How do I choose the best walking tour in Prague?
- I Love Praag
- Dec 18, 2025
- 4 min read
You know how it is: you've booked your vacation and think everything's taken care of. Then you suddenly start thinking about how best to explore Prague. You decide you'd like to take a guided walking tour. Suddenly, you have to think about how to find the best guide. Finding the right walking tour and the right guide can be quite a challenge in Prague. Did you know that more than 50% of all guides in Prague lack sufficient knowledge, including many guides working for the largest agencies? For us, this was the reason we decided against working with freelancers a year and a half ago.
You need to ask yourself a few questions:
Do I want to do a pre-paid tour or a so-called free tour?
How big are the groups at the tour provider?
How big is my party?
Is the guide licensed?
What is the maximum amount I want to spend on my tour?
Free tours vs. pre-paid tours
It's very hip and trendy these days to book a so-called free tour. You don't pay any upfront costs, and you decide how much you'll pay at the end based on your experience. This amount usually ranges from €10 to €50, depending on your level of satisfaction. We at I Love Prague also frequently work with this concept because we believe in quality, and it motivates our guides to give 200% every day. If people pay more, it means a bonus on their salary. With a tour where payment is made in advance, the guide isn't challenged to go the extra mile.
How big are the groups?
It's important to pay close attention to group size when booking your tour. Especially in the so-called Freetour industry, it's common to have somewhat larger groups. In Prague, this often results in groups of over 30, and sometimes even over 40 people. This is something that really frightens us, because in our opinion, a group shouldn't be larger than 20 people. With 20 people, the guide already has a very difficult job keeping the group together in crowded places and giving everyone the proper attention throughout the entire tour. For example, 20 people is also the maximum group size for visiting publicly accessible buildings, such as churches or museums.
How big is my group?
Free tours are often not available for groups larger than 8 people. This is due to several reasons. If a group doesn't show up or cancels at the last minute, there are often empty seats. Groups of more than 8 can disrupt the atmosphere of the tour because they are often less likely to participate in the group process. Sometimes it's possible to participate in a Free tour by pre-paying a portion of the tour. Of course, you can always book a private tour, and this often doesn't have to be expensive.
Is the guide licensed?
You can assume that every guide is properly licensed. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of guides in Prague who don't have the proper license. Be aware that guides working without a license are operating illegally. If you see that your guide doesn't have a national guiding license, you can cancel the tour and, of course, request a refund.
What should you pay attention to?
In the Czech Republic, there are two different types of guide licenses. Category 1: These individuals have often studied abroad or through independent study. Category 2: These individuals have completed training in the Czech Republic. Note that this doesn't always have to be a history degree. For example, someone who has completed training in tourism as a travel agent is also eligible for this category. As you can see, it's not necessarily the case that someone with Category 2 has more knowledge. For many people in Category 1, validating their diplomas and certificates in the Czech Republic is a very complex process. Due to the very low level of English, all documents must be translated by specialized agencies. This entails high costs. Since Category 1 individuals have the same rights, many Category 1 guides save themselves the trouble.
I'm getting a foreign guide; is this a problem?
Due to Prague's communist past, many foreign guides work in Prague. These guides have just as much, if not more, knowledge, so you don't have to worry about that. Often, a foreign guide is even better than a local, and you naturally wonder why. A foreign guide is sidelined when it comes to heavy topics like communism. Moreover, we talk about history, not about the Czech Republic, but about Czechoslovakia. It's good to know that Slovaks experienced certain important events very differently than Czechs. Many Czech guides often speak from a Czech perspective, which means important information isn't conveyed. A good example is that our tour of Prague's Old Town is one of the few that also includes the Lesser Town of Prague.
How much should I spend on my tour?
These days, we see many tours that include lunch, a coffee break, and much more. Unfortunately, these lunches aren't always in authentic restaurants. Many companies have partnerships with restaurants and receive commission from each person, so they don't care what they recommend. We believe in honesty, and every place we visit or recommend will be a place where you'll also find our guides. Sometimes, you pay a lot of money for all the extras, and you might wonder if it's worth it.
Avoid the red umbrella
In Prague, the city council is running a campaign to avoid the red umbrella. As a company, we support this campaign because, unfortunately, there's a company in Prague with a red umbrella that spreads almost exclusively disinformation. This company is known as the "cowboys" in our industry. Fortunately, our umbrella is white, so you can choose us with confidence.
Our guides are highly experienced and are supervised by historians, all with over 10 years of experience. Regardless of their qualifications and the background of their peers, they receive an intensive training program of at least one month. With a 4.9/5.0 Google rating (which is untouchable), you can confidently book your Prague tour with us at I Love Praag.
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