My family and I spent last summer in Prague and had the most amazing time. There is so much to do in Prague, including a ton of outdoor activities to enjoy when the weather is beautiful. Yes, it can get hot and air-conditioning isn’t as common as it is in the United States. And, sure, the city can get packed with people because Europe is popular tourist destination in the summer. But don’t let that deter you — Prague during the summer is a great time to visit and below is my Prague in summer bucket list of things to do on your trip!
Prague Weather in the Summer
Prague summers are generally known to be mild and warm, but not too hot. Average daytime temperatures in June, July, and August hit in the mid-70s (Fahrenheit). But you should be warned that summer heatwaves can bring temperatures in the 80s and 90s (we happened to arrive during one last summer), though they don’t typically last longer than a week or two.
With proper planning of what to do on your trip to Prague during the summer, which this post will cover, and packing appropriately for your international trip, you’ll be ready to have a great time no matter what type of weather you experience!
Prague in Summer | Main Tourist Attractions
Regardless of when you visit Prague, there are several main tourist attractions that everyone should see. I cover all of these sites in detail in my Two Days in Prague Itinerary, but here’s a quick overview:
Old Town Square
One of the most popular tourist traps locations in
Prague is Old Town Square. With thousands of people there at any given time
during the day during the summer, I recommend going first thing in the morning
when the crowds are as light as they get. Our first visit to Old Town Square was
in the morning, around 8:00 a.m., a day or two after arriving for our summer in
Prague. We were super jet-lagged, so we were up early and made the most of it.
We enjoyed exploring it without the congestion that we always seemed to
experience on future visits, which were always later in the day.
Old Town Square features a beer garden (that’s extremely overpriced) and the very underwhelming, but hugely popular Astronomical Clock.
Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge is one of the most, if not the most, iconic sites in Prague. Like Old Town Square, it’s going to be crowded, but walking across the bridge, which connects Old Town with Lesser Town, is a must when planning your trip to Prague in summer.
Prague Castle
Another popular attraction to visit is the Prague Castle. Perched on a hill overlooking the Vltava River, the location not only offers some of the best views in Prague but is one of the 12 UNSECO World Heritage Sites in the Czech Republic. The Prague Castle grounds are free to visit and are open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (note: you must go through security when entering the grounds).
I recommend visiting the Prague Castle in the evening, after the monuments close (which cost money to access anyway) since the grounds are basically a ghost town and it’s not as hot outside, making the experience a lot more enjoyable.
I also recommend participating in an evening walking tour of the Prague Castle, which is what our family did. We found it to be a unique, enjoyable way to experience and learn the history of the castle.
Visiting Prague in the Summer | Best Prague Parks
There are parks, big and small, all over Prague, and if you are visiting Prague in the summer, it’s the perfect time of year to enjoy them! My favorite part of Prague parks is that they have beer gardens (with more affordable beers than you’ll find in Old Town Square), which help them to be enjoyed by both kids and adults. Here are my favorite parks to visit in Prague in the summer:
Stromovka Park
Considered the Central Park of Prague, Stromovka Park is a must-visit when spending time in Prague during the summer. It offers walking trails for runs or leisurely strolls and lots of green space for a picnic or a game of frisbee. You’ll often find yoga classes being held in Stromovka Park during the summer or kids cooling off in the shallow pond that offers a raft they can play on. The beer garden is attached to the playground, which makes it an ideal place to go when wanting a beer if you’re visiting Prague with kids.
Letna Park
Letna Park is my favorite park in Prague. It’s similar to Stromovka in that there are lots of trails and green space, but the main difference is the amazing view that can be seen from the large beer garden. We made several trips to Letna Park when we were in Prague in the summer to take advantage of the beer garden’s shade and incredible views. If you are traveling with kids, there are also several playgrounds for them to play at, making this park very family-friendly.
Prague in Summer | Outdoor Tours
The weather is beautiful during the summer in Prague; it’s the best time of year to experience the city’s beauty and history by getting out and exploring it firsthand. There are lots of tours that provide the opportunity to get outdoors and see all the sights; below are a few of my favorites that we participated in.
Free Walking Tours
No matter what European city I am visiting, I always look to participate in a free walking tour. I find it the easiest way to see the main sights of a city while getting the best bang for my buck. Since these walking tours are free (hence the name), all you have to do is tip your guide at the end. You determine the tip amount based on your budget, the quality of the tour, and how much you liked the guide.
Anyway, when visiting Prague in the summer, I highly recommend finding a free walking tour to go on (and there are tons to choose from in Prague!). Most start in Old Town Square and last about two hours. And don’t worry about working up a sweat on these types of tours, as they are designed to be a leisurely stroll with multiple stops so anyone can go.
While my family and I personally went on the Discover Prague free tour, there are lots of other free walking tour options. Choose whichever one is convenient for your schedule. In addition to the Discover Prague tour, I recommend checking out Free Walking Tours Prague, White Umbrella Tours, and Sandemans.
Game of Prague
We discovered and played the Game of Prague when staying in Prague for the summer and it was ended up being one of our all-time favorite family activities.
The game is an interactive, city-wide scavenger hunt. You’ll get puzzles and clues to solve whose answers will send you to other parts of the city. The team-building aspect combined with the chance to run around outside in beautiful summer make it a truly enjoyable activity for almost all ages.
Plan for it to take half your day (about four hours). It’s a great way to see many important Prague attractions, including some of the ones in this post, as well as others that are not well-known or often visited by tourists.
Pricing depends on the size of your group, but will range between 18 and 28 USD per person, which includes a beer or non-alcoholic beverage at a pub at the end of the game.
Sightseeing River Cruise
The summer weather in Prague is the perfect backdrop to enjoy a sightseeing river cruise of the Vlatava River. Several companies offer river cruises throughout the day and the length ranges from one to two hours, making this activity easy to squeeze into your summer in Prague itinerary.
The one-hour cruise will travel under the Charles Bridge, which provides a picturesque experience of the popular attraction, and the two-hour cruises go through the locks and pass by the Dancing House, which is another must-see in Prague.
How to Stay Cool in Prague in the Summer
We arrived in Prague when the area was experiencing summer heat wave that lasted a couple of weeks. I’ll be honest: with temperatures in the 90s and a non-air conditioned flat, my family and I were slightly miserable. In fact, we booked a last-minute weekend getaway to Vienna and Bratislava in search of lower temperatures to escape the heat. But our crash course in how to stay cool in Prague included us discovering many fun ways to keep cool in the summer heat.
Try a Trdelnik
Trdelnik’s are tasty treats that can be found at street vendors throughout the tourist areas of Prague. These cinnamon pastries can be filled with ice cream which make it a great treat to enjoy when trying to stay cool in Prague in the summer.
Zlute Lazne Beach Resort
Zlute Lazne is located along the Vlatava River and is the only “beach” in Prague. The area has a ton going on in the summer, including with a large sandy beach area with lounge chairs and straw cabanas where you can sit and enjoy a drink. There are areas for playing tennis, volleyball, and football (aka soccer), and you can rent paddle boats and paddle boards to enjoy in the river.
Open daily during the summer from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., visitors in Prague looking to stay cool can easily spend the day at Zlute Lazne. There is a 50 CZK ($2.50 USD) entrance fee for visitors 100 cm (40 inches) tall or above. They also offer free entrance after 5:00 p.m. every day, which is why this budget-savvy family headed here almost every evening of the heat wave to cool down. We had so much fun at Zlute Lazne; it’s a great spot for both adults (with lots of access to alcoholic beverages) and children. If you are visiting Prague in the summer, you definitely need to make it a priority to hang out at Zlute Lazne!
Aquapalace Prague
Located outside the city center, the Aquapalace is the largest water park in Central Europe. The waterpark is both indoors and outdoors, so it can be visited year-round, but if you go in the summer, you’ll have access to extra fun like the outside wild water river and swim-up bar. There are 12 waterslides, including the longest in the Czech Republic, a large artificial wave pool, a pirate ship, and a large area for smaller kids who are not interested in the large waterslides (which, honestly, can be pretty extreme / intense!).
The Aquapalace offers day passes and pricing varies depending on age and amount of time you plan to spend at the waterpark (full day, three hours, or the afternoon). Children under 100 cm are free, and there’s discounted pricing for children, students, seniors, and families. Current pricing is on their website, but to get a sense, as of March 2020, adult admission for a full day is 759 CZK (about $35 USD) and children who are 100-150 cm are 549 CZK (about $25 USD).
Aquapalace Prague Hotel
Those interested in spending more than one day at the Aquapalace (and trust me, it’s big enough that it can easily be enjoyed for longer than one day!) can stay at the attached Aquapalace Hotel. The hotel stay includes admission to the waterpark and makes it a fun overnight getaway when visiting Prague in the summer. The hotel rooms are probably some of the nicest we’ve stayed at in Europe, especially since we typically try to keep costs low when visiting Europe by staying at low-budget hotels. We felt the “splurge” of staying at the Aquapalace Hotel was worth it for two days of access to the waterpark and air conditioning. For reference, the rooms can range in price from $170 – $260 USD per night, depending on how many are in your party, and include free breakfast.
Whether you plan to visit Prague during the summer of 2020 or at some point in the future, you are guaranteed to have a memorable experience. As cliché as it sounds, the summer that we spent in Prague was an experience of a lifetime that our family will never forget, so I know that it will be a wonderful trip for you, too. Feel free to write me or comment with any questions and I’ll do my best to help you plan the best trip possible!
Cheers!
