The Complete Guide to a 2 Day Trip to Pilsen, Czech Republic

Pilsen is a city full of history and charm and it is a must-visit for anyone who is spending an extended amount of time in the Czech Republic. With two full days, you’ll be able to see everything from the 5th largest Synagogue in the world to the famous Pilsner Urquell Brewery.

A lot of people go from Prague to Pilsen for a day trip but in our opinion, 1 day isn’t quite enough time to see and do it all. So if you have the time, 2 days in Pilsen is the perfect amount of time in order for you to see a lot of the bucket list-worthy places as well as a few more local and off-the-beaten-path experiences.

It’s true there are so many things to do in Pilsen so, hopefully, with help from this post, you will be able to plan your Pilsen itinerary so you can Czech off (😉) these things on your bucket list.

We hope you enjoy this 2-day guide to Pilsen!

Disclosure: This post has been created in collaboration with Visit Pilsen. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on our personal opinions and experiences. This post contains affiliate links which means if you decide to use the links and make a valid purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

How to visit Pilsen in 2 days

Where to stay in Pilsen

Since two days is quite a short trip, you’ll want to make sure your hotel is centrally located in Pilsen so you’re close to everything and be close to all the action. Thankfully Pilsens touristy area is fairly small so anywhere near the main square will be convenient and you’ll be close to everything.

You can find all the hotels near the center of Pilsen here where you can choose from a few great options.

Once you have your accommodation for Pilsen covered, you can start to plan your 2 day Pilsen itinerary. Below are our recommendations on what to do and see in Pilsen!

Day 1: Discovering the history and beer of Pilsen  

On the first day, we’re going to keep it a little historic and fun at the same time. A lot of Pilsen’s history comes from its world-famous brewery but also from the historic events that took place in Pilsen.

Whether you’re a history buff or not you’re going to love this city. Pilsen really isn’t that big and lots of the places to visit and see are nearby each other so you can go everywhere on foot and you can experience a lot in just 2 days.

Hiking up St Bartholomew Cathedral

• Entrance fee to the cathedral interior: Free
• Entrance fee to the cathedral spire: 60 CZK

Right next to the Pilsen Tourism information center and right in the heart of the city you’ll find St Bartholomew Cathedral. This cathedral is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in all of Czech and also the one with the tallest church spire in the Czech Republic (at 102,6 m).

Before you hike up to the top you can wander the main floor and admire the beauty of this historic cathedral. Once you’ve seen the interior of the cathedral you can make your way to the highest viewpoint in Pilsen which is at the very top of the spire. From there you can get an amazing panoramic view of the whole city.

To get to the top you will have to conquer 13 flights of stairs before you will be rewarded with the most amazing view overlooking Pilsen. Allow yourself roughly 30-45 minutes to go up, enjoy the view, and return down again.

The church itself costs 35 CZK (1.5 USD) to enter and to hike up to the top of the cathedral costs 50 CZK (2.1 USD). That will give you access to the lookout point at the top of Bartholomew where you can see the whole city. 

Actually, from there we scouted out a rooftop cafe which leads us to the next point on our list 😉

Terraza Rooftop Bar

Do you ever get that once you see a place from above you need to go explore it? That’s what it felt like after seeing Terraza Rooftop Bar from the top of St Bartholomew. So once we got down we had to go check it out and see what their coffee was like.

It’s quite easy to find and there’s an elevator that takes you to the top floor. There are a few signs outside of the buildings pointing you in the right direction as well.

We enjoyed a nice coffee and sat outside with the view of the main square and St Bartholomew Cathedral right in front of us. This is definitely the second-best view in the city! 😉

You can order a variety of coffees and drinks while soaking up the sun outside on their terrace. It has a super cool atmosphere with great views of the city.

Visit the Great Pilsen Synagogue

• Opening hours: 10.00 am – 5:00 pm (Sunday – Friday)
• Entrance fee: 120 CZK (discounts available)

Once you’ve taken in one of the best views in Pilsen you can make your way to the Great Synagogue which is in fact the second largest Synagogue in Europe. The Bohemia region where Pilsen is located has a rich Jewish history and you can learn all about that inside the Great Synagogue.

Just like St Bartholomew Cathedral you can walk inside the main floor of the Great Synagogue and admire the beauty of this building while learning about the Jewish history in the Czech Republic.

It’s an iconic building here in Pilsen and worth visiting while you’re here. We love to mix in a little bit of culture and history whenever we visit new places and the Great Synagogue gave us a better understanding of Jewish history in Pilsen and Bohemia.

Eat some lunch at Le Frenchie Cafe

Le Frenchie is located just a short walk away from the Great Synagogue right next to the beautiful park, Smetanovy Sady. You have the option of sitting inside the cute French-inspired cafe or outside next to the park.

They have great coffee and make delicious breakfast and brunch. Even though it’s not French at all, the English Breakfast is absolutely delicious and so is the Eggs Benedict.

Our favourite part about Le Frenchie is the atmosphere which is nice and relaxing. They also have another location on the town square if you prefer to sit and eat in those surroundings. Both cafés are perfect to fuel up for the rest of the day!

Enjoy a nice walk to the Pilsner Urquell Brewery

You can follow this trail from Le Frenchie to the Pilsner Urquell Brewery which takes you along a nice walking trail past the Pilsen Stadium to the brewery. It’s a lot nicer than going along the main busy roads. The trail takes about 10-15 minutes to walk. It takes you through a park, past the local football stadium (Doosan Arena where FC Viktoria Plzeň plays), and over a bridge from where you’ll finally see the famous Pilsner Urquell Brewery. 

One thing we recommend before going inside the brewery is to take a picture of the Pivovarska Brana which is the iconic gate out in front of the brewery.

Take a tour of the famous Pilsner Urquell Brewery

Although all of the activities we’ve mentioned in this post so far are highlights this has to be the highlight of the day because of the significance of the Pilsner Urquell Brewery in Pilsen! Beer lover or not, the history and significance of the brewery is fascinating to learn about.

You can book your Pilsner Urquell Brewery tour in advance to make sure you get a spot (the price is the same). The English tours only run every so often so it’s good to book in advance, especially during the summer months. 

The tour itself will take you through the old and new breweries while explaining the history of the beer and the city. The craziest fact is that it’s the only place in the world where Pilsner Urquell is brewed! Everywhere in the world where you drink Pilsner Urquell, it’s imported from this brewery right here in Pilsen. 

Near the end of the tour, you’ll also be able to try an unfiltered and unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell which is so delicious! At the very end of the tour, you’ll walk through the souvenir shop where you can buy beer and other Pilsner Urquell souvenirs. 

Once you’re ready to go you can make your way back through the nice walking trail to downtown Pilsen. =)

Click here to check the availability for the brewery tour.

Have a proper Czech dinner at Ucivany Velbloud 

There’s no better way to finish off the night than with a proper Czech meal in the heart of Pilsen. Uctivany Velbloud is as local as it gets when it comes to beer and proper Czech food. Note that it is a little hard to find so you may miss it when you’re walking on the road and using Google Maps. Just look for a sign with a camel on it and you’ll find the door leading into the basement. 

If you’re wanting to try something local then start with the soup of the day. Czechs love to have soup before their main meal. For your main, Svickova and Goulash are two delicious local meals they make but there are also plenty of other good meals like duck and so on! 

Uctivany Velbloud truly has a proper pub atmosphere. You’ll have the locals who show up every night to have a few beers, maybe some live music, it’s an absolute experience and if you want to feel the vibe of Czech people and Pilsen you’ll get it here at Ucivany Velbloud. 

*Bonus for Friday night*

To end a Friday night Pilsen style it only makes sense to visit Pivstro Brewhemian Beer Bistro. It’s a quaint little beer spot where you can try some unique and delicious beers. 

The owners of Pivstro are very knowledgeable when it comes to beer and enjoy talking and sharing facts and stories about Czech beer. If you’re up for it you can try the “beer tasting plate” where you can sample a variety of different Czech beer. 

It’s a relaxing chill vibe place to finish off your Friday night.

Day 2: Discovering some of Pilsen’s hidden gems 

Alright, time for day 2! Day 1 was the more touristy and popular attraction kind of day whereas day 2 calls for more off-the-beaten-path stuff to see. For your second day in Pilsen, enjoy a yummy breakfast, check out the hip Depo2015, go on an underground tour, and of course, this second day in Pilsen wouldn’t be complete without a beer or two 😉

Breakfast at The Fresh Bar

Breakfast with a variety is always the best kind of breakfast. The Fresh Bar is located right on the main square and it has a great variety of breakfast and good coffee. 

You can pick between open-face sandwiches or yummy smoothie bowls. We can’t think of a better way to start the day before touring Pilsen for the rest of the day. 

Make your way to DEPO2015

Since Pilsen was the European Capital of Culture in 2015 they created this awesome bus station into a marketplace with different shops. From clothes to food and games, you can easily explore and hang out at DEPO2015 for a few hours. 

There’s foosball, a funky little art gallery, and a restaurant where you can get the meal of the day for quite cheap! It’s one of those places that most tourists don’t make it to since it’s not right in the center of town but you can walk along the river and get there in about 10 minutes from downtown. 

Coffee, beer, and lunch! You can have it all at this cool marketplace. You can follow this trail from The Fresh Bar to Depo2015 which takes you the scenic way instead of through all the busy roads. 

Explore the Pilsen historic underground tour 

The historic underground tour of Pilsen was one of the highlights of our trip! We didn’t even know there was an underground tour of Pilsen until a friend told us about it so it came as quite a surprise how cool it actually was.

You literally get to walk below the main square and also on one of the main streets where all the trams and buses run. That mixed with some interesting facts about why there is an underground and how it connects with Pilsen’s history makes this tour a must-do experience in Pilsen. 

Not everyone knows about the underground tour of Pilsen but it should definitely be one of the top things to do even if you only have a day in this beautiful city.

The tour takes roughly an hour and costs 150 CZK ($7) and includes a free beer at the local restaurant next door after. It’s a must do while visiting Pilsen!

Check out their reviews on TripAdvisor here.

Have a beer at Lokal 

Before you leave Pilsen you can stop by Lokal which is right across the street from the Great Synagogue. It’s a Czech pub that is famous in Prague and has opened up in Pilsen as well. It’s usually full because of the “name” and the delicious beer they serve.

In the summer, you’ll find the picnic tables outside packed with locals and tourists sitting in the sun enjoying a nice cold Czech beer. It’s the second last stop on this two days in Pilsen itinerary but one you don’t want to miss if you enjoy Czech beer!

Delicious Pizza at Pizzeria Da Pietro 🍕

We saved the best for last! The whole trip is filled with fun activities but we’re not kidding when we say Pizzeria Da Pietro makes unbelievable pizza. It tastes like a pizza straight from Italy and it’s because the owner perfected the craft in Italy before bringing it to Pilsen. They even still get local ingredients from Italy!

Pizzeria Da Pietro is located on the same street as Lokal and Le Frenchie so you definitely won’t miss it. Most people come to Pilsen just for a day trip to try out the beer and to see the Pilsner Urquell Brewery. We understand that those two things are world-famous, but Pizzeria Da Pietro really needs to be on that list as well!

Don’t believe us? They have over 2000 reviews on Google backing us up! 😉

Pro tip: Book a table a few days in advance, especially if you’re going on the weekend. This place is always packed!

How to get from Prague to Pilsen

One of the reasons why Prague to Pilsen is such a popular day and weekend trip is because of how easy it is to get from the two cities. You can find the easiest ways to get from Prague to Pilsen here. 

Our personal preference is taking the train. It’s affordable, convenient, and has free wifi which is a nice bonus. For the most part, trains are usually on time and without delays which is nice. If you take the train, you go from the main station in Prague to the main station in Pilsen which is super convenient (compared to the bus leaves from outside of the city centre).

There are other options like taking the bus or renting a car but from Prague to Pilsen we prefer taking the train. You can see the different options on how to get from Prague to Pilsen here.

You may also like…

• The Best Ways to Get From Prague to Pilsen
• 7 Awesome Day Trips From Prague You Need to Do
• Top 11 Things to Do in Pilsen, Czech Republic
• Wonderful Beer Tasting at The Pilsner Urquell Brewery
• 11 Must Do Weekend Trips From Prague

Enjoy your 2 days in Pilsen 

You won’t be able to see it all but you will for sure get a good feel for Pilsen and see most of the highlights. We hope this itinerary helps plan your trip to Pilsen and you get the most out of your two days there. 

The best way to explore a city in a short time is to definitely see a bunch of the highlights while also sprinkling in some less touristy things like delicious places to eat or tours that aren’t as popular. 

We hope you have the best time exploring Pilsen, sampling the delicious beer, and maybe even going on an underground tour! 

Let us know how your trip goes and what you think of Pilsen. It’s a beautiful city in the western part of the Czech Republic and in our opinion one of the best weekend trips from Prague.

Have fun!

Dom & Jo
Red White Adventures

Love it? Share it!