Prague, Vienna and Budapest itinerary, day by day

Three imperial capitals linked by train: the cobbled lanes of Prague, the coffee houses of Vienna and the thermal baths of Budapest. Day by day, with the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

🗓️ 3, 7 or 14 days📍 3 stops☀️ Best time: May to September and December (Christmas markets)

Prague · Photo Diego F. Parra / Pexels

Route map (numbers = order of the stops).

Prague, Vienna and Budapest in 3 days

2 stops · 12 things to do · ≈ 330 km

1Prague

Days 1-2

The city of a hundred spires, which came through the Second World War largely intact. Charles Bridge, the astronomical clock, and the castle above the Vltava.

🎟️ Worth booking

Prague Castle (ticket)2h · from €15
One of the largest castle complexes in the world, with St Vitus Cathedral at its heart.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Vltava river cruise1h · from €18
An hour on the river beneath the bridges, best at dusk when they light up.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Charles Bridge at dawn · The astronomical clock and its parade of apostles · Malá Strana · Petřín Hill

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Sophie's Hostel (€38 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Augustine (€180 a night) · Luxury: Four Seasons Prague (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Dvorek pod Hradem ↗ ★ 4.9 · 404 reviews
Restaurace KAMIN ↗ ★ 4.9 · 400 reviews
Oak ↗ ★ 4.8 · 761 reviews
Jaffa restaurant ↗ ★ 4.7 · 10803 reviews · €€
U Kroka ↗ ★ 4.7 · 8334 reviews · €€

Photo Diego F. Parra / Pexels

🚆 Railjet · 4h · 330 km

2Vienna

Day 3

The Habsburg capital for more than six centuries: Schönbrunn, the coffee houses, and classical music on somebody's programme every night of the year.

🎟️ Worth booking

Schönbrunn Palace (ticket)2h · from €22
The Habsburg summer palace, its state rooms and then its gardens, climbing to the Gloriette.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Classical concertEvening · from €45
Mozart and Strauss in the city where they worked, played in a palace hall or a church.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

St Stephen's Cathedral · Walking the Ringstrasse · The Belvedere gardens · The Naschmarkt

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Wombat's Vienna (€44 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Sans Souci (€190 a night) · Luxury: Hotel Sacher Wien (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

SIXTA ↗ ★ 4.9 · 2615 reviews · €€
Dom Schnitzel (Stadtgarten Graben) ↗ ★ 4.9 · 182 reviews
Tatarie Marie ↗ ★ 4.9 · 171 reviews
Restaurant Vienne ↗ ★ 4.8 · 9896 reviews · €€
Dom Schnitzel ↗ ★ 4.8 · 7934 reviews

Photo Cristian Salinas Cisternas / Pexels

Prague, Vienna and Budapest in 7 days

3 stops · 18 things to do · ≈ 570 km

1Prague

Days 1-3

The city of a hundred spires, which came through the Second World War largely intact. Charles Bridge, the astronomical clock, and the castle above the Vltava.

🎟️ Worth booking

Prague Castle (ticket)2h · from €15
One of the largest castle complexes in the world, with St Vitus Cathedral at its heart.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Vltava river cruise1h · from €18
An hour on the river beneath the bridges, best at dusk when they light up.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Charles Bridge at dawn · The astronomical clock and its parade of apostles · Malá Strana · Petřín Hill

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Sophie's Hostel (€38 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Augustine (€180 a night) · Luxury: Four Seasons Prague (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Diego F. Parra / Pexels

🚆 Railjet · 4h · 330 km

2Vienna

Days 4-5

The Habsburg capital for more than six centuries: Schönbrunn, the coffee houses, and classical music on somebody's programme every night of the year.

🎟️ Worth booking

Schönbrunn Palace (ticket)2h · from €22
The Habsburg summer palace, its state rooms and then its gardens, climbing to the Gloriette.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Classical concertEvening · from €45
Mozart and Strauss in the city where they worked, played in a palace hall or a church.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

St Stephen's Cathedral · Walking the Ringstrasse · The Belvedere gardens · The Naschmarkt

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Wombat's Vienna (€44 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Sans Souci (€190 a night) · Luxury: Hotel Sacher Wien (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Cristian Salinas Cisternas / Pexels

🚆 Railjet · 2h40 · 240 km

3Budapest

Days 6-7

Two towns facing each other across the Danube, Buda on its hills and Pest on the plain, joined into one city in 1873. The neo-Gothic Parliament on one bank, the historic thermal baths on both.

🎟️ Worth booking

Széchenyi thermal bathsHalf day · from €25
A neo-baroque bathhouse with steaming outdoor pools, open all year, where regulars play chess in the water.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Danube cruise by night1h · from €20
The Parliament and the bridges lit up, seen from the river.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Parliament, from outside · Fisherman's Bastion · The Chain Bridge · Gellért Hill

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Wombat's City Hostel Budapest (€25 a night) · Mid-range: Aria Hotel Budapest (€170 a night) · Luxury: Four Seasons Gresham Palace (€400 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Retek Bisztro ↗ ★ 4.9 · 6121 reviews · €€
Pilvax Kávéház és Étterem ↗ ★ 4.9 · 2063 reviews
Parisi 6 ↗ ★ 4.8 · 11401 reviews · €€
Parasztkonyha Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.8 · 9792 reviews · €€
Bors Gastro Bar ↗ ★ 4.8 · 6883 reviews

Photo Efrem Efre / Pexels

Prague, Vienna and Budapest in 14 days

4 stops · 24 things to do · ≈ 810 km

1Prague

Days 1-4

The city of a hundred spires, which came through the Second World War largely intact. Charles Bridge, the astronomical clock, and the castle above the Vltava.

🎟️ Worth booking

Prague Castle (ticket)2h · from €15
One of the largest castle complexes in the world, with St Vitus Cathedral at its heart.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Vltava river cruise1h · from €18
An hour on the river beneath the bridges, best at dusk when they light up.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Charles Bridge at dawn · The astronomical clock and its parade of apostles · Malá Strana · Petřín Hill

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Sophie's Hostel (€38 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Augustine (€180 a night) · Luxury: Four Seasons Prague (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Diego F. Parra / Pexels

🚆 Railjet · 4h · 330 km

2Vienna

Days 5-8

The Habsburg capital for more than six centuries: Schönbrunn, the coffee houses, and classical music on somebody's programme every night of the year.

🎟️ Worth booking

Schönbrunn Palace (ticket)2h · from €22
The Habsburg summer palace, its state rooms and then its gardens, climbing to the Gloriette.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Classical concertEvening · from €45
Mozart and Strauss in the city where they worked, played in a palace hall or a church.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

St Stephen's Cathedral · Walking the Ringstrasse · The Belvedere gardens · The Naschmarkt

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Wombat's Vienna (€44 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Sans Souci (€190 a night) · Luxury: Hotel Sacher Wien (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Cristian Salinas Cisternas / Pexels

🚆 Railjet · 2h40 · 240 km

3Budapest

Days 9-12

Two towns facing each other across the Danube, Buda on its hills and Pest on the plain, joined into one city in 1873. The neo-Gothic Parliament on one bank, the historic thermal baths on both.

🎟️ Worth booking

Széchenyi thermal bathsHalf day · from €25
A neo-baroque bathhouse with steaming outdoor pools, open all year, where regulars play chess in the water.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Danube cruise by night1h · from €20
The Parliament and the bridges lit up, seen from the river.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Parliament, from outside · Fisherman's Bastion · The Chain Bridge · Gellért Hill

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Efrem Efre / Pexels

🚆 Railjet · 2h40 · 240 km (back to the airport)

4Vienna

Days 13-14

The Habsburg capital for more than six centuries: Schönbrunn, the coffee houses, and classical music on somebody's programme every night of the year.

🎟️ Worth booking

Schönbrunn Palace (ticket)2h · from €22
The Habsburg summer palace, its state rooms and then its gardens, climbing to the Gloriette.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Classical concertEvening · from €45
Mozart and Strauss in the city where they worked, played in a palace hall or a church.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

St Stephen's Cathedral · Walking the Ringstrasse · The Belvedere gardens · The Naschmarkt

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Wombat's Vienna (€44 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Sans Souci (€190 a night) · Luxury: Hotel Sacher Wien (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Cristian Salinas Cisternas / Pexels

Hotel prices are per room per night, activity prices per person, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Take this itinerary with you

The free printable Prague, Vienna and Budapest guide: map, stops day by day, hotels by budget. Works offline.

📥 Get the free guide

Good to know before you go

🍽️ What to eat

Gulyás: in Hungary a paprika beef soup rather than the thick stew served abroad.
Wiener Schnitzel: veal beaten thin and fried in breadcrumbs, served with lemon and potato salad.
Svíčková: Czech braised beef in a creamy vegetable sauce, with bread dumplings and cranberries.
Apfelstrudel and Sachertorte: the pastries of the Viennese coffee house, eaten slowly.
Czech beer: pale lager was first brewed in Plzeň in 1842, and it is still the drink of Prague.

⚠️ What to avoid

Refuse taxis without a metre in Prague and Budapest. Use an app or an official rank.
Skip the street exchange booths promising no commission: use bank cash machines, and decline the offer to convert into your home currency.
Book international trains ahead, as the cheapest fares go first.
Carry local money: the Czech Republic uses the koruna and Hungary the forint. Only Austria is on the euro.

Plan this trip

📒 The free printable Prague, Vienna and Budapest guide→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Prague, Vienna and Budapest, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book before you go→

Similar itineraries

Sicily itinerary→Florence and Tuscany itinerary→The Amalfi Coast itinerary→Portugal itinerary→Italy itinerary→Spain itinerary→