activities listed above are only the tip of the iceburg, there’s Madam Tussauds Prague, Prague Castle, the John Lennon Wall, the Mirror Maze on Petrin Hill and many, many more so what are you waiting for start researching those cheap flights immediately.
If you’re visiting Prague with kids, you may also be interested in these prebookable tours and activities from Get Your Guide
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