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Things to Do in Zakopane: What Should You Not Miss?
The top things to do in Zakopane are the Kasprowy Wierch cable car to 1,987 m, the Gubałówka funicular, a walk to Morskie Oko, a soak in the thermal baths and an evening on Krupówki Street. This guide gives the time, cost and booking route for each one, plus what is shut right now.
Quick answer The short list of what to do in Zakopane
Ride the Kasprowy Wierch cable car to 1,987 m, take the 3-minute Gubałówka funicular, walk the 8 km road to Morskie Oko and finish in a thermal bath. Pick by weather: lifts and lakes on clear days, baths and museums on wet ones.
Key takeaways
- Short on time? The 11-hour Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka from Krakow covers the cable car, the baths and a cheese tasting in one day.
- Going to the lake? Zakopane: Morskie Oko Trailhead Transfer and Tatra Park Ticket handles the 20 km trip from Zakopane to the trailhead.
- Lifts and baths close for inspection in autumn, so check the closures below before you plan.
- Staying a few days? Start from the zakopane tours list and add the picks you like.
What not to miss in Zakopane?
Miss the Kasprowy Wierch cable car, the Gubałówka viewpoint, Morskie Oko and a thermal bath last, and Krupówki Street at any time of day.
The table puts the core places side by side so you can match them to your weather and your hours.
The seven picks side by side
Costs are the venues' own prices.
| Pick | Time needed | Best weather | Cost (official list) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kasprowy Wierch cable car | About 20 minutes up, 1 hour 40 minutes at the top on a return Tourpass | Clear and calm, no strong wind | 129 PLN return, low season, online |
| Gubałówka funicular | About 3 minutes each way | Clear for the Tatra view | 37 PLN return, low season, online |
| Morskie Oko | 7 hours door to door | Dry and cold-proof | 11 PLN park ticket |
| Thermal baths | 3 hours is the usual ticket | Rain, snow, evenings | From 95 PLN at Chochołowskie Termy on weekdays |
| Krupówki Street | 1 to 2 hours | Any, best in the evening | Free to walk |
| Tatra Museum and Villa Koliba | 1 to 2 hours | Rain | 26 PLN and 25 PLN |
| Wielka Krokiew ski jump | A short look from outside | Any | Ask the operator |
Which one first?
On a clear morning go up first, because the lifts can stop in wind. Keep baths, museums and Krupówki for the afternoon, the evening or any wet day.
Sources: PKL, PKL Gubałówka, Tatra National Park, Chochołowskie Termy, Tatra Museum.
The Jaszczurówka chapel in Zakopane in early spring. Photo: Jakub T. Jankiewicz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Is the Kasprowy Wierch cable car worth it and how do you book it?
Yes on a clear day, and book an online time slot so you skip the queue at the Kuźnice ticket office.
The top station stands at 1,987 m, and the ride takes about 20 minutes with one change at Myślenickie Turnie.
Price, slots and park entry
The PKL price list shows an online return ticket at 129 PLN normal and 109 PLN reduced in the low season, and the price varies by the hour you choose. Early morning slots are cheaper and quieter. The ticket also counts as a Tatra National Park entry ticket, so you do not buy a second one for this trip.
A return Tourpass gives you 1 hour 40 minutes at the top. Arrive 20 minutes before your slot.
When it does not run
The cable car can stop in strong wind, and a Tourpass can be returned for a full refund if wind stops the car. It closes for maintenance in spring and autumn, so check pkl.pl before you go. On the day of the latest report the summit had 17 cm of snow and the ski runs were closed.
TPN also reports avalanche danger in the Tatras and advises crampons and trekking poles on the trails.
Sources: PKL, PKL, Tatra National Park.
Tours That Fit
Two ways to see the cable car and the Tatra trailhead without driving yourself.
from $24
Most reviewed
Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka
Funicular, 3-hour baths ticket and cheese and vodka tasting all included, with 2 hours free in Zakopane.
Check Availability
from $30
From Zakopane
Zakopane: Morskie Oko Trailhead Transfer and Tatra Park Ticket
Transfer plus the Tatra park ticket with a fast pass, so you skip the queue and walk the 8 km trail yourself.
Check AvailabilityIs the Gubałówka funicular open right now?
No, the funicular is closed for inspection from 16 to 27 November, and replacement buses run from the lower station.
Gubałówka stands at 1,123 m and the funicular ride takes about 3 minutes, with a departure every 15 minutes.
Cost and closures
In the low season PKL lists an online return at 37 PLN normal and 29 PLN reduced. The return ticket is valid all day, so there is no set return time. Children up to 4 ride free.
During the inspection a replacement bus runs from the lower station between 9:30 and 19:00 at 34 PLN one way for a normal ticket.
Why go up in the evening
The Gubałówka Land of Light shows almost 2,000,000 LED lights by the upper station promenade. It opens daily from 16:00 during cable car hours. Restaurants at the top serve coffee and snacks.
Sources: PKL Gubałówka, PKL Gubałówka, PKL.
How do you get to Morskie Oko right now?
Park or ride to Palenica Białczańska, then walk the 8 km asphalt road, because the park e-buses are suspended and horse carts now stop early.
The trailhead is more than 20 km from Zakopane. TPN advises at least 7 hours for the trip, which is 2.5 hours each way plus about 2 hours at the hut or around the lake.
What changed this season
Since 1 September horse-drawn carts run only from Palenica Białczańska to Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza, about 2.9 km, instead of all the way to Włosienica. The park e-buses have been suspended until further notice since 14 November because of snow on the road. The road to the lake is asphalt, about 8 km, so the walk is easy underfoot but long.
A park entry ticket costs 11 PLN normal and 5.50 PLN reduced. Drones and dogs are banned.
Parking and the easy way
Palenica parking needs an online e-ticket, from 36 to 75 PLN depending on season, free spaces and how early you buy, and it costs 10 PLN more on the day. TPN recommends arriving before 8:00. If you would rather not drive, Zakopane: Morskie Oko Trailhead Transfer and Tatra Park Ticket at $30 per person covers the transfer to the trailhead and the park ticket for 6 hours.
Sources: Tatra National Park, Tatra National Park, Tatra National Park, Tatra National Park.
Which thermal baths in Zakopane are worth a visit?
Chochołowskie Termy is the biggest and has the cheapest weekday ticket, while Termy Zakopiańskie in town is closed until it reopens on 8 December.
A bath is the best answer to rain and cold. Pick by distance and by what is open.
The baths compared
Prices are each venue's own low-season list unless noted, for an adult.
| Baths | Opening hours | Adult ticket | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chochołowskie Termy | 9:00 to 22:00 Sunday to Thursday, to 23:00 Friday and Saturday | 95 PLN for 3 hours Monday to Thursday | Almost 4,500 m2 of water, 32 to 38 degrees |
| Termy Bukovina | 9:00 to 22:00 daily | 89 PLN for 3.5 hours Monday to Thursday | Water 30 to 38 degrees |
| Terma Bania, Białka Tatrzańska | 9:00 to 22:00 | From 73 PLN online for 2.5 hours | 15 pool basins and slides over 300 m |
| Termy Zakopiańskie | 9:00 to 22:00 | From 79 PLN online for 2.5 hours, high-season list | Closed 16 November to 7 December |
How to choose
The Krakow tour Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka includes a stop there, at $24 per person. Overtime costs 0.50 PLN per minute there.
Sources: Chochołowskie Termy, Termy Bukovina, Terma Bania, Aquapark Zakopane.
What can you do in Zakopane on a rainy day, in the evening or with kids?
Go to a museum or a bath when it rains, to Krupówki or the Land of Light in the evening, and to the funicular and the baths with kids.
Zakopane gets rain or snow on 11 to 18 days a month.
Museums and culture
The Tatra Museum main building is open Wednesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 and charges 26 PLN normal. Villa Koliba, built in 1892 to 1893 as the first building in the Zakopane Style by Stanisław Witkiewicz, charges 25 PLN normal and is free on Thursdays for the permanent exhibitions. A weekly combined museum ticket costs 69 PLN normal.
The museum sells no tickets online.
Evenings and families
Krupówki is a pedestrian street about 1 km long with shops, restaurants and bars, and it fills up in the evening. Wielka Krokiew is Poland's biggest ski jumping hill. For young kids, the 3-minute funicular and a pool day need no hiking.
Family tickets exist at the baths, for example 195 PLN for 2 adults and 1 child on weekdays at Chochołowskie Termy.
Sources: Tatra Museum, Tatra Museum, Chochołowskie Termy.
How many days in Zakopane is enough?
One day is enough for the cable car and the baths on a tour, and two to three days let you add Morskie Oko and the town.
The train from Krakow takes 1 hour 57 minutes on the Pendolino and the Szwagropol bus about 2 hours 10 minutes, so a day trip is realistic.
One day, two days, three days
With one day, take Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka from Krakow at $24 per person for 11 hours. With two days, add Morskie Oko, which needs about 7 hours alone. With three, add the baths and a museum.
The Koleje Małopolskie ticket from Krakow costs 26.50 PLN one way and the Szwagropol bus 37 PLN, both from the operators' own lists. Book the train in advance, because seats sell out.
Sources: PKP Intercity, Koleje Małopolskie, Szwagropol.
What is Zakopane famous for?
Zakopane is famous for the Tatra Mountains, the Zakopane Style of wooden architecture, ski jumping and highland food and culture.
The town received town rights in 1933.
Four things that define it
The Zakopane Style began with Stanisław Witkiewicz and Villa Koliba. Wielka Krokiew hosts international ski jumping competitions. The Tatras start at the edge of town, with the cable car to 1,987 m.
The highland cheese tasting is part of Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka. See all trips at zakopane tours.
Source: Tatra Museum.
The Old Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa and St Clement in Zakopane. Photo: Hanna Ozimek, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, via Wikimedia Commons
Zakopane Things to Do: Quick Answers
Is Zakopane worth visiting?
Yes if you come for the Tatras rather than the town. The cable car, the lake and the baths carry the trip, see zakopane tours for ways to do them.
Things to do in Zakopane with kids
The 3-minute Gubałówka funicular, the Land of Light and the baths suit kids, and children up to 4 ride free, as on the Gubałówka funicular.
Things to do in Zakopane at night
Walk Krupówki, or go up to the Gubałówka Land of Light, open from 16:00 during cable car hours, as the PKL announcement says.
Things to do in Zakopane in December
December averages a high of 0.9°C and a low of -5.1°C, so plan baths and museums. Termy Zakopiańskie reopens on 8 December, see the baths price list.
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