The Plague Doctor of Prague: 90-Minute Walking Tour

Follow a plague doctor through Prague and emerge knowing why avocados became suspicious.

The Plague Doctor of Prague is a 90-minute guided walking tour through Prague's medieval quarters, led by a guide dressed in authentic 18th-century plague doctor costume complete with beaked mask and leather bag. You'll retrace the footsteps of Alexandr Schamsky, the doctor who stayed to treat patients during Prague's 1713 plague outbreak, visiting St. Agnes Convent and passing Europe's oldest active hospital while learning five competing theories about what caused the plague. The tour includes a tasting of a modern anti-plague pill, a sniff of historic lavender oil, a group photo with your plague doctor, and access to stories the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vogue and Forbes have all featured. Suitable for all ages and fitness levels. Wheelchair accessible throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Clementinum10m
2. St. Agnes Convent15m

Follow the plague doctor's footsteps

• Meet plague doctor at House of the Golden Well
• Explore atmospheric courtyard and learn plague history
• Examine plague types and doctor's costume
• Discover Jewish community's plague survival
• Pass oldest hospital and learn about surgery
• End at 13th century convent with poem

The experience

Meet your plague doctor outside the House of the Golden Well, built in 1715 to mark the end of the plague. The guide arrives in full costume (beaked mask, hooded cloak, leather bag), and spends the first minutes explaining why three litres of garlic beer a day was considered medical wisdom and what the plague saints Sebastian and Rochus were supposed to do about it. You'll learn how Alexandr Schamsky, 28 years old and apparently missing the survival instinct that sent every other doctor out of the city, stayed behind to treat patients and somehow lived to document the chaos.

The route moves through Prague's oldest quarters, passing a courtyard just 20 metres from the tourist crowds that feels like stepping into a different century. You'll hear how the wealthy escaped (they always do), how ordinary families were locked inside their own homes by armed night watchmen, and what separated the bubonic plague from the pneumonic version, including the surprisingly avocado-like appearance of a bubo. At the Clementinum, one of Prague's most atmospheric courtyards, the guide explains how the Jewish community of Prague fared significantly better during the outbreak, a story rooted in hygiene, fresh water access and the dangers of throwing garbage out of windows. You pass by Europe's oldest active hospital and meet another forgotten figure: Celestine Opitz, the surgeon who performed the first successful surgery under full anaesthesia in 1847. The patient woke up, everyone celebrated, and then the patient died, but it was still progress.

The tour closes at St. Agnes Convent, a 13th-century site where Prague's first plague cases were reported. Here you'll taste the anti-plague pill (sugar-based, vegan, much safer than the original), sniff the lavender oil that nobles used to prevent plague and mask a year of not bathing, and learn what ultimately happened to Alexandr Schamsky. The guide finishes with a group photo and a poem that blends medieval and metal band sensibilities. The whole experience runs 90 minutes and requires no advance planning beyond showing up at the meeting point.

What’s included

• A professional, licensed guide in full plague doctor costume who is genuinely enthusiastic about medieval medical disasters.
• 90 minutes of walking through Prague's medieval quarters with stops at the Clementinum, St. Agnes Convent and the area around Europe's oldest active hospital.
• a tasting of the anti-plague pill (sugar-based, vegan, much safer than the original).
• a sniff of historic lavender oil used by nobles to prevent plague.
• a group photo with your plague doctor at the end.
• and the knowledge that you survived, unlike Alexandr Schamsky.

Options for this experience

4 options

Prague's Plague DoctorGuide in English · 16:00, 18:00 and 20:00

Praga's Plague Doctor (in Portuguese)20:00

Plague Doctor in SpanishAvailable from 25 Oct 2027Battle the plague and search for a cure in this tour of The Plague Doctor of Prague.

Der Pestarzt von Prag (in German)16:00 and 18:00Der Pestarzt von Prag (in German)

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 16:00, 18:00 and 20:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (4 to 17 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, German and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Night Watchman of Prague

Is this one for you?The fixed 90-minute route and the guide's full costume are what make this tour work as theater and history at once: you're not reading about plague doctors in a museum, you're walking the actual streets with one, which is why the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vogue and Forbes all covered it. Pick this if you want Prague's medieval story told by someone who has clearly thought about how to make it stick.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

In English, at 16:00, 18:00 and 20:00. In Portuguese, at 20:00. In Spanish. In German, at 16:00 and 18:00.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 17 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is the plague doctor costume the guide wears?

The guide wears a full authentic historical costume including a beaked mask (the famous air filtration system with rather pungent results), a hooded cloak, and a leather bag. You'll see it up close and learn how plague doctors actually dressed and what they thought they were doing.

Who was Alexandr Schamsky and why does this tour follow his footsteps?

Alexandr Schamsky was a 28-year-old doctor who stayed in Prague during the 1713 plague outbreak when most other doctors fled the city. He treated patients, documented the chaos, and somehow survived. The tour retraces his exact route through the medieval quarters and tells his story alongside the broader history of the plague.

What stops does the tour include?

The tour visits the House of the Golden Well (built in 1715 to celebrate the end of the plague), the Clementinum courtyard, the area around Europe's oldest active hospital, and St. Agnes Convent, where Prague's first plague cases were reported. You'll also pass sites connected to the Jewish community's experience during the outbreak and learn about Celestine Opitz, the surgeon who performed the first successful surgery under full anaesthesia.

Is the anti-plague pill safe to taste?

Yes. The anti-plague pill is modern, sugar-based, vegan, and entirely harmless. Nothing like the original medieval versions. It's included as part of the tour experience and you'll taste it at St. Agnes Convent near the end.