Organized Tours

Bus Tours

Prague streets can often become gridlocked, making any tour by car or bus frustrating. But if you want to take a guided English-language bus tour, among the best are those given by Prague Sightseeing Tours, Klimentská 52, Praha 1 (tel. 222-314-655; www.pstours.cz). Its 3 1/2-hour Grand City Tour leaves April to October, daily at 9:30am and 2pm (only 9:30am during winter), from the company's bus stop at námestí Republiky. The tour costs 660Kc ($28) adults, 590Kc ($25) students, 330Kc ($14) children.

Better for the kids is the green, open-air, electric Ekoexpres (an electric bus in the shape of a train) (tel. 222-517-741; www.ekoexpres.cz) that usually leaves hourly from behind the Jan Hus monument on Old Town Square. An hour's drive around the tourist areas of Old Town and up the hill to Prague Castle with a recorded narration in several languages costs 250Kc ($10) for adults and teenagers. Children up to age 12 travel free with their parents.

Cruise-Ship Tours

Tourist cruise ships are the only commercial vessels allowed to pass through the city. This is an enjoyable, relaxing way to see Prague.

Evropská vodní doprava (tel. 224-810-030; www.evd.cz), with a four-ship fleet, offers the most interesting sightseeing excursions. From April to October, several tours, including some serving decent inexpensive meals, disembark from Cechuv, most at the northern turn of the Vltava, and sail past all the key riverside sights. A daily lunch tour with a smorgasbord and traditional Czech music leaves at noon, travels to the south end of the city, and returns by 2pm. The price, including meal, is 640Kc ($26). A 1-hour tour, without meal, sails to Charles Bridge and back, leaving every hour from 10am to 6pm. It costs 220Kc ($9.10). A 2-hour tour, without meal, leaves at 3pm and costs 350Kc ($15). A dinner cruise to the south end of town leaves at 7pm and returns by 10pm. The price, including meal, is 740Kc ($30) for adults, 500Kc ($20) for children.

Prazská paroplavba (tel. 224-931-013; www.paroplavba.cz) offers similar tours on the Vltava, but you can also take their boat to Prague Zoo in Troja, which the kids appreciate. It leaves daily at 9:30am, 12:30pm, and 3:30pm from their port at Rasínovo nábrezí, between the Palackého and Jiráskuv bridge. The 75-minute trip costs 90Kc ($3.75) adults, 60Kc ($2.50) children above 6.

Renting a Rowboat

Many people rent rowboats and paddleboats on the Vltava, which is free from commercial boat traffic. The remarkably romantic (if not sparkling clean) river slowly snakes through the middle of town and gleams beneath the city's spires.

Rent-A-Boat "Slovanka," on Slovanský ostrov (Slavic Island), is the only company at press time that offers lanterns for evening jaunts. This is an extremely romantic time to row, when the amber lights of the city flicker above you. The docks are at the bottom of the steps on the small island 2 blocks south of the National Theater. Enter from just behind the theater. Rowboat rates are 60Kc ($2.50) per hour during daylight for up to four people, or 80Kc ($3.35) per hour with lanterns after dark. Paddleboats are 80Kc ($3.35) per hour. Boats are available March to October (sometimes in Nov if it's pleasant) from 10am to 11pm or even midnight, weather permitting.

Walking Tours

Sylvia Wittmann's tour company, Wittmann Tours, Mánesova 8, Praha 2 (tel. 222-252-472; www.wittmann-tours.com), offers daily walks around Prague's compact Jewish Quarter. A thousand years of history are discussed during the 3-hour stroll. From May to October, tours led by an English-speaking guide depart Sunday to Friday from Parízská 28 at 10:30am and 2pm. From March 15 to April, and from November to December, tours depart at 10:30am. The tour's cost, including entrance fees to sights, is 630Kc ($26) for adults and 500Kc ($20) for students, free for children under 6 years. Wittmann Tours also offers a bus tour to the Terezín concentration camp costing 1,150Kc ($48) for adults, 1,000Kc ($41) for students, free for children under 10. The bus leaves from the same spot on Parízská daily at 10am from May to October. March 15 through April, and November through December, the tour is available on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday only. Make an advance reservation online or by calling the office. See chapter 11 for more on Terezín.

The group called City Walks (tel. 222-244-531; www.praguewalkingtours.com) organizes guided walks around the city and visits of its main as well as lesser-known attractions. With them you will discover some of Prague's many secrets and mysteries. Groups leave daily from a meeting point on the Old Town Square; tickets are available on the spot from the guide. Each walk costs 300Kc ($12) adults, 250Kc ($10) students. A special "All in One/Insider Tour" costs 450Kc ($19) adults, 350Kc ($15) students, free for children under 6. The meeting point for this one is at the horse statue on Václavské námestí.

An Old-Fashioned Tram Ride

Prague has had a system of tramlines since horses pulled the cars in the mid-18th century. The Communist-era tram cars aren't very attractive, and the new futuristic designs are built for efficiency rather than charm. You have to go back in time to have fun in a Prague tram . . . and you can, thanks to the Historic Tram Tour (Elektrické dráhy DP), Patockova 4, Praha 6 (tel. 296-124-902; fax 296-124-901; www.dpp.cz).

If you send a fax with details 1 day ahead, the city transport department will arrange a private tour using one of the 19th-century wooden tram cars that actually traveled on regular lines through Prague. Up to 24 people can fit in one car, which sports wood-planked floors, cast-iron conductors' levers, and the "ching-ching" of a proper tram bell. The ride costs 3,840Kc ($160) per hour. Up to 60 people can fit into a double car for 5,440Kc ($226) per hour. You can also order a cold smorgasbord with coffee, beer, or champagne; a waiter to serve it; and an accordion player if you wish. You can choose the route the tram takes -- the no. 22 route is best.

By Plane

Tocná Airport (tel. 241-773-454) organizes short charter sightseeing flights from a little airstrip on the edge of Prague. The days and times are negotiable, but you have to call 2 days ahead to set up a flight. For example, an 18-minute flight above Karlstejn Castle and back costs 1,890Kc ($68) per person. Each flight can carry up to three passengers.

To get to the airport, take the metro to Kacerov, then bus no. 205 to the last stop, Komorany, and walk 10 minutes through the forest.

By Balloon

Tocná Airport (tel. 241-773-454) offers 1-hour flights over Prague and its surroundings in a balloon -- weather permitting! The trip costs 6,300Kc ($262) per person. Call tel. 604-320-044 for a reservation and details.

Also, with Ballooning CZ, Na Vrcholu 7, Praha 3 (tel. 222-783-995 or 603-337-005; www.ballooning.cz), you can fly like a bird. An hour in a balloon will cost you 4,700Kc ($195) Monday to Friday or 5,200Kc ($216) on weekends. The take-off is usually from Konopiste, so your trip there can be easily combined with a visit to Konopiste Castle.