The cruise to check first
Prague's cruise piers are strung along the right bank of the Vltava, and from the road above they look alike: a ramp or steps down to the water, a kiosk, a boat. The embankment name alone will not get you to the right one. The pier number will.
Below is what each voucher and each operator says about finding the boat. None of the operators we checked names a tram or metro stop for its pier, so we do not either. Use the map link or coordinates on your booking.
1Pier 17, Dvořák embankment: the big 1-hour cruise
The address on the voucher is Dvořákovo nábřeží near Štefánik Bridge, Pier No. 17, Prague 1. The operator describes it as the pier adjacent to Štefánik Bridge, and the cruise ends where it starts.
Arrive 15 minutes before your sailing. The voucher gives the boat's name, Classic River, and that is the quickest way to confirm you are in the right queue. Bring headphones: the commentary plays on your own phone.
If you use a wheelchair or a pushchair, the operator says it must be foldable and that there are stairs to manage, alone or with staff help. Say so when you book, as Civitatis asks.
2Pier 16, Dvořák embankment: vintage boat and dinner cruise
Pier 16 is the neighbouring mooring. The operator, River Boats Prague, writes its address as Nábřeží Na Františku / Dvořákovo nábřeží, Mooring 16, under Štefánik Bridge. Na Františku is the name of this end of the riverbank, so both names point to the same place.
For the vintage boat the voucher asks for 10 minutes' margin. For the dinner cruise it asks for at least 20. In both cases the local team may phone to reconfirm, and the voucher asks you to keep your phone available.
Neither cruise from this pier is listed as wheelchair accessible.
3Rašín embankment: the zoo boat
The zoo boat does not leave from the Dvořák embankment. The voucher sends you to Office 2 at the Rašín pier, Rašínovo nábřeží 76, in the New Town. The operator, Prague Steamboat Company, describes the spot as between Jirásek Bridge and Palacký Bridge, Pier 2.
Arrive 15 minutes before departure. Sailings are at 9 am, 12 pm and 3:30 pm, and the return boats leave Císařský Island at 10:30 am, 1:30 pm and 5:15 pm. Miss the 5:15 pm and you are finding your own way back.
The audio guide for this boat is online, so you need mobile data as well as headphones.
4What goes wrong
The most common mistake is the wrong pier on the right embankment. Piers 16 and 17 are run by different companies, and other operators board further along the same riverbank towards Čech Bridge. A ticket for one boat is not valid on another. Match the pier number and, for Pier 17, the boat name.
The second is the wrong embankment altogether. Going by the coordinates in the listings, the Rašín pier is roughly 2 km south of Štefánik Bridge. If you booked the zoo boat, do not head for the Dvořák embankment out of habit.
None of these cruises boards at Kampa or at the foot of Charles Bridge. If someone at those piers offers you a boat, it is a different product from the ones on this page.
Boarding points at a glance
| Cruise | Pier |
|---|---|
| Prague river cruise (1 hour) | Dvořákovo nábřeží, Pier 17 (Štefánikův most) · Open pier on the map |
| Prague vintage boat ride (1927 boat) | Dvořákovo nábřeží / Na Františku, Pier 16 (Štefánikův most) · Open pier on the map |
| Prague dinner cruise (2 hours) | Dvořákovo nábřeží / Na Františku, Pier 16 (Štefánikův most) · Open pier on the map |
| Boat trip to Prague Zoo with ticket | Rašínovo nábřeží, Pier 2 (Jiráskův most / Palackého most) · Open pier on the map |