Zakopane: Gubałówka Funicular, Oscypek Cheese & Thermal Pools

Eleven hours in the Tatras: funicular, cheese, and hot springs from Krakow

You ride a funicular to views of the snow-capped Tatras, taste smoked oscypek cheese in a traditional wooden village, walk the main street of Zakopane with time for your own lunch, and finish the day soaking in thermal pools: all with hotel pickup and drop-off from Krakow included, no separate transport or entry tickets to arrange.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Mount Gubalówka1h · entry included
2. Krupowki Street1h 30m
3. Tatra Mountains10m · entry included
4. Chocholow15m

Zakopane tour with funicular and thermal baths

• Pickup from Krakow accommodation
• Visit historic wooden village in Chochołów
• See traditional smoked cheese production
• Taste local cheese and vodka
• Ride cable car to Gubałówka mountain
• Enjoy views of Tatra Mountains
• Explore Krupówki street and lunch
• Relax at thermal springs and pools
• Drop off at original pickup location

The experience

You wonder, halfway through the drive south from Krakow, whether you've left the city at all: the landscape shifts so gradually that the moment you're actually in the mountains sneaks up on you. The Zakopane tour runs 11 hours total, and the first real stop is Chochołów, a wooden village where the buildings look almost identical because the locals wash the walls with soap and water twice a year, keeping them pale and uniform. It's the kind of detail that makes you look twice. This is where you learn how oscypek (the smoked sheep cheese that tastes nothing like what you buy at home) actually gets made, and you taste it straight from the source, along with local vodka.

Then the funicular. The cable car up Gubałówka takes maybe ten minutes, and when you step out at the top, the High Tatras spread in front of you like someone laid out a map and forgot to roll it back up. The snow stays on the peaks until May, so depending on when you go, you might see white ridges cutting the sky. There are souvenir shops and viewing points, and the kind of quiet that only happens when you're standing above a town. After that, you walk down into Zakopane proper: Krupówki Street, the main drag, where restaurants smell like grilled meat and the storefronts sell everything from embroidered cloth to honey. You get time to eat lunch on your own here, which means you can pick the place instead of being herded into a set menu.

The thermal pools come last, and they're the part that feels like permission to stop moving. Indoor and outdoor pools, water slides, whirlpools. The water is warm because it comes from underground springs, and after hours of walking and looking, it's the kind of break that actually lands. Your admission is included, so you don't have to negotiate anything at the gate. The driver brings you back to your hotel in Krakow as the light goes, and you're tired in the way that means you actually did something.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off from your Krakow accommodation, round-trip transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, funicular ticket to the top of Gubałówka, entry to the thermal pools, tasting of oscypek cheese and local vodka, and an English-speaking driver-guide throughout the day. An information brochure in your choice of language is provided.

Options for this experience

2 options

NoerwegianAvailable from 15 Mar 2027Pickup is included

Zakopane and Thermal SpringsGuide in English or Polish · 08:00, 08:30 and 09:00Pickup 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 dayDepartures at 08:00, 08:30 and 09:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (22 to 60 years) · Senior (61 and older) · Youth (16 to 21 years) · Child (3 to 15 years) · Infant (under 3)

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 yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availableNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by VISIT POLEN Krakau Touren & Ausflüge

Is this one for you?Pick this tour if you want the main Zakopane highlights (mountains, local food, and thermal relaxation) without arranging separate transport, entry fees, or timing the cable car yourself. The 11-hour structure fits all of it into one day from Krakow.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Polish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (16 to 21 years); Child (3 to 15 years); Infant (under 3).

How long is the drive from Krakow to Zakopane?

The full tour is 11 hours. Zakopane is roughly 100 kilometers south of Krakow, so the drive itself takes around two hours each way.

Is the funicular ticket included?

Yes. Your ticket to ride the Gubałówka cable car to the top is part of the tour price.

Can I choose where to eat lunch?

Yes. You have free time on Krupówki Street to pick a restaurant and eat independently.

What is oscypek?

It's a smoked cheese made from sheep's milk, produced only in the Tatra region. You'll taste it as part of the tour and see how it's made in a traditional village.

Are the thermal pools indoors and outdoors?

Both. The thermal baths include indoor and outdoor pools, water slides, and whirlpool baths.

What time does the tour start?

The tour begins with hotel pickup from your accommodation in Krakow. Exact pickup time depends on your location.

Is lunch included in the price?

No. Lunch is on your own during the time spent on Krupówki Street, though the tour includes tasting cheese and local vodka earlier in the day.

Can I visit the ski jumps?

The ski jump site is visible in Zakopane, but access is not included in the tour and is reserved for professional athletes during competitions.