Overview
A six day, self-guided walking holiday in Poland’s High Tatra Mountains, which are part of the Carpathian range. After spending a night in Kraków, Poland’s largest city with a UNESCO Old Town, you are transferred to Zakopane, where you are based for three nights in a spa hotel. As a gateway town to Tatra National Park, you have easy access to walking trails to the likes of Mount Kopa Kondracka (2,005m) or Mount Nosal (1,206m), both of which you summit, as well as the spectacular alpine scenery of Valley of the Five Lakes, with beech forests and traditional wooden mountain huts en route. This Tatra Mountains short break is an alternative to the longer High Tatra Mountains and Dunajec Gorge trip, which takes eight days.
- Tatra Mountains
- Summit Mount Kopa Kondracka (2,005m)
- Kraków
- Valley of the Five Lakes
- Wieliczka Salt Mine (optional)
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum (optional)
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kraków
Arrival and accommodation in a hotel in Kraków. Depending on arrival time, explore the UNESCO Old Town, home to the biggest medieval Market Square and the streets of the Jewish Quarter.
- Accommodation: Hotel Kazimierz or similar in Kraków
Day 2: Zakopane and Mount Nosal (1,206m) | 11km
Two hour transfer to Zakopane, a popular resort town in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains. After leaving your luggage in the hotel, begin the first walk to the top of Mount Nosal (1,206m). Despite its rocky ledge with steep cliffs, Nosal is one of the most accessible peaks to climb in the Tatra Mountains, offering expansive views of the range and also a cable car to Kasprowy Wierch and Zakopane.
- Walking for the day: 3-4h, 11km, ↑363m
- Accommodation: Hotel Logos or similar
Day 3: Mount Kopa Kondracka (2,005m) | 19.5km
A full day of hiking in Tatra National Park to Kopa Kondracka (2,005m), from the hotel. You can stop in one of the mountain huts on the way to try traditional Highlander’s oscypek (smoked cheese) or szarlotka (apple pie).
- Walking for the day: 6-7h, 19.5km, 6-7h, ↑1,131m
- Accommodation: Hotel Logos or similar
Day 4: Valley of the Five Lakes | 25km
Walk to the Valley of the Five Lakes (Gąsienicowe Lakes Valley) from your hotel. The first four lakes Wielki, Mały, Przedni and Czarny are visible by walking around the mountain hut. The last one, Zadni Lake, requires a longer hike on the trail towards Mount Świnica, one of the highest peaks in Poland at 2,300m. Take in the view of the crystal clear lakes of different shapes and colours. A shorter walking option is available.
- Walking for the day: 7-8h, 25km ↑1,548m ↓1,549m
- Accommodation: Hotel Logos or similar
Day 5: Kraków
After breakfast, you are transferred back to Kraków, with plenty of time to enjoy the city in the afternoon.
Accommodation: Hotel Kazimierz or similar in Kraków
Day 6: Departure
Return home or extend your stay to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum or Wieliczka Salt Mine.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in two 3-star hotels. The hotel in Zakopane, where you spend three nights, has spa facilities and a small swimming pool. The accommodations have been carefully selected based on various criteria, including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food, or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is always included. On some days, there are mountain huts/chalets along the trail which offer simple, hot food and drinks. Dinner is available either from the restaurant in the hotel or from several restaurants in towns and villages where the accommodation is located. Most restaurants offer local specialities as well as international cuisine.
Difficulty and terrain
This walking tour is rated moderate and is appropriate for fit hikers (read more about difficulty grades). The route follows unpaved walking trails, which are well marked and signposted. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from May till the beginning of October. The weather is best in June – September. As July and August are the busiest months, it is preferable that you book as early as possible. In late October/early June you may encounter some snow in the higher parts of the Tatra Mountains. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your holiday on any date in the season, please indicate the desired starting date when booking.
Poland’s Carpathian Mountains lie in Central Europe’s temperate zone. The average temperatures vary from 14C in May to 20C in August. On average, rainfall occurs 180 days a year.
For more information on travelling in Poland, please visit our blog Best time to go to Poland.
Getting there
Click to view travel options and route planner
By train or bus
- Kraków Airport is the largest regional airport in Poland. The airport is located 11km west of Kraków. The train is considered the best solution from the airport to Kraków’s city centre for its travel time and cost. The journey from Kraków airport to the city centre takes 20mins, and costs approximately €4. Cost of taxi from/to airport to the city centre is approximately €22.
- If you are able to travel to Poland without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with a train station in Kraków. For more details, see Polregio, Intercity or use the Omio planner above.
Included
Included
- 5 nights accommodation, as described in the itinerary, with breakfast included
- 2 transfers between the accommodations in Kraków and Zakopane (day two and day five)
- Detailed digital pre-departure holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions and road notes; maps with daily routes and optional hikes marked
- 24/7 phone support by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Half board in Zakopane
- Extra nights in Kraków or Zakopane
- Guided tour of Wieliczka Salt Mine near Kraków with transfers
- Guided tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum near Kraków with transfers
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