Czechia UNESCO Circuit – 6 Sites in 6 Days, Self-Launched

Arrive in Prague and check into a hostel or small pension in Vinohrady, Žižkov or Holešovice (quieter and cheaper than Old Town, 15–20 min by tram). Skip the airport express coach and take bus 119 to Nádraží Veleslavín then metro Line A into the centre (~£1.20). In the late afternoon walk the Royal Way: Old Town Square and its Astronomical Clock, Pařížská Street, then Wenceslas Square for a cheap dinner at a Czech pub or lunch-canteen (výdejna). If you want orientation commentary on day one, a 2-hour Old Town walking tour on GetYourGuide costs roughly £15–20; otherwise self-explore for free.

🚌Bus 119 + metro from the airport (~£1.20); everything else on foot

🛏Hostel or pension in Prague (dorm ~£20/night, private twin ~£45)

• →Old Town Square & Astronomical Clock
• →Wenceslas Square
• →Pařížská Street
• →Optional evening walking tour (~£15–20)

Get to Prague Castle early (tram 22 to Pražský hrad, ~£1) before the crowds. Buy the combined Castle circuit ticket direct at the gate (~£13) covering St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, Golden Lane and St George's Basilica — no guide needed, the ticket includes printed explanations and there are free audio guides. Walk down through Malá Strana, cross Charles Bridge and finish with a cheap lunch of chlebíčky or a trdelník. Spend the afternoon in the Jewish Town (Josefov) with a self-bought ticket from the Jewish Museum in Prague (~£15 for the combined ticket) if you want the synagogues and cemetery. Evening: beer garden or a pub dinner in Žižkov.

🚌Tram 22 to the castle, walking after that (~£1)

🛏Hostel or pension in Prague

• →Prague Castle circuit ticket (~£13)
• →St Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, Golden Lane
• →Malá Strana & Charles Bridge
• →Optional Jewish Museum combined ticket (~£15)

Take a morning train from Prague hl.n. to Kutná Hora hl.n. (~1hr, £3–5 on Czech Railways / RegioJet). Walk 15 minutes to the Sedlec Ossuary (bone church) — book or buy a timed ticket (~£5) — then the Cathedral of St Barbara (~£5), a UNESCO masterpiece of late Gothic. Wander the old silver-mining town and, if you're keen, add the Czech Museum of Silver mine tour (~£8, book ahead in summer). Cheap pub lunch (Kutná Hora is a fraction of Prague prices). Return to Prague on an afternoon/evening train. Alternative: sleep in Kutná Hora and push on towards Moravia the next morning if you prefer less backtracking.

🚌Return train Prague–Kutná Hora (~£8–10)

🛏Hostel or pension in Prague

• →Sedlec Ossuary (~£5)
• →Cathedral of St Barbara (~£5)
• →Old town stroll
• →Optional silver mine tour (~£8)

Early direct train or RegioJet Prague → Třebíč (~2h45, ~£10). Drop bags and walk the Jewish Quarter (Zámostí) and the Basilica of St Procopius — the Jewish ghetto and cemetery are free to walk; basilica entry ~£3. Then take a local bus or train Třebíč → Telč (~1h, ~£3). Telč's Renaissance square and painted merchant houses are the highlight; castle entry ~£6 and the towers are free to admire. Overnight in a family pension in Telč (private room ~£30–35) — this replaces the original's two-night Znojmo/Třebíč hotel stop and gives you a far prettier base. Note the organisers' own reviewers said Znojmo was the weakest stop, so skipping it is a bonus.

🚌Train Prague→Třebíč (~£10) + bus/train Třebíč→Telč (~£3)

🛏Family pension in Telč (~£30–35 for a single-occupancy private room)

• →Třebíč Jewish Quarter & cemetery (free)
• →Basilica of St Procopius (~£3)
• →Telč historic square
• →Optional Telč castle interior (~£6)

Longer travel day: bus Telč → České Budějovice (~1h30, ~£4), then a local bus to Holašovice (~30 min, ~£1.50), the UNESCO-listed Peasant Baroque farming village — free to walk, tiny and photogenic, about an hour is plenty. Continue to Český Krumlov by bus (~45 min, ~£2). Check into a hostel in the old town (~£22 dorm or ~£40 private), then climb the castle hill for the classic view over the Vltava bend, wander the medieval lanes and the castle gardens (free), and eat at a riverside tavern. Buy a castle interior ticket (~£10) for the morning if you want inside.

🚌Bus Telč→České Budějovice (~£4), bus to Holašovice (~£1.50), bus to Český Krumlov (~£2)

🛏Hostel in Český Krumlov (~£22 dorm / ~£40 private twin)

• →Holašovice village (free)
• →Český Krumlov castle grounds & gardens (free)
• →Medieval old-town walk
• →Optional castle interior ticket (~£10)

Morning castle interior visit or a paddle/raft float on the Vltava (~£8 if in season), then take the direct RegioJet or FlixBus from Český Krumlov to Prague (~3h, ~£8–10). If you fly out the same day, leave at least 4 hours before your flight. Alternatively, stay an extra night in Krumlov — it's far nicer after the day-trippers leave at 5pm.

🚌Direct bus Český Krumlov→Prague (~£8–10), then airport bus/metro (~£1.20)

🛏None (or extra hostel night ~£22 if extending)

• →Český Krumlov castle interior (~£10)
• →Optional Vltava raft trip (~£8)
• →Last-minute souvenir shopping & cafés