Czech Republic, Europe

Prague in November

The quiet month between seasons, until the Christmas markets open around its final week.

Quiet valueCold and gray, highs near 45F (7C)

Charles Bridge, Prague — PraguePhoto: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0

The straight answer

November is a quiet, good-value month to visit Prague. The quiet month between seasons, until the Christmas markets open around its final week.

Weather: Cold and gray, highs near 45F (7C)
Crowds: 2 of 5
Prices: 2 of 5

What November is like in Prague

November is Prague's quiet month between seasons. Highs are near 45F (7C), the sky is often gray, and days are short. Crowds and prices are low for most of the month. Then, around the final week, the Christmas markets open on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, and the mood shifts fast.

This month suits budget travelers who like moody city weather, and anyone who wants the Christmas markets before December's full crowds. Some castle gardens have closed for the winter. If you want to see the markets at their liveliest, come in December; if you want mild weather, October is the better month.

Make the most of November

What is especially good about Prague this month.

Opening of the Christmas markets

The markets usually open near the end of November, so a late-month trip gets the lights and mulled wine with fewer people than December.

Low-season prices early in the month

The first three weeks are among the cheapest of the year for hotels.

Concerts and opera season

The indoor cultural calendar is busy, and tickets are easier to get than in summer.

What to pack for November

A warm, waterproof coat
Boots that can handle wet cobbles
A hat and gloves
A small umbrella

Our timing tip

Book the last few days of November to catch the markets opening while hotels are still charging November rates.

Book Prague for November.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Prague
Opens a hotel search for Prague in November, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for November
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Prague
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Prague
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Prague for November. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in November

Christmas markets

Late November through early January

Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square at their most magical: trdelnik smoke, mulled wine, and a giant lit tree.

Things to do in Prague

Full guide

Charles Bridge at dawn

The single most important timing move in Prague: before 8am the bridge holds photographers and pigeons; by 11am in season it is a moving crowd.

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Prague Castle complex

St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, and Golden Lane on one circuit ticket. Go early or late; midday queues at security build fast in season.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock

The hourly clock show draws a scrum; watch once, then climb the Old Town Hall tower for the view over the square instead.

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Josefov, the Jewish Quarter

The Old Jewish Cemetery and the synagogues form one of Europe's most moving historical sites. Closed Saturdays for the Jewish Sabbath.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Petrin Hill

Ride the funicular up to orchards, gardens, and a miniature Eiffel-style lookout tower. Blossom season in April and May is the local secret.

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A proper Czech pub

Order the tankova (tank) pilsner and let the waiter keep them coming. Lokal and the old cellar pubs off the main squares beat anything on them.

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Beat the crowds

Set one alarm for the Charles Bridge at dawn. It is the entire Prague crowd problem solved for free, and the light is better anyway.
Do the castle at opening or after 3pm and enter from the quieter back gates rather than the main ceremonial approach at midday.
The crowd is a corridor: Old Town Square to the bridge to the castle. Two blocks off that line, in Nove Mesto, Vinohrady, or Letna, Prague is calm even in August.
December's markets are busiest after dark and on weekends; go on a weekday at dusk for lit stalls without the crush, then dine away from the square.

Know before you go

Prague has no seasonal shutdown: museums, pubs, concerts, and the castle run all twelve months. Winter changes the daylight and the temperature, not the access.
The castle complex runs shorter winter hours, and some of its gardens, including the Royal Garden, close entirely from roughly November through March. The cathedral and main circuit stay open.
The Jewish Museum sites in Josefov close on Saturdays year-round and on Jewish holidays.
December 24 through 26 and January 1 close or shorten most sights, while the markets and restaurants carry the load; the market stalls themselves generally run right through the holidays.