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A Zakopane day trip is one of the most popular excursions from Krakow, but without your own vehicle it can be a huge headache to get there. So when I saw this Zakopane tour from Krakow with excellent reviews I knew I had found the perfect solution.
Zakopane is a tiny town at the base of the Tatra Mountains, and it’s the perfect day trip from Krakow if you’re looking to get out into nature and have your mind blown by the unexpected beauty of Poland’s countryside. Before visiting Krakow, I didn’t even know that part of the Tatra Mountains was in Poland!
The tour covered everything I wanted to see and do on this day trip – the town of Zakopane, the Zakopane mountain cable car, and some Zakopane thermal baths. Perfect!
There were quite a few different tour operators, and I agonised back and forth for a while, comparing reviews and the finer details. In the end, though, I chose this tour and I’m very glad I did.
Top tip: The local currency in Poland is the Polish zloty (PLN), but I have listed most of the prices in this post in Euros to keep everything simple.
At around €84 for the day, there’s no beating around the bush – this tour is pretty expensive. However, since it includes the Zakopane Cable Car and entry to the Zakopane Thermal Baths the price isn’t actually that bad.
Let me explain – compared to the price of some other Zakopane tours from Krakow the price of this looks quite expensive. But when you check the small print these cheaper tours don’t include any of your entry tickets, so once you’ve paid for them on the day it often ends up being more expensive than going on an all-inclusive tour.
Although the tour isn’t super cheap by Poland standards, I’m happy to say that it’s well worth it.
My day trip tour to Zakopane from Krakow is one of the highlights that stands out in my mind when I think of my travels in Poland, and if you have time I highly recommend adding it to your Krakow trip!
Don’t just take my word for it, though. In this post, I’m going to share everything you need to know about taking the Zakopane day trip tour from Krakow, including what stops there are on the tour, why I chose the particular tour that I did, and whether you can go on the tour during winter.
Let’s go!
Table of Contents
Do You Need a Tour to Visit Zakopane from Krakow?
The short answer is that you don’t need a tour to visit Zakopane from Krakow. However, since Zakopane is over 100km from Krakow, it’s quite a way away.
Aside from driving or taking a tour, your only other option is to catch the bus from Krakow which takes around 2.5 hours. This would make a lot of sense if you’re staying overnight in Zakopane.
However, for a day trip, this journey would be a bit of a mission (especially since I never trust buses and therefore try to arrive at my stop well in advance, wasting even more time!).
Another reason to avoid the bus is that if you want to visit some thermal baths near Zakopane you’ll struggle without either a tour or a rental car.
On a tour, you can sit back and relax as your driver and tour guide deal with all of the transportation, meaning your day trip to Zakopane from Krakow will be way less stressful.
The Best Zakopane Tour from Krakow
There are plenty of tour operators running tours to Zakopane from Krakow, but not all are equal. After thorough research I chose this tour, which I was very happy with!
Here is why I chose this tour over all of the competitors:
- It has great reviews from over 400 travellers.
- Booking via Get Your Guide means you have extra protection. Their cancellation policy means you can cancel up to 24 hours before the tour for a full refund, which is helpful as plans can change.
- The tour price includes everything – yup, even your cable car pass and your thermal pools entry ticket. That means that there are no hidden costs.
- It lasts for a whopping 11 hours, so I knew I would have plenty of time in Zakopane!
Stops on the Zakopane Tour from Krakow
The Bus Journey
My guide picked me up from my hostel in the minibus at around 9am, which was ideal. We then made a few more stops to pick up some additional guests before hitting the road to Zakopane.
I was instantly happy to see that the tour group was small – around 7 of us in total. I always prefer small group tours because it means I can ask the guide whatever questions pop into my head without having to wait for everybody else. It also means you’re able to move quickly because there are only a few people to wait for at each stop.
I was the only solo traveller in our group, but given it was so small that made sense to me. We were quite the varied mix of couples, solo travellers, and friends, across all age groups.
On the drive our guide set out the itinerary for the day and gave us some insight into Zakopane, why it’s famous, and how tourism has transformed the area.
The drive took just over two hours from Krakow to Zakopane but it flew by, and we broke up the journey with our first stop, which ended up being a wonderful surprise!
Stop 1: Sampling Oscypek, the local cheese
Our first stop was one that I hadn’t given much thought to, but when we pulled up to a tiny wooden hut nestled underneath snow-capped mountains I knew that I was in for a treat.
Our guide beckoned us inside one of the small, smoky huts where the delicious smell of an open fire greeted me. He then proceeded to put small pieces of Oscypek cheese in an area just above the fire, in the perfect position to absorb the delicious smoky notes.
He explained that Oscypek is a salty smoked cheese made of sheep’s milk that’s only made in this region of Poland – the Tatra Mountains. I’m ashamed to admit that I had never even heard of Oscypek before this day – and as a cheese lover, I started to wonder where it had been my entire life.
Once the cheese was ready, we all got a piece to try, served with cranberry sauce. As I took my first bite the cheese’s melty, oozy goodness was just heavenly.
I have since tried Oscypek many times during my travels in Poland, but nothing will compare to eating it in a wooden hut underneath the Tatra Mountains!
Stop 2: Zakopane
The next stop was just a short drive away, and it was the stop we’d all been waiting for – Zakopane! We arrived in town and were given a few hours of free time to explore and grab some lunch. We were also given our tickets to the cable car, which we would be able to take up to the top of the mountain whenever we were ready.
I took a stroll around the Zakopane Market, where I found loads of Oscypek cheese on sale (yum!) and then went into a cosy wooden restaurant that looked like an Alpine hut for a hearty bowl of soup for lunch.
If the weather is on your side, and if you feel like getting out into the beauty of Zakopane, I’m sure you would have plenty of time to do a hike or two during your day trip tour here, but I just chose to wander around and chill.
Stop 3: Cable Car to Gubałówka
Next up was the cable car to Gubałówka, at the top of the mountain. I always love riding in cable cars, so this was incredibly exciting!
I was surprised by what I found at the top – it was definitely a tourist trap village, filled with fairground rides and greasy food stalls. However, if you just take a short stroll in any direction away from the tourist tackiness you’ll be surrounded by jaw-dropping beauty that’s so staggering you’ll hardly believe it’s real.
I mean…
The mountains surrounding Zakopane are INCREDIBLY beautiful, and you get the best views of them from the top of Gubałówka. I found a quiet field with a great view of the mountains, sat down, and spent around an hour just taking in the view.
It was magical.
Stop 4: Thermal Baths
The final stop of the day, after a short ride in the bus, was to one of the many thermal baths surrounding Zakopane.
I, unfortunately, didn’t catch the name of the place we visited, but it must have been one of the best in the area. There were just so many pools to choose from! After a day spent outdoors in the cold, it felt amazing to soak into the warm waters.
We got around two hours here, which was plenty of time to unwind in the numerous indoor and outdoor pools (the outdoor ones had great views, too!). As someone who regularly spends hours at a time in the bath at home, these hot springs felt like heaven to me.
After showering and drying off, it was time for the long drive back to Krakow. The sun on the way back was streaked with vibrant oranges and reds, but to be honest I nodded off pretty quickly and woke up back in Krakow!
Click here to book the Zakopane day trip tour I went on!
FAQs About Visiting Zakopane from Krakow
Is Zakopane Worth Visiting?
Absolutely, 100%, yes!
Zakopane is absolutely stunning. Most people don’t ever visit the countryside on their trip to Poland, and would never even imagine that it could be this beautiful. And yes, I admit… Before I visited Zakopane, I was guilty of thinking this way too.
If you have time, Zakopane is one of the best day trips you can possibly do from Krakow. You won’t regret it!
Can You Visit Zakopane in Winter?
Although Zakopane is famous for its world-class hiking trails in the summer, visiting Zakopane in winter is just as rewarding. In fact, it’s one of the top destinations in Poland in the winter!
During winter, the whole mountainous landscape is blanketed in snow, making it ideal for skiing. Its cosy wooden lodges are the perfect places to warm up over a bowl of soup after a morning exploring in the snow. If you’re in the mood for Polish Christmas Markets, the Zakopane Christmas Market is worth a visit!
Just be warned, though – since Zakopane is so popular in the winter it doesn’t really get much quieter or cheaper in the winter compared to the summer, which might come as a surprise to some people.
What’s Included in the Zakopane Tour From Krakow?
- Pickup and drop-off from your accommodation
- Transportation to and from Zakopane
- Tour guide
- Cable car ticket for Gubałówka
- Ticket for the thermal baths
- Water
How Far In Advance Should I Book?
To secure your place on the tour I recommend that you book at least a few days in advance (and much further in the peak summer season!). Zakopane is one of the top day trips from Krakow, and this is one of the most popular tours of Zakopane out there.
There are only a certain number of seats on the minibus, so the earlier you book your spot the better.
Luckily, as I mentioned earlier, GetYourGuide has a fantastic cancellation policy so it’s totally fine to provisionally book for now and then cancel later (and get all your money back!) if your plans change.
Click here to book your place!
It’s safe to say that I’m so, so glad I went on my Zakopane day trip from Krakow, and I was blown away by the beauty of this region. I just wish I had a couple more days to spend there!
Taking this tour allowed me to explore the very best of Zakopane and its surroundings with the help of a local and knowledgeable guide, whose advice was priceless. You definitely need to add a Zakopane day trip to your Krakow itinerary.
