The best time to go to the Czech Republic is when you’re ready to check your bags. Simply because it’s a wanderlust paradise. Now known officially as Czechia, our walking and cycling holidays run between April and October, so it’s a three-season paradise really. And, with many tours beginning or ending in the capital, you can combine an adventure with a Prague city break too. Although, given that it’s one of the most popular cities in Europe for visitors now, you may want to avoid the capital in peak season. We quickly take you out onto nearby hills and river trails, as well as into Bohemian Paradise. And you don’t want to postpone paradise now, do you?
Best time to go to Bohemian Paradise
You can choose to either cycle or hike through Bohemian Paradise UNESCO Geopark, but either way it will feel gloriously unreal. Known locally as Český ráj, these are epic landscapes of naturally eroded sandstone rock towers peeking up over forest canopies, with waterfalls tumbling into vertical cracks in the rock and trails through rock labyrinths or ancient rock ‘cities’ (of which there are twelve). All in all, it’s otherworldly and so worthy of its paradise moniker.
Our Bohemian adventures operate between May and October. The region is very popular with both local people and visitors in summer months, so we recommend visiting in spring or autumn. Especially as you are going to immerse yourself for several days in this magical place, so you really want to try and have it as quiet as possible, although at the end of the day many of the day trippers will have disappeared anyway.
The weather adds to the filmset vibe of Bohemia Paradise, with rain throughout the year, and an average of nine days per month even in the height of summer. Average daytime temperatures are 18C in May going up to the low to mid-twenties in the height of summer. Autumn brings a dip in temperatures of 20C and 14C in September and October respectively. However, the pine, spruce and beech forests also turn technicolour at this time of year just in time to roll credits on this fantastic fairytale season.
Best time to visit Šumava National Park
Šumava National Park, also known as Bohemian Forest National Park, covers 690km2 of south-western Czechia, creating an arboreal blanket near its borders with Germany and Austria. Designated in 1991, it was the country’s first national park after the fall of communism. It features on our Vltava River Cycling Trail holiday which starts in Český Krumlov, a UNESCO site and beautifully preserved medieval town, and ends in Prague, with protected forests lining your route like a green carpet all the way to the capital.
We think that late summer into autumn is the best time to visit the national park, as temperatures are still in the high teens, there is less risk of wildfires and also you start to see the canopy take on its new multi-coloured palette.
Best time for an Elbe Cycle Path adventure
As the Elbe Cycle Path is less crowded than some of Europe’s more famous rivers, we’re opting for July as a best time to take on this central European bike ride. Our eight day cycling holiday starts and finishes with its two historic and handsome cities of Prague and Dresden, and the first five days are spent cycling through Czechia. You then cross the border into Germany’s Saxon-Bohemian region, where the Elbe’s sandstone mountains and impressive rock formations start to take centre stage. So if you want a peak summer holiday, the Elbe is pretty epic. The cities that top and tail it will be busy, but less so if you go before school breaks up for the summer.
Best time to go to Prague for festivals
Prague is many things to many people. In peak season it’s a party city for some, and a cultural hub for others. Many of our Czechia adventures start or finish there, and often cross borders too, such as our Munich to Prague cycling holiday, or cycling the Prague to Vienna Greenway. So it’s worth timing your visit with one of many music and arts festivals taking place. Because Prague is a class act when it comes to culture.
Starting with Open House Prague in May which, like so many cities now, opens doors that are usually locked to the general public, giving you a great insight into the capital’s palaces, behind the scenes at the theatre and so much more. The Summer Shakespeare Festival is the oldest, open-air festival dedicated to the Bard in Europe, and it runs from June until September.
The summer also brings a wide array of music genres to the capital, ranging from the Dvořák Festival to Prague Open Air concerts, or the St. Vitus Organ Evenings, which have world-renowned organists playing in the cathedral complex at Prague Cathedral. The Prague Proms is an all summer songfest too, and there’s a more jazzy feel at the Bohemia Jazz Festival in June. In the autumn, it’s the sound of clinking glasses that takes over from the music, with an array of wine festivals in Prague. And it’s worth swapping pilsner for pinot in Prague, because although Czech wine might not be as famous internationally, vineyards are both prolific and historic, many dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries.
We hope this blog helps you choose your best time to go to the Czech Republic. You may also enjoy our blogs, Top things to do around Prague and Everything you need to know about Bohemia Paradise. You can see all of our Czech Republic adventure holidays below and, for more information, please don’t hesitate to contact our adventure specialists.
