Český Krumlov castle museum and tower
1 hAll ages; under-6s freeAll year · in winter Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 15:30
Museum and tower · 1 h · 280 CZK · also open in winter, Tuesday to Sunday
From Kč280
Book
From PragueDirect bus, 2 h 35 min – 3 h
Stay1–2 nights
CastleMuseum and tower 280 CZK
CanoeFrom 440 CZK per person
Best timeMay – Sep
What to do
What to do in Český Krumlov
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Castle interiors: route I, from Renaissance to Baroque
55 minFrom about age 8Spring to autumn · closed in winter
Guided tour · 55 min · 300 CZK · in season
From Kč300
Book
The castle's Baroque theatre, with its original machinery
1 hAdults and teenagersSpring to autumn
Guided tour · 1 h · 400 CZK · in season · limited places
From Kč400
Book
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Český Krumlov, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Český Krumlov
May to September: all the castle routes, the Baroque theatre and the garden are open, and you can canoe down the river. In summer there are many groups at midday. In winter the museum and tower are open Tuesday to Sunday, the town is quiet and in December there is a Christmas market.
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How you travel
Český Krumlov your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
Fly to Prague and take the direct bus to Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov has no airport: you fly to Prague, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and continue by direct bus, about 2 h 35 min to 3 h, or by hire car, about two and a half hours. Because of the distance, it deserves at least one night. Vienna and Linz are also within reach if you combine it with Austria.
- Getting therePrague Václav Havel (PRG), the…
- Getting aroundOn foot throughout the old…
- Where to sleepHotel Růže, with a pool…
- ServicesDirect bus from Prague
Getting there
- Prague Václav Havel (PRG), the most practical from Spain
- Direct bus from Prague to Český Krumlov
- Linz (LNZ) and Vienna (VIE), if the trip continues through Austria
Getting around
- On foot throughout the old town
- Canoe or raft on the Vltava with Maleček
- Hire car only if you are continuing to other parts of South Bohemia
Where to sleep
- Hotel Růže, with a pool, on Horní Street
- Hotel Dvořák, by the river
- Hotel Na Louži, simple, on Kájovská Street
Services
- Direct bus from Prague
- Information centre on Svornosti Square
Bus from Prague and everything on foot inside the bend
Český Krumlov is perfect without a car: cars do not enter the bend and everything is ten minutes on foot. The direct bus from Prague drops you at the gates of the centre.
70–140 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Na Louži, a ten-room…
- Getting aroundDirect bus from Prague, 2…
- Where to eatKrčma Šatlava, wood-fired grill
- ServicesInformation centre, on Svornosti Square
Where to sleep
- Hotel Na Louži, a ten-room guesthouse above a tavern
- Hotel Dvořák, next to the castle
- Hotel Růže, with a heated pool
Getting around
- Direct bus from Prague, 2 h 35 min to 3 h
- On foot through the old town and the castle
- Maleček takes you upriver so you can canoe back down
Where to eat
- Krčma Šatlava, wood-fired grill
- Hospoda Na Louži, home cooking
Services
- Information centre, on Svornosti Square
By car from Prague, with parking outside the centre
By car, Český Krumlov is about two and a half hours from Prague via České Budějovice. It lets you stop at Hluboká or at Zlatá Koruna Monastery. On arrival, leave the car in a paid car park outside the bend: the centre is pedestrianised.
80–150 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Růže, at the entrance…
- DrivingP1 Jelenka car park, the…
- Where to eatKrčma Šatlava
- ServicesCar parks P1, P1r, P2…
Where to sleep
- Hotel Růže, at the entrance to the centre
- Hotel Dvořák, next to the castle
Driving
- P1 Jelenka car park, the largest, below the castle wall
- Check the free spaces on the tourism website before arriving
Where to eat
- Krčma Šatlava
- Hospoda Na Louži
Services
- Car parks P1, P1r, P2 and P3, all year
- Information centre
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Český Krumlov for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
A canoe, a painted tower and a tavern with a fire
Český Krumlov seems made for children: a castle with a tower, a river you can canoe down and streets without cars. It works best with a night, so as not to put three hours of bus into the same day.
- What works bestCanoe or raft on the…
- Where to sleepHotel Na Louži, with family…
- Where to eatKrčma Šatlava, with the grill…
- Keep in mindCanoeing is seasonal: no boating…
What works best
- Canoe or raft on the Vltava, one to four hours
- Castle tower and museum, open in winter too
- Courtyards and cloak bridge, free
- A stroll through the old town, with the wooden bridges
Where to sleep
- Hotel Na Louži, with family rooms
- Hotel Růže, with a heated pool
Where to eat
- Krčma Šatlava, with the grill in view
- Hospoda Na Louži
Keep in mind
- Canoeing is seasonal: no boating in winter
- Cobblestones make pushchairs difficult
- Guided castle tours close in winter
What to do as a family
Paddling beneath the castle and a Baroque theatre from the inside
For teenagers, Český Krumlov is river and castle: a three- or four-hour canoe trip to Zlatá Koruna is a challenge to their measure, and the Baroque theatre, with its machinery, surprises those who think they have seen it all.
- What works bestCanoe from Krumlov to Zlatá…
- Where to sleepHotel Na Louži
- Where to eatKrčma Šatlava
- Keep in mindThe theatre has very limited…
What works best
- Canoe from Krumlov to Zlatá Koruna, three to four hours
- Baroque theatre, with the machinery beneath the stage
- Castle tower, for the view of the bend
- Castle route I, with the Masquerade Hall
Where to sleep
- Hotel Na Louži
- Hotel Dvořák
Where to eat
- Krčma Šatlava
Keep in mind
- The theatre has very limited places: book
- Canoeing requires being able to swim and wearing a life jacket
What to do with teenagers
Český Krumlov castle museum and tower
Castle interiors: route I, from Renaissance to Baroque
The castle's Baroque theatre, with its original machinery
Canoe or raft trip down the Vltava to the centre of Český Krumlov
Castle courtyards, cloak bridge and Baroque garden
Old town: Svornosti Square, St Vitus Church and viewpoints
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a carif you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Růže
Why we like it: A hotel in the former sixteenth-century Jesuit college on Horní Street, with 71 rooms, views of the castle or the Vltava, a terrace and a heated pool for guests.
Hotel Dvořák
Why we like it: A four-star boutique hotel on Radniční Street, a few steps from the castle, with a terrace over the Vltava and a restaurant.
Hotel Na Louži
Why we like it: A ten-room guesthouse above a traditional tavern on Kájovská Street, with 1930s furniture and family rooms. Ten per cent off from four nights when booking direct.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Český Krumlov
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Krčma Šatlava
What to order: a wood-fired grilled meat with Budvar beer, pale or dark.
Open every day from 11:00 to 22:00
Hospoda Na Louži
What to order: the home-style Czech dish of the day with a local beer.
Map
Everything on the map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Nearby
Near Český Krumlov
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
49.05° N · 14.44° E
Hluboká and České Budějovice
By planeBy carCar-free
49.41° N · 14.66° E
Tábor
By planeBy carCar-free
48.40° N · 15.52° E
Wachau
Car-freeBy bikeBy carLuxuryBy plane
48.37° N · 15.61° E
Göttweig Abbey and the Kamptal
By carCar-freeBy plane
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Stay a night
After six in the evening the town is a different place.
- 2Book the Baroque theatre as soon as you know your day
Groups are small and sell out.
- 3Park outside the bend
The centre has restricted access; use P1 or P2.
- 4Wear comfortable shoes
Cobblestones and slopes up to the castle.
We'd skip it
Coach day trips from Prague with everything included: you spend six hours on the road and two in the town, at the worst time of day.
Český Krumlov is an almost intact medieval town wedged into a double bend of the Vltava in South Bohemia, about 25 km from Austria. Above it, on a rock, stands the country's second-largest castle, with a painted tower, five courtyards and a Baroque theatre that still has its original machinery. Below are streets of Renaissance houses, wooden bridges and canoes passing beneath the walls. It is a World Heritage Site about three hours from Prague: you can do it in a day, but it is best enjoyed with a night, once the groups have gone.
How do you get there from Prague?
By direct bus, which is how almost everyone goes: FlixBus and other companies take between 2 h 35 min and about 3 hours, and drop you ten minutes' walk from the square. Buy your ticket in advance in summer.
By car, about two and a half hours via České Budějovice. The historic centre has restricted access: park at P1 Jelenka, below the castle's north wall, or in the other paid car parks around the centre, open all year.
There is a train, but it involves a change at České Budějovice and is slower than the bus.
What to see in one or two days
The castle. The courtyards and the cloak bridge can be walked through for free. The museum and tower open all year; tour route I of the interiors and the Baroque theatre are seasonal and timed, and the theatre has very limited places. Behind the fifth courtyard begins the Baroque garden.
The town. Svornosti Square, the Gothic Church of St Vitus above the river, Horní Street and the Latrán quarter, across the bridge.
The river. From spring to autumn, a trip down the Vltava by canoe or raft: from under an hour within the town to half a day to Zlatá Koruna Monastery, with transport back upstream included.
When to go
From May to September everything is open and the river is navigable, but the groups arrive at midday: start early and stay into the afternoon. In October the town empties. In winter the guided castle tours and the canoes stop, but the museum and tower are open Tuesday to Sunday and the town, without the crowds, has its own charm; in December there is a Christmas market.
Is it worth it in a day?
If you only have one day, leave Prague on the first bus, climb the castle tower, walk the courtyards and the old town, have lunch and return on the last bus. With a night you see the town at sunset and early in the morning, with nobody about, and you have time left for the canoe or the theatre.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Prague to Český Krumlov?
Between 2 h 35 min and about 3 hours by direct bus; about two and a half hours by car.
Can you see it in a day from Prague?
Yes, but it is a long day: almost six hours on the bus there and back. Better with a night.
Is the castle open in winter?
The museum and tower are, Tuesday to Sunday; the guided tours and the theatre are not.
Can you canoe down the river?
Yes, from spring to autumn, with companies from the town such as Maleček, no experience needed.
Where can I park?
In the paid car parks P1, P1r, P2 and P3, next to the centre.
Where should I stay?
Inside the bend: Hotel Růže, Hotel Dvořák or the Na Louži guesthouse.