Zakopane Skiing: Kasprowy Wierch, the Town Slopes and a Ski Day from Krakow

What You Get

Zakopane is a set of separate ski areas and suits beginners, families and anyone after an affordable ski holiday, but it does not challenge expert skiers seeking endless vertical.

Nosal, Szymoszkowa and Harenda are the places for beginners and families, with ski schools, kids' areas and a winter fun park. Every town slope except Kasprowy Wierch in Tatra National Park is lit, so you can ski until late in the evening.

Advanced skiers have Kasprowy Wierch, with black and red trails reached by cable car from Kuźnice.

What It Does Not Give You

Zakopane has no big vertical. Kasprowy Wierch is a National Forest Area, so there is no artificial snowmaking. A warm spell can therefore leave the high slope without snow.

Use the Zakopane weather by season guide before booking a date.

Slopes by Distance and Level

Pick the area by your level and by how far you want to travel from town.

The Cable Car and the Terrain

The cable car takes approximately 20 minutes with one intermediate stop at Myślenickie Turnie. PKL gives Kasprowy Wierch as 1,987 m above sea level, and TPN says the upper station stands at 1,959 m, 26 m below the summit. The line covers 4,291.59 m with a 936 m height difference.

The ski area sits in Tatra National Park. Black and red trails run through Hala Gąsienicowa and Hala Goryczkowa, and the terrain is very demanding, so it suits skiers with a lot of experience.

You cannot drive to Kuźnice, the lower station. The walk from the Jana Pawła II roundabout takes about 40 minutes and there is public transport.

When the Cable Car Does Not Run

The Kasprowy Wierch cable car is taken out of service for maintenance every May and November. It also does not run in wind above 20 m/s, icing or temperatures below -28 °C. If wind stops it, you can return a Tourpass and receive 100% of the price back.

The halny wind blows on average 80-100 km/h on the ridges, with gusts often reaching 140-150 km/h. Avalanche danger follows a five-level scale and TOPR publishes the daily bulletin. Check both before you go up.

Season Dates and Snow

TPN's climate page says the lowest temperatures are recorded in January and February, which is when snow holds best. Kasprowy Wierch has no snowmaking and depends on natural snow.

Annual precipitation is about 1,200 mm at the foot of the Tatras and almost 1,800 mm on Kasprowy Wierch. The cable car stops for maintenance every May and November, so a November or May ski trip needs a different plan. Read the Zakopane weather by season guide for each month and the Zakopane in winter guide for closures.

Cable Car and Funicular Fares

The table gives PKL's return fares for adults. Reduced fares are lower for ages 5-26 and 65+ on the Gubałówka funicular and for the reduced category on the cable car.

What Else You Pay For

Ski rental and lift passes are sold by each slope operator so ask the slope you choose. The Kasprowy Wierch Tourpass includes the Tatra National Park entrance, and a return Tourpass has a fixed return time that cannot be changed.

You must be at the Kuźnice lower station 15 minutes before the time printed on the ticket. Children up to 4 years travel free on the guardian's Tourpass.

What Can Be Said

Zakopane makes up for the lack of scale with value, character and accessibility. The cable car and funicular fares in the table above are the official ones.

If you are not skiing, a winter sightseeing day from Krakow starts at lower prices. Tatra Mountains tour from Krakow is a guide to a Zakopane and Gubałówka day, and the tour cards below show the tour prices. A mountain day has costs that tours do not cover. On Discover Cracow's tour, the Gubałówka funicular is 42 PLN per person and the thermal baths are 115 PLN per person, both paid on the day.

Where to Be Careful

Krupówki Street is lined with stores, restaurants, carnival rides and performers. Winter is busiest around Christmas and in February.

Buy oscypek with the ChNP mark. Genuine oscypek must contain at least 60% sheep milk, be hand-formed and smoked over coniferous wood. The mark appears on packaging or seller documents.

Official prices help: the lift fares above come from PKL, and a standard single-day Tatra National Park ticket is PLN 11.00.

Train, Then Slope

PKP Intercity runs a Pendolino on Kraków-Zakopane with a journey time of 1 hour 57 minutes. From the town, Nosal, Harenda and Szymoszkowa are in town, Suche and Białka Tatrzańska are a drive away.

The ski hours are limited by the ride each way, so a night in Zakopane gives more time on snow. The tours here are not ski packages. For a day with snow and warmth, see Zakopane snowmobile tours and Zakopane thermal baths day trips. The Krakow to Zakopane guide compares train, bus and tour for the trip.