Zakopane in winter: a day trip that became two

The plan was one day

We left Kraków on the morning bus at 7:30am, in January, with temperatures somewhere below −6°C and a forecast that promised snow in the mountains. The plan was a day trip: the Gubałówka funicular, some walking around Krupówki (the main pedestrian street), lunch, home by evening.

We checked into a guesthouse instead, and stayed two nights.

This is a fairly common trajectory for people who visit Zakopane in winter for the first time. The town has a quality in the cold season that the summer version — crowded, commercial, sometimes overwhelmingly touristic — doesn’t quite replicate. In January, with snow on the roofs of the wooden góral (highland) houses and the Tatras rising white and sharp above the town, it earns its reputation as the Polish winter capital.

Getting there

The bus from Kraków’s main bus station (MDA, dworzec autobusowy, adjacent to the main train station) runs regularly and takes 2 to 2.5 hours depending on traffic on the Zakopane road (the E77/S7 corridor, which can be slow in peak season and icy in winter). The ride costs around 25–35 PLN (€5.95–8.35) each way. In January we had clear roads and arrived in exactly two hours.

Alternatively, a guided tour from Kraków with transport is the more structured option — useful if you want a guide for the mountain section.

Zakopane and Tatra Mountains full-day private tour from Kraków

Krupówki in the snow

Krupówki, the pedestrian shopping and eating street that functions as Zakopane’s main artery, gets a bad press from people who’ve visited in summer. And fair enough — in July it can feel like a mountain theme park: souvenir shops, plastic highlander décor, tourist menus, wooden toys. In January it’s quieter and the stalls selling smoked oscypek cheese on the street look right in the winter light.

Oscypek is the Podhale region’s defining food product: a smoked sheep’s milk cheese, made in the spring and summer and then smoked until late autumn, carved into distinctive spindle shapes that the sellers display on wooden racks. It’s salty, slightly rubbery, with a pronounced smoky flavour. You can eat it cold directly off the block, or — the better option in winter — have it grilled on a small portable burner and served with cranberry jam for 8–12 PLN (€1.90–2.85). The combination of warm smoked cheese and tart cranberry is specifically correct in the cold.

The Gubałówka funicular

The funicular up Gubałówka Hill (1,120 metres) runs year-round in about four minutes, covering the 300-metre rise from town. In January, with the trees snow-laden and the Tatras visible beyond and below, the view from the top is the single best argument for the winter visit.

The Tatras are not tall by Alpine standards — Rysy, the highest peak on the Polish side, reaches 2,499 metres — but in winter they look more serious than that. The snow is deep, the glacial cirques are visible, and the line of peaks from west to east gives you a sense of the range’s extent. We stayed on the summit terrace for about 40 minutes, eating something warm from the wooden stall at the top, before taking the funicular back down.

Funicular ticket: around 22 PLN (€5.25) each way. The view is worth it. In summer you can hike up independently; in deep snow, the funicular is the practical option.

The decision to stay: thermal baths

The deciding factor was the thermal baths. We’d heard about the Chochołowskie Terme, a thermal spa complex in the valley about 15 km from Zakopane town, and in January the idea of outdoor thermal pools with the mountains visible above seemed worth restructuring the trip for.

The Chochołowskie Terme are a serious thermal spa, not a water park. The outdoor pools sit at around 36°C; steam rises off the water in cold air; the view from the pools is the western Tatras in winter silence. Entry costs around 89 PLN (€21.20) for two hours, more for longer sessions. Towels and lockers are available for rent. Weekday visits avoid the weekend crowds from Kraków and Katowice.

We were there for three hours, in pools at different temperatures, watching the sun lower toward the mountains, and by the time we left we’d already decided we weren’t going back to Kraków that evening.

Kraków: Zakopane and Chochołowskie thermal baths full-day trip

A góral guesthouse in January

The guesthouse we found — a wooden willa on the outskirts of the town, run by a family who had been taking guests since the 1980s — cost 180 PLN (about €43) per room per night with breakfast. The breakfast was highland: bread, butter, local honey, oscypek, a soft white cheese (bundz), hard-boiled eggs, and tea strong enough to stand a spoon in.

Traditional highland (góral) architecture is worth appreciating even if architecture isn’t your primary interest. The wooden construction techniques used in Podhale — notched log frames, carved decorative elements on the verandas, steep pitched roofs designed for snow loads — represent a regional craft tradition maintained over centuries. Many of the guesthouses in Zakopane are built in this style, and even in a functional tourism context it gives the town a character that distinguishes it from generic ski-resort aesthetic.

Walking in the Tatras in winter: what’s possible

In January, the higher Tatra trails are closed or require serious alpine equipment — crampons, ice axes, experience. The Morskie Oko route from Palenica Białczańska (a 9 km walk to the lake and back) is open in winter but involves significant snow on the path from about halfway up. Horse-drawn carriages run from the car park to a point on the route in winter, reducing the return walk distance.

We did not try Morskie Oko in January. The Dolina Strążyska valley walk — a gentle 5 km round trip from the edge of the town through a forested valley toward the foot of the range — was exactly right for a winter morning: snow on the path, pines, occasional views up toward the higher ridges, almost nobody else there.

Tatra National Park entry ticket: 10 PLN (€2.40) per person per day.

What to eat beyond oscypek

Kwaśnica — a highland sour cabbage soup with smoked meats, typically served in a bread bowl. Warming and filling; 20–28 PLN (€4.75–6.65) in most traditional restaurants.

Grilled trout — the Tatra rivers have good brown trout; the restaurants in Zakopane generally serve it well, grilled simply with butter and herbs. Expect 45–60 PLN (€10.70–14.30).

Grzaniec góralski — highland mulled wine, warmer and spicier than the German Glühwein, served in wooden cups at street stalls. 12–15 PLN (€2.85–3.55). Mandatory in winter.

Żurek — the national sour rye soup with egg and sausage, ubiquitous and excellent everywhere in Poland, is particularly well-made in the highland restaurants.

When to go: winter logistics

January and February are the coldest months (often −10 to −15°C in the mountains) and the most reliable for snow. The ski lifts operate, the thermal baths are full, the atmosphere is genuine winter rather than spring-with-snow. Weekends see significant visitors from Kraków and Silesia; weekdays are quieter.

December is the run-up to Christmas and New Year, with highland markets in Zakopane and a festive atmosphere that feels less commercial than the summer version.

March is shoulder season — some snow, lower prices, fewer crowds, and the Tatras beginning to feel the first warmth. Often very good value.

Our guide to Zakopane from Kraków covers transport, accommodation and seasonal conditions in detail. The winter skiing guide covers the slopes specifically if that’s your primary reason for the visit.

We came back to Kraków on the morning of the third day, on the bus, watching the mountains disappear behind the Małopolska hills. We hadn’t planned a winter escape. It happened anyway.