---
title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Zakopane, Poland | Wimup"
description: "Zakopane in ten: Morskie Oko, the Kasprowy Wierch cable car, Krupówki, the thermal pools and the Tatra valleys, with real prices, seasons and transport."
url: https://wimup.com/city/zakopane
type: City guide
updated: 2026-09-07
publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com)
---

# Top 10 Things To Do in Zakopane

Zakopane, Poland · Europe · By Wimup Editorial, 15 min read

Poland's mountain capital sits in a basin under the Tatras, about two hours south of Kraków. It runs on two seasons: skiing and ski jumping from December, hiking and thermal pools the rest of the year. The town is small. The mountains behind it are not.

## Quick answer

Give Zakopane three days. Ride the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch for the ridge view, walk the paved nine kilometres to Morskie Oko, and keep an evening for Krupówki and a bowl of kwaśnica. A fourth day buys either the thermal pools at Chochołów or a flat valley walk through Kościeliska. In winter the trails give way to lift-served slopes and the ski jump at Wielka Krokiew.

## Quick facts

- **Best months:** Jan · Jun · Sep
- **Ideal length:** 3–4 days
- **Budget per day:** $55–100
- **Language:** Polish
- **Getting around:** Buses and walking
- **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.zakopane.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## The 10 best things to do in Zakopane

### 1. Walk the paved road to Morskie Oko

Lake · Palenica Białczańska trailhead, Tatra National Park

The largest lake in the Polish Tatras, 1,395 m up and ringed by the highest peaks on this side of the range. Getting there is nine kilometres of asphalt from Palenica Białczańska, roughly two hours each way, so it is a long day rather than a hard one. Start before eight or queue for the car park.

- **Time:** 5–6 hrs
- **Cost:** 11 zł park entry
- **Best at:** Before 8am
- **Tip:** Buy the e-ticket first

Links: [Website](https://tpn.gov.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 2. Ride the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch

Cable car · Kuźnice lower station, Zakopane

Poland's first aerial tramway, running since 1936, lifts you to 1,987 m in about twenty minutes with a change at Myślenickie Turnie. The summit sits on the Polish and Slovak border ridge, so the view runs both ways. Timed slots sell out in season, so book online rather than joining the Kuźnice queue.

- **Time:** 3–4 hrs
- **Cost:** 99–165 zł return
- **Best at:** First departure
- **Tip:** Book a timed slot

Links: [Website](https://www.pkl.pl/kasprowy-wierch/kolej-linowa-kasprowy-wierch.html?setlang=2&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 3. Walk Krupówki end to end

Street · ul. Krupówki, Zakopane

The pedestrian spine of the town, running from the old church down towards the Gubałówka funicular. It is loud, commercial and unavoidable, and it is also where the oscypek grills, the highland bands and most of the museums are. Walk it once in daylight and once after dark.

- **Time:** 1–2 hrs
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Early evening
- **Tip:** Side streets are quieter

### 4. Take the funicular up Gubałówka

Viewpoint · ul. Na Gubałówkę 1, Zakopane

A 1,298 m track climbs around 300 vertical metres to the 1,126 m ridge in a few minutes, and delivers the postcard view: Giewont dead ahead and the whole Tatra wall behind it. The ridge walk west along the meadow is the part most visitors skip.

- **Time:** 2 hrs
- **Cost:** 44 zł return online
- **Best at:** Clear mornings
- **Tip:** Walk back down

Links: [Website](https://www.pkl.pl/gubalowka/kolej-linowo-terenowa-gubalowka-cennik.html?setlang=2&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 5. Hike the Kościeliska Valley

Valley · Kiry, Kościelisko

Nine kilometres of near-flat limestone valley, the gentlest serious walk in the Polish Tatras and the one families do. Five caves open off it, and the Ornak hut at the head serves kwaśnica. Horse carts cover the first 3.5 km if legs are short.

- **Time:** 4–5 hrs
- **Cost:** 11 zł park entry
- **Best at:** Weekday mornings
- **Tip:** Torch for Mroźna cave

Links: [Website](https://tpn.gov.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 6. Ride the chairlift up Wielka Krokiew

Sports venue · ul. Bronisława Czecha 1, Zakopane

The HS-140 hill named for Stanisław Marusarz has hosted World Cup ski jumping for decades, and a two-section chairlift runs to the top all year. Standing at the inrun explains the noise a full stadium makes in January better than any broadcast does.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Chairlift ticket
- **Best at:** World Cup weekend
- **Tip:** Check the FIS calendar

Links: [Website](https://zakopane.cos.pl/en/375/the-great-krokiew?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 7. Read the graves at Pęksowy Brzyzek

Cemetery · ul. Kościeliska 4, Zakopane

Zakopane's first cemetery, opened in 1851 on land given by Jan Pęksa, and the resting place of the people who made the town: the doctor Tytus Chałubiński, the storyteller Sabała, and generations of mountain guides. The carved wooden markers are folk art in their own right.

- **Time:** 30 min
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Old church is next door

### 8. See where Zakopane Style began at Willa Koliba

Museum · ul. Kościeliska 18, Zakopane

Stanisław Witkiewicz's first building, raised in 1892 and now the Museum of Zakopane Style. It is an argument made in timber: highland carpentry pushed up into a national architecture. The rooms are furnished to his own drawings, down to the chairs.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Weekday
- **Tip:** Willa Oksza is nearby

Links: [Website](https://muzeumtatrzanskie.pl/en/home-en/the-museum-of-zakopane-style-at-villa-koliba/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 9. Soak at Termy Chochołowskie

Thermal baths · Chochołów 400, 34-513 Chochołów

The largest thermal complex in Poland, thirty indoor and outdoor pools running 30 to 38°C, twenty minutes west of town. The outdoor basins facing the Tatras are the reason to come and they are best in falling snow. Weekends and school holidays fill the place.

- **Time:** 3–4 hrs
- **Cost:** Ticketed by time
- **Best at:** Snowy evenings
- **Tip:** Go midweek

Links: [Website](https://www.chocholowskietermy.pl/en/)

### 10. Climb Giewont, weather permitting

Summit · Kuźnice trailhead, Zakopane

The 1,894 m ridge that shapes every view from town, topped by a 15 m iron cross raised in 1901. The blue route from Kuźnice via Hala Kondratowa takes about three hours up, with the final stretch on fixed chains. The cross draws lightning: turn back at the first thunder.

- **Time:** 6–7 hrs
- **Cost:** 11 zł park entry
- **Best at:** Early summer mornings
- **Tip:** Off the ridge by noon

Links: [Website](https://tpn.gov.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best mountain trails around Zakopane

Eight walks off the valley floor, from an hour to a full day above 2,000 m.

1. **Dolina Chochołowska** (9 km · easy · Witów): The longest Tatra valley, and a crocus meadow every April.
2. **Dolina Strążyska** (2 km · easy · Zakopane): An hour from town to the Siklawica waterfall, the local evening walk.
3. **Sarnia Skała** (3 km · moderate · Zakopane): A short rocky climb with the cleanest low-level view of Giewont.
4. **Dolina Gąsienicowa** (5 km · moderate · Kuźnice): The way up to the Murowaniec hut and the gateway to the high peaks.
5. **Dolina Pięciu Stawów Polskich** (Full day · hard · Tatra NP): Five glacial lakes at 1,670 m, the finest bowl in the range.
6. **Rusinowa Polana** (6 km · easy · Palenica): A gentle meadow walk with the whole High Tatra skyline in front of you.
7. **Czerwone Wierchy** (Full day · hard · Tatra NP): A long ridge traverse over four summits above 2,000 m.
8. **Nosal** (2 km · moderate · Kuźnice): Ninety minutes up a rocky spur, straight out of Kuźnice.

## Best ski areas in and around Zakopane

Six lift-served hills, from beginner meadows to slopes homologated for FIS races.

1. **Kasprowy Wierch** (Off-piste · advanced · Kuźnice): Above-treeline bowls at 1,987 m and the longest season in Poland.
2. **Polana Szymoszkowa** (All levels · Zakopane): Wide groomed runs with Giewont straight ahead, minutes from the centre.
3. **Harenda** (6 trails · Zakopane): Six trails including an 800 m FIS run, plus a snow park and ski school.
4. **Nosal** (Night skiing · Kuźnice): Home of the K course, Poland's hardest slalom, and floodlit after dark.
5. **Kotelnica Białczańska** (18 runs · 14 km · Białka Tatrzańska): Eighteen runs totalling 14 km, two of them FIS-certified.
6. **Witów-Ski** (Intermediate · Witów): A 1,000 m intermediate trail on a four-seat chair, rarely queued.

## Best thermal baths near Zakopane

Geothermal water rises all along the Podhale basin. Four complexes tap it.

1. **Termy Chochołowskie** (30 pools · Chochołów): Thirty pools at 30 to 38°C, the largest complex in the country. [Website](https://www.chocholowskietermy.pl/en/)
2. **Termy Bukovina** (20 pools · Bukowina Tatrzańska): Twenty pools drawing water from 2,400 m down, facing the Tatras. [Website](https://www.termybukovina.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Termy Gorący Potok** (21 pools · Szaflary): Twenty-one small outdoor basins at 34 to 40°C, plus mud baths. [Website](https://goracypotok.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Termy Zakopiańskie** (In town · ul. Jagiellońska): The in-town pool at 29 to 32°C, useful on a rained-off afternoon.

## Best mountain huts in the Polish Tatras

PTTK shelters that feed walkers all day, and sleep them if you book far enough ahead.

1. **Murowaniec** (1,500 m · 116 beds · Hala Gąsienicowa): Stone hut at 1,500 m on Hala Gąsienicowa, with 116 beds.
2. **Dolina Pięciu Stawów Polskich** (1,670 m · Tatra NP): The highest hut in the Polish Tatras, at 1,670 m.
3. **Hala Kondratowa** (1,333 m · Kondratowa): The smallest shelter in the park, sitting right under Giewont.
4. **Hala Ornak** (Opened 1949 · Kościeliska): Built in 1949 at the head of the Kościeliska Valley.
5. **Chochołowska** (Papal room · Chochołowska): The big valley hut, with a room kept as it was for John Paul II.
6. **Kalatówki** (Mountain hotel · Kalatówki): A mountain hotel rather than a hut, a short climb above Kuźnice.

## Best restaurants in Zakopane (2026)

Highland karczmas, grilled trout, and the steak house locals name first.

1. **Bąkowo Zohylina Wyźnio** (Highland · mid-range · Zakopane): Wooden chalet, live highland band, pierogi and seasonal rydze mushrooms.
2. **Gazdowo Kuźnia** (Karczma · mid-range · Krupówki): Dark timber, long benches and old skis on the wall, top of Krupówki.
3. **Stek Chałupa** (Grill · mid-range · Krupówki): Charcoal-grilled meat in a wood-clad room, portions built for skiers.
4. **U Wnuka** (Highland · mid-range · Kościeliska): Highland cooking in one of the oldest houses on Kościeliska. [Website](https://uwnuka.com/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Pstrąg Górski** (Fish · mid-range · Krupówki): Mountain trout and house beer, the break from pork and cabbage.
6. **Karczma Zapiecek** (Polish · budget · Krupówki): Straightforward Polish cooking on the main street, open late.
7. **Karczma Przy Młynie** (Karczma · mid-range · Zakopane): Rustic log rooms off the centre, quieter than anything on Krupówki.

## Zakopane Style, building by building

Six houses that show what Witkiewicz made out of highland carpentry.

1. **Willa Koliba** (1892 · museum · Kościeliska): The first Zakopane Style house, 1892, and now the style museum. [Website](https://muzeumtatrzanskie.pl/en/home-en/the-museum-of-zakopane-style-at-villa-koliba/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Willa Pod Jedlami** (Private · exterior · Koziniec): Witkiewicz's grandest private house, seen from the road only.
3. **Jaszczurówka Chapel** (Wooden chapel · Jaszczurówka): A small wooden chapel, the style applied to sacred building.
4. **Willa Oksza** (Art gallery · Zamoyskiego): A Witkiewicz villa turned gallery of twentieth-century Polish art.
5. **Willa Atma** (Composer's house · Kasprusie): Karol Szymanowski lived and wrote here; now a museum to him.
6. **Old Church of St Clement** (Log church · Kościeliska): The log parish church Witkiewicz drew his vocabulary from.

## Best day trips from Zakopane

Six places within two hours, by bus, by car or on a raft.

1. **Kraków** (2 hrs · train · Lesser Poland): Poland's old capital, two hours north by frequent train or bus.
2. **Dunajec Gorge raft ride** (Apr–Oct · 2h15 · Sromowce-Kąty): Pieniny raftsmen pole you 18 km through the limestone gorge. [Website](https://flisacy.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Chochołów** (45 min · bus · Czarny Dunajec): A whole street of nineteenth-century log houses, still lived in.
4. **Nowy Targ** (30 min · bus · Podhale): The Thursday market, the biggest gathering in the Podhale.
5. **Wieliczka Salt Mine** (2 hrs · car · Wieliczka): The medieval salt workings and their carved chapels, south of Kraków.
6. **Bukowina Tatrzańska** (25 min · bus · Podhale): Thermal pools and the best roadside view of the High Tatras.

## Festivals & annual events in Zakopane (2026)

- **FIS Ski Jumping World Cup** (January): World Cup ski jumping at Wielka Krokiew, and the loudest weekend of the Zakopane year.
- **Krokusy in Dolina Chochołowska** (April): The valley meadows turn purple with crocuses for two weeks, and everyone comes.
- **Wiosenny redyk** (May): Shepherds drive the flocks up to the high pastures, which is when oscypek season opens.
- **FIS Summer Grand Prix** (August): Ski jumping on the plastic-matted Wielka Krokiew, the biggest summer round in Poland.
- **International Festival of Highland Folklore** (August): A week of music and dance troupes from mountain cultures worldwide, on Równia Krupowa.
- **Jesienny redyk** (September): The flocks come back down from the pastures, with music and a fair to meet them.
- **Spotkania z Filmem Górskim** (September): Mountain film festival with competition screenings, climber talks and exhibitions.
- **New Year's Eve in town** (31 Dec): Open-air concerts and fireworks in the centre. Rooms book out months in advance.

## Must-try dishes in Zakopane, Poland

- **Oscypek**: Smoked sheep's cheese, grilled and served with cranberry. Made May to September.
- **Kwaśnica**: Sour cabbage soup, usually with smoked ribs or mutton. The regional staple.
- **Moskol**: Potato flatbread cooked on a griddle and eaten with garlic butter.
- **Bundz**: Fresh unsmoked sheep's cheese, mild and soft. Oscypek before the smokehouse.
- **Bryndza podhalańska**: Soft salted sheep's cheese, protected by EU origin status.
- **Żentyca**: The whey left over from cheesemaking, drunk warm and lightly salty.
- **Placki po zbójnicku**: A potato pancake buried under goulash. Lunch for a day on the hill.
- **Pstrąg**: Trout from the Podhale farms, grilled or baked whole.

## Zakopane transport & airports

- **Kraków Airport** (KRK): The nearest airport, about 110 km north. Direct coaches and shuttles reach Zakopane in roughly two and a half hours. [Website](https://www.krakowairport.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Train** (PKP): PKP Intercity runs from Kraków Główny in about two to two and a half hours, into Zakopane station in the centre. [Website](https://www.intercity.pl/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Bus from Kraków** (BUS): Coaches leave Kraków's MDA terminal every half hour and take around two hours ten, traffic on the Zakopianka permitting. [Website](https://www.flixbus.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Local buses** (LOCAL): Minibuses from the bus station serve Kuźnice, Kiry and Palenica Białczańska for the trailheads. The town itself is walkable.

## Zakopane at a glance

- **Country:** Poland
- **Region:** Lesser Poland (Małopolskie)
- **Population:** ~25,000
- **Founded:** 17th c. village
- **Nickname:** Poland's winter capital
- **Language:** Polish, with the Podhale dialect
- **Currency:** Polish złoty (zł)
- **Time zone:** CET · UTC+1
- **Calling code:** +48
- **Airports:** KRK (110 km)
- **Power:** 230V · Type C/E
- **Emergency:** 112 · 601 100 300 mountain rescue

## Interesting facts

- At 750 to 1,000 m above sea level, Zakopane is the highest town in Poland.
- The Kasprowy Wierch cable car opened in 1936 as the country's first aerial tramway.
- Zakopane Style architecture was invented here in 1892, by a painter rather than an architect.
- The 15 m iron cross on Giewont was carried up and raised by townspeople in 1901.
- Wielka Krokiew has been in use since 1925 and now hosts World Cup ski jumping.

## Zakopane travel FAQ

### How many days do you need in Zakopane?

Three days covers it: a cable car day, a valley walk, and an evening in town. A fourth buys either Morskie Oko, which is a full day on its own, or a slow afternoon in the thermal pools. Skiers should plan on four or five.

### When is the best time to visit Zakopane?

Two seasons work. January and February bring reliable snow, the ski jumping World Cup and the thermal pools at their best. June and September bring long daylight, open high trails and far fewer people than the August peak.

### How do you get from Kraków to Zakopane?

PKP Intercity trains run from Kraków Główny in about two to two and a half hours. Coaches from the MDA terminal leave every half hour and take roughly the same, traffic permitting. Both set you down in the centre of town.

### Do you need a ticket for the Tatra National Park?

Yes. Entry is 11 zł standard and 5.50 zł reduced, with a seven-day ticket at 55 zł and free entry for children under seven. Buy the QR ticket on tpn.gov.pl beforehand and walk straight through the gate.

### Is the walk to Morskie Oko worth it?

Yes, as long as you accept that it is nine kilometres of asphalt each way. The road is stroller-friendly and the lake earns the effort, but it is also the busiest trail in Poland. Start before eight, or take a horse cart for the first stretch.

## Nearby guides

- [Košice](https://wimup.com/city/kosice.md): Slovakia · 10 picks
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- [All of Europe →](https://wimup.com/europe): 156 cities

Part of the [Poland guide](https://wimup.com/country/poland.md) · [Europe](https://wimup.com/europe.md)

## Sources

- [Zakopane tourism board](https://www.zakopane.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Walk the paved road to Morskie Oko (official site)](https://tpn.gov.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Ride the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch (official site)](https://www.pkl.pl/kasprowy-wierch/kolej-linowa-kasprowy-wierch.html?setlang=2&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Take the funicular up Gubałówka (official site)](https://www.pkl.pl/gubalowka/kolej-linowo-terenowa-gubalowka-cennik.html?setlang=2&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Ride the chairlift up Wielka Krokiew (official site)](https://zakopane.cos.pl/en/375/the-great-krokiew?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [See where Zakopane Style began at Willa Koliba (official site)](https://muzeumtatrzanskie.pl/en/home-en/the-museum-of-zakopane-style-at-villa-koliba/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Soak at Termy Chochołowskie (official site)](https://www.chocholowskietermy.pl/en/)
- [Termy Bukovina (official site)](https://www.termybukovina.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Termy Gorący Potok (official site)](https://goracypotok.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [U Wnuka (official site)](https://uwnuka.com/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Dunajec Gorge raft ride (official site)](https://flisacy.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Kraków Airport (official site)](https://www.krakowairport.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Train (official site)](https://www.intercity.pl/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Bus from Kraków (official site)](https://www.flixbus.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.