Prague gets the flights, the stag-do reputation, and roughly 90% of UK visitors to Czechia. The other two regions, South Moravia’s wine country and Bohemian Switzerland’s sandstone cliffs, get a fraction of the crowds and arguably more interesting scenery. This is the route for travellers who’ve already done Prague, or who want to skip it entirely.
Quick answer: 7 days covering Český Krumlov, South Moravian wine country (Znojmo and Mikulov), and Bohemian Switzerland National Park costs roughly £380-£440 per person excluding flights, based on private guesthouse rooms, three meals a day, and regional rail transport. UK passport holders travel visa-free for stays under 90 days as part of the Schengen agreement.
The 7-Day Route at a Glance
| Days | Region | Highlight | Accommodation Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Český Krumlov | UNESCO old town, castle | £30-£45/night |
| 3-5 | South Moravia (Mikulov/Znojmo) | Wine cellars, Pálava hills | £28-£40/night |
| 6-7 | Bohemian Switzerland | Pravčická brána, sandstone gorges | £25-£38/night |
Direct trains connect most of this route, though the transfer between South Moravia and Bohemian Switzerland requires a change through Prague, adding roughly half a day to that leg.
Day-by-Day Breakdown
Days 1-2: Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov’s old town wraps around a bend in the Vltava river beneath a hilltop castle, and it’s compact enough to properly cover in a day and a half without feeling rushed. Trains from Prague take around 3 hours; if flying into Prague first, this is a natural first stop before heading south and east.
- Český Krumlov Castle: the grounds are free to walk, with the tower entry costing 200 CZK (£6.80) and the interior tour rooms 240-320 CZK (£8.20-£10.90) depending on the route chosen
- Egon Schiele Art Centrum: 180 CZK (£6.10), a genuinely strong modern art museum most visitors don’t expect in a town this size
- Dinner: a full traditional Czech meal (goulash, svíčková, or roast pork with dumplings) runs 180-260 CZK (£6.10-£8.90) at local restaurants away from the main square
- Accommodation: guesthouses in the old town from £30-£45/night
The 6am principle applies directly here. The main square and the castle bridge viewpoint fill with day-trip coach groups from Prague between 10am and 3pm. An early walk across the castle bridge before 9am gets genuinely empty photos of a view that’s packed with tour groups by midday.
The Baroque Theatre Most Visitors Miss
Inside Český Krumlov Castle’s grounds, the 18th-century Baroque Theatre is one of only two surviving original Baroque theatres in the world still using its historic machinery and painted scenery. Tours run at limited times (typically twice daily) and must be booked separately from the standard castle interior tour, entry 240 CZK (£8.20), but reward visitors with a genuinely rare piece of working theatrical history most people walk past entirely.
Days 3-5: South Moravian Wine Country
The regional train from Český Krumlov to Znojmo takes roughly 3.5-4 hours with a connection, or a direct bus option exists on some routes. South Moravia produces around 96% of Czechia’s wine, centred on the towns of Mikulov and Znojmo.
Mikulov makes the better base of the two, with its hilltop chateau, a genuinely walkable old town, and easy access to the Pálava Protected Landscape Area’s limestone hills and vineyards.
- Mikulov Chateau: 120 CZK (£4.10)
- Wine cellar tastings: most family-run cellars offer a 5-6 wine tasting for 150-250 CZK (£5.10-£8.50), often including a light snack of local cheese and bread
- Pálava hills hike: free, a half-day loop through vineyards and limestone outcrops with views across to Austria on clear days
- Day trip to Lednice-Valtice: a UNESCO-listed chateau and garden complex, entry from 180 CZK (£6.10), reachable by regional bus or bike hire from Mikulov
- Accommodation: guesthouses in Mikulov from £28-£40/night
Znojmo: The Underrated Alternative Base
Znojmo, roughly 40 minutes south of Mikulov by regional bus, offers a similar wine-country base with an even lower density of visitors and its own extensive network of medieval underground tunnels beneath the old town, open for guided tours (120 CZK/£4.10). Znojmo’s wine focuses more heavily on whites, a useful contrast to Mikulov’s broader mix, and its Saturday farmers market in the main square is worth timing a visit around for genuinely local produce and pastries.
The honest verdict on South Moravia: this region gets a fraction of Prague’s tourist numbers despite matching it for scenery and comfortably beating it on food and wine value. It’s the strongest argument on this entire route for skipping Prague altogether if time is genuinely limited.
Days 6-7: Bohemian Switzerland National Park
Getting from South Moravia to Bohemian Switzerland requires routing back through Prague, roughly 3 hours to Prague plus a further 1.5-2 hours north to the park area around Hřensko. Budget a half-day for this transfer.
Bohemian Switzerland’s sandstone rock formations, most famously Pravčická brána (the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe), draw comparisons to Saxon Switzerland just across the German border, which shares the same sandstone landscape.
- Pravčická brána entry: 130 CZK (£4.40), reached via a moderate 1.5-2 hour hike from Hřensko or a shorter route from the Mezní Louka car park
- Boat trip through the Edmund Gorge (Edmundova soutěska): 100 CZK (£3.40) per person, a genuinely striking short boat ride through a narrow sandstone canyon
- Dinner: a full meal at Hřensko’s small selection of restaurants runs 200-280 CZK (£6.80-£9.50)
- Accommodation: guesthouses in Hřensko or nearby Mezná from £25-£38/night
What £380-£440 Actually Covers
| Category | Total for 7 Days (GBP, per person) |
|---|---|
| Accommodation (6 nights, split two ways) | £120-£165 |
| Food (three meals daily) | £110-£140 |
| Regional trains and transfers | £35-£50 |
| Activities/entry fees | £35-£50 |
| Wine tastings | £15-£25 |
| Total | £315-£430 |
The remaining budget headroom covers the Prague transfer connections and any additional wine cellar visits, which are easy to add to in Mikulov given how many small operators run informal tastings.
Step-by-Step: Booking This Route
- Fly into Prague regardless of the route. Direct flights from most UK airports make Prague the only practical entry point, even when skipping the city itself.
- Book Český Krumlov and Mikulov accommodation ahead for weekends, since both towns see a spike in domestic Czech and Austrian visitors on Saturdays.
- Check Bohemian Switzerland trail conditions before the Hřensko leg. Parts of the park were affected by wildfire damage in recent years, and some trails have restricted access depending on ongoing restoration; confirm current status on the national park’s official site.
- Use ČD (Czech Railways) regional tickets rather than booking each leg separately where routes overlap, since regional day-passes often work out cheaper than individual point-to-point fares.
- Pack layers for the Pálava hills and Bohemian Switzerland hikes. Both involve genuine elevation change and exposed sections where weather shifts faster than in the sheltered old towns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do UK citizens need a visa for Czechia?
No. As Czechia is part of the Schengen Area, UK passport holders can visit visa-free for stays up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
How do you get from Český Krumlov to South Moravia without a car?
Regional trains and buses connect the two regions, though most routes require a change and take 3.5-4 hours total. A rental car cuts this closer to 2.5 hours but removes the option to drink at the wine cellars along the way.
Is South Moravia worth visiting if you don’t drink wine?
Yes. The Pálava hills hiking, Lednice-Valtice’s UNESCO gardens, and Mikulov’s chateau and old town all stand on their own regardless of interest in the wine tastings themselves.
What is the best time of year for Bohemian Switzerland National Park?
May-June and September-October offer the best combination of manageable crowds and stable hiking weather. Midsummer weekends see the heaviest domestic tourist traffic, particularly around Pravčická brána.
Is this route suitable for travellers without a rental car?
Yes, though it requires more planning around timetables than a self-drive route would. Czech regional trains and buses connect all three regions reliably, with the main inconvenience being the Prague routing between South Moravia and Bohemian Switzerland rather than any lack of service on individual legs.
Should this route replace a Prague visit entirely, or combine with it?
Either works. First-time Czechia visitors on a longer trip (10+ days) can reasonably combine two or three days in Prague with this route. Repeat visitors, or anyone with a genuine week-only window, are better served skipping Prague and putting the full seven days into South Moravia and Bohemian Switzerland instead.
The Bottom Line
This route delivers a genuinely different Czechia to the one most UK visitors see, trading Prague’s crowds for South Moravia’s wine country and Bohemian Switzerland’s sandstone landscapes at a noticeably lower daily cost. The trade-off is a transport network built around Prague as a hub, meaning the Český Krumlov to Bohemian Switzerland leg costs more travel time than the distance alone would suggest.
