Two couples traveling in eastern Europe decide to visit Karlsbad despite dire local warnings. Left outside the village by a coachman terrified at the approach of night, they find themselves in the local castle and are surprised at the hospitality extended by the sinister Klove. It turns out the owner, Count Dracula, dead for ten years, has been hoping for such a visit.

Dracula: Prince of Darkness continued the legacy of the Hammer Horror franchise and contributed to the continuing popularity of Gothic vampire films during the 1960s. Though not the most famous of the Dracula adaptations, it remains an important part of the Hammer Film series and a staple of British horror cinema.