Morskie Oko Tour from Krakow: Shared and Private Days to the Lake

The Days Side by Side

Prices are per person. The private tour is priced by group size, from 2 to 15 persons, so ask for your party size before comparing it with a shared seat.

Inside the Price and on the Day

The Morskie Oko and Zakopane Tour from Krakow includes the Morskie Oko entrance, the Gubalowka cable car tickets and a tasting, with food and drinks extra. The Morskie Oko Lake, Skywalk and Zakopane Day Trip from Krakow leaves admission to you: park entry, the Skywalk and the horse carriage are paid on the spot, and extra charges of $25.04 appear on top of the from price of $283.43. The Morskie Oko Private Tour from Krakow includes Tatra National Park admission, and food and drinks are not included.

The official park entry is PLN 11 for a normal single-day ticket and PLN 5.50 reduced, according to TPN. A horse cart costs 250 PLN to 350 PLN per cart one way, according to Prime Tours Krakow. Since 1 September TPN has shortened the cart route to Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza (about 2.9 km), so the cart now saves less walking. Carry PLN for anything your tour leaves out.

The Walk in Numbers

The hike to the lake is 8 kilometers long and takes about 2-2.5 hours each way, from Palenica Bialczanska at 990 metres to the lake at 1,395 metres. TPN plans at least 7 hours for the trip, with about 2 hours at the lake. The road has no bins, so you carry your rubbish out.

In winter the trail can be icy or closed because of avalanche risk. You need at least a moderate level of fitness.

What the Day Gives You

The trail is easy, and the tours give about 1 hour at the lake to rest and eat. TPN plans about 2 hours at the lake. No operator can promise a clear view, because weather decides it.

Tour Versus Train for the Lake

PKP Intercity runs a Pendolino on the Krakow to Zakopane line in 1 hour 57 minutes. Poland Travel Tours sells a train version that leaves Krakow Glowny at 6:55 AM and a private car version with hotel pickup at 7:00 AM, with a transfer of approx. 2.5 hours each way to the national park. A tour fixes your hours at the trailhead, while the train and minibus put them in your hands.

For a day without the lake, see the Zakopane day trip from Krakow options and the Krakow to Zakopane guide.

Lake Day or Town Day

A lake day leaves little time in Zakopane. The Morskie Oko and Zakopane Tour from Krakow adds the Gubalowka cable car and Krupowki Street, and the Morskie Oko Lake, Skywalk and Zakopane Day Trip from Krakow adds a quick Zakopane tour. Gubalowka is closed for maintenance from 16 to 27 November, so check which stops are running before you book.

A Typical Schedule

A private car day with Poland Travel Tours means hotel pickup in Krakow at 7:00 AM, a transfer of approx. 2.5 hours to the national park, a self-guided hike from Palenica Bialczanska at 990 metres, free time of approx. 1 hour at the lake, and the same transfer back to the hotel. The Poland Active tour runs 11 hours, which fits that pattern. On the Prime Tours Krakow private tour the drive is about two hours, and the driver waits in the car park while you go up to see the lake.

The longer shared days add Zakopane. The Morskie Oko and Zakopane Tour from Krakow runs 12 hours, and the Morskie Oko Lake, Skywalk and Zakopane Day Trip from Krakow runs 13-14 hours. Ask the operator for the exact pickup time, since Legendary Krakow confirms it the evening before and the order of the stops can change.

How to Decide

The Morskie Oko Private Tour from Krakow is priced at $279.73 per person, with options for 2, 3-4, 5-8 or 9-15 persons, and the guide gives live commentary on board. It suits a family or a group that wants the lake and nothing else. The shared Morskie Oko and Zakopane Tour from Krakow at $258.39 per person bundles the Gubalowka cable car and a tasting, and the Morskie Oko Lake, Skywalk and Zakopane Day Trip from Krakow at $283.43 per person adds the SkyWalk Poronin and Chocholow on the way back.

If you want the thermal baths instead of the lake, see the Zakopane day trip from Krakow page. Gubalowka is closed for maintenance from 16 to 27 November, so ask whether the cable car stop is running on your date.

Rules and Kit

From 1 March to 30 November all trails in the park are closed to walkers from dusk to dawn, so a late finish at the lake is a problem. There are no bins, so carry your rubbish out. Dogs are banned in the Tatra National Park, and flying a drone carries high fines.

TPN advises staying on marked trails because bears live in the Tatras. Wear comfortable walking shoes and warm clothing, as Legendary Krakow recommends, and keep PLN for the fees your tour does not cover.