Christmas in Prague Walking Tour: Stories of the Old Town

Mikuláš on 5 December

Mikuláš (St. Nicholas) is the Czech 5 December figure. Last season the Prague 1 district held a procession of St. Nicholases, angels and devils on Kampa that day. If your trip starts in early December, check for a Mikuláš event around the squares.

Carp, the Fast and the Golden Pig

Carp reached Czech Christmas tables in the 19th century, and fried carp with potato salad is still the most popular Christmas dish. In the days before Christmas, live carp are sold from large tanks in city centers, and some families keep one in the bathtub. A carp scale carried in a wallet is said to bring money.

Tradition also holds that whoever fasts on 24 December sees a golden pig, and Midnight Mass is held that night.

Nativity Scenes at the Stops

Nativity scenes are part of the Czech market landscape, and the city's official Christmas walk covers the origins of the nativity-scene tradition and the church where Jan Jakub Ryba, composer of the Czech Christmas Mass, played the organ. This story walk covers the city's history through figures like Charles IV and Mozart, so ask your guide about the scenes you pass at the market stops.

Included

The listing includes a licensed tour guide, one drink, and an online audioguide on your mobile phone covering the interiors of the Basilica of St. James and the Minorite Friary. The audioguide runs in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Czech, Polish and simplified Chinese. All taxes and fees are part of the $55.

• Licensed tour guide
• One drink (type not stated)
• Phone audioguide for the Basilica of St. James and the Minorite Friary
• All taxes and fees

Not Included, and the Honest Note

The inclusion list ends with the line "Tour guide for the interiors". The interiors are covered by the phone audioguide, so do not count on a live guide inside. The listing does not state any other exclusions.

Food and further drinks at the market stalls are paid on top, and the listing does not mention tips. Hotel pickup is not offered, the walk starts on foot at Maiselova Street.

Dates That Matter

The Old Town and Wenceslas Square markets on the route run 28 November to 6 January. The Peace Square, Republic Square and Tylovo náměstí markets all close on 24 December. The markets stand on open public squares, so there is no gate and no ticket to walk through them.

Money at the Stalls

The Czech Republic uses the Czech crown (CZK), not the euro. Most vendors at the markets accept cards, and the organiser says an ATM stands inside the market if you need cash. Your included drink is covered, but any extra mulled wine, trdelník or ham is paid on top.

Getting to the Start

The meeting point is on Maiselova Street, near the Old Town Square. A PID 30-minute ticket costs $1.65 (36 CZK) in the app, $1.79 (39 CZK) on paper or $1.92 (42 CZK) by SMS. A 90-minute ticket costs $2.11 (46 CZK) in the app.

A 24-hour ticket costs $6.41 (140 CZK) in the app and a 72-hour ticket $15.57 (340 CZK).

Rules from the Listing

The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. No minimum age is stated. The walk lasts 3 hours on foot, so wear winter shoes.

Bring your phone charged, because the St. James audioguide runs on it. The listing states no bag rule and no weather policy.

Meeting Point and Start

You meet in front of the Get Prague Guide office at Maiselova 59/5, Staré Město, 110 00 Prague 1, near the decorated Old Town Square. The listing does not state a fixed starting clock time. It tells you to check availability to see the starting times for your date.

The Walk

The guide leads the group through the historic heart as the Christmas lights go up, past the traditional Christmas markets of the Old Town and New Town. Along the way you hear stories about Charles IV and Mozart and learn about Czech Christmas customs. The listing names three stop areas: the Old Town Square area, the traditional Christmas markets, and the Monastery of St. James.

It does not state how long each part lasts, so no times can be built here.

End Point

The walk finishes in front of the Monastery of St. James. There your phone takes over: the included audioguide covers the interiors of the Basilica of St. James and the Minorite Friary in eight languages. The listing states no entry fee for the interiors and no return time.

On the Route

The Old Town Square market, the start of the walk area, runs 28 November to 6 January, daily 10:00-22:00. It is the largest market in the city, with a lit tree chosen each year from a different region of Czechia, a daily cultural program, and stalls selling glass and straw ornaments, ceramics, nativity scenes and wooden toys. The Wenceslas Square market in the New Town runs the same dates, 28 November to 6 January, daily 10:00-22:00, with wooden huts, mulled wine and music through Three Kings Day.

Markets to Add Before or After

The Peace Square market in Vinohrady runs 20 November to 24 December, 10:00-20:00, in front of St Ludmila's Church. Republic Square runs 25 November to 24 December near the Municipal House. Tylovo náměstí runs 26 November to 24 December.

Havel's Market (Havelské tržiště), a market since 1232, trades year-round Mon-Sat 7:00-19:00 and Sun 8:00-18:30.

If Markets Are the Priority

This tour treats markets as scenery for the stories. If you want a walk built around stalls and tastings, the Prague Christmas Markets with Locals covers neighborhood markets plus cookies and a hot drink, and the Prague Christmas Market Tour pairs the Old Town Square market with two drinks and two tastings. The Prague Christmas Walk ends at the Kampa Island market.

Sights and Markets

The Peace Square, Republic Square and Tylovo náměstí markets all close after 24 December. The organiser lists Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square as open daily 10:00-22:00 and mentions no holiday exceptions, but hours on 24, 25 and 26 December are not confirmed.

Christmas Eve Plans

Christmas Eve is the main family evening in the Czech calendar, with the traditional carp dinner at home. Book the tour itself for a date before Christmas Eve if you want the full market scene.

The Short Answer

Four days and three nights is described as an ideal Christmas market break in Prague. That is enough time for the main sights, several markets and one or two booked tours. The same source calls the four-day itinerary about right given the shorter winter daylight.

Where This Walk Fits

Check the starting times on the booking page and pick a slot that suits the lights. On a four-day stay, put it early in the trip so it doubles as an orientation. For a second booked activity, an evening option such as the Prague Advent Boat Cruise fills a different slot.