The following list of free travel guides is intended to offer you something more than simply taking a stroll through a postcard. Rather than queuing up with the growing numbers of tourists who arrive in Prague every day to meander their way across the Charles bridge and snap the occasionally photo with a statue for which they have no context, you will experience all of the sites in a way that brings them to life. Anyone who uses our number one recommended guide will certainly want a photo with St Christopher, and will know why they are touching the base of St. John Nepomuk’s statue. After a hearty Czech lunch that includes the world’s best beer, most tourists wander the streets of Old Town clutching their Fodors or Lonely Planet travel guides in search of the Sex Machine Museum. On the way, they will miss a great restaurant frequented by locals that offers burçak. Follow our guides and you’ll know it’s only served in the fall. Eventually, they work their way up through Wenceslas Square staring at the beautiful Czech glass and art, not to mention the beautiful Czech men and women.  At the top of the hill, they spend what little time remains in the day getting lost in the corridors of the National Museum. Evenings are spent eating at touristy restaurants, where they can imbibe more beer and give their feet a rest.  Following our featured one-day tour, your evening will be spent at a restaurant famous among locals for its pig’s knee, beer, and atmosphere. Here is your opportunity to break free from the standard tourist itinerary and live the experience.

Our #1 Recommended Tour

The God Complex – Self-Guided Tour of Prague

The God Complex’s Self-Guided Tour of Prague is truly the most novel twist on taking a self-guided tour that we came across. That’s because the tour is based upon a gripping thriller novel that is set in Prague. The author wove just enough historical and cultural details into the story to give travelers an exciting context through which to see the sites. The free one-day tour (.pdf) can be downloaded on the book’s website and printed out. It came in handy as a bookmark during our travels. Note: Without reading the book, the tour won’t mean much other than providing you with a good quality map and a one-day itinerary that quickly moves you through the sites with transportation and chapter references. If you are flying from America, it should take you no longer than the length of your flight to finish this page-turner. Once you start, you won’t want to put it down. Then, before you know it, you’ll be sipping coffee at the same cafes where Paul Benson pieces together his brother’s mysterious murder. Make sure you check out the restaurants he describes and order pečené vepřové koleno. You’ll be dining with locals, so you should practice your pronunciation. Enter the words into Google Translate and click the speaker to hear the pronunciation.

Compared to the other tours we reviewed that are densely packed with details, this option is more about creating ‘an experience’ and less about providing ‘a traditional tour’. We rated this as our first pick because it worked well as the glue that held together all of the other tours and resources listed below.

Closest to a Professional Tour

Prague-Tourist.com takes travelers for a tour along the Silver Line route—silver plaques embedded in the ground near Prague’s major historical sites. Each plaque points in the direction of the next plaque. We rank this site very highly based upon its features and depth of knowledge. The website is well laid out, offering a unique roll-over map that displays basic information on each site and has the option to follow a link to more information. Travelers will want to sit down for an hour to read over the thirty-eight historical sites it covers before venturing out. The printable version of the tour (.pdf) offers a short paragraph describing each historical site. The one minor complaint we have about the print out is that it lacks a detailed map to accompany the tour. However, since most tourists tend to carry multiple options (maps, tour guides, etc.), we think it’s not a big deal. In our opinion, this is an excellent option for the tourist who is intent on replicating a professionally guided tour for free.

Link: Prague-Tourist.com

A Solid Two-Day Tour

Are you the type of person who pays for guided-tours only to lose yourself in the aromas, accents, and architecture … occasionally catching glimpses and sound bites of the tour? If ‘yes’, then this tour is for you. Prague Guide’s two-day self-guided tour (link) is a solid substitute for a guided-tour. It provides all of the key details you likely would have caught and retained from a guided tour for those people who tend to get lost in the crowd and enjoy taking their time. Prague Guide’s tour offers a nice compliment to The God Complex Self-Guided Tour of Prague.

Day one of the tour covers Old Town, Lesser Town, and Prague Castle. You begin your tour at Wenceslas Square and work your way over to the Powder Tower. After seeing the Municipal House, you move on to Old Town, cross the Charles Bridge and then end at Prague Castle. Day Two adds Jewish Town, which includes the second oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe.

Great Suggestions

Time Magazine’s list of ten things to do in Prague offers some great suggestions for would be tourists to check out. While it is not a formal tour, it is a great resource to bookmark. Interesting suggestions include Bunkr Parukarka, a nuclear bunker turned night club; U Medvidku Beer Hall, a 550 year old beer hall; and David Cerny’s public sculptures—the Hanging Man featured on the cover of The God Complex.

Link: Time Magazine’s Ten Things To Do In Prague

20 Great Things To Do

Who would know Prague better than Time Out Prague? Their list of the Top 20 Things to do in Prague stands out for its ability to highlights aspects of the local Czech culture. They list some interesting restaurants and activities off the beaten path … and their list ranges from G to XXX rated. Some of their suggestions include The Prague House of Photography, music bars where you can catch local ska acts, non-touristic night clubs, bungee jumping, and puppet shows.

Bungee jumping epitomizes the thrill seeking attitudes of many Czech youth. Since the Iron Curtain fell, the children of many repressed Czechs have been encouraged to get out there and explore everything that the world has to offer. Many did and never looked back. Re-live the excitement of The God Complex when you take a plunge from Zvíkov Bridge.

Link: Time Out Prague