Prague Hop-On Hop-Off Buses

Hopping on a tourist bus is a smart choice to explore the city of Prague comfortably, economically and without worrying about traffic. These buses have strategic stops that will allow you to know everything there is to see and do in Prague and will make it easier for you to organise your itinerary.

Besides, you will have an audio guide on board that will provide you with useful information about the places of interest included in the routes and Wi-Fi to ask any questions you may have. In this article I will tell you about the main tourist buses in Prague, their routes, prices and how to hire them, as well as practical tips on how to make the most of them.

• City Sightseeing bus with free stops in Prague - from 28 €.
• Bis Bus Prague with free stops - from 29 €.

The Prague City Sightseeing bus is a sightseeing bus with about 14 strategic stops around the city, taking you to the main tourist attractions. You can get off the bus at any of the stops and hop on the next bus after seeing one of the attractions. For example, you can take a guided tour of Prague Castle and get on the next bus to go to another attraction.

The tour has two routes, Red and Blue, which you can combine without having to buy another bus ticket. You can change lines at the common stops, which are usually Prague Castle, Svanda Theatre and Strahov Stadium.

Buses are contracted for 24 or 48 hours, which is counted from the moment you board the bus. For example, if you buy a 24-hour ticket and board the bus at 3 p.m., you will be able to use the bus until 3 p.m. the next day. On the other hand, the saving is around 30% if you buy a two-day pass. In case you visit Prague with children, they will also benefit from a discount.

All buses have an audio guide in several languages, including Spanish, which provides you with historical and cultural information about the sites you will visit on your tour and free Wi-Fi so you can search online for any questions or queries you may have.

City Sightseeing Bus prices

These are the prices for the City Sightseeing sightseeing bus in Prague:

• Adults: from €28 for a 24-hour pass and from €34 for a 48-hour pass.
• Children from 3 to 12 years old: about €24 for the 24-hour pass and about €30 for the 48-hour pass.
• Children under 3 years old: free of charge.

You can book the sightseeing bus for more days, if you still don't know how many days you need to visit Prague, but with a different purchase transaction. There are also discounts for family groups that you can take advantage of.

Summary of the benefits of the tourist bus

• 14 free stops near Prague's main attractions.
• 2 combinable routes included.
• It is booked by the hour and not by the day, giving you more flexibility in deciding when to start using the bus pass.
• Discount of about 30% on the second day.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the chosen travel date.
• Audio guide on board.
• Free Wi-Fi.
• Panoramic air-conditioned bus.
• Pram and wheelchair accessible buses.
• Maximum validity of one year from the date of purchase.

Red Line

This is a route with 8 stops and a total duration of 60 minutes if you do not get off the bus. It usually runs on a double-decker bus and has a frequency of one every 60 minutes. It usually runs from 10.30am to 5.30pm approximately.

The stops on the City Sightseeing Red Line are:

• Main train station
• Bruské Barracks - Old Castle Staircase
• Prague Castle Entrance - St. Vitus Cathedral
• Strahov Monastery
• Strahov Stadium - Petrin Garden
• Svanda Theatre
• Dancing House
• IP Pavlova Square

Blue Line

This is the longest route on the Blue Line and usually takes place on a panoramic single-decker bus. The tour starts at Old Town Square at around 9:30am and ends at around 5:30pm. The duration of the tour is about 90 minutes, if you never get off the bus, and the frequency is about 1 every 30 minutes. It has about 9 stops at tourist sites of interest.

The stops on the Blue Line of the City Sightseeing Prague sightseeing bus are:

• Republic Square 3
• Wenceslas Square
• Dancing House
• Malostranské nám Square
• Prague Castle - St. Vitus Cathedral
• Strahov Monastery
• Fallen Prague Castle
• River Bank
• Old Town Square

City Sightseeing routes at a glance

Another of Prague's sightseeing bus options is the Big Bus. This bus has 2 routes, with a total of 18 stops. You can take the complete route, to see the city at a glance, or hop on and off as many times as you like at the attractions that interest you, for example, to take a tour of the Jewish quarter.

The bus ticket lasts for 24 hours, and you can combine the green route and the red route without having to buy another ticket. It is ideal for summer days in Prague, as the buses are air-conditioned. Operating hours are usually from 9:30 am to 6 pm, every day of the year.

On all buses you will listen to an audio guide available in several languages, including English, which will help you to better understand the history and cultural significance of the sights included in the itinerary. The price of the tour starts from €29 per person, and discounts are available for family groups. On the other hand, only the red buses are wheelchair accessible.

Big Bus Prague prices

Here are the prices for the Big Bus Prague sightseeing bus passes:

• Adults: from €32 for a 24-hour pass and from €42 for a 48-hour pass.
• Children from 5 to 15 years old: about 16 € for the 24-hour pass and about 21 € for the 48-hour pass.
• Children under 5 years old: free of charge.

Prices are discounted if you book bus passes online. Please note that the 24-hour pass does not have a flexible date, so I recommend booking the bus once you are sure of your arrival date in Prague.

Another option is the 24-hour Essential Pass, which includes the 24-hour sightseeing bus pass plus a one-hour cruise in Prague, which does offer a flexible date. This costs about €36 for adults and about €18 for children aged 5-15. The 48-hour pass always includes the cruise, which is usually one hour.

You can also book a Prague sightseeing cruise on your own to enjoy at any time during your stay, as combining the cruise with the bus will give you less time to explore the city's attractions.

Bis Bus Prague benefits at a glance

• 18 free stops near Prague's main attractions.
• 2 combinable routes included.
• You can hire by the hour and not by the day, i.e. if you start using the bus at 10 a.m., you can use it until 10 a.m. the next day.
• Discount of around 30% if you hire it for 2 days.
• Audio guide on board.
• Panoramic air-conditioned buses.
• Flexible date change on some tickets.

Red Route

Buses on the Red Route are double-deckers. They depart daily from 9.35am from stop 1 at the Hilton Hotel, with the last bus departing from stop 1 at 5.10pm. The frequency is about 1 every 30 minutes, and a full journey, without getting off at any stop, takes about 2 hours.

It has a total of 9 stops, which are as follows:

• Hilton Hotel
• Bruske Barracks
• Prague Castle
• Dlabačov Street
• Švanda Theatre
• Dancing House
• Karlov Stop
• I. P. Pavlova Square
• Main railway station

Green Route

The Green Route bus is a panoramic single-decker bus. It departs daily from 9am at Na Příkopá Street in the city centre, opposite the Church of the Holy Cross, and ends at 5:26pm at the main railway station.

If you board this bus and do not get off at any time, the journey usually takes between 50-60 minutes and has a frequency of 15-20 minutes. It is not wheelchair accessible and does not have Wi-Fi on board.

Like the red route it has 9 stops, which are detailed below:

• Na Příkopá Street
• Hilton Hotel
• Štefánik Bridge
• Old Town Square
• Brusque Barracks
• Lesser Town Square
• Dancing House
• Wenceslas Square
• Main Railway Station

Overview of Big Bus Prague routes

Touring Prague on a tourist bus is a comfortable and economical way to get around the city, allowing you to explore its main attractions. The Czech capital, with its rich history, architecture and medieval landmarks, offers a unique visual experience that you can appreciate from the comfort of a tourist bus.

Here are some of the reasons why this option is highly recommended:

• Panoramic view: Tourist buses usually have open upper floors, so they offer you the best views of Prague. From the buses you will be able to observe its impressive architecture that encompasses various styles, such as Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance.
• Comfort and convenience: it's a convenient way to get around the city, especially if you're staying in Prague for a day or two and prefer not to use public transport.
• Informative audio guide: most tour buses offer multilingual narration of the sites you visit, providing you with useful information and historical context during your tour.
• Flexibility: you can hop on and off the buses as many times as you wish at the pre-arranged stops of your choice, giving you the opportunity to explore Prague's attractions at your own pace.

To maximise your travel experience and efficiently manage your expenses, whether you're staying four or five days in Prague, I recommend purchasing the sightseeing bus ticket along with the Prague Cool Pass Prague Tourist Card. The latter provides discounted access to numerous tourist attractions located along the bus routes.

Some of the emblematic places you can visit with the Prague sightseeing buses are the following:

• Prague Castle: it is the most important architectural ensemble of the Czech Republic, which is located next to the Vltava River. The opening hours of the Castle are between 6 am and 10 pm. It is best to visit early in the morning to avoid crowds.
• The National Museum of Prague: located in Wenceslas Square, its imposing neo-Renaissance building is an architectural gem. Its exhibits range from prehistoric artefacts to contemporary objects, giving you a comprehensive overview of the Czech cultural heritage.
• Wenceslas Square: more than a square, this is more like a 750-metre-long avenue in the centre of the New Town. As you walk along it you will come across Prague's best restaurants, shops and museums.
• I.P. Pavlova Square: an important landmark of the city. Surrounded by historic buildings and modern infrastructure, this square is a hub of commercial activity in the Czech capital. It is named after the Russian physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov.
• Jewish Quarter: one of Prague's must-see sites, where you can learn about the Jewish presence in the city and its historical legacy, visit ancient synagogues and the Jewish cemetery.

Prague Express Minibus Tour of Prague

Hiring a minibus tour of Prague is a convenient way to get to know the city in a short time, as the tours last about an hour. The minibuses are equipped with headphones, so you can listen to commentary in several languages, including English, about the sights you visit.

Some of the places of interest you will visit are: Old Town Square, the Powder Tower, St. Agnes Monastery, Masaryk Station, the Dancing House, Charles Bridge and the National Theatre, among others.

This is a recommended option if you are in Prague for a day and want to see the main sights at a glance. It usually runs every day at two different times. Please note that it does not make free stops like the Hop-on, Hop-off buses.

Another way to see the iconic sights of the Czech capital in a short time is to book the Prague sightseeing bus with a scenic drive of around two hours. It also includes a stop for a close-up view of Prague Castle and a walking tour around the fortress.

The tour usually starts in the heart of the city and takes you through historic districts such as the Jewish Quarter, Old Town Square and Charles Bridge. It also usually includes informative commentary provided by an audio guide.

Sightseeing bus with river cruise

It is usual to combine a sightseeing bus tour with a Vltava river cruise in Prague, so you can see the city both on land and water. It's ideal if you're spending a short stay in the city and want to see the most representative sights in a short time.

These tours usually include a visit to the city's main attractions, such as the Old Town and the Jewish Quarter, which you can see on board the panoramic bus. There is also usually a stop at Prague Castle to explore on foot, accompanied by a guide who will provide historical and cultural information to enrich the tour.