The BEST Time to Visit Prague! [December 2024]

The Czech capital of Prague, romantically situated around the banks of the River Vltava, is a treasure trove of architectural movements. Rightly nicknamed ‘the city of a hundred spires’ it has structures spanning from the medieval astronomical clock to the worst of the Soviet-era apartment blocks. Incorporating a UNESCO World Heritage Site old town at its heart, Prague is also a well-known as one of Europe’s foremost entertainment capitals, with its fine food, great nightlife, and cultural attractions making it the fifth most visited city on the continent.

Given its central European location, what exactly is the best time to visit Prague? As well as taking the weather into account, our guide will also tell you all you need to know when it comes to avoiding the worst of the tourist crowds and highest prices!

When is the best time of year to visit Prague?

Taking everything into account, it’s actually perfectly possible to visit Prague at any time of the year. Starting towards the beginning of the year, spring is a great time to consider.

Coinciding with the capital’s shoulder season travelers aren’t required to make bookings for hotels or attractions more than a couple of weeks before arrival, crowds are lower than during the high season, but the weather is already beginning to warm. Likewise, there’s a similar shoulder period at the end of the summer and beginning of fall.

The city is at its busiest with tourists, and also its most expensive during the summer months, particularly when the long summer school holidays begin right across Europe and North America. This is also the hottest time of year, and the months that see a whole host of events taking place.

If you don’t mind braving the cold, then winters in Prague can be stunning, particularly if there’s snow on the ground. Outside of the Christmas and New Year periods, you’ll find the cheapest prices of the year, and experience the city with just you and the locals!

What months are the best time to visit Prague?

For guaranteed weather you’ll be looking to visit Prague during the high season summer months of June to August, when temperatures can rise to 79°F (26°C) and days are long. The shoulder period last from roughly mid-April until May, and again from September to mid-October.

From November through to February the city is at its coldest, with temperatures that can drop below freezing, but still a fantastic time to visit the Czech capital if you’re prepared by wrapping up warm. Then from March through to mid-April (perhaps taking in the Easter celebrations) there’s a slow build up to the first shoulder period of the year, as we will now see.

Prague weather in January

January is just about the coldest month of the year in Prague, with temperatures ranging between highs of 36°F (2°C) during the day and lows of a chilly 25°F (-4°C) at night. Days are short, with the sun setting around five each day, although there’s less than an inch of rain across the whole month.

Prague events in January

• New Year’s Day & Czech State Day
  • The first of January each year is marked by a public holiday that celebrates not only the beginning of the new year, but also commemorates the division of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia during the amical divorce of the early 1990s.
• Jan Palach Day
  • Taking place on January 19 each year, Jan Palach Day looks back even further, to the period of Communist occupation behind the iron curtain. Head to Wenceslas Square in the very heart of the city and you’ll witness the older generation in particular laying flowers for Jan, who protested against the soviet invasion by setting himself on fire in 1968.
• Opening of the State Opera
  • Prague’s State Opera begins its new season in January each year, with a program of events that stretches beyond opera to include ballet and classical music more generally. Look out for concerts from greats including Beethoven, Verdi, and Tchaikovsky.

Let’s simplify this! We’ve put together our favorite places to stay in Prague so you don’t have to stress!

Prague weather in February

Generally speaking, the weather in February isn’t all that different from what you’ll experience in January. Daytime temperatures hit highs of just 39°F (4°C), with night time temperatures still below freezing. Rainfall is still also at its lowest levels for the whole year, with 0.8 inches falling across just four days of the month on average.

Prague events in February

• International Festival of Wind Orchestras
  • Though it might sound a little niche, this festival has been running for more than 20 years, and is a great way of seeing amateur orchestras of all ages playing all forms of music. A mix of competition and concerts, it ends with the awards ceremony for the winning musicians.
• Carnevale Praha
  • Also called the Bohemian Carnevale, this high-end party takes place at the end of February or beginning of March each year. Recalling the grand balls that took place in the city hundreds of years ago, the carnival is a blend of masked parades and all manner of other party events.

Prague weather in March

March sees the temperatures in Prague begin to rise. As a result, you’ll experience temperatures no lower than freezing point, rising to a slightly more comfortable 46°F (8°C). There’s little more than an inch of rainfall to contend with, although the month does see a chilly wind that should be taken account of.

Prague events in March

• One World Film Festival
  • A film festival with its central focus on the importance of human rights, the One World Film Festival arrives into Prague in March of each year with a plethora of intriguing documentaries. Check out the Lucerna Cinema, which is the festival’s Czech headquarters, to see what films are on offer when you’re in the city.
• Prague Half Marathon
  • With a course that winds its way among some of the most important tourist sites in the center of the city, the Prague Half Marathon is a wonderful way of seeing the city in a totally unique way. It’s also great for personal bests, being one of the fastest races on the IAAF calendar, and is open to all.
• Prague Castle Easter Market
  • Opening up for a month from the end of March and through much of April, the Easter Market in Prague Castle includes all manner of wood-built stalls selling locally made and produced handicrafts alongside traditional Czech food and drink. The atmosphere is at its height each evening when the sun goes down.

Not yet booked? Take a look at our favorite hotels in Prague!

Prague weather in April

The true start of spring in Prague sees temperatures hitting a very healthy 57°F (14°C) as the days get longer. They don’t drop below 39°F (4°C) from now until October, with April’s rain levels just 1.3 inches falling in showers across six days.

Prague events in April

• Easter
  • Though a movable feast, Easter invariably falls sometime in April, making this month an intriguing time to visit Prague. As well as the Easter Market in Prague Castle, there’s another larger one in Wenceslas Square, and various church-based events from Good Friday through to Easter Monday.
• Witches’ Night
  • With its history lost in the mists of time, this ancient folk festival is a celebration of new life and the coming of spring. The party culminates in the figure of a witch – representing winter – being burnt on bonfires on hilltops and in gardens throughout the city.
• Majales
  • Taking place at the very end of April, the Majales festival is a celebration of student life. It sees somewhere in the region of 20,000 young people come together to have a good time listening to live music, enjoying the parade, and taking part in the election of the majales ‘king’.

Planning a trip? See our list of the best things to see in Prague!

Prague weather in May

The days continue to get longer and therefore warmer too, with the lowest temperatures recorded being an average of 48°F (8°C). Highs now reach peaks of 64°F (18°C) which makes it very pleasant sightseeing weather, although rain doubles from the 1.3 inches seen in April to 2.7 inches over a similar number of days.

Prague events in May

• Prague Food Festival
  • There’s nothing quite like delving into a city’s food scene as a way of learning what makes a place tick, and Prague is certainly no different. Normally taking place in mid-May the Prague Food Festival hosts stalls and chefs offering up delicacies from right across the Czech Republic.
• International Music Festival
  • Stretching across much of May, the Prague International Music Festival invites performers from around the world to perform in the Smetana Hall, a grand neoclassical concert hall. Past seasons have welcomed Leonard Bernstein, and flautist James Galway, with the first night always formed from the symphonic poems of the composer Smetana after which the hall is named.
• Open House
  • Taking place on the middle weekend in May, Open House offers the chance to see inside buildings usually closed to residents and visitors to the city. All the buildings taking part are free to enter, and include the residence of Prague’s mayor, together with behind the scenes sections of churches and railway stations.

Need a little more convincing? These day trips from Prague will help you make up your mind!

Prague weather in June

Summer certainly feels as though its reached Prague as May turns to June. This month has temperatures ranging between lows of 52°F (11°C) and highs of 70°F (21°C) and average daily temperatures somewhere in between. Rainfall is almost identical to that in May, while June experiences the longest day of the year, offering up the possibility of more than 12 hours of sunlight.

Prague events in June

• United Islands of Prague
  • Don’t panic, this has very little to do with geography! Instead, United Islands is a free to attend multi-genre festival held in the open-air in the Karlin district of Prague. Its focus is on new, young talent, although you’ll also find some national and international stars present.
• Microbrewery festival
  • The Royal Gardens of Prague Castle welcomes more than 60 Czech and Moravian microbreweries in the middle of June. Amid its spectacular setting, you can enjoy unlimited beer and take home a souvenir tasting glass. Tickets are bought at the door too, with no need to pre-book.
• Prague Ice Cream Festival
  • Craft beer not your thing? How about ice cream? The largest festival of its kind in central Europe, it takes place at the Prague Holesovice Exhibition Center, and while centered around all things chilled, there are plenty of other food options besides.

Want to go deeper? These great museums in Prague are perfect for learning a little more.

Prague weather in July

Temperatures manage to creep up a few further degrees in July, with lows of just 55°F (13°C) and highs hitting 73°F (23°C). The hottest month of the Prague year, the amount of rain remains pretty steady at 2.7 inches, with long days in which to make the most of the summer café culture.

Prague events in July

• Venetian Nights
  • A short bus ride away from the center of Prague in Mala Skala, Venetian Nights is an open-air music festival that takes place on the banks of the River Jizera. Also known as Festival Benatska Noc, it is predominantly geared to locals, with a band list to match, though has previously welcomed the likes of Suzi Quatro too.
• Public Holidays
  • Two national holidays fall side by side in July, with Saints Cyril and Methodius Day on July 5 and Jan Hus Day on July 6. All major tourist sites are open as normal, and it’s a wonderful time to enjoy the summer heat rubbing shoulders with Czech families at their most relaxed.
• Prague Folklore Days
  • Taking place over a few days in late July, Folklore Days is an annual meet-up of traditional folk groups. Performances are held on specially constructed stages in Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square, and Republic Square, with folk celebrations from not just the Czech Republic but all over Europe.

Interested in Prague? Read up on the history of Prague!

Prague weather in August

August matches July when it comes to temperatures enjoyed, with lows of 54°F (12°C) and highs of 73°F (23°C), ensuring it’s never too hot to explore the city. Like the other summer months, August sees around 2.6 inches of rain fall on average, over seven days, while daylight hours still stretch across ten hours.

Prague events in August

• Open air cinemas
  • Coming to their climax in August, Prague boasts a variety of summertime open air temporary cinemas that are created when giant screens are put up in some of the city’s most important locations. Showing a combination of classic and newly released movies, most are shown in their original language with Czech subtitles.
• Let It Roll
  • Claiming to be the world’s largest festival dedicated to the sound of drum and bass, Let It Roll, lasts an incredible four days. An extravaganza of music and entertainment, the festival has nine different stages and an attendance closing in on 25,000 people.

Want to go deeper? Take a cool tour in Prague to learn more than you could on your own!

Prague weather in September

As the kids head back to school the temperatures in Prague begin to drop, roughly echoing their month by month rise. This means that during September you can experience highs of 66°F (19°C), and lows that don’t usually drop below 48°F (9°C). The amount of rain falling takes a dramatic fall, with the month seeing just 1.5 inches on average.

Prague events in September

• Dvorak’s Prague Festival
  • This international music festival revolves around the works of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak alongside his pupils and contemporaries. Gracing the city’s most important stages and auditoria, the Dvorak welcomes the world’s top soloists and conductors in this grand celebration of the country’s culture.
• Birell Prague Grand Prix
  • If you missed the Prague half marathon earlier on in the year now’s your chance to pull on those running shoes for a second shout. Run by around 9,000 professional and amateur runners, the Grand Prix is a 10-kilometer (6 mile) night race through the city that saw the women’s world record broken by Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei in 2017.

Prague weather in October

Rainfall continues to drop during October, which experiences just under an inch of rain across just five days in the month. Temperatures range between highs of 55°F (12°C) and lows of 41°F (5°C), meaning you’ll need to think about layering up. The change from summer to winter time at the end of the month marks the beginning of longer nights and shorter days.

Prague events in October

• Signal Light Festival
  • October’s longer nights are brightened very literally during the Signal Light Festival, which sees many of the city’s most famous buildings bathed in even finer lighting displays than normal with a range of traditional lighting and video projection technology. You’ll find most of the participating buildings around Old Town Square and the banks of the river.
• Designblok
  • The largest combined design and fashion show in central Europe, Designblok is trade fair meets fashion house meets technology conference, with brands and designers from right around the globe displaying current products and concept designs. It is held at the Prague Holesovice Exhibition Center.
• Independent Czechoslovak State Day
  • Despite Czechoslovakia no longer existing, this public holiday is still celebrated in Prague. It marks the creation of the independent state after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1918. One of the day’s traditions is free entry into the National Gallery as well as the Senate building.

Prague weather in November

Both temperature highs and lows fall further in November, partly due to the shorter daylight hours. That means that during November the temperature doesn’t normally rise above 43°F (6°C), and drops to lows of 34°F (1°C). If you’re looking for good news – there’s just 1.25 inches of rain.

Prague events in November

• Christmas markets
  • It may not be December yet but Christmas isn’t that far away, and the city brings in the festive season with Christmas markets in Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square, and within the grounds of Prague Castle. There’s food and beer aplenty, and should you be feeling the cold, hot mulled wine too.
• Remembering the Velvet Revolution
  • The Velvet Revolution brought communism to an end in what was then Czechoslovakia, and it is remembered where it all began in 1989, on Korzo Narodni, on November 17. The street becomes decked out with performers, exhibitions, concerts, and films, while the National Gallery also offers free entrance to visitors.

Prague weather in December

One of the coldest months of the year, and hosting the shorter day in the calendar too, Prague sees a relatively tight range of temperatures that shifts only between 28-36°F (-2 to +2°C). Rain falls over just five days of the month, and reaches a total of one inch only.

Prague events in December

• International Christmas Festival
  • Occurring on just one day at the start of December, this festival is an intriguing mix of marketplace and international jamboree, with diplomats from embassies dressing in national costume and selling products from their home countries. All the proceeds go to local charities, so it’s well worth popping along to the Hilton Hotel. Tickets can be bought on the door.
• Charles Bridge Lamp Lighting
  • December sees a lamplighter in traditional costume lighting the gas lamps that line the Charles Bridge and its surrounding streets. Marking the true start of Christmas for many in the city, you can see the ceremony for yourself every day at 4pm.
• New Year’s Eve
  • The end of the year begins for most with a meal, before people begin to crowd the streets in anticipation for the annual fireworks display that takes place along the river bank in the center of Prague. You’ll need to make a booking in good time if planning to head to just about any restaurant in the city.

 

What is the best time to visit Prague weather-wise?

If you’re looking for good sightseeing weather there’s no question that the summer months of June through to August are the best time to visit Prague. These months coincide with the peak holiday season in the city, so you won’t be alone, and will have to pay top dollar too.

If you have more flexibility why not consider traveling to the Czech capital from mid-April to May, or September to mid-October instead? The weather is still fine, with long sunny days and temperatures only slightly less than those in the central months of summer.

 

Final thoughts on the best time of year to visit Prague

If you’ve ever headed to Europe before you’ll know that the summer months assure excellent weather. When it comes to Prague specifically, it doesn’t suffer the unbearable heat of Paris or Berlin in August, giving you even more time to enjoy all this amazing city of contrasts has to offer!

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