Krakow to Zakopane Day Trip: Gubałówka Funicular & Cheese Tasting

Summary

Zakopane’s wooden houses, mountain views and smoky cheese from Krakow

You’ll ride from Krakow into Poland’s highlands with hotel pickup, taste real oscypek cheese in Chochołów village, ride the Gubałówka funicular for sweeping mountain views, and wander Zakopane’s lively streets. Expect cold air on your face, local stories shared over snacks, and moments of quiet awe you might not be ready for.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Explore Zakopane and surrounding highlights

• Travel from Krakow to Zakopane
• Visit Wielka Krokiew ski jumping hill
• See the chapel of St. Sacred Heart of Jesus
• Walk along Zakopane's main street
• Ride Gubałówka funicular for mountain views
• Visit Chochołów village with wooden houses
• Return to Krakow from Zakopane

Top questions

How long does the Krakow to Zakopane day trip take?

The journey each way is about 2 hours by car; expect a full-day tour including stops.

Is hotel pickup included on this Zakopane day trip?

Yes, hotel pickup in Krakow is included in your booking.

Do we visit Chochołów village on this tour?

Yes, there is a stop at Chochołów village to see original highlanders' wooden houses under UNESCO protection.

Is food or cheese tasting part of this Zakopane tour?

Yes, you’ll taste traditional highlander cheese called oscypek during your visit.

Does this tour include tickets for the Gubałówka funicular?

Yes, your ticket for the funicular up Gubałówka hill is included.

Will we have free time in Zakopane town itself?

You’ll have free time to explore Krupówki Street and central Zakopane during the tour.

What language does the guide speak?

The driver and tour leader speak English throughout the day trip.

Are infants or young children allowed on this tour?

Yes; infants must sit on an adult’s lap and specialized infant seats are available if needed.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup from Krakow by air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver and guide. You’ll get tickets for the Gubałówka funicular ride, sample traditional oscypek cheese at a mountain hut, visit Chochołów’s UNESCO-protected wooden village homes, wander Krupówki Street market with free time in Zakopane town before returning to Krakow in comfort.

What’s the experience like?

“You can always tell who’s from here by how they eat oscypek,” our driver Marek said, grinning as he handed me a chunk of that smoky cheese outside a little hut in Chochołów. I tried it plain first—salty, chewy, with this campfire smell that stuck to my fingers—and then dipped it in cranberry jam like Marek showed us. Honestly, I didn’t expect to like it so much. The air in Chochołów was cold and sharp, and the old wooden houses looked almost too perfect, but you could see laundry flapping behind fences and hear someone chopping wood somewhere out back.

We’d left Krakow early (I barely remember the highway part) and rolled into Zakopane just as the clouds started lifting off the Tatra Mountains. Our guide Ania pointed out the ski jumping hill—Wielka Krokiew—and told us about the world cup events there. I couldn’t imagine flying off that ramp; even standing at the bottom gave me butterflies. On Krupówki Street it was all noise: buskers playing accordion, kids begging for ice cream, locals selling sheepskin slippers. My hands were freezing but I still bought some honey vodka from a stall—just for “warming up,” as Ania winked.

The funicular up Gubałówka was quick but somehow felt slow enough to watch everything change—the rooftops shrinking, the mountains suddenly right there in front of us. It’s not just about the view (though wow), but also that feeling of being above everything for a minute. People around us were mostly Polish families; one little girl pressed her face to the glass and kept whispering “Tatry!” over and over. At the top, we just stood quietly for a while. Sometimes silence is better than any photo.

I keep thinking about those weathered houses in Chochołów—how they’ve survived so many winters—and about Marek laughing when I tried to say “oscypek” with my mouth full (I definitely butchered it). If you’re looking for a day trip from Krakow that’s more than just pretty scenery, this one sticks with you in small ways you don’t expect.