Zakopane Day Trip: Cable Car, Thermal Baths & Cheese Tasting

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/45

Duration11h–12h

GroupUp to 53

LanguagesEN · PL

PickupAt your hotel

Three hours soaking in geothermal pools with mountain views, not standing in line at the entrance.

This day trip from Krakow takes you to Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains with hotel pickup and drop-off included. You ride the Gubałówka cable car, spend 3 hours at Chocholow Thermal Baths (one of Poland's largest geothermal facilities), taste highlander cheese and regional vodka in the village of Chocholow, and have spare time on Krupówki Street in Zakopane's historic center. The guide provides all funicular tickets in advance, saving time at the ticket office. The tour runs about 11 to 12 hours total, with transport, commentary and all major stops arranged.

11h–12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Krakow to Zakopane day trip

Pick up from Krakow hotel
Travel from Krakow to Zakopane
Visit Chochołów village
Taste highlander cheese and vodka
Ride Gubałówka funicular up and down
Explore Krupowki Street
Relax at Chochołów Thermal Baths for 3 hours
Enjoy mountain views
Return from Zakopane to Krakow

The Experience

Your driver picks you up from your Krakow hotel between 7:30 and 9:00 AM and handles the drive south toward the Tatra Mountains. On the way, you stop in Chocholow, a village where some of the oldest inhabited houses in the region still stand — locals live in them, and the architecture shows how highlanders have built for centuries. Here you taste traditional cheese and regional vodka, a quick cultural moment before moving on to Zakopane itself.

Once in Zakopane, your guide gives you the Gubałówka funicular tickets (up and down) so you walk straight to the cable car without queuing at the office. The ride takes you up Mount Gubałówka for views across the Tatra range and time to walk around at the top. Back down, you have spare time on Krupówki Street, the historic center where shops and cafés line the pedestrian area. Then comes the main event: 3 hours at Chocholow Thermal Baths, a modern geothermal complex with outdoor pools fed by hot springs, water slides, and pool bars where you can order a drink without leaving the water. The health properties of the geothermal water are known to benefit skin and overall wellness. Bring a towel, swimsuit and flip-flops; the mountain air is cooler than Krakow, so pack layers for the cable car and walking time.

The return drive to Krakow takes the afternoon. Your driver will contact you one day before the tour around 8 PM to confirm your exact pickup time and location — the city center has pedestrian zones and limited parking, so the spot may shift depending on where your hotel sits. The tour is led in English by a live guide; if you book a different language (Spanish, Italian, French, German, Russian, Norwegian or others), you'll receive detailed instruction booklets instead so nothing essential is missed.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Krakow.
round-trip transport between Krakow and Zakopane.
Gubałówka funicular ticket (up and down).
3-hour entry to Chocholow Thermal Baths.
highlander cheese and regional vodka tasting.
spare time on Krupówki Street in Zakopane's historic center.
live English-speaking guide (or instruction booklets in other languages).

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Thousand Miles

Is this one for you?The tour is led by a live English-speaking guide, so you follow along naturally without needing to read ahead or translate — if you book in another language, detailed instruction booklets replace the live commentary, which works well if you prefer to move at your own pace through each stop.