Zakopane in Winter from Kraków: What to Do, Day Trip Plans, Thermal Baths

Zakopane in winter works well without skis: you can walk Krupówki, ride the Gubałówka funicular or the Kasprowy Wierch cable car, take a horse-drawn sleigh ride and spend the afternoon in one of the thermal baths in and around town. The town is about 100 km from Kraków, roughly 2 hours by road each way, so a day trip works if you choose one main activity. The simplest option is our private Zakopane day trip with thermal baths: hotel pickup in Kraków, Krupówki, a highland cheese tasting and tickets for the thermal pools, for 850 PLN per person.

Zakopane in winter at a glance

• Getting there: about 100 km and 2 hours by road from Kraków; Szwagropol and Majerbus buses from Kraków MDA take about 2 hours 10 minutes and cost 37 PLN (all options compared).
• Without skis: the Gubałówka funicular costs 42 PLN return at the ticket office and the Kasprowy Wierch cable car 129 PLN return online, both until 18 December 2026.
• Ski passes 2026/27: one day on Tatry Super Ski costs 165 PLN before Christmas and 200 PLN from 25 December 2026 to 6 January 2027; Nosal sells 1-hour cards from 45 PLN.
• Thermal baths: 3 hours at Chochołowskie Termy cost 95 PLN from Monday to Thursday until 24 December 2026; Termy Zakopiańskie close from 16 November to 7 December 2026.
• Morskie Oko: the road is not on the Tatra National Park's (TPN) list of trails closed in winter; TPN advises allowing at least 7 hours, and the road crosses an avalanche gully.
• Key dates: Ski Jumping World Cup on 15-17 January 2027; Polish winter school holidays between 18 January and 28 February 2027; in Lesser Poland, including Kraków and Zakopane, from 15 to 28 February.

Prices and dates were checked with the operators, TPN, FIS and the town on 23 and 24 October 2026.

If you bring your own skis, our private Kraków to Zakopane transfer has room for ski equipment and costs 700 PLN per vehicle for 1 to 3 people or 850 PLN for 4 to 8.

What can you do in Zakopane in winter without skiing?

Without skis, you can build a winter day in Zakopane from one lift, either the 3-minute Gubałówka funicular or the Kasprowy Wierch cable car up to 1,959 m, plus Krupówki and a few hours in the thermal pools.

Gubałówka funicular

The ride takes about 3 minutes and the ticket is valid all day. Until 18 December 2026 a return costs 42 PLN at the ticket office and 37 PLN online (regular), or 34 PLN and 29 PLN reduced; reduced fares apply to children up to 15, students up to 26 and over-65s, among others, and under-4s ride free with an adult. The funicular is closed from 16 to 27 November 2026 and runs from 9:00 to 20:00 from 28 November. From 7 November PKL's calendar also lists Kraina Światła (Land of Light), an evening attraction from 16:00.

Kasprowy Wierch cable car

The cable car leaves from Kuźnice, reached by city bus (no cars). The ride takes 15 to 20 minutes each way, with a change at Myślenickie Turnie; a return Tourpass, which includes the park fee, gives you 1 hour 40 minutes at the top, with a terrace and a restaurant.

• Price: 129 PLN return online (109 PLN reduced) until 18 December 2026, though PKL notes that online prices may vary with the time of the ride; an express Tourpass with a booked time costs 159 PLN at the office in Kuźnice, card only.
• Tickets: online up to 2 hours before the ride, no printing; be at the entrance 20 minutes before your time.
• Hours: in November 2026 (from 7 November) 8:00 to 16:00, last ride up at 14:00; PKL has not yet published hours from December.
• Weather: no service in wind over 20 m/s, in icing or below -28°C; if wind stops it, PKL refunds the Tourpass in full.

Do not walk on from the top in winter without mountain skills: in a text published by TPN, a rescuer of the Tatra Volunteer Rescue Service (TOPR) writes that all trails above the mountain huts require experience, crampons and an ice axe, avalanche equipment and a good knowledge of avalanche danger.

Is Zakopane worth a day trip from Kraków in winter?

Yes, if you choose one main activity. With about 2 hours on the road each way you get roughly 6 hours in Zakopane: enough for Krupówki plus a lift, the thermal pools or a first ski lesson, but not for Morskie Oko plus anything else, because TPN advises at least 7 hours for that walk alone.

Plan 1: with us, Krupówki, cheese tasting and thermal baths

YourKrakow is a Kraków tour company that runs day trips from Kraków with hotel pickup, and private transfers to Zakopane. Sample plan of our Zakopane day trip; exact times are confirmed after booking:

• 8:00 pickup from your hotel in Kraków in a private minivan.
• About 10:00 Zakopane: Krupówki and the Zakopane style of architecture.
• About 11:30 tasting of highland cheeses.
• About 12:30 free time and lunch (at your own cost).
• About 14:00 to 16:00 thermal pools at Chochołowskie Termy, or other baths if needed; tickets included.
• About 16:00 departure; back in Kraków at about 18:00.

Plan 2: on your own by bus, Krupówki and Gubałówka

• 8:00 Majerbus from Kraków MDA bus station (ul. Bosacka 18, next to Kraków Główny); 37 PLN at the ticket office or from the driver, less online.
• 10:10 arrival at Zakopane bus station, next to the railway station.
• 10:15 to 12:00 walk to Krupówki (about 1.3 km, 17 minutes) and the centre.
• 12:00 to 15:30 Gubałówka and lunch; ride down to the centre by about 15:30, before dark (sunset on 21 December 2026 is at 15:43).
• Return: buses to Kraków leave from the same station; check the times with the carrier on the day.

Plan 3: first time on skis

• 8:00 our private transfer (about 2 hours, room for skis) or the Majerbus, with skis in the luggage hold.
• About 10:00 to 10:10 arrival; go to Nosal (ul. Balzera 30) or Polana Szymoszkowa (free parking) and check the lift hours there.
• 4 hours on the slope, finishing before sunset: 115 PLN on Nosal in the low season, plus a refundable 15 PLN card deposit, or 145 PLN on Tatry Super Ski before Christmas.

Check ski hire and lesson prices with your chosen station before you go.

If you would rather not plan buses and tickets yourself, book our private Zakopane day trip with thermal baths: 850 PLN per person, with the private minivan, hotel pickup and drop-off, sightseeing, the cheese tasting and pool tickets included.

Where can beginners and children ski in Zakopane, and how much is a ski pass in 2026/27?

Polana Szymoszkowa and Harenda have conveyor-belt areas for beginners and children, and Nosal sells cards from 1 hour (45 PLN in the low season). A one-day Tatry Super Ski pass for 2026/27, the joint pass for Polana Szymoszkowa, Harenda, Kotelnica Białczańska and other stations, costs 165 PLN before Christmas and 200 PLN from 25 December 2026 to 6 January 2027.

The reduced pass is for children up to their 16th birthday and seniors from 65. Bought online in advance, passes are up to 15% cheaper, and up to 25% for the low season.

Zakopane with kids in winter, without skis

• Sledging and skating: sledging and an ice rink at Harenda; Nosal's sledging garden costs 20 PLN for the first hour and 10 PLN for each further hour.
• Lifts: under-4s ride the PKL lifts free with an adult, under-5s ride free on the sightseeing lift from Polana Szymoszkowa to Gubałówka, and at the top of Kasprowy you can push a buggy between the terrace and the restaurant.
• Pools and park: under-3s go free at Chochołowskie Termy, children up to 104 cm pay 1 PLN at Terma Bania, and under-7s need no national park ticket.

Which thermal baths near Zakopane are open in winter 2026/27?

Of the four thermal baths we checked near Zakopane, Termy Zakopiańskie close from 16 November to 7 December 2026 and Termy Gorący Potok from 1 November to 22 December 2026; none had announced other winter breaks by 24 October 2026. A 3-hour ticket at Chochołowskie Termy costs 95 PLN from Monday to Thursday (price list until 24 December 2026).

Chochołowskie Termy list 52 pools at 32 to 38°C. Our day trip already includes them: see the Zakopane day trip with thermal baths, 850 PLN per person with tickets for Chochołowskie Termy (or other baths if needed), the cheese tasting, sightseeing and hotel pickup in Kraków.

Can you walk to Morskie Oko in winter?

Yes. The road from Palenica Białczańska is not on the list of trails TPN closes from 1 December to 15 May, and TPN advises at least 7 hours: 2.5 hours each way and about 2 hours at the lake. The park can still close trails in particular danger, and the road crosses an avalanche gully, so check TPN's announcements and the TOPR avalanche bulletin on the day.

The walk starts at Palenica Białczańska (990 m), 20 km by road from Zakopane, and climbs about 8 km on an asphalt road to the lake at 1,395 m, where it is on average 5 degrees colder. TPN recommends the loop around the lake only when there is no snow. Park entry costs 11 PLN (5.50 PLN reduced); at Łysa Polana tickets are sold from 7:00 to 15:00 in December and to 14:00 in January and February, and online or by QR code. Dogs are not allowed.

How do you get to Palenica Białczańska in winter?

• Bus: carriers run lines from Zakopane; since 1 January 2026 you buy tickets from the driver.
• TPN electric buses: TPN says they are suspended in winter, and no winter timetable has been published.
• Horse-drawn carriages: they may run all year, but since 1 September 2026 TPN has been testing a shorter route, to Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza (about 2.9 km), and says nothing about winter.
• Car: bought online in advance, TPN's car park costs 36 PLN on weekdays and 49 PLN at weekends from 16 November to 18 December 2026, 55 PLN daily from 19 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, then 45 PLN on weekdays and 55 PLN at weekends until the end of February. Online on the day it costs 10 PLN more, and up to 20 PLN more on busy days, and at the car park 65 to 85 PLN, card only. TPN advises arriving by 8:00; details on TPN's parking page.

Morskie Oko is not part of our thermal baths day trip. Without a car, our private transfer from Kraków costs 700 PLN per vehicle for 1 to 3 people and 850 PLN for 4 to 8 to Zakopane; destinations outside the centre are quoted individually, so ask for a price to Palenica Białczańska.

Avalanches and safety

Just past the Włosienica clearing the road crosses Żleb Żandarmerii, a gully where avalanches often come down; the last big one fell in February 2023. TOPR publishes its bulletin at lawiny.topr.pl on a five-level scale, updated every 24 hours. For the "high" level, TOPR writes: "All trips into high-mountain terrain should be given up. Stay within moderately steep slopes and take into account the reach of avalanches from slopes higher up." Emergency numbers: 985 and 601 100 300.

What is there to see and eat on Krupówki, and where can you go on a sleigh ride?

Krupówki is Zakopane's pedestrian street, about 1.3 km (17 minutes) on foot from the railway station to its lower end. In winter, horse-drawn sleighs run in three valleys of the Tatra National Park, and a kulig, a sleigh ride with torches and a bonfire, is a separate offer from local organisers.

On our day trip you see Krupówki and the Zakopane style of architecture, taste highland cheeses such as oscypek and choose your own place for lunch. According to the town of Zakopane, sleigh rides with a bonfire, singing and regional treats are one of visitors' favourite attractions, and the town names two organisers of torchlit rides, starting from ul. Pardałówka and from Wielka Krokiew. For something quieter, horse-drawn sleighs run in the national park in winter:

• Dolina Kościeliska: from Kiry to Polana Pisana.
• Dolina Bystra: from Kuźnice to the Kalatówki mountain hut, in winter only.
• Dolina Chochołowska: from Siwa Polana to the mountain hut.

TPN does not set the fares, so ask for the price before you get in.

Is there a Christmas market, a New Year's Eve party or ski jumping in Zakopane in 2026/27?

FIS has scheduled the Ski Jumping World Cup in Zakopane for 15-17 January 2027, and Terma Bania sells tickets for a New Year's Eve party on 31 December 2026. A Christmas market and the town's New Year's Eve concert had not been announced by 24 October 2026.

• Christmas: in December 2022 the Polish Press Agency described a market on Plac Niepodległości and a large tree on Krupówki; no market has been announced for 2026 yet. If a market is the reason for your trip, see what is known about the Kraków Christmas market 2026. Szwagropol buses do not run on 25 December.
• New Year's Eve in town: the open-air concert has been held on Równia Krupowa in the centre (2019, 2024 and 2025 announcements); for 2025/26 the town announced a free concert for about 10,000 people with Radio Złote Przeboje. On New Year's Eve 2025 the Gubałówka funicular ran until 1:30.
• New Year's Eve at Terma Bania: 20:00 to 3:00 in the fun and relaxation zones; 299 PLN if bought by 30 November 2026, 369 PLN from 1 December; 199 PLN and 269 PLN for children up to 13.
• World Cup: FIS lists the qualification on 15 January and competitions on 16 and 17 January on the large hill, Wielka Krokiew; start times had not been published by 24 October 2026.

When should you go to Zakopane in winter 2026/27?

To avoid both the Christmas prices and the Polish school holidays, go between 8 and 20 December 2026, between 7 and 17 January 2027 or in March 2027. The second window includes the World Cup weekend (15-17 January), the ski stations have not announced opening dates yet, and last season Nosal closed on 8 March. On average, snow lies in Zakopane on 28 to 30 days a month from December to March (IMGW climate normals 1991-2020).

On the Zakopianka road, the national roads authority GDDKiA counts more cars at weekends and on public holidays than on weekdays and says the short periods without holiday traffic come mainly in November and March. For your days in the city, see Kraków in winter; for clothing, our month-by-month packing guide.

What should you avoid in Zakopane in winter?

Watch the dates, and do not leave tickets until you arrive:

• 16-27 November 2026: Gubałówka, Termy Zakopiańskie and Gorący Potok are all closed at the same time.
• Weekends in the school holidays: GDDKiA counts more cars on the Zakopianka at weekends and on public holidays, and the Kraków region has its holidays from 15 to 28 February 2027.
• Tickets at the window: Gubałówka costs 42 PLN at the ticket office against 37 PLN online. At Kasprowy the ticket office charges the same 129 PLN but sells only the next rides, so buy online for a set time; the express Tourpass with a booked time costs 159 PLN.
• Parking at Palenica paid on the spot: up to 85 PLN, card only, against 36 to 55 PLN online in advance.
• Counting on e-buses or carriages to Morskie Oko: TPN has published no winter plan for either.

What is not announced yet (as of 24 October 2026)

• PKL prices from 19 December 2026 and December hours for Kasprowy Wierch and Gubałówka; the ski season start and day passes on Kasprowy.
• Christmas and school holiday prices at Chochołowskie Termy, Termy Zakopiańskie and Terma Bania; winter prices at Gorący Potok.
• A Christmas market in Zakopane in 2026, the town's New Year's Eve programme and the World Cup start times.
• Opening dates of the ski stations for 2026/27; Kraina Światła dates after 30 November 2026.
• Winter plans for TPN e-buses and carriages to Morskie Oko; the year of the 11 PLN park entry price.
• Full train times from 13 December 2026 and daily winter bus timetables between Kraków and Zakopane.

Sources checked on 23 October 2026 and again, without changes, on 24 October 2026; we will update this article as the operators publish.

Photo: Philippe Salgarolo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.