The Vltava runs through the middle of everything in Prague: the castle, Charles Bridge, the National Theatre, Vyšehrad and the dancing house all face the river. A boat is the one viewpoint you cannot get on foot, and there are more kinds of cruise than most visitors expect. This guide sorts them out.
The quick answer
For a first visit take a one-hour sightseeing cruise in the late afternoon or the hour before sunset, when the light is on the castle. For an evening out, a two-hour dinner or jazz cruise. For the intimate version, the small Prague Venice boats that go under Charles Bridge and into the Čertovka channel. Boats run all year; the most departures are April to October.
Types of cruise
- One-hour sightseeing cruise: from the embankments near Čechův Bridge or the Rašín embankment, upstream past Charles Bridge to the National Theatre and back, or downstream to the Rudolfinum. Commentary in several languages. The cheapest and most frequent option.
- Two-hour lunch or dinner cruise: buffet on board, longer route to Vyšehrad, usually with live music. The evening departures show the castle and the bridges lit.
- Jazz and folklore boats: evening cruises built around a band rather than the buffet, popular with a younger crowd.
- Prague Venice boats: small wooden boats for 10 to 30 people from the Judith Bridge tower or the Four Seasons pier, 45 minutes under the arches of Charles Bridge and into the Čertovka mill channel. Usually includes a drink and a small museum. The best value for the closest views.
- Pedal boats and rowing boats: from Slovanský Island by the National Theatre, for those who would rather do it themselves.
Where the boats leave from
Most large boats depart from the embankments between Čechův Bridge and Charles Bridge on the Old Town side (Dvořákovo nábřeží) and from the Rašín embankment south of the National Theatre. The Prague Venice boats leave from the Lesser Town end of Charles Bridge and from the Old Town side by the Charles Bridge Museum. All are a few minutes' walk from Old Town Square; a driver drops you on the embankment.
Best time of day
Late afternoon and the hour before sunset give the best light on the castle and are warm enough on deck from May to September. Evening cruises are the most atmospheric in December, when the bridges and the Christmas lights are reflected in the water; dress warmly, the river is colder than the streets. Midday in summer is hot and the sun is behind the castle.
Fitting a cruise into your day
A one-hour cruise sits neatly between an afternoon in the Old Town and dinner in the Lesser Town. Visitors on a tight schedule combine a private car tour of the city with the cruise: the driver covers the castle, the Strahov viewpoint and Vyšehrad by car and drops you at the pier, so the whole of Prague fits into one day without a metro map. See Day Trips from Prague and City Tours.
Arriving by plane? A private transfer from Prague Airport to the city centre is a fixed 750 CZK for a sedan with up to 4 passengers, 20 to 40 minutes, with the driver waiting in the arrivals hall.
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