Houska as a day trip from Prague
Houska is close enough to Prague for a relaxed day out, but only if the castle is open and you have a way to get there. This guide weighs the private tour against doing it yourself by car or bus, then sets out day plans that pair Houska with a second castle.
Start with the castle calendar
Houska decides your date before anything else does. In 2026 the season runs from 3 April to 31 October, and the castle is closed every Monday. In April and October it opens on Saturdays and Sundays only, 10 am to 5 pm in April and 10 am to 4 pm in October. From May to September it opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, with closing pushed back to 6 pm in July and August. From November to March the gate stays locked.
The neighbors keep a similar rhythm. Kokořín is also weekend-only in October and closed on Mondays through the rest of its season, while Bezděz opens Friday to Sunday in October. In the shoulder months a Saturday or Sunday is the safe choice, and the complete hours sit on our tickets and opening hours page.
The private tour, door to door
The one Houska tour on GetYourGuide is a private day trip run by TheEuroRoadTrip.eu. A driver collects you at 8 am from any address in Prague in an air-conditioned car, and the day lasts about eight hours. You visit Houska first and Kokořín second, then sit down to a traditional Czech lunch at a local restaurant before the drive back. The price covers both castle tickets plus the lunch, and bottled water comes with it. Extra drinks and personal spending are on you.
It costs ~$923 for a group of up to three, and about $1,246 for four to six people, which works out at roughly $208 each when six share the car. The listing includes a "guide at castles" yet names a tour guide as not included, so expect a driver for the day and the castles' own guided tours on site, not a historian at your elbow all day. Its single review so far, from a US guest, gives five stars and praises the driver. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before, with reserve now and pay later. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. Book only for a day when Houska is open, and see what the castle visit involves.
Both castles, one car, no timetables
~$923 for up to three people, pickup at your Prague address at 8 am, and free cancellation until a day before.
Driving yourself
By road Houska is about 84 km (52 miles) from the Old Town, roughly 1 h 20 min without traffic. You take the D10 motorway toward Mladá Boleslav, then road 38 and road 259 up into the hills. A large car park lies about 700 m from the castle, and the last stretch is a walk of around ten minutes. A rental car lets you reach the gate for the first 10 am tour and add a second castle in whatever order suits you. The castle does not publish a parking fee. Route and parking details are in our getting-there guide.
The bus, for the patient
No train reaches Houska, and the castle itself advises visitors not to lean on public transport. What does exist is the seasonal bus 697, which runs between Mšeno and Staré Splavy by way of Dubá and Doksy and started its 2026 service on 25 April. Most trips stop at Tubož, rybník, 2.2 km (1.4 miles) from the castle. Only two trips call at the Horní Houska stop beside the castle, the 10:07 am toward Mšeno and the 5:25 pm toward Doksy. We could not confirm whether the line still runs in October.
Reaching the bus from Prague adds connections of its own, and the nearest train stations, Okna and Doksy, are about 6 km (4 miles) away, a walk rather than a transfer. Treat the bus as a project for experienced travelers, not as the default.
What each option costs
Outside the tour, only the castle tickets have fixed prices.
| Option | What you pay | Included | The drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private tour, 1–3 people | ~$923 per group | Car from your address, Houska and Kokořín tickets, lunch, water | A driver rather than a full-day guide; one review so far |
| Private tour, 4–6 people | ~$1,246 per group | The same, about $208 each at six | Only makes sense on a day both castles open |
| Rental car | Rental car and fuel, plus 180 CZK per adult at Houska | Free choice of stops and order | You drive, navigate and park |
| Bus 697 | Bus fares (not checked), plus 180 CZK per adult | The cheapest way there | Seasonal, few trips reach the castle, long walks |
For one or two travelers the tour is a splurge. Split six ways it drops to about $208 each, and nobody spends the day driving.
Three ways to fill the day
Houska alone fills a morning, so each plan adds a second castle or town.
Houska and Kokořín
This is the classic pair and the one the private tour follows. Kokořín is 12 km (7.5 miles) away, about 20 minutes by road. Leave Prague around 8:30 am, join the first Houska tour, then drive over for lunch and an afternoon at Kokořín, where the last tour goes 30 minutes before closing. The walk up from the car park below the castle takes 10–15 minutes and is steep in places. Our Kokořín Castle guide has its prices and hours.
Houska and Bezděz
Bezděz, founded in 1264 by the king traditionally credited with Houska too, sits 17 km (11 miles) away, about 22 minutes by road. Its climb of about 1.5 km (1 mile) from the village car park, partly on stone steps, makes this the more active day. In October Bezděz opens Friday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 4 pm, so on a weekend you can start there at opening and reach Houska for an early afternoon tour before its last one at 3 pm. Our Bezděz and Mělník guide covers the parking and tickets.
Houska, then Mělník on the way home
Mělník lies 30 km (19 miles) from Houska, about 41 minutes, and only about 48 km (30 miles) from Prague, so it slots in as the last stop. The Lobkowicz chateau looks down on the meeting of the Elbe and the Vltava, and its wine cellars have a 60-minute guided tour. Check its current hours first, since the times we found gave no year.
The other tours, on other days
Four more trips from Prague work well on separate days, and two of them cover ground right next to Houska.
- Kokořínsko on foot. A small-group hiking day past the Pokličky rocks and old cave dwellings to Kokořín, ending with a picnic, ~$107 per person and at most four guests.
- Mělník wine with Kokořín. A private wine tour at ~$214 per person, about four hours of cellars and tastings in Mělník, then a guided tour of Kokořín. It does not visit Houska.
- Bohemian Paradise hike. The Prachov Rocks day at ~$151 per person, with lunch in a castle and a brewery stop, rated 4.98 from 255 reviews.
- Kost Castle. A six-hour private trip to Kost and the rocks around it, ~$674 for up to two, with lunch at your own cost.
The last two head east, covered in our Bohemian Paradise castles guide.