Prague Christmas Lunch Cruise: 3-Course Menu on the Vltava

Included and Not Included

The listing includes the 2-hour cruise, the 3-course menu with vegetarian options, and views of Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the Rudolfinum and the National Theatre. It states plainly that drinks are not included. You pay separately for drinks, and there is no hotel pickup, so plan your own transport to the pier.

Some reviewers mention a welcome glass of bubbly, but the inclusions list drinks as not included. Treat the bubbly as a maybe, not a promise, and confirm it on the booking page before you count on it.

Dates That Matter for This Cruise

The listing does not state a season window, so check availability for the dates of your trip. The central markets around your pier run from 28 November to 6 January at Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, so a lunch cruise pairs well with an afternoon at either. Markets at Náměstí Míru, Republic Square and Tylovo náměstí close on 24 December, while the two central ones run to 6 January.

Money and Cards

The Czech Republic uses the Czech crown (CZK), not the euro. The Czech National Bank fixing gives 1 USD = 21.834 CZK. Most market vendors accept cards, and an ATM stands inside the market if you need cash.

Drinks on board the cruise are paid separately and prices are not stated, so carry a card and some cash.

Getting to the Pier

Prague public transport (PID) fares: a 30-minute ticket is $1.65 (36 CZK) in the app, $1.79 (39 CZK) on paper or $1.92 (42 CZK) by SMS. A 90-minute ticket is $2.11 (46 CZK) app, $2.29 (50 CZK) paper, $2.52 (55 CZK) SMS. A 24-hour ticket is $6.41 (140 CZK) app or $6.87 (150 CZK) paper.

A 72-hour ticket is $15.57 (340 CZK) app or $16.03 (350 CZK) paper. SMS tickets are not valid on PID trains or line AE.

Practical Rules from the Listing

No minimum age, wheelchair policy, dress code or bag rule is stated for this cruise, so ask the operator through the booking page if any of those matter to you. There is no hotel pickup. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later.

From Pier to Pier

You meet at Na Františku 10, 110 00 Prague 1, on the riverbank in the Old Town. After boarding, the boat cruises past Charles Bridge, then through the Old Town riverfront, with Prague Castle, the Rudolfinum and the National Theatre in view. The 3-course lunch is served during the sail, and festive Christmas music plays throughout. You arrive back at the same pier area on the Vltava, listed as Parník, plavba po Vltavě.

Departure times are not published. Check availability for your date to see the starting times offered. Do not assume a fixed noon sailing. The cruise lasts 2 hours in total, so time your afternoon around that.

The Tradition on the Plate

Czechs eat the main Christmas meal on 24 December. The classic plate is fried carp with potato salad, and fish soup often comes as a first course. Carp reached Czech Christmas tables in the 19th century, and potato salad did not appear in Czech cookbooks until 1924.

Carp is sold live from tanks in city centers before Christmas, and a scale in the wallet is said to bring money.

What This Cruise Serves Instead

The cruise serves a 3-course menu with a choice of dishes, including a vegetarian choice, so you are not locked into carp. The exact dishes for your date are not stated in the listing, so check the menu on the booking page. Drinks are extra.

If you want the traditional carp and potato salad served the Czech way, the Municipal House Beer Hall and U Vejvodu serve it as a traditional dinner on 24 December. Do that in the evening and keep this cruise for a daytime treat on another day of your stay.

Closest Markets to the Pier

The Old Town Square Christmas Market runs from 28 November to 6 January, daily 10:00-22:00, and keeps going after Christmas Eve. It is the largest market in the city, with a daily cultural program from 16:00 to 19:00. Republic Square (Náměstí Republiky) runs from 25 November to 24 December, near the Municipal House. Havel's Market (Havelské tržiště), a market from 1232, is open year-round Monday to Saturday 7:00-19:00 and Sunday 8:00-18:30.

The Old Town and Wenceslas Square markets run to 6 January. Náměstí Míru, Republic Square and Tylovo náměstí close on 24 December, so plan a visit to those before Christmas Eve.

What to Add Before or After

Because the cruise covers views but no market stalls, pair it with a walk. The Prague Christmas Market Tour covers Old Town Square and local markets with two hot drinks and two tastings included. If you want a guide who builds the route around you, the Private Prague Christmas Markets Tour covers five markets including Kampa and Wenceslas Square with snacks and drinks included.

For a second river option, the Prague Advent Boat Cruise is a 50-minute evening sail at $25 with a hot drink and Christmas sweets, or the Prague Heated Glass Boat Advent Cruise runs a 1-hour weekend sail at $29 with mulled wine or tea and gingerbread.

Lunch Cruise Against the Other River Options

The three Advent cruises in the comparison differ in length, price and what lands on your table. The lunch cruise is the longest and the only one with a full meal. The other two are short sails with a single hot drink and sweets.

If a seated meal matters, the $55 ticket is the one. If you only want an hour on the water with mulled wine, the cheaper options do that job.

Who Should Book Something Else

If your priority is the Christmas markets themselves, no cruise delivers them. Book a market walk instead, such as the Prague Christmas Markets with Locals at $96.56 for 2 hours 45 minutes, or the Prague Christmas Walk at $28, which ends at the Kampa market.

Markets, Cruises and Closing Hours

The market organiser publishes daily hours of 10:00-22:00 and no separate holiday hours, and river cruises cost the same as at other times of year. Shops are different: they close early on 24 December, and large shops close on 25 and 26 December. Plan your shopping before Christmas Eve and keep the river and the markets for the holidays themselves.

Getting Around on the Holidays

Public transport runs on a reduced timetable on 24 December, so leave more time for the trip to the pier that day. Check availability with the operator before assuming a lunch sailing runs on 24, 25 or 26 December, since the listing does not state holiday departures.