In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Karlovy Vary is a RegioJet bus from Praha Florenc, 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, 159 to 259 CZK each way, with the last bus back at 20:00. The colonnades and springs are free, the Diana tower is free and the Diana cable car is 165 CZK return. On your own the day is about £17 to £24. Or book a tour: the Premiant day trip with a guided walkad (£50.27, 4.4 stars from 554 reviews, 9½ hours) is the most-reviewed. A tour saves little here; the one with a different place is the Karlovy Vary and Loket tourad (£24.71 to £47.24, 4.6 stars from 124 reviews), and the bus seat alone is £6.96 one wayad (GetYourGuide).
Going on your own
Bus fares are RegioJet’s in October 2026; train fares are České dráhy’s (IDOS).
- By bus: RegioJet from Praha Florenc to Karlovy Vary Terminál, 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, with 15 departures a day from 7:30 to 20:30. The fare is 159 to 259 CZK each way depending on the day. Back, buses leave the Terminál from about 5:00 to 20:00 at 199 to 259 CZK. FlixBus fares start at 78.50 CZK (flixbus.cz).
- By train: Praha hlavní nádraží to Karlovy Vary takes 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 27 minutes at 225 to 444 CZK. The bus is quicker.
- The bus seat from GetYourGuide: Easy Bus Travel to or from Karlovy Varyad is a single ticket for £6.96 (4.3 stars from 232 reviews, 135 minutes) from Prague Florenc or from Karlovy Vary. The buyer gets a ticket for a Florenc departure.
- In town: public transport tickets are 25 CZK for 20 minutes, 30 CZK for 60 minutes and 130 CZK for 24 hours, and the Imperial funicular is included in the short-term tickets (dpkv.cz).
| The day on your own | CZK | Pounds |
|---|---|---|
| Bus, return | 318 to 518 | £11 to £18 |
| Diana cable car, return | 165 | £5.50 |
| Colonnades, springs and the Diana tower | Free | Free |
| Total | 483 to 683 | £17 to £24 |
Tours from Prague
A tour buys a guide for the colonnades. It does not save money, because the town is walkable and the bus is cheap. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” price for one adult, with the usual price where it is on offer.
Premiant day trip with a guided walk
£50.27 · 4.4 stars from 554 reviews · 9½ hours
Karlovy Vary day trip with the watchtower and funicularad has a guided walk and then free time. The funicular and the Diana tower are included only if you choose that option, and a ticket for the Kingdom of Railways, a model railway in Prague, is part of the package. It is a GetYourGuide bestseller.
With Loket
£24.71 to £47.24 · 4.6 stars from 124 reviews · 10 hours
Karlovy Vary and Loketad adds Loket, a castle town outside Karlovy Vary, with entry to the castle optional. It is the lowest-priced tour here; the lower price is a deal, and the usual price is £47.24.
Small group with lunch
£70.72 · 4.1 stars from 196 reviews · 9 hours
Karlovy Vary guided day tripad is a small-group tour with lunch. It is a GetYourGuide bestseller.
Which to choose
- The bus on your own for the colonnades and the tower: about £17 to £24, free except the cable car.
- The Loket tour if you want a second town, which the bus does not give you.
- A guided tour if you want the colonnades explained; it costs about £26 to £33 more.
Skip the train: it takes 3 hours 30 minutes or more each way, against about 2 hours by bus.
What to see
Allow 9 to 10 hours door to door. Colonnades first, the tower last. The town’s own tourist pages have the full list of colonnades and springs (karlovyvary.cz).
The Market Colonnade, Karlovy Vary. Photo: Olga1969, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
- The Hot Spring Colonnade and Vřídlo. Free. A glass-and-concrete colonnade of 1975 over the town’s most popular spring. The geyser in its own pavilion rises up to 12 metres, and the water is 73.4°C.
- The Mill, Market and Park colonnades. Free. The Mill Colonnade is a Pseudo-Renaissance stone building of 1871 to 1881 by Josef Zítek. The Market Colonnade is a Swiss-style timber building of 1882 to 1883 by Fellner and Helmer. The Park Colonnade is cast iron. The Castle Colonnade, of 1910 to 1912, is Art Nouveau.
- The springs. Free. The town lists springs from the Lower Castle Spring (48.6°C) to Vřídlo (73.4°C), including the Charles IV Spring (65.8°C), the Mill Spring (57.8°C) and the Market Spring (63.8°C). The town’s drinking cure is taken at these springs.
- The Diana tower and cable car. Tower free, 150 steps or a lift · cable car 165 CZK return, 85 CZK for children 6 to 15. The cable car’s lower station is on Mariánská Street, by the Grandhotel Pupp. A walking trail also leads up to the tower (dpkv.cz).
- The Home of Becherovka. Guided tours from 290 CZK. The visitor centre of the herbal liqueur made in Karlovy Vary. Every tour ends with a tasting (becherovka.com).
Karlovy Vary in its valley, seen from the Diana tower. Photo: Perituss, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Practical information
- Last bus: 20:00 from Karlovy Vary Terminál on a weekday in October. Book the return with the outward bus.
- Maintenance: the Diana tower and cable car can close for maintenance, announced in the news section of dpkv.cz.
- Christmas: the town’s Christmas events run from 29 November 2026 to 1 January 2027.
| Diana tower | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| January to March | 9:15 to 16:45 |
| April and October | 9:15 to 17:45 |
| May to September | 9:15 to 18:45 |
| November and December | 9:15 to 16:45 |
Karlovy Vary is one of the day trips from Prague. If you prefer beer to herbal liqueur, Prague beer tours covers the Pilsner Urquell Experience, and where to eat in Prague has a dinner for the night you get back. Karlštejn is the shorter trip, by train, and Český Krumlov the other long day by bus. Prague public transport has the metro to Florenc for the bus, 3 days in Prague shows where a day out fits, and What to book before you go to Prague has the city tickets.
Common questions
How do I get from Prague to Karlovy Vary?
Take a RegioJet bus from Praha Florenc to Karlovy Vary Terminál: 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes and 159 to 259 CZK each way, with buses from about 7:30 to 20:30. The train takes 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 27 minutes.
How much does a day in Karlovy Vary cost?
About £17 to £24 on your own: the bus is 318 to 518 CZK return, the Diana cable car 165 CZK return, and the colonnades and the Diana tower are free.
What time is the last bus back from Karlovy Vary to Prague?
The last RegioJet bus from Karlovy Vary Terminál leaves at 20:00 on a weekday in October; the first leaves at about 5:00.
Is a Karlovy Vary tour from Prague worth it?
Rarely. The town is walkable and the bus is cheap. A tour (from £50.27) buys a guided walk, and the Loket tour (£24.71 to £47.24) adds a castle town that is harder to reach on your own.
