After arriving in Southern Poland, we headed straight for the mountains to go hiking in Zakopane. This is the type of town where everyone is outdoorsy and adventurous during the day, while at night you can head to one of the many local restaurants for a massive plate of food and cold beer. The crisp summer air of the Tatra Mountains in Poland makes for the perfect hiking weather! In this post, we’ll break down the best hikes in Zakopane, how to get to the famous Kasprowy Wierch, and much more!
Getting to Zakopane from Krakow
Zakopane is a small town set under the Tatra Mountains in Poland in the southern part of the country. Traveling to Zakopane from Krakow is the most common route, as it’s the closest major city.
We always find great flight deals using Skyscanner and Kayak between the major cities of Europe. You can also compare prices for rental cars if you’d prefer to drive from Krakow.
Whether you’re driving yourself or taking the bus, expect delays with so much traffic coming in and out on the tight country roads. Major bus companies such as Flixbus run multiple times a day ($10-15 USD one way) and take a little over two hours. However, if you go to the bus terminal and book directly with a Polish company, you will pay almost half the price!
The train actually takes longer at three and a half hours and only does select routes per day. No matter the time, it’s still a very cheap way to get to Zakopane from Krakow. This is actually said to be one of the most beautiful train rides in all of Poland.
Be sure to check out our favorite things to do in Krakow if you’re heading to the big city first. We also wrote a guide to the best food in Krakow to check out before your trip.
Quick Tips For Hiking in Zakopane
The main town is small and lively, with a long pedestrian walking street called Krupowki. Here you’ll find many great restaurants, bars, and retail shops with hiking and skiing gear.
Know that Zakopane is packed from morning to night! Everyone is dressed like they’re about to climb a massive mountain or just have come back from doing so.
You may not have heard of Zakopane, but you’ll see it’s VERY touristy. Even so, we were surprised to find out the majority of travelers were actually Polish. Many were visitors who came with their friends and families to do some of the best hikes in Zakopane.
Keep in mind, Zakopane is also Poland’s biggest ski resort. The town is perfect to visit in the winter or summer! You have to travel by shuttle or car 15-30 minutes to the start of the trails. All of the Zakopane hikes can be reached easily from town.
You can book your Zakopane Cable Car tickets online here or at any of the tourist hubs around town. Just remember they sell out fast, and there’s a huge line if you show up without a ticket.
Where to Stay in Zakopane Poland
Ultra Luxury – Aries Hotel & SPA – This high end hotel is every ski fanatic or hiker’s dream with cozy rooms and a luxury cabin feel. It’s close to Zakopane’s walking street. When you’re not out exploring you can swim in the indoor pool, or hit the spa and hot tubs.
Fun Vacation – Hotel Aquarion – Zakopane is all about hiking in the summer and hitting the slopes in the winter. So what better way to relax after a long day than at a hotel connected to the town’s water park? Aquarion features modern rooms, on-site spa with Turkish baths, and is a quick walk to the hiking/ski shuttles.
Hostel Life – MTB Hostel – Just a short bus ride from town, MTB Hostel is in a large home surrounded by nature. Spacious rooms, kitchen, winter sauna, and sun terrace are all available. It’s also a great base for hiking, skiing, or mountain biking if you’re going to Zakopane from Krakow.
Shuttle Bus to the Zakopane Hikes & Cable Car
It doesn’t matter if you have a car or not. If you want to go to the Zakopane Cable Car and hike any of the trails at Kasprowy Wierch, you’ll need to take the shuttle from Zakopane or walk.
There isn’t a ton of parking like there is for the popular Morskie Oko hike, but shuttles run constantly all day and only cost 3 Zloty each way. The shuttle starts at the main bus station in Zakopane and then travels along the main road picking up people at different stops throughout town.
As you’ll see when you get there, there are so many fun trails to experience from town. Read our complete guide toHiking Morskie Oko in Zakopane if you plan to do this one as well.
Starting the Beautiful Kasprowy Wierch Hike
Over the course of 6 hours with a break for lunch (and lots of photos stops) we hiked over 10 miles at Kasprowy Wierch. This was hands down our favorite hike we did in Poland, as well as the most physical.
Long story short, on the day we wanted to do the Kasprowy Wierch hike, the cable car tickets were sold out. We had originally planned to take it up and then spend our time hiking down one of the many beautiful trails that cut through the Tatra Mountains in Poland. In the end, hiking up was more challenging, but worth every step!
Our Kasprowy Wierch Route
- Start at the Bottom of Kuznice
- Hike Towards Dolina Gąsienicowa
- Detour to Czarny Staw Gasienicowy
- Complete the Long Final Climb to the Top of Kasprowy Wierch
On Top of Kasprowy Wierch in Poland
After the long climb and final push to the top, we stared out over the peaks on the dividing line between Poland and Slovakia. If you didn’t know, the tremendous Tatra Mountains create a natural border between the two countries!
The views are stunning from here and you can see a dozen Zakopane hikes that cut down on both sides. Remember that both Poland and Slovakia are part of the Schengen Area, so you’re free to hike between them without a passport check.
When you see how incerdible the views are it will be hard not to want to continue onto more of the best hikes in Zakopane. However, the weather had a different plan for us!
After only ten minutes of being at the top of the Kasprowy Wierch hike, a massive fog cloud rolled in making it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of us. We waited for several minutes, but then headed towards the Zakopane Cable Car with no signs of it getting better.
Riding the Zakopane Cable Car
On the day we decided to do the Kasprowy Wierch hike we were disappointed that the Zakopane Cable Car was sold out. We had originally planned to take it up and then hike the way down.
Luckily, we got a great tip from the women at the information center! She told us to buy a one-way ticket for the way down at the top since most people do the opposite.
You just have to make it up one of the largest mountains in Poland first! Still, as long as you’re ready to hike and are moderately fit you’ll be fine.
After hiking the steep incline of the Kasprowy Wierch hike, we were more than happy to pay the 79 Zloty each to go down. We grabbed our tickets, got in the short line, and hopped on to the next car.
As we left the fog and the Zakopane Cable Car dipped below, it was hard to comprehend how far we had hiked. In around 12 minutes we undid what took almost 6 hours on foot, as we traveled back to the base of the Tatra Mountains.
Where to Eat After the Best Hikes in Zakopane
After a long day in the mountains, there was nothing better than a plate of warm food to relax and recharge our bodies. If you’re coming to Zakopane from Krakow, you’ll surely be hungry for more traditional Polish food!
So what’s on the menu? Find out below where we have linked the restaurants with their locations.
Marzanna: This is widely known as one of the best restaurants in Zakopane. We tasted it firsthand with the unreal pork schnitzel! No alcohol is served at Marzanna, but they more than make up for that with their old-school Polish cuisine.
Bar Mleczny: Translating directly to “Milk Bar,” this is one of the most local restaurants we went to in Zakopane! We had our first taste of these establishments at the Gdansk Milk Bars a couple years prior. They’ll be a steady line around lunch and dinner time for their delicious pierogi, yet it moves very quickly.
Groski: What separates Groski from other great Zakopane restaurants is its yummy vegan menu! They also serve regular Polish food as well. However, you should give their alternative menu a chance for a healthy change after taking on the best hikes in Zakopane.
Karczma U Starego: From the outside, it may look like nothing more than a dark dive bar, but the food here was a huge surprise. The warm goulash and strong mulled wine were just what we needed on a cold rainy day.
Browar Watra: Great beer and Polish food in the center of town. Nice outdoor seating and Browar Watra also gets pretty lively at night.
What are some of the best hikes in Zakopane you did? Was it the Kasprowy Wierch hike, or did you cut into Slovakia? Let us know any questions on the Zakopane hikes you have in the comments below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
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We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
This looks incredible! Thanks for sharing, planning heading there later this year. Think its ok for solo travel?
Author
Yes! It’s a very popular trail and perfectly safe. Enjoy
Are there wild animals you have to worry about while hiking? In our country there can be dangerous animals to be aware of.
Also when you say it is doable to hike up the mountain. Are they clear trails that you don’t need anything special to hike them like climbing up anything?
Author
Just sturdy hiking boots! It is pretty challenging in some sections. We saw deer but no dangerous animals. Hope that helps!