Zakopane Day Trip from Krakow: Thermal Baths & Cheese Tasting

Mountain village, thermal water, and a funicular ride above the Tatras

You get picked up from your Krakow hotel, driven to the Tatra foothills, and walk through one of Poland's oldest villages before tasting local cheese and spirits. Depending on your choice, you either ride the funicular above Zakopane or soak for three hours in the thermal pools at Chochołów. Hotel drop-off is included, and the driver confirms your exact pickup time the evening before.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Chocholow15m
2. Mount Gubalówka1h · entry included
3. Krupowki Street2h · entry included
4. Tatra Mountainspass by

Day trip from Krakow to Zakopane

• Pick up from Krakow accommodation
• Travel from Krakow to Zakopane
• Visit Chochołów village
• Cheese and alcohol tasting
• Optional funicular ride up Mount Gubałówka
• Sightseeing and free time on Krupowki Street
• Optional soak in Chochołów thermal pools
• Enjoy views of the Tatra Mountains
• Travel from Zakopane back to Krakow

The experience

The driver pulls up to your hotel entrance in the early morning (somewhere between 7:30 and 9, depending on what you confirmed the night before), and from there it's roughly two hours south toward the Tatra Mountains. Zakopane sits at the base of those peaks, and the landscape shifts as you leave Krakow behind: the flat city gives way to forested slopes and the air gets noticeably cooler. You'll stop first in Chochołów, one of the oldest villages in the region, where the houses still look the way they did generations ago and the locals still live the way they always have. It's not a museum piece. It's just a place that hasn't rushed to change.

After Chochołów comes the cheese and regional alcohol tasting, the kind of thing that tastes better when someone who knows the region explains what you're eating and why it matters. Then you move into Zakopane proper, where Krupówki Street is the heart of everything: shops, cafes, the energy of the town center. If your option includes the Mount Gubalówka funicular, you ride it up for views across the Tatra range, and if you've booked the thermal pools, you head to Chochołów Termal Baths instead: one of Poland's largest thermal facilities, with water that's supposed to be good for your skin and your general sense of being alive. The pools have bars, so you can float with a drink. Families get access to all zones except the sauna with a single ticket, and you get three hours to use it however you want.

The whole day trip from Krakow runs long enough to feel unhurried but short enough that you're back in the city by evening. Your driver handles the route and the timing. You just show up ready to go, with a towel and swimming suit if you're soaking, and comfortable shoes for walking around. The guide speaks English, and if you need another language (Spanish, Italian, French, German, Russian, Norwegian) they'll give you booklets with all the details so nothing gets lost in translation.

What’s included

• Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Krakow, transportation to and from Zakopane, a visit to Chochołów village, a highlander cheese and regional alcohol tasting, spare time on Krupówki Street in Zakopane town center, and access to an English-speaking driver.
• If you select the Mount Gubalówka option, the funicular ticket up and down is included.
• If you choose the thermal pools option, a 3-hour ticket to Chochołów Termal Baths is included.
• Guidebooks are available in multiple languages if you need them.

Options for this experience

3 options

Option IGuide in English or Polish · 09:00Krupowki option featuring Krupowki, highlander cheese and a regional alcohol tasting. Pickup is included.

Option IIGuide in English or Polish · 09:00Krupowki and cable car ticket: select this option for a tour that covers Krupowki, highlander cheese, a regional alcohol tasting and the Gubalowka funicular. Pickup is included.

Option IIIGuide in English or Polish · 09:00Tour including Krupowki, highlander cheese, a regional alcohol tasting, the Gubalowka funicular and the Hot Bath Pools. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (5 to 17 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupUp to 22

Live guideEnglish and Polish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Thousand Miles

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to see the Tatra foothills and a traditional mountain village without arranging your own transport or timing: the pickup and drop-off handle the logistics, and you choose between the funicular views or a long soak in the thermal water depending on what appeals to you that day.

Traveler reviews

4.83★★★★★★★★★★

175 verified traveler reviews

5 ★161

4 ★8

3 ★1

2 ★1

1 ★4

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Polish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 17 years); Infant (under 5).

How long is the drive from Krakow to Zakopane?

Roughly two hours each way. Pickup happens between 7:30 and 9 AM, and you return to Krakow by evening.

What's included in the thermal baths option?

A 3-hour ticket to Chochołów Termal Baths, which gives access to all pool zones except the sauna. Bring a towel and swimming suit.

Can I do the funicular and the thermal pools on the same day?

The itinerary is structured as options. You choose either the Mount Gubalówka funicular or the thermal pools, not both. The tour is designed around one or the other.

What should I bring?

Comfortable walking shoes, clothes layered for cooler mountain weather, and if you're using the thermal pools, a towel, swimming suit, and flip-flops.

Is there free time in Zakopane?

Yes, you have spare time on Krupówki Street, the historical center, to explore shops and cafes on your own.

When will I know my exact pickup time?

The driver will contact you one day before the tour around 8 PM to confirm the exact pickup time and location.