Best Day Tours from Prague to Dresden

About two hours' drive from the Czech capital is Dresden, a German city that was reborn after the devastations of the war. This baroque jewel will captivate you with its elegant palaces on the banks of the river Elbe. Below you will find the most important organised tours.

If you have already seen everything in Prague, you can spend a day in Dresden. The German city is located about 160 km from Prague and is an interesting destination for a day trip. If you don't know Dresden, it's definitely worth a bus ride. Day trips leave the Czech capital in the morning and follow a similar itinerary:

• Zwinger Palace, a Baroque jewel built in the 18th century. In addition to the Old Masters Picture Gallery, the building houses the porcelain collection of Augustus the Strong, the Armoury and various exhibits from the Zoological Museum and the Museum of Mineralogy and Geology. In its gardens you can admire the most beautiful baroque fountain in Germany: the Nymphenbad with its elegant sculptures representing nymphs. The palace is an art gallery with works by German, Italian, Dutch, Flemish and Spanish painters.
• Semperoper (Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden), Germany's most beautiful opera house. This building has had a turbulent history. The original building was designed by Gottfried Semper and opened in 1841. Eighteen years later, a fire razed it to the ground and the citizens of Dresden themselves did their best to rebuild it. In 1945, the Opera House was again destroyed and rebuilt. The building we can see today is the result of a restoration carried out in 1985.
• Holy Trinity Cathedral (Katholische Hofkirche), the largest church in Saxony. This baroque building was built in the 18th century by the Italian architect Gaetano Chiaveri.
• Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche), a symbol of reconciliation. Like the opera house, this building almost completely disappeared in the Second World War. The original church by George Bähr and its characteristic dome have been reconstructed thanks to donations.

Interesting details

• Duration: Between 9 and 10 hours
• Price: around 100 €.
• Recommended to all those who want to discover Florence on the Elbe without worries and at an affordable price.

If you don't feel like sharing space with strangers, a private tour is the best option. In this case, a car or minivan will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the capital of Saxony. In most cases, these tours include entrance fees to museums/attractions and a few bottles of water. All other costs are at your own expense. Once in Germany, the tours usually stop at the same monuments as the group excursion:

• Zwinger Palace
• Semperoper
• Holy Trinity Cathedral

One advantage of private tours is that in most cases they allow for modifications. If you want to make any changes, let your guide know in advance and he/she will sort them out. Fortunately, the capital of Saxony has other attractions worth seeing. Here are the main ones:

• Fürstenzug, the world's largest ceramic mural. It is called "the parade of the princes" and is located outside the Stallhof, the stables' courtyard. The mural is over 100 metres long and depicts the history of the Wettin family, the rulers of Saxony.
• Residenzschloss, the Royal Palace. Like other buildings in the city, this one was also affected by the bombings of the Second World War. It was bombed, but was brought back to life by the Dresden State Art Collections (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden). The work restored the palace to its former glory. Today, it houses one of the largest art collections in Europe. If you are interested in its temporary exhibitions, I recommend you check its official website.
• Grosser Garten, a 147-hectare park in Baroque style. It also contains a zoo and a botanical garden.

Interesting details

• Duration: 8 to 9 hours
• Price: between 150 € and 200 €.
• Recommended for those who want to enjoy a more exclusive experience.

It's no secret that Germany is known for its Christmas markets and Dresden is no exception. Florence on the Elbe is an enchanting city and the colourful wares on the stalls make it a magical place. These tours usually last between 9 and 10 hours. The tours usually pick you up at your hotel and if not, the meeting point is always in a central location in Prague. The usual route is as follows:

• Saxon Switzerland National Park, a natural area southeast of Dresden. It is a paradise for climbers and hikers who come here to climb its more than 700 peaks and hike the trails. Buses usually stop at the Bastei Bridge, a footbridge that crosses the eponymous rock formations.
• Striezelmarkt is not only the most beautiful Christmas market in the country, it's also the oldest in the world. You will have time to wander among the trees, the Father Christmas House, the puppet theatre and the wooden houses. Take the opportunity to try stollen, a Christmas bread with candied fruit, nuts and icing sugar. To follow your Christmas route once you've returned to the Czech capital, here are 10 things to see and do in Prague at Christmas.
• In most cases, excursions include extra time to explore the rest of the city- Dresden has a lot to offer! A few minutes' walk will take you to the baroque Zwinger Palace, the Opera House and the Frauenkirche church. Another place worth seeing is the Brühl Terrace, the balcony of Europe.

Interesting details

• Duration: about 6 hours
• Price: about 150 €.
• Recommended for those who love Christmas. The German city is a baroque jewel in its own right, and it's in its finest form before 25 December.

In addition to organised excursions, you have the option of getting to the German city on your own. To make it easier for you to choose, we have compiled a brief overview of the most popular options for travellers:

Train

Prague and Dresden are well connected by rail. The journey takes around 2 hours and costs a minimum of €9. Trains depart from two stations: the central station (Praha hlavní nádraží) and the Holešovice station (Nádraží Praha-Holešovice), which is located in the district of the same name. In both cases, the final destination is Dresden Hauptbahnhof (Dresden Central Station). If you are interested in this option, I recommend you take a look at the Czech Railways website, which usually has better fares. If you want, you can also check the prices on the German Railways website. In my opinion, the train is the best option as the convoy passes through the lush Saxonian countryside.

Bus

If you prefer to travel by road, there are several bus companies to choose from. One of the most famous is Infobus which has very good reviews among its users. Alternatively, you can opt for Flixbus, the popular low cost bus company. Both companies depart from Florenc station, an interchange easily accessible by the red and yellow metro lines. You'll need about two hours.

Renting a car

Booking a car will give you the opportunity to travel at your own pace without depending on the strict timetables of public transport. In the Czech capital, you will find all kinds of agencies, from mainstream to local providers. Once you've got the keys, all you need to do is drive around 150 kilometres. The road linking the two towns is the E55. If you want to do a stage, you can stop at Terezin, a concentration camp about 60km from the Czech capital. If you don't stop, you can reach Germany in just under two hours.

Car sharing

To save some money, you can opt for car sharing. As you may already know, the most famous company is BlaBlaCar, which moves thousands of travellers every day - check out the drivers' reviews and get your backpack ready!

Organised tours usually include entrance fees to attractions/museums in the total price. If that's not enough, bear in mind that you don't have to worry about organising your own travel. Dresden and Prague are well connected but, when travelling by public transport, you are always subject to bus and train timetables. With a rental car, on the other hand, you'll have more freedom, but be prepared to pay more.

It depends on what you choose. If you don't want to spend too much, you can opt for a group tour. The price may seem high, but you should bear in mind that museum entrance fees and guided tours are included in the total price. In this case, you could do it for about €100. For the same price or less, you can take other tours, such as an excursion to the Terezin concentration camp and a visit to the spa town of Karlovy Vary. The most expensive tour - the private tour - costs about 200 €.