Gubałówka: How Do You Ride the Funicular in Zakopane?

What you get for the effort

The funicular has run since 1938, which makes the ride a small piece of Zakopane history as well as a way up. At the top you get open views over the town, a promenade, cafes and a few extras such as a slide and a ridge walk.

The view is the reason to go. On a cloudy day the Tatras may sit behind cloud, and the trip loses most of its point. Pick a clear morning or afternoon and keep the plan flexible.

Who should skip it

Skip it on a day of low cloud or heavy rain. Skip it too if you hope for a wild summit, because the top has a promenade and cafes. A Zakopane day trip from Krakow adds wider Tatra scenery.

How the ride works

The funicular leaves every 15 minutes. On busy days it runs non-stop once 10 people are on board. Visit Krakow adds that a train with more than ten passengers leaves within five minutes, while a quiet moment can mean a wait of up to 30 minutes.

The PKL operator says the ride takes about 3 minutes. Visit Krakow gives about four minutes each way. Plan for the longer figure.

A return ticket is valid all day, so there is no set time to come back down.

Buying a ticket

You can buy tickets online up to two months ahead, and they arrive by email or text message. Machines and the box office sell the same ride for a little more.

Children up to 4 ride free on the guardian's ticket and prams are not charged. A dog needs its own 5 PLN one-way ticket, a lead and a muzzle.

Funicular prices by ticket type

Online is the cheapest way to ride. Reduced tickets cost less on every line.

Extras and combined tickets

A dog costs 5 PLN one way. A bike or large baggage costs 10 PLN. The Podhale Duet ticket joins a Gubałówka return and a Butorowy Wierch return, is valid for 7 days and costs 49 PLN normal online in the low season. The combined ticket valid on the day of purchase costs 44 PLN normal online in the high season.

A tour that includes the ride usually folds the fare into the tour price. The Krakow day trip with the cable car is listed at $24 per person, and the Gubałówka day trip at $20 per person.

What runs instead

Replacement buses leave the lower station between 9:30 and 19:00. A one-way ticket costs 34 PLN normal and 27 PLN reduced. A return costs 42 PLN normal and 34 PLN reduced.

If you booked a tour that includes the funicular for these days, ask the operator what replaces it before you travel. Both tour titles name the ride.

After the break

From 7 November the Gubałówka Land of Light shows almost 2,000,000 LED lights along the promenade by the upper station. It opens daily from 16:00 during cable car hours. Once the funicular reopens, a late ride lets you see it after dark.

Walk up, ride down

Most people who walk choose to ride the funicular down. A one-way ticket costs 34 PLN normal at the box office in the low season, and a return ticket is valid all day, so you can pay for the ride back only.

In January Zakopane averages a high of -0.2°C and a low of -6.6°C, so a winter climb needs real winter clothes and boots with grip.

On the trail you can add the 40-minute ridge walk from the summit to Butorowy Wierch.

Season and speed

The slide runs from April to November. Late in the season, check on the day that it is open.

The cart reaches up to 23 km per hour. It suits a parent with a child, so a solo adult or a group of friends will find it less useful.

Promenade, cafes and Land of Light

The top has platforms and cafes beside the viewpoint. The Land of Light promenade runs by the upper station and is open daily from 16:00 from 7 November. For a meal, the summit has several places to eat, so choose on the spot.

The chair lift to Butorowy Wierch opened in 1978. A return costs 32 PLN normal and 26 PLN reduced online, and 35 PLN normal at the ticket office in the low season. You can also walk the 40-minute ridge trail instead of riding.

Combine the hill with Chochołów baths

The 11-hour Krakow tour with the cable car and Chochołów baths pairs the ride with a full 3 hours at the thermal baths, plus a tasting of highlander cheese and local vodka. It is the easiest way to turn a short viewpoint stop into a full day.

By time of day and season

A morning ride on a clear day gives the cleanest view. The Land of Light opens at 16:00.

By month, October and November have the fewest wet days, with 11.1 days of 1 mm or more of rain or snow in each. July has the most at 18.5 days, although July also brings the warmest highs of 20.4°C.

A simple decision rule

Clear sky and free time: ride up, then walk to Butorowy Wierch. Cloud with a break forecast: wait and keep the return ticket, which is valid all day. Cloud all day: skip it and spend the time at the thermal baths instead.

Train and bus

The Pendolino from Krakow to Zakopane takes 1 hour 57 minutes. A one-way Koleje Małopolskie ticket costs 26.50 PLN. Szwagropol buses run about 2 hours 10 to 2 hours 15 minutes and a normal one-way fare is 37 PLN.

The lower station address is ul. Droga Zubka 4. Add the funicular closure dates to your plan, because the line is shut from 16 to 27 November.