Most people are craving some Carpathian time when they head to Poland, as well as plenty of time to themselves in a country that is a gift to hikers and nature lovers. The Carpathians sweep across the south of the country, with the Tatras being a sub-range, but definitely not subpar when it comes to hiking opportunities. So, it’s the Carpathians that control the best time to go to Poland really. We just have to wait for the annual big reveal, when the hiking and cycling trails emerge from their quiet quilt of winter. For this reason, our Polish holidays start from May and go on as late as October, which means that you get to enjoy summer and autumn seasons exploring these and other exquisite elevations in Poland.
Best time to hike in the Tatra Mountains
Also known as the Tatras Mountains, this is a limestone landscape of great gorges and great gorgeousness. Our trekking trails there are available from late May to the beginning of October, when you can enjoy temperatures from 15C in May (although this is the wettest month, with a 45% chance of daily showers), 19C in June and hitting 22-24C in the height of summer. And these are the mountains, so you can be prepared to take 10C off those numbers at night.
Just to put that in context, in February 2025, there were record low temperatures in the Tatra Mountains of –41.1C, which explains why hikers don’t hit the hills until early summer. However, some of the very popular trails, such as hiking up to Kopa Kondracka (2,005m) do get busy in summer. Leaving this adventure until early autumn means that you have the added benefit of the larch, pine and beech trees creating a seasonal carnival of colour. In addition, you get more intermittent cloud cover, which usually doesn’t linger but famously creates irresistible light effects for photographers. At the beginning and end of the hiking season, you may find snow on higher ground, so pack some crampons just in case.
Best time to visit Dunajec Gorge and the Pieniny Mountains
Dunajec is a river gorge that runs through the Pieniny Mountains in the south of the country and the north of Slovakia. Walk along the 200m high cliffs of the canyon on both the Polish and Slovakian side, the latter being protected by Pieniny National Park and accessible by a pedestrian border bridge. Our hiking holiday in Dunajec Gorge starts in mid-May and runs through to the first week of October, and the Pieniny Mountains are milder than the teeth-chattering Tatras either side of winter. Average temperatures in June and July are 14-16C, but they can hit heights of 32C. If you come in mid-May, you will catch the end of the cherry and apple blossom season, with many trees growing wild along the river.
The Pieniny Mountains also benefit from being in the shadow of the Tatra Mountains, which collect a lot of the rainfall before those clouds pass over Pieniny. As well as hikers and bikers, many explore the river itself on a traditional, decorated wooden raft, guided by boatmen, many of whom have navigated these waters for years. The rafting season is from 01 April to 31 October, so you’ll have no problems fitting that into your schedule, and we can always build in a day to your itinerary to give you another day on the river.
Our cycling season in the region comes to a close a little bit earlier at the end of September, following the well-maintained VeloDunajec, a new cycling trail in the Małopolska region which takes in Dunajec Valley and Gorge. On both this and the hiking tour you still get a chance to see the leaves turning around the gorge, creating the most elegantly wrapped riverfront in autumn.
Best time to go to Babia Góra National Park
Babia Góra National Park covers nearly 40km2 of the Zywiecki Beskid Mountains, in the western Carpathians. Another southern belle, our walking tour has a small window into a big landscape, available between mid-June and the end of September. One of the highlights is the climb up to Devil’s Peak (1,725m), also known as Diablak, the highest point in the Babia Góra after which the national park is named. The summit ascent can get devilishly busy in July and August, as it’s one of Poland’s most iconic mountains, but the rest of the itinerary is along much quieter trails. And, although you get some superb views of the neighbouring Tatra Mountains, the weather isn’t as extreme, but it can be prone to Foehn winds. Otherwise you get typically mountainous, unpredictable weather, with average temperatures ranging from 19C in June to 21C in August, dipping to 11C by the end of September. You can slice the Celsius in half for nighttime too. The highest rainfall is in June, but all in all, be prepared for mountain conditions.
Best time to hike in the Karkonosze Mountains
The Karkonosze Mountains are also known as the Giant Mountains, and they’re right up on the border with the Czech Republic. They are protected by Karkonosze National Park, and the range’s highest peak Mount Sněžka (1,603m) is shared with the Czech Republic. It’s an alpine landscape of glacial cirques, waterfalls, Ramsar-protected peat bog, and moorlands where red deer roam and black storks fly. Our Karkonosze Mountains walking holiday runs between mid-June and mid-September, so you need to get in quick to book your places on this one. During these summer months, temperatures range from 15-22C, and dip to half those figures at night, so pack your socks. Summer is also the wettest season, which comes in the form of afternoon showers usually, so keep an eye on storm forecasts.
You do get to summit Mount Sněžka on this holiday but please note that this is a busy trail, not only because the hiking window is short, but also because the views are so spectacular. So, we do recommend starting early in the morning before most people are out of bed.
Harvest festivals in Poland
The best time to go to Poland’s rural towns and villages is at the end of August and early September, not only because the hills are quieter, but also because you get to witness the centuries-old harvest festivals. They are called dożynki in Polish and, as well as seeing harvest wreaths made from the last sheaths of straw everywhere, there are community processions, folk dances, traditional crafts, great local food and beer of course.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our summary of the best time to go to Poland and that it gives you a rough idea of where to go and when. If you’d like more information, don’t hesitate to contact our adventure specialists and you may also enjoy the following blogs: Ten reasons to go hiking in Poland; Our five best hikes in Poland and Where are the Carpathians and what makes them so special?
