Prague Christmas Markets 2026: Dates, Opening Hours and 5 Markets

When does the Prague Christmas market start? The neighbourhood markets open first: Peace Square (Náměstí Míru) in Vinohrady on 20 November 2026, Republic Square (Náměstí Republiky) on 25 November and Tylovo náměstí on 26 November.

Here are the dates of the Prague Christmas markets for the two big squares: Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square open on Saturday 28 November 2026, keep going through Christmas and New Year and shut on 6 January 2027, according to the organiser (official info, October 2026). Prague Christmas market opening times for these two are 10:00 to 22:00 every day.

The dates and hours of the two main markets come from their organiser's official page (trhypraha.cz ); the neighbourhood markets are run by a different organiser (vanocnitrhy.cz ), and the Peace Square hours are from the city's official events listing (official info, October 2026). Dates can change; check the market's official page before you go.

• If you only have one evening: Old Town Square at dusk, to see the tree lights and Týn Church together, then walk to Wenceslas Square.
• For a calmer, local market: Peace Square in Vinohrady, in front of St. Ludmila Church.
• If you travel in the last week of November: the main markets only open on 28 November; before that, only Peace Square, Republic Square and Tylovo náměstí are up.
• After Christmas or at New Year: the neighbourhood markets close on 24 December; only Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square stay open (Prague at New Year).
• For a romantic evening: after the market, walk to Charles Bridge, where the gas lamps are lit by hand at Christmas.

Where is the Prague Christmas market? The location of the Prague Christmas markets is easy: the biggest fills Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) at the heart of the old town, and Wenceslas Square lies some 10 minutes away on foot.

On a Prague Christmas market map the five markets fall into two groups: Old Town Square, Republic Square and Wenceslas Square in the centre, Peace Square and Tylovo náměstí in Vinohrady.

Watch in the video · 11:28  At Christmas time, in the late afternoon, a lamplighter walks across the bridge with a long pole. Beginning at the Old Town bridge tower, he goes from post to post and lights each gas lamp himself. Normally the lights come on automatically; at Christmas the old tradition comes back.

Our experience: we walked to the bridge after the Old Town Square market, and with the gas lamps lit it looked like a film set. Very few people in the world still light gas lamps by hand; for us it was one of the most beautiful moments of Christmas in Prague. The bridge is free; about 10 minutes on foot from Old Town Square.

Watch in the video · 7:18  Trdelník is the one thing everyone eats at a Prague Christmas market: dough wound round a wooden spit, sugared, turned slowly over the coals and then filled with chocolate, fruit or cream.

It became one of our favourite sweets in Prague. At the stall we filmed, the board read 130 CZK (about €5.30) for chocolate and 170 CZK (about €6.90) for ice cream; each stall sets its own price.

Watch in the video · 36:11  The stalls also sell roasted chestnuts, corn and mashed potatoes, and hot mulled wine (svařák) is everywhere. The market's famous sausages in a bun and the spit roasted meats are mostly pork; we didn't try them, so if you don't eat pork, ask before you buy.

For sit down meals, from goulash to the medieval dinner, see what to eat in Prague .

The two main markets are in the Old Town (Staré Město) and the New Town (Nové Město), a short walk from each other. In the Christmas weeks hotels in both areas fill up early and prices go up; to see the hotels close to the markets in one list:

Where we stayed: Watch in the video · 2:06  our two nights were at EA Hotel Rokoko on Wenceslas Square. It cost less than the hotels deeper in the centre, and from its door the Old Town, Můstek metro and the main train station were all a walk.

For a quieter base close to the neighbourhood markets, Vinohrady:

All areas compared, with prices, are in our where to stay in Prague guide .

1 day: Republic Square in the afternoon, Old Town Square and the tree lights at dusk, the lamplighter on Charles Bridge in the evening, then Wenceslas Square on the way back. All within walking distance.

2 days: on day two, Prague Castle and Malá Strana, then Peace Square and Tylovo náměstí in Vinohrady in the afternoon. We went to Dresden for the day on our second day and were back in Prague in the evening.

If you would rather see the markets in the evening with a local guide, Prague Christmas market tours:

By plane: you land at Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG).

From the airport to the centre: Watch in the video · 1:20  we took bus 59 from the terminal, reached Nádraží Veleslavín metro in about 15 to 20 minutes and changed to the green line A, a few stops to the Old Town.

One 90 minute public transport ticket covers all of it; buy it from the yellow machines and validate it in the yellow box by the door when you first board, or it isn't valid. A taxi, Uber or Bolt takes about 20 to 30 minutes to the centre.

Between the markets: Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square and Republic Square are all within walking distance; for the Vinohrady markets take line A to Náměstí Míru.

Flights, transport and how long to stay are in the Prague travel guide .

If you are in Prague at New Year you won't miss the market: Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square stay open after 25 December, until 6 January 2027.

No special hours have been announced for Christmas Day or New Year's Day; if you go on those days, check the organiser's page (trhypraha.cz ) one last time (official info, October 2026). All the neighbourhood markets close on 24 December.

On New Year's Eve the Old Town and Charles Bridge get very crowded; book your hotel for that night early.

Watch in the video · 38:57  What we really wanted to see was the Dresden Christmas market, but getting there was expensive. Our answer was to use Prague as a base: we flew into Prague and walked its markets on the first evening. The next day we took a FlixBus to Dresden and came back to Prague at night, and at the end we took the train to Vienna.

The train from Prague to Vienna, with a change in Břeclav, took about 4 hours; Vienna's 13 markets are in our Vienna Christmas markets guide , and the cities we filmed are compared in the best Christmas markets in Europe .

The cold is serious: Watch in the video · 8:15  we reached the hotel late, left our gloves in the suitcase and went straight out; our noses froze on the square. Bring gloves, a hat and thick socks.

Money: Watch in the video · 2:36  the currency is the Czech koruna (CZK). Watch the commission at exchange offices. The organiser says you can pay by card at most stalls, and there is an ATM at the markets (official info, October 2026).

Which day to go? Old Town Square is packed on weekend evenings; for an easier visit come on a weekday afternoon and arrive just before dark for the lights. Crowds mean pickpockets, so carry your phone and wallet up front.

Do I need a visa? Czechia is in the Schengen area, so the rules depend on your passport; one visa or visa free stay also covers Dresden and Vienna. Who needs one, documents and fees are in our Czech Republic visa guide .