Křivoklát Castle: Tours, Tickets in CZK and How to Get There
Křivoklát Castle runs three Czech-language guided tours, with adult tickets from 260 CZK. Here is what each circuit covers and how to reach the castle.
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Křivoklát Castle is a royal castle in the forests west of Prague, and you see it on one of three guided circuits rather than by wandering at will. Adult tickets start at 260 CZK on the short Gothic Palaces tour, 300 CZK on the basic Castle Palaces tour and 360 CZK on the grand tour. This guide matches each circuit to its price, explains what the Royal Hall and the library hold, and covers the Czech-language guide constraint, the route from Prague and how much of a day the castle takes.
A royal castle in the Křivoklát forests
Křivoklát is one of the oldest surviving fortresses in the Czech Republic, and it served for centuries as a home for Czech kings, with the surrounding woodland working as royal hunting grounds. Its name is said to come from the building's crooked foundations. The setting is the reason to come: this is a forest castle, not a stop on a Prague stroll, and the Berounka river runs through the country around it.
The wider Křivoklát area is a protected landscape whose woods, rocks and river valleys feel less managed than the farmland nearer Prague. A 2022 report described a ministry plan to turn part of the area into a national park; that was a proposal at the time rather than a change to how you visit. For a visitor, the practical point is that the castle sits inside genuinely rural country, so you build the trip around the building and the landscape together.
The three guided tour circuits
The castle sells three separate guided tours, and the official page names them Gothic Palaces (the short tour), Castle Palaces (the long basic tour) and the Castle grand tour. Each is priced on its own, so the circuit you pick decides what you pay. Gothic Palaces is the cheapest and shortest option, Castle Palaces the standard long tour of the main palace rooms, and the grand tour the most expensive and broadest.
For a first visit with limited time, Castle Palaces is the sensible middle choice: it covers the core interiors without committing to the grand tour. Choose Gothic Palaces if you mainly want the medieval palace spaces and want to keep the visit short, and the grand tour if you have the afternoon and want the fullest version the castle offers.
What the Royal Hall and the Fürstenberg Library are known for
Inside, two rooms carry the castle's reputation. The Royal Hall is the second largest hall in Bohemia after Vladislav Hall at Prague Castle, which gives you a sense of the scale of the royal residence. The Fürstenberg Library holds over thirty thousand books.
Both are interior stops on the guided route rather than rooms you can drop into independently, so how much of them you see depends on the circuit you book. If you are comparing royal residences, Karlštejn Castle south of Prague makes the natural pairing.
Ticket prices in CZK for each circuit
On Gothic Palaces, adults aged 25 to 64 pay 260 CZK, seniors 65 and over and visitors aged 18 to 24 pay 210 CZK, and children 6 to 17 pay 80 CZK. Castle Palaces costs 300 CZK for adults, 240 CZK for seniors and youth, and 90 CZK for children. The grand tour runs 360 CZK for adults, 290 CZK for seniors and youth, and 110 CZK for children. Children under five enter free on all three, as do an accompanying disabled person and a guide with a group of at least 15.
Payment is accepted by card and in cash. Holders of an NPÚ card, a seasonal NPÚ ticket, a single NPÚ ticket or the "Náš člověk" card get free admission on all three tours, and the ICOMOS and MK ČR cards are accepted on the short and basic tours but not on the grand tour. Groups need a reservation; individual visitors do not.
Czech-language tours and what that means for English speakers
The official admission page labels all three circuits as Czech guide tours, so you should plan on hearing the commentary in Czech. That is not a barrier to seeing the interiors, but it does change the visit: you get far more from the Royal Hall, the library and the palace rooms if you read up beforehand or carry a printed summary.
If narration in English is essential, ask the castle directly whether any English-language tour can be arranged for your date, since nothing on the admission page promises one. Travelers who want other options can compare the wider list of castles near Prague.
Opening season and days
The castle publishes opening hours on a separate opening-hours page of its plan-your-visit section, and that is the place to confirm the days and months it admits visitors before you travel. Czech castle interiors commonly close outside the main season, so a forest castle like this one is not a year-round certainty.
Build your day around a confirmed opening rather than assuming the castle will be open when you arrive in Křivoklát. If the castle is shut, the surrounding river valley and woods still justify the journey, but the interiors are the reason most people come.
Getting there by train, bus or car from Prague
Křivoklát lies in Central Bohemia, roughly an hour's drive from Prague, which makes a car a flexible way to combine the castle with the surrounding forests. Rail and bus are the car-free alternatives; confirm current connections with the Czech national rail and bus timetables before you set out.
Driving gives you the option of continuing to nearby ruins in the same day, which rail and bus travelers will find harder without a car. Travel times from Prague depend on the connection you pick.
How much time to allow at the castle and in the area
Each guided circuit is a fixed-length tour, and the three together represent very different commitments, so the circuit you book sets your schedule. Add time for the walk up from the village, and plan on a half day at minimum once travel from Prague is included. Travelers combining the castle with forest walks along the Berounka should give it most of a day.
If you want a second castle on the same outing, Konopiště Castle near Benešov works as an easy addition by car, with its own tour system and ticket prices.
Other castles and ruins nearby
The Křivoklát region holds more than the one castle. The ruins of Krakovec Castle sit at the western edge of the area and are associated with the preacher Jan Hus, who found refuge there after being banished from Prague. Točník Castle and Žebrák Castle stand as further castle sites in the same countryside, and all three reward travelers who have a car and want to build a loop rather than an out-and-back trip.
For a ruin in a very different landscape, Kokořín Castle sits in the sandstone country of the Kokořínsko Protected Landscape Area north of Prague, and it pairs well with a drive through the rock formations. Closer to Křivoklát, the fossil-rich rocks near the Skryje lakes and the small museum in Skryje village give a geological counterpoint to the castle interiors.
Which Křivoklát circuit should you book?
Book Castle Palaces if this is your only visit: at 300 CZK for adults it covers the main interiors and leaves time for the village and the woods. Choose Gothic Palaces to keep the day short, or the grand tour if you want the fullest version and have the afternoon for it.
Either way, confirm the opening days on the castle's own pages and check transport times before you go, then treat the forest around Křivoklát as part of the destination. Travelers who want a castle closer to Prague can look at the wider list of castles near Prague.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there English tours at Křivoklát Castle?
The admission page lists all three circuits as Czech guide tours, so standard tours are in Czech. Ask the castle directly whether an English-language tour can be arranged for your date, since the price list does not advertise one.
How much does Křivoklát Castle cost?
Adult tickets run from 260 CZK on the short Gothic Palaces tour to 300 CZK on Castle Palaces and 360 CZK on the grand tour. Seniors, youth and children pay reduced rates on each circuit, and children under five enter free.
How do I get to Křivoklát Castle?
Křivoklát lies in Central Bohemia, roughly an hour's drive from Prague by car. Rail and bus are the car-free alternatives; confirm current connections with the Czech national rail and bus timetables before you travel.
Sources
Notes for your Czech trip
Optional updates to our Czech town guides.
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