Houska Castle tickets, season and opening hours
The hell castle keeps office hours, and they are shorter than most visitors expect. This guide sets out the 2026 calendar month by month, what a ticket costs at the gate, how the guided tours work, and the questions the castle's website leaves unanswered.
The 2026 season at a glance
Houska opened its 2026 season on 3 April and closes on 31 October. Outside those dates the gate stays shut. Within them, the castle follows a simple pattern, weekends only at the start and end of the season, every day except Monday in between, and longer hours at the height of summer.
| Month | Open days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| April | Saturday and Sunday | 10 am to 5 pm |
| May and June | Tuesday to Sunday | 10 am to 5 pm |
| July and August | Tuesday to Sunday | 10 am to 6 pm |
| September | Tuesday to Sunday | 10 am to 5 pm |
| October | Saturday and Sunday | 10 am to 4 pm |
| November to March | Closed | No tours |
The castle also opens on some public holidays outside the normal pattern, in 2026 from 3 to 6 April, on 6 July and on 28 September. If your trip falls on a Czech holiday, check the castle's website for that day.
How the guided tours work
You cannot roam the interior on your own. Every visit is a guided tour, and tours start on every full hour, from 10 am. The final tour sets off an hour before closing time, which means 3 pm in October and 5 pm in July and August, and the outer courtyard stops admitting people at that point too. Arrive five or ten minutes before the hour, buy your ticket and wait in the courtyard, where the white walls close around you and the rock drops away below.
The tour leads through the castle's rooms to the Gothic chapel, the heart of the legend, with its murals from around 1330. Inside the castle describes the visit in more detail.
Ticket prices at the gate
Tickets are cheap by any European standard. These are the 2026 prices on the castle's price list.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | 180 CZK |
| Reduced (children under 15, students, seniors) | 130 CZK |
| Family (2 adults and 2 children under 15) | 520 CZK |
| PEKLEM exhibit | 80 CZK |
| Dog | 40 CZK |
The castle's website links to an e-shop, but we could not confirm that it sells Houska tour tickets, and it does not say whether cards are accepted at the gate. Bring enough Czech crowns in cash to be safe. If you take the private tour from Prague, your Houska and Kokořín tickets are already paid.
PEKLEM, the wooden hell
Next to the guided tour, in the castle's former carriage house, stands PEKLEM, which translates as "in hell". It is a mechanical scene of the underworld carved from limewood, 12 m long and 2 m high, with eleven moving scenes inspired by Dante's Inferno. You walk through it on your own, it costs 80 CZK, and it fits the castle better than any souvenir. Children who find the chapel too quiet usually love it.
Tickets, transport and lunch in one booking
The private tour includes the Houska ticket, the Kokořín ticket, a Czech lunch and the ride from your Prague address. Pick a date inside the season, and check that it is an opening day.
Dogs, children and the trail
Dogs are welcome for a 40 CZK ticket, which is unusual for a castle tour. Children under 15 pay the reduced price, and a family ticket covers two adults and two children. The castle has added a game for younger children and a new trail around the castle rock, both good ways to fill the wait for the next tour. There are no age limits on the tour itself, but the chapel stories are not bedtime stories, and parents of small children may want to know what is coming.
What the website does not tell you
Some questions have no published answer, and we would rather say so than guess.
- Tour length. The castle does not state it. Plan on about two hours on site, with the wait and PEKLEM.
- Language. The website does not list tour languages. Ask at the desk about English before you buy.
- Photography. No rules are published. Ask your guide before you take pictures inside, especially in the chapel.
- Payment. Card acceptance at the gate is not mentioned. Carry cash in Czech crowns.
- Events. No Halloween or night tours were listed when we checked.
When the castle is closed
From November to March there are no tours, and the private tour has nothing to show you at Houska. Bezděz is closed too, and Kokořín opens in winter only by prior arrangement with its administration. If your trip falls in winter, save the hell castle for another year, and spend the day in Prague instead. If you come in April or October, plan for a weekend, and see getting there and the day-trip plans to make the most of it. The same weekend rule applies at Kokořín, so a Saturday works for both.