Prague: Baroque Gold & Bohemian Spirit

Prague is the rare European capital that delivers its greatest hits — the Charles Bridge at dawn, the Castle silhouette at sunset, the Astronomical Clock's hourly performance — and still has entire neighborhoods most visitors never find. The Vinohrady wine bars, the Holešovice galleries, the Letná beer garden with its panoramic river view: this is the Prague that locals actually live in. This journey gives both versions their full due, plus a day trip to the bone-chapel town of Kutná Hora.

1. Day 1

   Arrival in Prague

   Private transfer from Václav Havel Airport to The Augustine, a Luxury Collection hotel in a converted 13th-century Augustinian monastery in Malá Strana — vaulted ceilings, a brewery-bar in the refectory, and a cloistered garden where monks once walked. Your suite looks out over terracotta rooftops to the spires of St. Nicholas Church. Evening: a welcome dinner at La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise, a two-Michelin-star restaurant reviving Czech culinary traditions — a seven-course tasting menu that might include duck liver with plum wine, trout with dill and cucumber, and a Bohemian poppy-seed dessert, each course paired with Czech wines.

   • Stay: The Augustine — Monastery suite in Malá Strana
   • Culinary: La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise (two Michelin stars, seven-course Czech tasting)

2. Day 2

   Prague Castle, Charles Bridge & Old Town

   Your private guide meets you for a morning walk to Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle complex in the world — St. Vitus Cathedral (Mucha's Art Nouveau stained glass window), the Old Royal Palace, the Golden Lane (tiny artisan houses built into the castle walls, where Kafka briefly lived at No. 22), and the Lobkowicz Palace for its private collection of Bruegel, Canaletto, and Beethoven manuscripts. Descend through the castle gardens to the Charles Bridge — 30 Baroque statues lining a 14th-century stone bridge, best experienced before 9 AM when the tour groups arrive. Cross into the Old Town: the Astronomical Clock, the Jewish Quarter (the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Spanish Synagogue's Moorish interior), and lunch at Lokál Dlouhááá — a modern Czech pub serving the best svíčková (braised beef in cream sauce with dumplings and cranberries) in the city, washed down with fresh Pilsner Urquell tank beer.

   • Cultural: Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, Golden Lane, Lobkowicz Palace
   • Culinary: Svíčková and tank Pilsner at Lokál

3. Day 3

   Kutná Hora Day Trip

   Private car east to Kutná Hora (70 minutes), a medieval silver-mining town with two UNESCO-listed sites. Begin at the Sedlec Ossuary (the "Bone Church"), where the skeletal remains of 40,000 people are arranged into chandeliers, coats of arms, and garlands — macabre, beautiful, and unforgettable. Continue to St. Barbara's Cathedral, a late-Gothic masterpiece with flying buttresses and mining-themed frescoes. Walk the medieval town center, then lunch at a local restaurant — roasted pork knee with mustard and horseradish, dark bread, and a half-liter of Kutná Hora's own craft beer. Return to Prague for an evening at leisure — your Byline concierge can recommend a jazz club in the Old Town or a cocktail bar in Vinohrady.

   • Cultural: Sedlec Ossuary and St. Barbara's Cathedral
   • Culinary: Roasted pork knee lunch in Kutná Hora

4. Day 4

   Neighborhoods, Markets & Beer

   A day for Prague's less-visited layers. Morning: walk Vinohrady and its Art Nouveau apartment buildings, independent coffee roasters, and the Jiřího z Poděbrad farmers' market (seasonal — Saturday mornings). Cross the river to Holešovice for DOX Centre for Contemporary Art and lunch at the Holešovice Market Hall — Vietnamese phở (Prague has a large Vietnamese community) alongside Czech street food. Afternoon: a private beer-tasting tour through a selection of Prague's craft and historic pubs — from the Strahov Monastery Brewery (monks have brewed here since the 1620s) to a modern craft taproom in Karlín. Farewell dinner at Field, a Michelin-starred restaurant where Czech farm ingredients meet modern technique — the tasting menu changes with the seasons and the bread course alone is worth the visit.

   • Cultural: DOX contemporary art, Vinohrady neighborhood walk
   • Culinary: Prague craft beer tour (4 pubs), farewell dinner at Field (Michelin-starred)

5. Day 5

   Departure

   Private transfer to the airport. If morning allows, a final walk across the Charles Bridge at sunrise — it will be nearly empty, and the castle silhouette against the dawn light is the image you'll remember longest.