Located one hour by bus from Prague, one of our favourite experiences we have shared while living in the Czech Republic is the Pilsner Urquell Brewery tour in Pilsen. Awarded the best brewery tour in Europe in 2024, Pilsner Urquell Brewery should be on your must-do list for the Czech Republic.
The company Plzeňský Prazdroj brewed its first batch of Pilsner in 1842 by Josef Groll, now the company offers more than 50 beers. Expect to learn a lot more interesting facts about the historic brand on the tour.
The Pilsner Urquell group run tours not only of Pilsner Urquell but also of Gambrinus Brewery, the Brewery Museum, the Pilsen Underground, Radegast Brewery, and Kozel Brewery. Ensure you pre-book your tickets to the ‘Tour of The Pilsen Brewery – Pilsner Urquell’ for 380kc per adult via their website listed below before you make the journey to Pilsen. Tours are available in Czech, English and German.
https://www.prazdrojvisit.cz/en/tours/
There are two ways to get to the brewery from Prague, one being by train from Prague Main Station to Plzeň hl.n. which will take 1 hour and 30 minutes (179kc per adult) followed by a 5-minute walk to the brewery or you can take a 50-minute bus from Prague Bus Terminal Zličín to Plzeň Divadllo Alfa (150kc per adult) followed by a 20-minute walk. We recommend staying in Pilsen for a few days to explore the whole town, you can check out our Weekend Trip: Three Days in Pilsen post for some ideas.
Upon arrival at the brewery you will pass through the original iconic Jubilee Gateway, built in 1892 to commemorate 50 years of operation of the brewery and now an iconic symbol of the Pilner Urquell brand. Please keep in mind you need to check in for the tour if you have pre-booked ticket so aim to arrive at least 15-minutes before the tour commences.
In the 2-hour guided tour, you will learn the history of Plzeň and Pilsner Urquell, see the modern bottling facility, ride the biggest personal elevator in the Czech Republic, watch a short film, learn about the ingredients and brewing processes used, shown who is involved in the company and how their everyday jobs affect the process, go underground to the original 9-kilometre long brewery cellars, and taste unfiltered and unpasteurised Pilsner Urquell straight from the barrel.
The end of your tour will finish in the gift shop where you can buy souvenirs including, personalised bottles, clothing, and posters amongst many other things.
We also recommend allowing some time (depending on the time of your tour) to have some lunch or dinner and a couple extra beers in the restaurant or bar located within the brewery complex. The two options are Na Spilce Pub for a sit down restaurant experience or Bar Na Spilce which offers Pilsner Urquell on tap as well as some beer snacks. If time allows we recommend visiting the Na Spilce Pub which offers the majority of all the Czech classics to be enjoyed in the former fermentation cellars of the Brewery. Prices are reasonable and the food is all locally sourced resulting in a satisfying and quality meal.