Day trip to Zakopane - 10 brilliant hints and tips
In Krakow at present, there's a swarm of agencies tempting you with VIP day trips to Zakopane. Individual chauffeurs guiding you to top spots is certainly an attractive stress-free luxury. But hold onto your wallets folks, as these offerings come with a hefty price tag. Also, Zakopane is no one-trick pony with just baths, cable cars, and cheese tastings. So psst, want a budget-friendly tip? Public transport is the unsung hero here, whisking you away to Zakopane at a fraction of the cost of those pricey tours.
Here are some hints and tips to help you if you fancy self guiding yourself to this unique part of Poland.
Getting there
Zakopane is located 110 km (68 miles) from Krakow. In theory this should mean the journey should take no time at all. However, it is important to note that during Polish school holidays, despite great ongoing improvements to the road, it can be very congested on the approach to Zakopane itself. There is one relatively fast train a day, but in my experience, bus is your best option. This link should help you plan and buy tickets.
Be aware, Flixbus is a good option if you book online in advance. If you try to get on it without a prior booking, it is very expensive! The other service buses are great value and outside busy Polish holiday times, you can actually just pay the driver (cash) when you get on.
1. Thermal baths
An increasingly popular attraction for Zakopane day trippers are visits to the thermal baths. There are quite a few to choose from and this link should help you decide where you would like to go.
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2. Easy treks from town
If you fancy getting mountain views, or experiencing alpine environments with very little hassle, the suggestions in this post are all very easily accessible directly from Zakopane town itself. Just click on this link to find out more.
3. Gubalówka Funicular and Market Area
Although mentioned above as a way to access easy walks from town, ascending the Gubalówka Funicular is a great day trip activity in it's own right.
To get to the funicular, you need to walk down the main street which is named Krupówki. At the north western end of the street is a large market area. This is worth worth spending a bit of time in perusing the tat and cheese stalls.
At the far end of the market is the station for the funicular. You can buy a ticket by either using one of the machines, or at one of the ticket windows to the right inside the entrance. Scan your ticket and wait for the funicular on the neighbouring platform.
The journey upwards only takes a few minutes, but is accompanied with a recorded commentary in Polish and English and an increasingly stunning panoramic view. At the top there are viewing areas, bars, restaurants, tat stalls, a toboggan run, high ropes and much more.
From the top of the funicular another option is to walk westwards along a narrow road sandwiched between tat stalls. Eventually this leads you into more open views over meadows to the dramatic jagged Tatra peaks. There a few wooden villa style restaurants, some with lovely terraces to admire the views whilst you eat or sip on a cold beer.
Instead of retracing your route back to the funicular, there are two cable cars that you can hop on to descend. One us at Polana Szymoszkowa (which is a ski area in winter). Click on this link for prices.
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| Polana Szymoszkowa chairlift |
The other chairlift is further along the road at Butorowy Wierch. You can buy a combined ticket to use on this when you buy your funicular ticket. Click here for costs.
4. Dramatic Cable Car Mountain Experience!
On social media sites, prospective visitors to Zakopane often get confused between the cable car and funicular. So lets be really clear here, they are both very different entities located in totally different areas!
The cable car is a proper alpine affair which whisks you to the top of Kasprowy Wierch mountain in the heart of the dramatic jagged peaks of the Tatra Mountains. To access it, you need to catch one of the many minibuses or local service buses From Zakopane to the nearby village of Kuźnice. Fear not though, this is very easily done. Click on this link to find out more on arranging your own exciting, alpine cable car experience.
5. Skiing
In winter there are a few options for skiing in Zakopane. Be warned though that the ski areas are not interconnected as they would be in the Alps. However, there are a variety of options for all abilities that are perfectly doable as a day trip from Krakow (as long as you are prepared to get up early).
6. Snowmobiles
Another winter activity for intrepid day trippers to Zakopane is to go on a snowmobile safari. There are a variety of companies offering this, with a whole selection of tour lengths and times available. One of the oldest and most established companies offering these is Snowdoo.
7. Shopping, eating and drinking
For people who prefer more sedentary activities, Krupówki Street provides plenty to keep you occupied. Click on this link to find out more.
8. Walk to and explore a cave from the main streetFirstly, for this activity make sure you have a torch! If you don't have one, you can pick up a head torch from one of the outdoor shops on Krupówki Street, or get a cheapie from the market at the bottom of the street. Jaskinia Dziura or "Hole Cave" is a 45 minute walk from Krupówki and is located in a pretty gorge named "Ku Dziurze" which is less frequented by visitors. To get there just walk up Jozefa Pilsudskiego Street from Krupówki to the ski jumping area. At the large ski jump, go right and follow the black trail named Droga Pod Reglami. It crosses the Dolina Białego entrance and skirts along the treeline. The blue trail entrance to Ku Dziurze gorge will eventually appear on your left. Proceed up the valley all the way to the cave. You can't miss it as it is located at the end of the trail. It is possible to walk into the cave a few metres without a torch (like I did). However, to get the full experience, carry a torch further in to marvel at the 40 metre high, 175 metre long geological wonder. In winter, a hole in the cave roof near the entrance forms some pretty impressive icicle formations.       9. Morskie Oko, to go or not to go? Day trek to Morskie Oko Morskie Oko is a legend in Poland. It is a "pilgrimage", especially after it being a favourite of John Paul 2. Sooooooo, please be aware, this is a beautiful place. but is totally swarmed with visitors. To give you an idea of how swarmed, in the height of summer you can expect at least 10,000 visitors a day to be on the trail with you. That said, away from the busy season, you can certainly enjoy a walk into a dramatic mountain environment with no difficulty and enjoy having a beer, coffee or refreshments to reward your trek overlooking an amphitheatre of mountains around a beautiful lake, but......... you will never be in solitude.
This is a totally easy walk as it is actually on an asphalt road all the way. In winter, compacted snow on the road makes it very slippy, so perhaps think about micro spikes or grips for your footwear at that time of year. If you are pooped, and feel you can't manage the walk, fear not, for a hefty price you can jump on a horse and carriage to transport you there and back. BUT, at the moment there is an ongoing controversy about this with animal rights groups - but that is something for your own conscience/versus local traditions. To get there could not be easier. There are endless minibuses from the main bus station that will go. They even shout out for customers! Cost is currently 15zl each way. To get back, there are always minibuses shouting for trade at the end of the trail car park and will move off when full. Factor this in as a whole day venture. It is around one and half hours for the minibus trip there and back, 4 hours trekking and whatever time you spend at the lake. If you want a peaceful easy walk into the Tatra mountains with dramatic views, few people but no hut or lake at the end, an alternative, right next to Morskie Oko is the Bielovodská Dolina, 10. Bielovodská Dolina I am two minds about recommending this valley as it really is a area of true, peaceful paradise. Being selfish, I would hate to see this destroyed. On the other hand, it would be wrong to allow visitors to the Tatras not to truly experience how totally beautiful this mountain area is.
 So, guys, this is THE valley to go to. It is actually in Slovakia, but pretty much runs parallel with the Polish border. To access it is very easy. Just jump on one of the twenty million Morskie Oko minibuses that depart from outside the main train station in Zakopane, but ask to be dropped off at Łysa Polana. This is the old Polish/Slovakian border crossing, but is now unmanned. (pronounced Lisa Polana)      Jump off the minibus at the old border crossing at Lysa Polana, cross the river, and then follow the blue trail dirt track immediately on your right after the bridge. Be aware, Slovakia closes its valleys to tourists from November to early June to allow peace for the wildlife. However, you can still walk to an excellent meadow viewpoint (the Bielovodská Polana) all year round in this valley. In summer, keep walking and absorb true soul inspiring tranquillity by gushing, crystal clear rivers and views of dark, menacing mountains. Oh yes, bears are active here and if you don't see one, you will see their poo!  Bielovodská dolina   Gushing crystal clear mountain rivers, Bielovodská dolina   Like this post? Don't forget to click the "Share" button. :) You may also like these pages - |
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