In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Karlštejn is an S7 train from Praha-Smíchov, 33 minutes, 76 CZK each way, every 30 minutes, then a 15-minute walk uphill from the town. The castle is guided tours only: the basic tour (300 CZK, 55 minutes) needs no booking, and the Chapel of the Holy Cross is on a separate 640 CZK Chapels tour that every visitor must book by phone. The Chapels tour is closed from 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2027. On your own it is about 452 CZK (£16). Or book a tour: the small-group tour with entryad (£57.94, 4.5 stars from 185 reviews, 5 hours) saves the planning, not the money, and the Uniline tour with the Koněprusy Cavesad (4.9 stars from 262 reviews, 8 to 9 hours) is the one trip a train does not reach (GetYourGuide).
Going on your own
Karlštejn Castle is about 40 km south-west of Prague, above the town of Karlštejn on the Berounka river (hrad-karlstejn.cz). The official site is hrad-karlstejn.cz, with a hyphen.
- By train: S7 from Praha-Smíchov, 33 minutes, 76 CZK each way, at 8:24, 8:54, 9:24 and every 30 minutes after, and back at 15:26, 15:56, 16:26 (IDOS). Prague public transport has the metro link to Smíchov.
- Works on the line: S7 and R16 trains are diverted or limited between Praha hlavní nádraží and Praha-Smíchov until 19 October 2026, so board at Smíchov and check the České dráhy planner (PID).
- On foot: turn right out of Karlštejn station, cross the Berounka, turn right and follow the main road up to the castle. The walk takes 15 minutes. The town is a pedestrian zone: no cars or bicycles.
- By car: D5 towards Plzeň, exit 10 (Loděnice). The only car park is in the town, below the castle.
Karlštejn station, where the S7 from Prague stops. Photo: Václav Štorek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
| The day on your own | CZK | Pounds |
|---|---|---|
| Train, return | 152 | £5.50 |
| Basic tour | 300 | £10.50 |
| Total with the basic tour | 452 | £16 |
| Total with the Chapels tour in place of the basic tour | 792 | £27.50 |
The Chapels tour is a separate ticket. Buying both tours is 940 CZK in entries.
Tours from Prague
A tour costs £50 to £58 against £16 on your own. It saves working out the train, and nothing else. The Uniline tour is different: it adds the caves. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” price for one adult.
Small group with entry
£57.94 · 4.5 stars from 185 reviews · 5 hours
Karlštejn Castle guided tour with entry ticketad is a small group of 6 to 10 with a 1-hour tour and 2 hours of free time. Only the basic tour is included, so the Chapel of the Holy Cross stays a separate booking with the castle.
With the Koněprusy Caves
£143.96 to £161.03 · 4.9 stars from 262 reviews · 8 to 9 hours
Karlštejn Castle and caves, or the Pilsner breweryad takes a maximum of 8 guests to the castle, the Koněprusy Caves in the Czech Karst and the Velká Amerika quarry viewpoint, with lunch. In winter the listing swaps the caves for the Pilsner Urquell brewery in Plzeň. It is a GetYourGuide bestseller.
Which to choose
- On your own. The train is £5.50 return and the basic tour needs no booking.
- The Chapels tour if the Chapel of the Holy Cross is the reason you are going. Book it by phone before you travel, and go before 1 November.
- The Uniline tour if you want the caves, which public transport reaches badly.
What to see
Allow 4 to 5 hours from Prague and back. Prices and hours are from the castle (hrad-karlstejn.cz); the last tour of the day starts at closing time.
Karlštejn Castle on its hill above the town. Photo: Ввласенко, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- The basic tour: the Imperial Residence of Charles IV. 300 CZK · 55 minutes · tours every 10 minutes · up to 45 people · no booking. Interiors on the first and second floors of the Imperial Palace and the first floor of the Marian Tower, with furnishings of the 14th to 19th centuries: the Courtiers Hall, the Knights Hall with the St Nicholas Chapel, the Deanery and the Emperor’s Bedchamber with the St Wenceslas Chapel. Guided tours run in Czech and selected foreign languages; the audio guide (120 CZK plus a 500 CZK cash deposit) is in English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese and Italian.
- The Chapels tour. 640 CZK · 100 minutes · a maximum of 16 people every 30 minutes · booking required. The east wing of the Imperial Palace, the Church of the Virgin Mary and the St Catherine Chapel on the second floor of the Marian Tower, the Great Tower stair with its medieval wall paintings, and the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Book by phone on +420 311 681 617, which the castle prefers, or at rezervace.karlstejn@npu.cz, and not by email in the last 4 days before the date.
- Explore the entire castle. 1,800 CZK · 180 minutes · a maximum of 6 people. A near-private tour that includes the floors above the Chapel of the Holy Cross. The castle recommends buying the ticket online.
- Skip: the walk up after 16:00 in October. The last basic tour starts at 16:30 and the last Chapels tour at 16:05.
The castle seen across the wooded valley. Photo: Radomír Šalda, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Practical information
- Hours: the castle is closed on Mondays in the season, and the table has the dates to January.
- Groups of 10 or more must book the basic tour, with a 20 CZK fee each.
- Children: under 6 are free but count in a group booking.
| Period | Basic tour | Chapels tour |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 31 October 2026 | Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 to 16:30 | Tuesday to Sunday, 10:05 to 16:05 |
| November 2026 | Friday to Sunday, 10:00 to 15:00, plus Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 November | Closed |
| 1 to 20 December 2026 | Friday to Sunday, 10:00 to 15:00 | Closed |
| 21 to 25 December 2026 | Closed | Closed |
| 26 to 31 December 2026 | Daily, 10:00 to 15:00 | Closed |
| 1 to 3 January 2027 | Friday to Sunday, 10:00 to 15:00 | Closed |
Karlštejn is one of the day trips from Prague; Kutná Hora is the other trip by train, and Karlovy Vary is the longer day out by bus. What to book before you go to Prague has the city tickets, and 3 days in Prague shows where a half day out fits.
Common questions
How do I get from Prague to Karlštejn Castle?
Take the S7 train from Praha-Smíchov: 33 minutes and 76 CZK each way, with trains every 30 minutes. The castle is a 15-minute walk uphill from the town. Until 19 October 2026 trains are diverted or limited between Praha hlavní nádraží and Praha-Smíchov, so board at Smíchov and check the České dráhy planner.
Do I need to book Karlštejn Castle?
Not for the basic tour: individual visitors need no booking, and tours start every 10 minutes. The Chapels tour, which includes the Chapel of the Holy Cross, must be booked by every visitor, by phone on +420 311 681 617 or by email.
When is the Chapel of the Holy Cross open?
On the Chapels tour, Tuesday to Sunday in October (10:05 to 16:05). The Chapels tour is closed from 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2027.
Is a Karlštejn tour from Prague worth it?
Not for the money. On your own the train and basic tour come to 452 CZK (£16); the tours cost £50 to £58. A tour saves the planning, and the Uniline tour (£143.96 to £161.03) adds the Koněprusy Caves, which a train cannot reach.
