Ghost Tour PraguePrague Alchemy Walking Tour: Nový Svět and Malá Strana at Night
This Prague alchemy walking tour covers Nový Svět and Malá Strana after dark, the quarters linked to Rudolf II's astronomers and alchemists. Real Prague Guides runs it as a 105 minute walk for $20.61, with groups capped at 32 and a certified English-speaking guide. The route passes the house protected by a devil, the residence of astronomer Tycho Brahe and the tower where alchemist Edward Kelley had his laboratory, plus streets said to have stored corpses during the Black Death. It is a storytelling walk on public streets, not a museum visit. This page sets out what the price covers, where it goes and which travellers should book a different tour instead, with the full comparison on the ghost tour Prague.
About This Tour
Real Prague Guides runs this as a 105 minute night walk through Nový Svět and Malá Strana, the hillside quarter under Prague Castle. The guide tells stories on the street: folk tales, murder stories from local history and the legends attached to specific houses. No buildings are entered and no costumes are stated, so the tone is storytelling rather than theatre.
The meeting point is in front of Malostranská metro station, where the guide holds a red umbrella with a white 100 logo. The price includes a 30-minute public transport ticket. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
$20.61 per person, booked on Viator. Age bands are child 0 to 15 and adult 16 to 120.
105 minutes on foot. The listing states no start time, so departure times show when you check availability.
In front of Malostranská metro station. Look for the guide with a red umbrella carrying a white 100 logo.
Up to 32 travellers, in English only. Service animals are allowed and specialized infant seats are available.
No entry inside any building is included, because the tour stays on public streets. The price does cover a 30-minute public transport ticket. Not included are hotel pickup and drop-off, gratuities, food and drinks.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
The listing states no fixed departure time, so live dates and times appear when you check availability. Seats are capped at 32 per departure.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
This Prague alchemy walking tour costs $20.61 per person, lasts 105 minutes and covers Nový Svět and Malá Strana at night in groups of up to 32. It holds a 5.0 rating from 318 reviews. Entry to buildings is not included, so it is a street storytelling walk.
Key takeaways
- Everything the ticket does and does not cover is listed in What the Price Actually Covers.
- The route passes Kelley's tower, Brahe's residence and plague streets, stop by stop in The Route.
- Want the castle itself? The 3 hour Alchemy and Mysteries of Prague Castle Walking Tour covers the castle complex and Golden Lane from the outside only.
- On a tight budget, compare it with the $20.61 Mysteries and Alchemy at Prague Castle walk, which includes a lantern-carrying guide.
What the Price Actually Covers
The operator's own listing splits it clearly: three things are included, three are not. Here is that split with the figures attached, so nothing on the booking page surprises you.
The Included List
Three items are listed in the $20.61: engaging storytelling, certified guides and a 30-minute public transport ticket. The listing does not say where the ticket is used, so ask your guide.
The group cap of 32 is part of what you buy too. That is larger than the 26-person cap on the underground and dungeon tour and the 15-person cap on the nightwatchman walk.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Certified guide and storytelling | Yes | English only, groups capped at 32 |
| 30-minute public transport ticket | Yes | 30 minutes of public transport |
| Entry to buildings | No | The route stays on public streets, nothing is entered |
| Hotel pickup and drop-off | No | Make your own way to Malostranská metro station |
| Food, drinks, gratuities | No | Tips are optional and paid on the day |
What You May Pay on the Day
No mandatory extras are stated. The likely day-of costs are a tip for the guide if you thought it was worth it, and anything you drink or eat afterwards in Malá Strana.
If you want to extend the alchemy theme before or after the walk, two museums sit in the same quarter. The Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague at Jánský vršek 8, in the house where Edward Kelley is said to have lived, opens daily 10:00 to 20:00 and charges admission, so check the museum for the current price. The Museum of Prague Ghosts and Legends at Mostecká 18 opens daily 10:00 to 22:00, with admission at 220 CZK basic, 170 CZK reduced and 530 CZK family. Neither is part of the tour.
- Optional tip for the guide, not included in the price
- Food and drinks, not included
- Museum entries are separate and priced by each museum
Sources: Prague City Tourism, Old Town Hall, Historic Centre of Prague on UNESCO
Prague Castle at night. Photo: Lucas Garron, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Route, Stop by Stop
The listing names four story stops in Nový Svět and Malá Strana over 105 minutes, starting at Malostranská metro station. It gives no per-stop durations, so the breakdown below is by theme, not by the clock.
Meeting Point at Malostranská
The walk starts in front of Malostranská metro station, where the guide holds a red umbrella with a white 100 logo. Malostranská sits at the foot of Castle Hill on the Malá Strana side. The listing states no return point or return time.
Nový Svět and the House Protected by a Devil
Nový Svět is a small lane quarter in Hradčany near the castle. The first story theme is the house protected by a devil. The listing does not give the address, so ask your guide to point it out.
Tycho Brahe's Residence
The route passes the residence of Tycho Brahe, the Danish astronomer whom Rudolf II supported. Rudolf moved his court to Prague in 1583 and gathered astronomers and alchemists around him. Brahe died in Prague on 24 October 1601, aged 54.
Kepler recorded that Brahe held back from leaving a banquet out of etiquette and died eleven days after urinary trouble began. Czech and Danish researchers concluded from 2010 to 2012 that mercury levels in his remains were too low for poisoning, so the murder stories do not hold up. Brahe is buried across the river in the Church of Our Lady before Týn.
Edward Kelley's Laboratory Tower
The tower that served as Edward Kelley's alchemy laboratory is the alchemical centrepiece of the walk. Kelley was born in Worcester on 1 August 1555, worked from 1582 to 1589 as the scryer for John Dee, and the two had audiences with Rudolf II at Prague Castle. Rudolf later imprisoned Kelley at Křivoklát Castle in May 1591 and then at Hněvín Castle in Most, where he died in 1597 or 1598.
Kelley is also said to have had his ears cropped as punishment and to have hidden them under a cap.
Streets That Stored Corpses During the Black Death
The last stated theme is the eerie streets that once stored corpses during the Black Death. Malá Strana has its own later plague mark: the Plague Column on Malostranské náměstí was completed in 1715 after the 1713 to 1715 epidemic, the last major plague outbreak in Prague. The guide fills the walk out with ancient folk tales and murder stories shared by locals, which is the storytelling core the listing promises.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing sets honest limits, and several of them are harder than on comparable walks. Read them before booking rather than discovering them at Malostranská.
Fitness, Hills and Stairs
Travellers need at least a moderate level of physical fitness, and the tour is not recommended for people with mobility issues. The listing asks for at least a moderate level of fitness. Wheelchair access is not stated, so assume it is not a step-free walk.
If you need one, the Ghosts and Legends of the Old Town Evening Tour is listed as wheelchair accessible.
Children and the Tone
Children from 0 to 15 are allowed, and specialized infant seats are available. The content is folk tales and real murder stories, told as storytelling. There are no stated jump scares or actors, and no costume is stated for the guide.
If you want theatre, the ghost walk with live ghost characters stages encounters with figures from the legends instead.
Language, Group Size and What Is Not Here
The tour runs in English only, which rules out the German, Italian and other speakers well served elsewhere. Groups go up to 32, the largest alchemy-walk cap on the site, so quiet lanes can feel crowded. No building is entered, there is no underground section and no dungeon.
If you want below-street access, the underground and dungeon ghost tour includes all entry fees in a 70 to 85 minute walk.
Could You Do It Without a Tour?
Yes, in the sense that every stop is a public street you can walk at night for free. The question is what the $20.61 actually adds.
What Is Free Anyway
Nový Svět and Malá Strana cost nothing to wander. The lanes, the Plague Column on Malostranské náměstí from 1715 and the castle-side viewpoints are all public places you can see from the street. If you simply want a night stroll under the castle, go on your own after reading the free round-up of ghost tour Prague.
The Museums You Can Do Alone
The two alchemy-themed museums in this quarter welcome walk-in visitors. The Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague at Jánský vršek 8 opens daily 10:00 to 20:00 and charges admission. The Museum of Prague Ghosts and Legends at Mostecká 18 opens daily 10:00 to 22:00 at 220 CZK basic.
Neither museum is on the walk, so book the tour if you want the area's stories told on the street.
The Tip-based Alternative
GuruWalk lists a tip-based Ghosts and Legends of Prague Old Town tour of 1.5 hours starting at the Powder Gate, and Walkative sells a pay-what-you-wish ghost and legends walk of 1 hour 30 minutes. Both cover the Old Town, not Nový Svět, and neither includes a transport ticket. What the paid guide adds here is the certified storyteller, the specific Kelley and Brahe stories, and a stated group cap of 32.
If that is worth $20.61 to you, book it. If not, walk alone and spend the difference on a museum visit.
How the Night Runs
The listing states no departure time, so the phases below follow the route rather than the clock. Exact start times show when you check availability.
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Meeting point
Malostranská metro station
Meet in front of the station and look for the red umbrella with the white 100 logo. Groups are capped at 32 and the guide is certified.
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First phase
Climb into Nový Svět
The price includes a 30-minute public transport ticket, though the listing does not say where it is used.
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First stop
The house protected by a devil
The guide points out the house the listing calls protected by a devil and tells its story in Nový Svět.
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Next stop
Tycho Brahe's residence
Stand where the imperial mathematician lived. The story includes his death in Prague in 1601 and the modern finding that he was not poisoned.
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Middle of the walk
Edward Kelley's laboratory tower
The tower where the English alchemist worked. Expect the full arc: Worcester, John Dee, audiences with Rudolf II, imprisonment at Křivoklát and death at Most.
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Last phase
Down into Malá Strana
The route drops into Malá Strana for the streets said to have stored corpses during the Black Death, with the plague stories of the quarter.
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Last stop
Folk tales and murder stories
The walk closes with the folk tales and real murder stories from Malá Strana's local history. The listing states no return point.
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After the tour
On your own
Cancellation stays free until 24 hours before departure if your plans change.
Pros and Cons
The honest accounting, from the listing itself and the figures around it.
What we genuinely like
- It is one of the two joint lowest priced alchemy walks on the site at $20.61 per person
- A 5.0 rating from 318 verified Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
- Groups are capped at 32, a stated limit
- A 30-minute public transport ticket is included in the price
- Children 0 to 15 are allowed and infant seats are available
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
The honest downsides
- No building is entered, so in bad weather there is no indoor break at all
- The listing asks for at least a moderate level of fitness and is not recommended for travellers with mobility issues
- English only
- The cap of 32 is the highest among the alchemy and castle walks, so busy nights can feel crowded
- No start time or return point is stated on the listing, so plan your evening around the booking confirmation
Who it's NOT for: Not for anyone who wants buildings, underground chambers or costumed theatre on a ghost tour, or who needs a step-free, non-English or wheelchair-accessible walk.
Questions About This Tour
How much does the Prague Alchemy Legends and Mysteries Walking Tour cost?
$20.61 per person, which ties it with the Mysteries and Alchemy at Prague Castle walk as the joint lowest priced alchemy walk on the site. A 30-minute public transport ticket is included in that figure.
How long does the walk last and when does it start?
It lasts 105 minutes. The listing states no departure time, so available start times show when you check availability.
Where does the tour meet and where does it end?
It meets in front of Malostranská metro station, where the guide holds a red umbrella with a white 100 logo. No return point is stated on the listing.
Does this alchemy walk go inside any buildings or underground?
No. The tour stays on public streets and no entry is included. For below-street access, the underground and dungeon ghost tour includes all entry fees in its ticket.
Is the tour suitable for children and for people with limited mobility?
Children 0 to 15 are allowed and specialized infant seats are available, though the stories include real murders. The walk needs at least moderate fitness and is not recommended for travellers with mobility issues, so consider the wheelchair accessible Old Town evening tour instead.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund, the same 24-hour terms as the 3 hour Alchemy and Mysteries of Prague Castle Walking Tour.
How large are the groups and what language is the tour in?
Groups are capped at 32 travellers and the tour runs in English only. For German, the castle district alchemy walk runs in English too, but several Old Town ghost walks offer German groups.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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