What to Book in Advance in Prague and What Can Wait (2026)

Book the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutná Hora, the Karlštejn chapels (closed until 30 April 2027) and popular National Theatre shows ahead: theatre sales open 6 months out, and December's Nutcracker was almost sold out on 2 November. Online helps at the Jewish Museum and at Prague Castle in peak season. The Old Town Hall tower, Petřín and Karlštejn's basic tour can wait, and airport transfers need no booking. Around Prague checked prices, hours and rules on the official websites on 2 November 2026.

Operators rarely say how early to buy and do not publish waiting times, so the "When to buy" column and lead times marked below are our estimate. EUR 1 was CZK 24.36 on 30 October 2026.

What to book: the short table

The Prague Visitor Pass covers the Castle main circuit, the Old Town Hall tower with lift, the Jewish Museum, Petřín Tower and the funicular.

Prague Castle

The grounds are free 6:00–22:00; only the buildings need a ticket. The main circuit costs CZK 450, reduced 300, family 950, and lasts 2 consecutive days. We found no compulsory time slots on official pages.

• Where to buy: information centres in courtyards II and III. Only the main circuit sells online: the Castle's ticket page links to GetYourGuide, which names the Castle Administration as provider, from $21 on 2 November.
• Lead time (our estimate): buy on the day from November to March, Christmas weeks aside. In August and December buy online the day before: cancellation is free up to 24 hours ahead, while Castle office tickets are non-refundable.

Buildings open 9:00–17:00 all year, last cathedral entry is 16:40, and on Sundays the cathedral opens at 12:00. That is what the Czech hrad.cz page, the cathedral site and prague.eu say; the English and German hrad.cz pages still show 16:00 in winter. See our Prague Castle tickets guide.

Old Town Hall tower

At the office the tower costs CZK 350 on foot, 450 with the lift, reduced 230, family 750. The first hour after opening is half price, except on 25 December and 1 January. Online is dearer: CZK 450 on foot, 550 with the lift. Hours: January–March 10:00–19:00, April–December 9:00–20:00.

• The only official seller is Prague City Tourism, at its offices and through ColosseumTicket. Other channels may not be valid.
• The online ticket lasts 30 days and covers the tower only. Tours of the halls and underground (CZK 150 and 100) are paid on the day.
• Our estimate: pay extra online only if you cannot make opening time. See our Astronomical Clock guide.

Jewish Museum

The museum itself recommends buying online and avoiding 11:00–15:00. A ticket costs CZK 600, students under 26 pay 400, children 200, and it lasts 3 opening days. Until 31 December it opens 9:00–16:30; it closes on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.

• Where to buy: the museum's ticket shop, ticket offices at the synagogues, or the Visitor Centre at Maiselova 15.
• Lead time (our estimate): tickets are non-refundable, so buy once your date is firm, usually a day or two ahead.
• At the door: security gates and bag checks. Bags over 30 litres are refused and there is no left luggage.

Petřín

The tower costs CZK 250, reduced 170, family 500, and the lift adds 150. Online it is CZK 320, or 470 with the lift. The first hour is half price. In November and December it opens 10:00–18:00.

• The funicular returned on 22 September 2026: 7:00–22:15, every 10 minutes, CZK 100 a ride or 90 in the PID Lítačka app. 24-hour and 72-hour tickets also work.
• Closures: the tower on 7–14 November, the funicular on 10–13 November for filming.

National Theatre

Tickets go on sale 6 months ahead, on the 1st of the month at 9:00, or the 2nd in January. November 2026 to April 2027 is on sale now. Buy on the theatre website, through ColosseumTicket or TicketPortal, or at the box offices (Ostrovní 225/1: Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00).

• The Nutcracker: all 11 December shows at the National Theatre building are sold out. At the State Opera only 19 December at 14:00 and 18:00 remain, seats CZK 450–1,190. December 2027 should go on sale on 1 July (our calculation).
• Regular shows: 42 of the 288 shows on sale were sold out, 23 of them The Nutcracker. Our estimate: a few weeks is enough for a weeknight, sale day for premieres and holidays.
• No ticket: evening box offices open 45 minutes before the show. Bought tickets normally cannot be returned or exchanged.

Karlštejn Castle

In November and December it opens Fri–Sun 10:00–15:00, plus 16 and 17 November. It closes 21–25 December and opens daily 26–31 December.

• Tour 1: CZK 300, reduced 240, children 90. Only groups over 10 must book. The NPÚ portal sells a few slots a day up to 120 days ahead; the rest go at the ticket office.
• Tour 2, the chapels: CZK 640, reduced 510, children 190, 16 people at most, booking required for everyone. Closed until 30 April 2027. If the 120-day rule holds, tickets for 1 May should appear around 1 January (our calculation).
• Email bookings need at least 3 days. See our Karlštejn guide.

Sedlec Ossuary, Kutná Hora

The parish says you must buy for a set date and time, and entry without a booking is not guaranteed. The Areál Sedlec ticket (ossuary and cathedral) costs CZK 220, reduced 150, children 80. November to February it opens 9:00–16:00; closed on 24 December.

• Where to buy: only the parish website or the information centre, Zámecká 279. The parish warns of resellers.
• Lead time: on 2 November almost every slot in the coming week had 40 places or more, but two morning slots were full. April to October and on holidays, buy once you know the date (our estimate).
• Rules: over 10 minutes late, entry is not guaranteed. Refunds up to 3 days ahead come as a 12-month voucher. See our Kutná Hora guide.

Christmas and New Year

Markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square run 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, 10:00–22:00. Book the concerts; see our Advent guide and markets guide.

• National Theatre Advent concerts: 29 November and 6, 13 and 20 December at 11:00, CZK 190–550. 3 tickets were left for 6 December, 13 for 20 December.
• Ryba's Christmas Mass at Karlštejn: 6 December at 17:00 and 19:00, CZK 300, 240 and 90, with 85 and 183 places left.
• Prague Castle: buildings closed on 24 December, grounds open. The cathedral's December programme is not out yet.
• Old Town Hall tower: 24.12 9:00–15:00, 25.12 11:00–18:00, 31.12 9:00–16:00. Petřín Tower closes at the same times, opening at 10:00 on 24.12 and 31.12.
• Jewish Museum: 24.12 9:00–14:00; closed on Saturday 26.12.

Airport transfer

The airport says buses need no booking.

• Trolleybus 59 to Veleslavín (metro A) and bus 100 to Zličín (metro B): 90-minute ticket CZK 50, or 46 in the app. Buy before boarding.
• Airport Express (AE) to the main station: CZK 200 from the driver or Visitor Centre. Regular PID tickets are not valid.
• Uber Airport, the official taxi: order on arrival in the app, at a kiosk or counter. You see the price first and it cannot exceed the regulated fare; the airport puts a typical ride to the centre at around CZK 800.
• A private transfer suits a night arrival or a large family (our estimate). The airport does not vouch for unofficial operators' prices. Compare options in our airport guide and taxi guide.

Prague tickets: common questions (FAQ)

Do I need to book Prague Castle tickets in advance?

No, all tickets are sold at the information centres. Only the main circuit can be bought online.

Which Prague tickets can't wait until the last minute?

Sedlec Ossuary, the Karlštejn chapels and December's Nutcracker.

When do National Theatre tickets go on sale?

Six months ahead, on the 1st of the month at 9:00, or the 2nd in January.

Should I pre-book a Prague airport transfer?

You do not have to: buses, the Airport Express and Uber Airport work without booking.

Sources: Castle tickets, Castle hours, cathedral site, Castle on prague.eu, Old Town Hall, Prague City Tourism price list, Petřín Tower, PID funicular, Jewish Museum admission, hours and tips, National Theatre ticket sales, box offices, your visit, The Nutcracker and Advent concerts, Karlštejn booking, online tickets, hours and prices, Sedlec Ossuary, Christmas markets, Prague Airport buses, Airport Express, Uber Airport and unofficial taxis, PID airport connections, Czech National Bank. Checked on 2 November 2026; confirm hours and availability before you go.

See also: Prague Walking Tours, Best Time to Visit Prague, Where to Stay in Prague, Prague's Theatres, Josefov and the Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague Itinerary, Prague Transport.

Photo: view of Prague from the Old Town Hall tower. Jakub Hałun, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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