The Gothic castle Charles IV built to guard the crown treasures, on a wooded hill southwest of Prague. Here’s how to visit Karlštejn Castle, which ticket to choose, the weather during opening hours and how to get there from Prague.
The interiors can only be seen on a guided tour. Tours run in Czech and English, so English speakers are well served.
Official basic tour (Imperial Residence of Charles IV) – 300 CZK (ages 18–24 and 65+ 240 CZK, ages 6–17 90 CZK, under 5 free). 55 minutes; no booking needed for individuals. Buy it on the official castle website or at the ticket office.
Castle Chapels – 640 CZK. The most precious tour, with the Chapel of the Holy Cross: 100 minutes, max 16 people, booking required. Not available in winter.
Day trip from Prague on GetYourGuide – from €68. Transport, a guide and the basic tour ticket, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Our pick: go independently if you’re comfortable with trains. The castle tours are in English and the official ticket is cheap, so the train plus a basic-tour ticket is the best value. Choose the day trip if you’d rather have transport sorted and a guide with you all day.
Book the Chapels tour early if you want to see the Chapel of the Holy Cross: places are very limited.
Our pick
Day trip from Prague with entry
Return transport from Prague, with pickup from selected hotels
Live guide in English (and other languages)
Ticket for the castle’s basic tour
About 5 hours in total
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Live guide in English
Return transport included
Hotel pickup
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before · 4.5 from over 180 reviews
Much more than the entry ticket alone (300 CZK), but it includes the trip from Prague and a guide.
Today and tomorrow the forecast is accurate hour by hour; up to day seven it is reliable on the trend; the last days give a rough idea. Updated every hour.
Karlštejn Castle opening hours and best time to visit
Opening hours change during the year: check the day’s hours on the official website before you go.
Opening days and times change a lot through the year. In October 2026 the castle is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm; from November to mid-December only Friday to Sunday, 10 am to 3 pm, and it’s closed from 21 to 25 December. The last tour starts at closing time. Check the official calendar for your date.
Best time to visit: May, June and September. Mild days, all tours running and the woods around the castle at their best.
Summer: the warmest days and the biggest crowds, especially at weekends.
Winter: reduced opening and no Chapels tour, but very few people.
Month by month
Month
Average high
Jan
4°
Feb
6°
Mar
10°
Apr
16°
MayRecommended
21°
JunRecommended
24°
Jul
27°
Aug
26°
SepRecommended
20°
Oct
14°
Nov
9°
Dec
5°
1991–2020 averages for the Prague-Clementinum station, about 30 km from the castle (the countryside is a little cooler): average high. Source: Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ), table published on Wikipedia (article “Prague”).
Karlštejn Castle in the rain: what changes
The tours are indoors: the rooms of the Imperial Palace and the Marian Tower.
Outdoors: the long walk up from the village on a stony path, and the courtyards.
Stairs: the basic tour has 192 steps, the Chapels tour 459; wear shoes with good grip in the rain.
Cancellation: the GetYourGuide trip can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before.
Queues and crowds
With around 150,000 visitors in 2025 it’s among the most visited state castles in the Czech Republic.
Guided tours have limited places: in summer and at weekends it’s worth arriving early.
The Chapels tour must be booked and sells out fast.
An hour-by-hour crowd estimate is coming later, always marked as an estimate and with its source.
What to see inside Karlštejn Castle
One of the castle chapels, with decorated vaults and walls
The Imperial Residence (basic tour): the Knights’ Hall, the Emperor’s bedchamber, the Audience Hall and the Hall of Ancestors.
The Treasury: with a copy of the St Wenceslas Crown, the medieval crown of the Bohemian kings.
The Well Tower: a 78-metre-deep well with a medieval water wheel (self-guided, from the main courtyard).
The Chapel of the Holy Cross (Chapels tour): the heart of the castle, with original decoration, only on the Chapels tour.
Karlštejn village: the road up to the castle, lined with restaurants and shops.
The history of Karlštejn Castle
1348: Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, founds the castle to keep the royal treasure, holy relics and crown jewels.
Later centuries: the castle is remodelled several times; today’s interiors display furnishings from the 14th to the 19th century.
Today: it’s a state castle run by the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ).
Useful tips for your visit
Cash: there’s no cash machine up at the castle, so bring some for refreshments.
Comfortable shoes: a long climb from the village, a stony path and high steps inside.
Accessibility: no lift and many steps; wheelchair users can visit only with a companion, so contact the castle in advance.
Dogs: allowed in the courtyards on a lead and muzzled, never inside.
Total time: allow half a day from Prague, including travel, the climb and the tour.
Getting to Karlštejn Castle
By train from Prague: regional trains towards Beroun stop at Karlštejn. From the station, cross the river and walk up through the village to the castle.
By car: the only public car park is in the village, on the left bank of the Berounka, about 2 km from the castle. You walk the rest.
On a day trip: organised trips from Prague drop you in the village, but the last uphill stretch is always on foot.
What is the weather like at Karlštejn Castle today?
Good: cloudy, 7 to 9 degrees, 0.4 mm.
What will the weather be like at Karlštejn Castle this weekend?
Saturday, October 31: Good: cloudy, 7 to 9 degrees, 0.4 mm. Sunday, November 1: Good: cloudy, 6 to 8 degrees, no rain.
How much does Karlštejn Castle cost?
The basic tour costs 300 CZK for adults, 240 CZK for ages 18–24 and over-65s, 90 CZK for ages 6–17; under-5s go free. The Chapels tour costs 640 CZK.
Can you visit Karlštejn Castle without a tour?
Not the interiors: they’re only open on guided tours, in Czech or English. On your own you can see the courtyards and the Well Tower.
What are Karlštejn Castle’s opening times?
They change through the year. In October 2026 it’s open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm; from November to mid-December only Friday to Sunday, 10 am to 3 pm. Check the official calendar for your date.
How do I get to Karlštejn Castle from Prague?
Take a regional train to Karlštejn station, then walk through the village and up the hill. By car, the only car park is in the village, about 2 km from the castle. Organised day trips from Prague are also available.
Do I need to book Karlštejn Castle in advance?
Not for the basic tour, unless you’re an organised group. The Chapels tour, with the Chapel of the Holy Cross, must be booked by everyone.
Is there a 15-day forecast for Karlštejn Castle?
Reliable forecasts reach about 10 days: here you get the next 10, hour by hour for today and tomorrow and as a trend after that. To pick a month, check the climate month by month.
Where does this data come from?
Forecasts come from MET Norway, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, calculated for the castle’s coordinates and updated every hour during the day and every 3 hours at night. Crowd figures are labelled as estimates, with their source.
Forecast by MET Norway, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, calculated for the castle’s coordinates. Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), updated every hour. Updated: October 26, 2026.
Day trip from Prague with entryfrom €68 · Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
