The largest ancient castle complex in the world — nearly 70,000 m² — and the number-one sight in Prague. For almost everyone, the right ticket is the Main Circuit (Circuit B), around 450 CZK / €18–20, covering St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica and Golden Lane on one pass valid across two days. The grounds themselves are free. The thing that actually shapes your visit isn't the ticket — it's the queue, which runs 45–60 minutes at the gate by mid-morning in summer. Pre-booking cuts that to under ten.
Highlights
- St. Vitus Cathedral — Gothic interior, the Mucha stained-glass window and the royal crypt
- The Old Royal Palace and its soaring Vladislav Hall
- Golden Lane — the row of tiny historic houses below the eastern wall
- St. George's Basilica, one of the oldest churches in Prague
- Free courtyards, gardens and the changing of the guard at noon
- UNESCO World Heritage site with over 1,000 years of history
What's included
- Entry to the four Main Circuit interiors
- St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, Golden Lane, St. George's Basilica
- Two-day ticket validity
- Mobile ticket / pre-booked gate entry
- Lobkowicz Palace (separate ticket)
- South Tower climb (paid separately at the gate)
- Treasury & Powder Tower (Circuit A only)
- Food, drinks and hotel pickup
Which ticket to buy
The Main Circuit (Circuit B) is the default choice — it covers the four sights that define a castle visit and is valid for two consecutive days, so you can split it across two mornings to dodge the crowds. Circuit A adds the Treasury and Powder Tower and is worth it only with four-plus hours and a real appetite for the extra exhibitions. The Lobkowicz Palace sits inside the complex but is a separate, privately run ticket — worth it for the best terrace view in the castle and a family-narrated audio guide.
One money-saver the ticket pages bury: EU student and senior discounts are sold only at the physical ticket office, not online. If you hold an ISIC card or qualify as an EU senior, buying at the gate can be cheaper than any online option.
Meeting point & access
Important information
Know before you go
- Allow 2.5–3 hours for the Main Circuit at a moderate pace
- Each interior is scan-once — there's no internal fast-track lane
- Golden Lane is the bottleneck; visit at opening or after 16:00
- The cathedral nave (front two-thirds) is free to enter without a ticket
- Turn your phone brightness up — the gate scanners struggle with dim screens
What to bring
- Comfortable shoes — cobblestones, inclines and roughly 1 km of walking
- A light scarf or jacket — St. Vitus Cathedral asks for covered shoulders and knees
- Layers — the complex is open-air between buildings
- A backup screenshot of your QR code in case of low battery
Visitors consistently rate the cathedral interior and the sheer scale of the complex as the highlights, and pre-booked ticket-holders report clearing the gate in minutes while walk-up queues stretched far behind them. Most-cited frustration: the midday summer crush between 10:00 and 14:00, and the steep cobbled approach for anyone with mobility issues or a stroller. The recurring advice from repeat visitors — go at opening, and use the two-day validity to split the interiors.
Summarised from verified GetYourGuide customer reviews