Kafka's Prague: a private literary walk
Three hours with a licensed guide in the city that shaped Kafka: where he was born, studied, worked and wrote, and how Prague remembers him today.
- Duration
- 3 h
- Format
- Walking
- Group
- Private, only your party
- Start
- Old Town Square or your hotel
- Walking
- Easy
- Guide languages
- English, Spanish, Turkish
Tour code: PP-T17
Highlights
- The house where Kafka was born in 1883, next to St Nicholas Church
- The Kinsky Palace, where he went to school and his father had his shop
- Jaroslav Róna's Kafka statue beside the Spanish Synagogue
- The Franz Kafka Museum in the Lesser Town
- Café Louvre and David Černý's rotating head of Kafka
Route and timing
0:00
Old Town Square
Kafka's birthplace at the corner of the square, and the Kinsky Palace, where he went to school and his father ran his shop.
0:40
Josefov
The former Jewish Quarter of Kafka's childhood and the statue of the writer riding on an empty suit, next to the Spanish Synagogue.
1:15
Across Charles Bridge
Over the river to the Lesser Town, with stories from The Trial and The Castle on the way.
1:35Ticket needed
Franz Kafka Museum
His manuscripts, letters and photographs, and the Prague of his time.
2:30Food stop
Café Louvre and the rotating head
Across the river to the café where Kafka met his friends, and the steel head by David Černý that turns in layers. The walk ends here.
See the stops in order on Google Maps. The final route follows your pace and your wishes.
About this tour
Franz Kafka hardly ever left Prague, and Prague is everywhere in his work: the offices, the courts, the staircases and the castle on the hill. He was born in the Old Town, went to school on the Old Town Square, worked for an insurance institute and wrote at night. This walk follows him through the city and shows how it remembers him today.
A writer and his city
Kafka grew up in a German-speaking Jewish family in a mostly Czech city, a mix that shaped his view of the world. The walk starts at his birthplace next to St Nicholas Church and the Kinsky Palace, where he went to school and his father had his shop. It continues through the former Jewish Quarter to the statue by Jaroslav Róna, which shows Kafka riding on an empty suit, and across Charles Bridge to the Franz Kafka Museum.
The last stops are the Café Louvre, where Kafka met his friends, and David Černý's rotating head of the writer, a steel sculpture that turns in dozens of layers.
For readers and for the curious
Your licensed guide adapts the walk to you: more about the books for readers, more about the city and its history for everyone else. For those who want to pay their respects, a car can take you to Kafka's grave at the New Jewish Cemetery in Žižkov.
Make it part of a bigger plan
The walk pairs well with our Jewish Quarter tour, a visit to Golden Lane at Prague Castle or a day trip to Terezín. Send us your dates and we arrange everything in one itemised quote.
Is this tour right for you?
Walking: Easy
Short walks on mostly level ground, with breaks.
- About 4 km on foot
- Few steps
- Partly suitable for wheelchair users: tell us your needs and we check each place.
- Possible with a light stroller, although a baby carrier is easier.
- A private car can take the uphill or longer parts.
Important to know
- Best time
- Morning
- Season
- All year
- Jewish sites, including the Jewish Museum and the cemeteries, are closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.
Busy dates (May to September, Christmas and New Year) book up early, so write as soon as you know your dates.
What can be added
Tick what you would like in the form below. We check availability and list each item separately in your quote.
- Entry tickets booked in advance
- Private car between the stops
- Lunch reservation
Meeting and drop-off
- Your guide or driver meets you in your hotel lobby or at the meeting point, with a sign showing your name.
- It ends where it suits you in the centre, or a car takes you back to your hotel.
- Your confirmation includes the names of your guide and driver and a contact number for the day.
Your guide and driver
A licensed guide with the Czech National Guide Card leads your tour. The guides we work with speak English, Spanish and Turkish, and other languages depending on availability.
Guides, drivers and venues are specialist partners we have worked with for years. You receive their details 24 hours in advance.
Practical information for your tripCombine it with
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to have read Kafka?
No. The guide explains his life and work through the places, and readers of The Trial or The Castle will recognise the city in them.
Can we visit Kafka's grave?
Yes, by car to the New Jewish Cemetery in Žižkov, where Kafka is buried with his parents. It is closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.
Is the Franz Kafka Museum part of the tour?
Yes, it is on the route. The ticket is listed separately in your quote, and we can buy it in advance.
Does the tour include the synagogues?
It passes the Spanish Synagogue and the statue beside it. For the synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery, see our Jewish Quarter tour.
- Licensed guides only
- Travel agency under Czech law
- Licensed transport partners
- One written, itemised quote
- Reply the same business day
Ask about this tour
Send your preferred date and group size. We confirm availability and send a written quote.
What happens next
- 1
Tell us
Fill in the short form or write an email: dates, group, interests and anything we should know.
- 2
Get your plan
We reply the same business day with a proposed programme and a written, itemised quote.
- 3
Enjoy Prague
Confirm by email and we take care of every booking. You get your driver and guide details 24 hours before.
We reply by email the same business day (Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 18:00 Prague time).
Asking costs nothing and commits you to nothing. The cancellation terms of each service are written in your quote. Cancellation policy