Punkva Caves boat ride: what to expect

The route in order

You enter from the canyon of Pustý Žleb through an artificial tunnel into the Front Dome, where a four-metre stalactite called the Guard stands near a bridge. From the bridge you see the Salm Column, the largest stalagnate in the caves, and the Mirror Lake at the back of the dome. The tour crosses a siphon, climbs long stairs into the Reichenbach Dome and passes through the Stalagmite Passage to the Back Dome. You then go down into the chamber called the Dome at the Angel, and on through a tunnel to the floor of the Macocha Abyss. Named formations on the way include the Two Owls, the Castle on the Rock and a two-metre column called the Turkish Minaret.

Standing on the floor of the abyss

The abyss walls rise 138.5 metres above the floor, which is lit by daylight. Under the pavement you can see two small lakes. The upper one is about 13 metres deep and the lower one, which the Punkva river sinks through, is about 49 metres deep according to dives in 2000. A guide tells the legend of the stepmother who gave the abyss its name. The floor has been part of a visit since 1914. From here the passage leads on to the docks where the boat ride starts. The abyss is part of the same cave system as the tour, so you arrive at the bottom from underground, not by climbing down from the forest above.

Read next: The Macocha Legend & Its Two Viewing Bridges

The boat ride

The first stretch goes along a blind arm of the Punkva past tall chimneys in the rock to a spot called the Forty. There the river rises from a passage deep underwater, and the boat carries on along the active stream. You pass the Rock Bridges, lit under the water, and sail across the Fairy-tale Lakes. On the way back the boat goes through a low tunnel lit by daylight, to the spring of the Punkva. Follow the boatman's instructions and keep your hands inside the boat. Photos are not allowed during the boat ride.

When the water is high

The standard route does not run at every water level. When the water level is raised, the cave administration runs a shortened boat trip, which covers 1,550 metres in about 70 minutes. When the level is too high, the tour runs without the boat at all, covering 1,100 metres in about 55 minutes, at a reduced ticket price. The administration lists these versions on its tour page. If the boat is the reason you are coming, ask the ticket office on the day about the water level, and allow for a change.

What to wear and bring

Inside the caves the air is 7 to 8 degrees Celsius with relative humidity of about 99 percent, whatever the season outside. The visiting rules recommend warm clothing. Wear shoes you can climb stairs in, because the route includes long stairways and narrow spaces. You may not carry bulky packages, sports equipment, walking sticks, umbrellas or tripods into the caves, and smoking, drinking and eating are forbidden. Leave large items in your car, and bring only what you can carry easily.

Photos and the rules that matter

You may take photos on the dry part of the tour for personal use, without flash, tripod or selfie stick. Photography is not allowed on the boat, and commercial use of photos and video needs the cave administration's permission. Stay with the group and follow your guide, especially on stairs and in low spaces. Never touch the stalactites and stalagmites, because serious damage can lead to criminal proceedings. Entry is forbidden to anyone under the influence of alcohol and to unaccompanied persons. Dogs and other animals are not allowed, with no exceptions.

Children, strollers and wheelchairs

The visiting rules advise against bringing children under 3 because of the cold, the damp and the demanding route. Children under 10 must be with a parent or other responsible adult. Strollers cannot be used on the tour at all. Wheelchair users can visit only the dry route to the floor of the abyss and back, a round trip of 930 metres, with an incline of up to 16 percent. That needs an able-bodied companion and a reservation for the first or last tour of the day. The road train and the cable car outside are barrier-free.

Read next: Punkva Caves tickets: how to book

When to go

The caves are open all year, but the hours change with the month and the day of the week. The first and last tour times follow the opening hours. On the official timetable the caves are closed on Mondays from October to March, and the opening hours are shortest in winter. In the main season, from April to October, most tours sell out in advance, so reserve ahead. The administration also recommends pre-booking for weekends all year, not only in summer. The temperature underground is the same in every month.

The exclusive tour and the Masaryk Dome

From April to October the cave administration also sells an exclusive tour, an extended route that takes about 60 minutes. On it the boat stops at the underground landing, and you step ashore and walk through the Beaver Hall, where Professor Absolon found the bones of Pleistocene beavers, into the Masaryk Dome. The dome was found when ceilings were blasted in 1920 and still holds many soda straws and stick-shaped dripstones. The dominant formation is a large, lit stalagnate called the Hus Column. After that you return to the boat for the low tunnel lit by daylight.

Seeing the abyss from above

The abyss is 174 by 76 metres across and 138.5 metres deep to the surface of the Dolní Lake, and divers have followed it down to a total depth of 187.5 metres. You can look into it from two viewing platforms reached from the tourist chalet by the rim, and from the floor on the cave tour. The name comes from the Czech word macecha, meaning stepmother. Wikipedia calls it the deepest sinkhole of its light-hole type in Central Europe.

Who this isn't for

If you use a wheelchair and want the boat, the Punkva tour cannot offer it, because the boat route is not accessible. If you travel with a stroller or a dog, you will need someone to stay outside. If stairs, low ceilings or cold air are a problem for you, think twice, because the route has all three. And if you want to linger, remember that the tour is about an hour, led by a guide, and you cannot leave the group.