Prague in 2 Days: Best Things to See and Do

There are pros and cons to having a pilot for a husband. Pro: sometimes he comes home with lobster for dinner after a pit stop in Maine (we live in California). Con: sometimes while you’re eating cup ramen alone in your PJ’s he calls from Paris to tell you how amazing the restaurant you’ve been wanting to go to for forever was. But then he comes home bearing Parisian chocolates and all is forgiven.

This time around he had a short break in Europe and his crew opted to spend a quick two days exploring beautiful Prague. Did you know that Prague is the fifth most visited city in Europe? It’s the kind of city where you don’t want to miss a thing, so when you only have two days to experience it, you pack in the important stuff. Check out a pilot’s tips on how to do Prague in two days:

Must See: You have to experience Old Town Square with it’s beautiful buildings, statues and restaurants, and Prague Castle which is like the Buckingham Palace of the Czech Republic. One of my favorites was the Dancing House, which is interesting to see because of it’s very unique shape. I recommend going to the bar and restaurant at the top to grab a quick refreshment while taking in the view of the city.

Must Do: Spire-hopping. Prague is the “city of a hundred spires” and a lot of those spires allow you to pay a few bucks to climb to the top observation area. Also visit the famous Charles Bridge, walk along the Vltava river, and try some paddle boating. The best tip I can give is to walk. There are so many small details about the city that you will discover when walking from place to place.

Must Eat: You’ll see a lot of fried cheese sandwiches and trdelnik, which are sugar-coated pastries sometimes filled with custard or ice cream (below). My favorite street food, though, was the Prague sausage. Never pass through Prague without stopping by a sausage cart. And my favorite meal by far was at U Modre Kachnicky II, a quaint little restaurant that specializes in duck. We visited the Michalska location and opted for their 9-course menu. It was only 990 Czech korunas, or about $45, and every dish was heavenly. The courses included traditional Czech potato soup, a bacon-wrapped veal pate, and “duck rillettes with rocket leaves and pickled beetroot slices,” all amazing. The two-hour dinner is an experience in and of itself, and a meal like that could cost three times as much in the States.

What Most Surprised You: How clean and cheap it was. Also, how normal it was for the city to still be alive at say 4 in the morning, as in restaurants open, people from 6-80 years old awake, and public transportation running. Oh, and weed absinthe and cocaine vodka.

What to Bring Home: Cocaine vodka. Just kidding. I brought home two watercolors of the city to frame later.

Best View of the City: St. Nicholas Church. It’s one of the hundred spires and close to the city center, so you don’t have to walk too far. You can also get a great view from the Prague Castle terrace.

Best Place to Watch the Sunrise: Charles Bridge.

Tourist Tips: Pick a hotel with air conditioning and parking (if you’re driving). The closer you are to Old Town, the narrower the streets are, and parking is difficult to find. Our hotel conveniently had an inner gated courtyard for us to park in, which was a relief with our large van. Also, late at night a lot of alleyways are closed off with stable-like doors, so be aware of that if you’re trying to return to your hotel in the early morning hours. If you plan on doing morning activities I would explore in those early hours, rest during the afternoon, and venture out again to see Prague nightlife. Like most European countries, afternoon is siesta time and many restaurants don’t even open until nightfall.