Fastest ~50 min-1h by train
| 🚆 Train | ~50 min-1h | Ceske drahy direct from Prague Hlavni nadrazi, mostly unreserved |
| 🚌 Bus | — | From Florenc bus station, similar time once connections counted |
| 🚗 Car | ~1h | ~70km; needs a motorway vignette (dalnicni znamka) |
| 🚐 Minivan | — | Half-day guided tours combining the ossuary and the old town |
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Kutná Hora, once one of medieval Europe's wealthiest silver-mining towns, draws day-trippers from Prague mainly for one startling sight — the bone-decorated Sedlec Ossuary — but its UNESCO-listed old town and Gothic cathedral are well worth the same trip. Here's how to get there and back in a day.
The direct way: Czech Railways
České dráhy (Czech Railways) runs direct trains from Prague's Hlavní nádraží (main station) to Kutná Hora hlavní nádraží, taking around 50 minutes to 1 hour, with departures roughly every one to two hours through the day. These are ordinary intercity or fast regional services, unreserved on most trains, so you can generally buy a ticket and board without booking ahead — see our guide to regional trains explained for how turn-up-and-go tickets work in Central Europe.
Getting to the ossuary and the old town from the station
The Sedlec Ossuary, decorated with the bones of an estimated forty to seventy thousand people arranged into chandeliers, garlands and a coat of arms, is roughly a 10–15 minute walk from the main station, making it the easier of Kutná Hora's two big draws to reach on foot. The historic old town and the Cathedral of St Barbara, however, are about 2–3 km further on, and most visitors either walk the full distance (allow 30–40 minutes from the station), take a short connecting train one stop to Kutná Hora město, or use a local taxi to link the ossuary and the old town without doubling back on foot.
By bus
Coach services also connect Prague and Kutná Hora, with a broadly similar journey time to the train once you account for the walk or connection at either end, and departures from Prague's Florenc bus station. The bus can be a reasonable alternative if train times don't line up with your plans, though most visitors find the direct train the simpler default for this trip. See our guide to Prague airport to the city if you're arriving from abroad and heading straight to the main station.
Driving
Kutná Hora is about 70 km from Prague, roughly a 1-hour drive, mostly on decent dual-carriageway roads. Driving is worth considering if you want to see both the ossuary and the old town without the walking or connecting-train logistics, since you can simply park near each site in turn. Note that a motorway sticker (dálniční známka) is required for parts of the route — see our guide to driving in Czechia for how the e-vignette system works.
Organised day tours
Given the fame of the ossuary, small-group day tours from Prague are common, usually by minivan and covering both the ossuary and the old town in a single guided visit lasting around half a day. These are a genuinely convenient option here, since they solve the awkward gap between Kutná Hora's two main sights without you needing to walk it or work out the local connecting train — worth considering even for otherwise independent travellers.
What else to see in the old town
Beyond the ossuary, Kutná Hora's own historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right, built on the wealth of the silver mines that once made the town rival Prague in importance. The Cathedral of St Barbara, with its distinctive tent-like Gothic roof, and the former royal mint at the Italian Court are both worth the walk, and the town is considerably quieter and more relaxed than central Prague, making it a pleasant contrast to a few days spent in the capital. If you're planning further day trips from Prague, our guide to Prague to Cesky Krumlov covers a longer, equally popular option to the south, while Prague to Karlovy Vary heads west to the spa country instead.
Which should you choose?
The direct train is the simplest and cheapest way to reach Kutná Hora, though it requires a short walk or connecting service between the ossuary and the old town. An organised day tour removes that logistical wrinkle entirely and suits visitors who'd rather not plan the local connections themselves. Drivers gain the same convenience as a tour with more flexibility over timing. Whichever you choose, budget a full day rather than a rushed half-day, since the ossuary and the old town are genuinely separate stops.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Prague to Kutna Hora?
Direct trains run from Prague's main station to Kutná Hora in around 50 minutes to an hour, with a further short walk or local connecting train needed to reach the ossuary and old town from the main station.
Is the Sedlec Ossuary far from the train station?
No — it's about a 10–15 minute walk from Kutná Hora's main station, making it the easier of the town's two main sights to reach without extra transport.
Can I visit both the ossuary and the old town in one day?
Yes, comfortably — allow a full day rather than a rushed half-day, since a walk or short connecting train links the two areas, which sit a couple of kilometres apart.
Do I need to book train tickets in advance?
Generally no — most Prague–Kutná Hora trains are unreserved regional or fast services that you can buy on the day, though booking ahead is sensible at weekends in peak season.
Sources and further reading:
- Train timetables and fares: České dráhy.
- Route context: The Man in Seat 61.