Day Trips to Karlovy Vary from Prague

Karlovy Vary (or Karlsbad in German) may ring a bell for its hot springs and spas, but it's also famous as the place where Becherovka, an alcoholic drink you'll see all over the Czech Republic, was invented and the hotel where the James Bond film 'Casino Royale' was filmed.

On a day trip to Karlovy Vary from Prague you can tour the whole town, see the spas, stop at the hot springs and breathe in the clean air of this town popular with travellers in the Czech Republic.

Another popular option is this excursion to Karlovy Vary and Marianske Lazne, also known for its spas. You may know it by its German name, Marienbad, and it is quite similar to Karlovy Vary in terms of the layout of the town: a central colonnaded gallery in the middle of a wooded area where the main mineral springs are located. Around it, the rest of the town is organised in a stately style.

In one trip you will visit two towns, although in my opinion this is not entirely necessary as Marianske Lazne is actually quite similar to Karlovy Vary. On the other hand, Karlovy Vary is not that big and you might not have enough to see as there are not that many things to see to spend extra time on it, so it all depends on how you want to approach your trip. If it helps to give you an idea, this tour usually spends around 5 hours in Karlovy Vary and 2 hours in Marianske Lazne.

Another plus point of this tour is that it includes lunch in Karlovy Vary before visiting Marianske Lazne, which also makes this tour more complete than other options. Of course, it also includes pick-up from your hotel and return transport.

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What you will see

This is the most comprehensive group tour to Karlovy Vary, with a full day spent wandering the streets accompanied by a local guide who will take you to see the town's monuments and to its mineral springs, where you can sample the water in traditional glasses while learning about the healing qualities of Karlovy Vary water and why it attracts visitors from all over the world.

Plus, the advantage of this tour over visiting Karlovy Vary on your own is that you have transport included which will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel on your return, so you don't have to worry about how to get from Prague to your tour destination.

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What you will see

If you don't like hanging out with tourists (for whatever reason, hey, I hear you) but still want to enjoy the benefits of an organised tour such as having a local guide explaining the historical context of everything you see, transport to and from your hotel to Karlovy Vary and the best recommendations when you're there, you have the option of taking a private day trip to the Czech Republic's spa town.

The tour and inclusions are the same as the day trip to Karlovy Vary as a group (where the group can be up to 90 people, so perhaps this will also help you to opt for the private option), and lunch is also excluded but you will have free time to choose a restaurant and wander around at your leisure if you feel like it.

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What you will see

You already know what you're going to see on a day trip to Karlovy Vary, but you're probably missing details about why these sites are important, or why you should visit them. Don't worry, I'm here to tell you everything you need to know about the spa town:

Colonnade of the mill

This is a neo-Renaissance style colonnaded hall where you can find six of the city's typical thermal springs, from which you can drink using a small porcelain cup that you can find in the stalls around. Legend has it that these waters have healing properties, which seems to be the case as they are the reason why thousands of tourists visit Karlovy Vary every year.

Intended as a place of relaxation, at the Mill Colonnade you can enjoy open-air concerts and impromptu music if you are lucky, while appreciating the pediment sculptures representing the twelve months of the year.

Thermal colonnade

The Thermal Colonnade, known to the locals as Vřídlo, is built on top of a Karlovy Vary hot spring inside a glass building. In fact, this is the hottest spot in the city, and you can see a geyser of up to 12 metres of water at a temperature of 72 degrees Celsius.

Church of Santa María Magdalena

One of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the Czech Republic is in Karlovy Vary. In addition to its majestic exterior, inside you can see a collection of 18th-century works of art and explore an underground section and a crypt with an ossuary, a vault built from human bones.

If you're lucky, you might visit the church during a religious celebration, when you can enjoy its impressive organ concerts. Whenever it is, I recommend you stop by, as the building is also very close to the hot springs area.

Dvorak Park

A beautiful park in Karlovy Vary that is part of the city's tourist route. You're bound to pass through it and it's a good place to take a break from your walk on a shady bench or take a stroll along the Sadová Colonnade.

Sadová Colonnade

A gallery of columns like those you can find in the rest of the city, but located in a park and with a style reminiscent of Paris. It's impossible to miss it on your walk through Dvorak Park, and you'll be grateful for its shade if you make the trip to Karlovy Vary in summer.

Tepla River

The Tepla River crosses the town of Karlovy Vary and you are likely to pass over it by crossing one of the bridges between the main buildings in the centre. Don't expect a big river like the Vltava, it's more suited to a small town like the one you're visiting, but it gives a European feel to the surrounding buildings.

Deer Leaping Monument

The story goes that King Charles IV was hunting in the forest when he came across a deer and chased it until he cornered it on a rock ledge. The deer, in order not to be hunted, jumped into the void, but the king never found the animal's body at the end of the cliff, but instead found a mineral spring.

He therefore decided to found the town of Karlovy Vary (the king's spa) right there, and the rock ledge from which the deer jumped is now a lookout point with a statue commemorating this story. To get there, you will have to climb uphill for a while, but in return you will have a very nice view of the town, a perfect activity to do in your free time.

Moser Glass Factory

Some excursions to Karlovy Vary include a visit to the Moser Glassworks, another of the city's attractions. This is where the classic Bohemian crystal, coveted by leaders and personalities for over a century, is made.

You can visit part of the factory where the smells of the furnaces and manufactured crystal surround you as you discover the art of glass blowing and moulding, a complicated process that results in a very hard crystal that can be engraved with virtually anything.

Before choosing a tour to Karlovy Vary, you should know that on a group tour you can go in a group of up to 90 people. For many people this is not a problem, but if you don't like the hustle and bustle and can't stand the slightest crowds, I recommend that you choose a private tour.

Distance from Prague

Another thing to take into account is that Karlovy Vary is about 2 hours from Prague, so within the time of the tour you have to take into account that at least 4 hours are spent on transport.

Duration of excursions

However, a single day is more than enough time to visit the city, in fact, it is even enough to see the main sights. For this reason, there are tours that combine a visit to Karlovy Vary with a trip to Marianske Lazne, the other spa town in the Czech Republic.

Travelling with children

Luckily, if you're travelling to Prague with children and you're planning to take this trip, it's a perfect destination for them: it's not too big, you'll have to walk but you won't get tired, and it's a quiet place where they can enjoy themselves without being crowded.

My recommendation is to visit Karlovy Vary on a weekday if you can. In fact, almost any day will do. If you go on a Tuesday or Wednesday, you will avoid the crowds of tourists visiting the city from Prague and you will have no problem finding a table in a restaurant. But avoid Sundays: the crowds are a real problem and the tours don't stop at the Moser glass factory, which is closed on that day.

Summer

Karlovy Vary is worth a visit from June to August, when the weather is warm and pleasant and you can enjoy the outdoor activities on offer. Summer, however, is the peak season and the busiest time of year for tourists.

Autumn

In autumn Karlovy Vary fills with the typical colours of the season and is probably the perfect time for photography enthusiasts, as you can capture spectacular oranges, reds and yellows among the streets of the dormitory town.

Winter

In winter the mountains are covered in snow and the temperature plummets, when you'll find most of the locals on the streets and perhaps enjoy a more genuine atmosphere.

Pizzeria Palermo

Visitors and locals alike say that this is the best restaurant in town, and the truth is that their stone oven pizzas do not disappoint. Personally, I like to sample the local cuisine on my travels, but if you've tried all the Czech dishes in Prague and are looking for an old favourite, this pizzeria is your best bet.

Charleston

If, on the other hand, you can't get enough of Central European food, head to the Charleston pub, whose menu is made up entirely of Czech and German dishes. Sausages, knuckle of pork, roast duck... if you love meat, your mouth will be watering.

Promenade

The expensive but fine option. Wines from local wineries are served with sophisticated versions of traditional Czech dishes, beautifully presented. I only recommend this option if you have more than an hour to eat, as you'll want to savour things at your leisure and enjoy yourself.

If you're visiting in summer, no matter how hot it gets, you might be caught in the rain, so take a poncho or umbrella. As I've already mentioned, it's always a good idea to take a camera to capture the symmetry of the city's columned galleries, but especially if you visit in autumn as the colours are truly breathtaking.

The best way to get around Karlovy Vary is on foot. Don't worry about buying a public transport pass, which some kiosks will try to sell you if they know you're visiting.

Opening hours

Shops usually close around 6pm, and on Sundays much earlier or not open at all. If you want to buy souvenirs or pick up a bottle of Becherovka, the city's proud root liqueur, bear this in mind. Also note that this particular drink is very strong and tastes a bit like cloves, but hey, to each his own!

Shopping

Another thing to bear in mind is that customs in the Czech Republic are a bit strict about what can and cannot be exported, so be careful when buying antiques and ask the shops if what you're buying is allowed beyond the country's borders.

If you've been itching to discover what's beyond Prague, I totally understand: there's much more to the Czech Republic than just the capital. To help you organise other excursions from Prague, I've written a guide on Excursions from Prague to help you find out what's worth visiting. You can consult it here: Tours and excursions in Prague.

And in case you are particularly interested in the history of these places, take a look at my article on the excursion to the Terezin Concentration Camp, an experience that can be very worthwhile if you know all about World War II. Here is the guide I wrote about it: Day Trips to Terezin from Prague.