Looking to spend a long weekend in Prague this autumn? Here's the perfect itinerary to see Prague's fall foliage and spend 3 days in Prague!

After searching for the perfect European autumn destination for colorful foliage, I found Prague. Prague is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and I can easily see why. It’s such a great destination to visit for a long weekend, and autumn was a great time to see all the beautiful colors. In this post, I’ll share all the best foliage locations, how to dine in an ancient tower, and how to book tickets for one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. Prague also boasts having the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe, but I don’t think you could go wrong any time of the year. Keep reading for how to spend 3 days in Prague in autumn!

3 Days in Prague: A Weekend in Autumn

Best Time to Visit Prague

The best time to visit Prague is mid-October. The fall foliage is beautiful and it’s not as crowded. Even though I’m biased, I think it’s one of the best European cities to visit in the fall. Prague also has some of the best European Christmas markets, but it can get cold during those months. Summer has the best weather but it is also the busiest time to visit.

Prague Itinerary Overview

Day 1

Visit the Old Town • Enjoy fall foliage at Letna Park

Day 2

Spend the day at Prague Castle • Visit Prague Castle and Queen Anne’s Palace • Dinner at Cafe Savoy • See a show at the Opera House

Day 3

Sunrise at Charles Bridge • Tour Strahov Monastery and Novy Svet • Dinner in an ancient Tower!

Meliss Meets World uses affiliate links and earns a commission from any purchases you choose to make from our affiliate links. This is at no additional cost to you, for more information please refer to our policies.

Best location to stay in Prague

If you’re planning to spend 3 days in Prague or it’s your first time it would be best to stay in Old Town or Mala Strana. Here are a few recommendations for other neighborhood options.

If it’s your first time in Prague…

Here are some of the best spots to stay in Prague, including stays in Old Town. Old Town is one of the best places to stay in Prague, especially if it’s your first time.

Grand Hotel Bohemia $$ • 987 Design Prague Hotel $$ • The Emerald $$ • Old Prague Hotel $ (less than $100/night) • Grand Hotel Praha $$$

Mala Strana

If it’s not your first time visiting Prague, or honestly if it is, Mala Strana is still a great option for you and one of the best places to stay while in Prague. This neighborhood is so picturesque, less touristy, and worth a stay!

Hotel Nerudova 211 $$$ • The Charles $$ • Bishop’s House $$ • Aria Hotel Prague $$$ • Hostel Little Quarter $

Alchymist Prague Castle Suites

This is one of the most beautiful and best places to stay in Prague. This spot is located right at the base of Prague Castle and would offer an unforgettable stay for guests.

Hradcany or Castle District- near Prague Castle

This area is self-explanatory, located close to Prague Castle there are plenty of beautiful spots to stay that are very affordable! One of the reasons I loved Prague!

Golden Star $$ • Hotel Hoffmeister $$ • Spa Beerland $$ • Questenberg Hotel $$

New Town

A bit out of Old Town, it gives more modern city vibes. Many of the hotels in this area will be a bit more affordable yet modern.

Miss Sophie’s Downtown $$ • MOOo Downtown $ • The Manes Boutique Hotel $$ • Radisson Blu Hotel Prague $$ • Boat Hotel Matylda $

5 Star Hotel in Prague recommendations

Four Seasons Hotel Prague • The Julius Prague • The Grand Mark Prague • The Emblem Prague Hotel • Augustine

A Complete Guide for 3 Days in Prague

Day 1: Visit the Old Town of Prague

Go Inside the Hall Tower and admire the famous show!

The Old Town is one of the most picturesque areas in Prague and home to the famous Astronomical Clock. This clock was created in 1410, making it the oldest operating clock in the world. When the hour strikes from 9 am to 11 pm, there’s a show from the clock that sets in motion. Watch as well for the twelve apostles circling the top. Even though you can see the clock show from the street, you can always view it from behind inside the Hall Tower. Before you climb to the top, you’ll be able to see the back of the Astronomical clock in action. The tower’s vantage point offers a perfect view of Old Town and a bird’s eye view of the square. An interesting fact about Prague I didn’t realize is how many viewpoints this city has. The geographical elevation changes throughout the city, and there are so many incredible viewpoints. If you’re spending 3 days in Prague, you can’t miss this location! Make reservations for Terasa U Prince. You will have beautiful views of the Old Town from this rooftop bar!

Visit one of the world’s most beautiful libraries

Clementinum Astronomical Tower and Library is one of the most beautiful in the world. You do need to book tickets online and have to book ahead of time, especially on the weekends. I recommend booking tickets from the official website, versus getting a group tour. The library only offers tickets for group tours, and I don’t believe private tours are available. Be careful not to confuse the tower with the Old Town’s Astronomical Clock in the Hall Tower, as they are two separate towers. Once you reach the library before the tower you will only have a short time to view the library. You can’t go inside and can only view from a small viewing platform on the side. It’s also not very well-lit, you many need to adjust your camera settings accordingly!

Roam around the Spanish Synagogue and surrounding neighborhood

The Prague Jewish Town is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the Old Town. There’s also a Spanish synagogue we didn’t have time to visit but we saw many people who were. The fall foliage in this area is beautiful if you’re visiting Prague in autumn. If you need an afternoon ‘pick me up,’ check out this espresso bar.

Dine at the famous butcher shop Nase Maso

Have a bit of a late lunch or early dinner at the famous butcher shop Nase Maso. This well-known butcher shop is famous for its beef from Czech Fleckvieh cattle and other varieties of meat. We tried some hamburgers, and they were delicious. When spending 3 days in Prague, make sure to pay a visit. It was one of my favorite restaurants in Prague! Keep in mind there are only a few tables indoors and there’s always a line to order. The surrounding streets offer benches if you can’t find a seat inside.

Enjoy Prague in Autumn fall foliage at Letna Park

After walking around and enjoying the beauty of Prague, we decided to walk to the Letna Park beer garden. Remember what I said earlier about multiple viewpoints? This park offers a beautiful view of the city. This spot is popular among locals and is cash only. It also closes fairly early even on the weekends, so make sure to check their website for details. North America and New England have some of the world’s best fall foliage. Here’s a comprehensive guide for finding fall foliage in Vermont and New Hampshire!

Day 2: Spend the day at Prague Castle

Start your second day of your 3 days in Prague itinerary by visiting Prague Castle. The complex of Prague Castle is enormous, and there’s so much to see. Keep in mind you need to buy separate tickets for the different areas you want to visit, and you can purchase them at the entrance of the complex. One of the first fun facts about Prague Castle is it’s extremely old and resembles more of a church than a castle. Built in 880 it is the largest coherent castle complex in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It is the most significant site in the Czech Republic and was a past location for the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. It still operates as the official office of the President of the Czech Republic but in a separate building. Start your day with breakfast at Nerudova 211 Cafe. It has such great reviews and was delicious!

Visit Prague Castle and Queen Anne’s Palace

My favorite part of visiting Prague Castle wasn’t visiting the castle at all, but finding Queen Anne’s Summer Palace, a beautiful Renaissance building dating back to the 1500s. The surrounding foliage when visiting Prague in autumn is simply stunning. There is a pathway after you cross a bridge behind the castle and head East. This will lead you through beautiful gardens and Queen Anne’s summer palace. There is plenty of fall foliage to admire! If you’re looking for a guided tour, check out the recommendations below.

Prague: Castle Tour with Local Guide and Entry Ticket • Prague: Prague Castle and Lobkowicz Palace Entry Tickets • Prague Castle Small Group Tour with Visit to Interiors

My other favorite viewpoint from Prague Castle was from the Google location ‘Plecnikova Vyhlidka’. Find the long walkway with incredible views of Prague. You can also see fall colors from this point if you’re visiting Prague in autumn.

Have dinner at Cafe Savoy

Since this will be a long day, take a few hours to relax back at your hotel before dinner. We booked reservations for Cafe Savoy, one of Prague’s most beautiful and stylish restaurants. The food here was exceptional, a Czech and French fusion. Since it is very reasonably priced, we ordered a wine pairing with dinner. We were delighted when the sommelier gave us a full review of each when they were brought to our table.

See a show at the State Opera House

Another highlight of our 3 days in Prague was our visit to the State Opera House. We booked tickets a few months in advance for the performance of Sleeping Beauty. When I say that it was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen, I’m not exaggerating. The Opera House is quite stunning and worth a visit if you’re in town. The tickets were also reasonably priced, and my husband and I scored tickets in one of the boxes for much less than I’d seen anywhere else. For a nightcap, we stopped at Beyond the Bar. This spot was on our way back to the hotel and we thankfully snagged two seats at the bar. I highly recommend it, the drinks were delicious in such a romantic setting.

Day 3: Tour Strahov Monastery and Novy Svet

Enjoy sunrise at Charles Bridge

Start your next day early for a sunrise mission on the Charles Bridge. This bridge is one of the best things to see in Prague and is packed with tourists during the day. Even visiting at sunrise we didn’t have the bridge to ourselves. I will say it was much more of an enjoyable experience walking across and seeing the beauty of Prague without constantly being bombarded by crowds. Even though there are plenty of small cafes around the area, we stopped at La Bottega Bistroteka as we walked along the river heading to Strahov Monastery.

Visit Strahov Monastery

Visiting this monastery was one of my favorite things in Prague, the area is so beautiful. Make sure to add this to your 3 days in Prague itinerary, but don’t necessarily need to book tickets in advance. I can’t remember if you were even able to book online when we visited, but we had no issues getting tickets upon entering. You can also visit the two Strahov baroque libraries for a small fee and tour other architectural beauties within the monastery. They have a restaurant, bar, and a small outdoor beer garden. The easiest way to get to this special place is to take the funicular up. You can find the start at Ujezd, and take it a few stops to the top at Petrin. We walked to the monastery from here and it was beautiful with all the fall foliage!

Wander around the beautiful Novy Svet

After you’re done touring the monastery, head to the area known as Novy Svet. This area is quite small in Prague but also offered an incredible viewpoint of Prague. Head to the cafe Romanticky Hotel U Raka, which is so charming. Find a staircase to the left, you’ll be rewarded with incredible views of Prague.

Enjoy dinner in an ancient tower!

One of the most unique dining experiences I’ve ever had was at Restaurant Zvonice atop Jindrisska Tower. After doing quite a bit of research, I was shocked I hadn’t read about this location. I always love to use Google Maps when planning trips and found the restaurant through their app! Even though it lacks fall foliage, Greece is one of my favorite countries to visit in the fall!

3 days in Prague Day 4

If you have an additional day to stay in Prague, check out Waldstein Garden. If you have time you can also visit Prague’s Botanical Garden!

Best Restaurants in Prague

Nase Maso: A butcher that serves only the best Czech meat, and boasts they only add natural ingredients like lard, salt, spice, and fresh Czech garlic. The spot is popular and always has a line out the door. Nerudova 211 Cafe: This cafe is stunning and attached to the hotel I wish we had stayed in during our stay in Prague. We came here for breakfast and it was delicious.

Lokal Dlouhaaa: This spot is popular with the locals and serves traditional Czechian food. This restaurant is quite large, but a reservation is still required.

Cafe Savoy: This is one of the most beautiful restaurants in Prague. It offers Czech and French fusion cuisine. We didn’t even order an entire bottle of wine but were still educated by their sommelier when we ordered a few different glasses. We had such a wonderful experience here and I would highly recommend it. Restaurant Zvonice, atop Jindrisska Tower: This gem I found through Google. It was one of the most unique dining experiences I’ve ever had. The food was good, but their portions were huge! Kantyna: This next restaurant we didn’t have a chance to try but it has wonderful Google reviews and the research I did blogs raved about it! Brevnov Monastery Brewery: Documented as the oldest brewery in Prague, this is located at the beautiful Strahov Monastery. They also have a restaurant on-site as well!

Public Transportation Prague: The best way to get around

The best way to get around Prague is by walking. There is a train line that runs right through the center of town and other trains that scale the city perimeter. There are also vintage-looking trains that are even just as exciting to ride. I however only took the public train once and had a very scary experience. Keep reading for how to avoid it. When using Prague’s trains you can buy tickets onboard. When I was trying to purchase a ticket, I had trouble with my credit card. After only a few minutes of trying to use a different card, I was greeted by an aggressive man wearing street clothes and no uniform. He asked to check my ticket, but I told him I was still trying to purchase one but my credit card wasn’t working. Since my husband and I weren’t riding the train for long we got off shortly after he started talking with us, and he proceeded to follow us off the train along with another even scarier ‘staff member’. They said if I didn’t have a ticket I needed to pay a fine otherwise they would call the police. The fine was around $100, and it was one of the scariest experiences I’ve ever had traveling in Europe.