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Kasprowy Wierch: How Do You Get Up by Cable Car?
Kasprowy Wierch is a 1,987 m peak on the Polish-Slovak border above Zakopane, and the cable car from Kuźnice takes about 20 minutes to reach the top.
Quick answer Height, ride time and return price
Kasprowy Wierch is 1,987 m high and the cable car from Kuźnice reaches the top in about 20 minutes with one change at Myślenickie Turnie. A low season return costs 129 PLN online, and strong wind can stop the car.
Key takeaways
- Day trips from Krakow such as Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka fold a cable car ride into one price.
- The low season return is 129 PLN online and the same at the ticket office, and prices for the high season are listed in the table below.
- Ski runs here are for advanced skiers, and 17 cm of snow with all runs closed was the latest reading, so see zakopane tours for other snow plans.
- On a budget, the Zakopane, Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka day trip is the lower-priced way to see the mountains.
Tours That Include Cable Car Time
These two day trips from Krakow cover Zakopane and its cable cars, so you skip the transfers.
from $24
Most reviewed
Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka
Funicular, 3-hour baths ticket and cheese and vodka tasting all included, with 2 hours free in Zakopane.
Check Availability
from $20
Lowest price
From Krakow: Zakopane, Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Day Trip
The lowest price here for a Zakopane day trip with funicular included, but no thermal baths.
Check AvailabilityHow do you get up Kasprowy Wierch by cable car?
Ride the cable car from Kuźnice, about 20 minutes one way with one change at Myślenickie Turnie.
The top station stands at 1,987 m above sea level, and the car runs every 10 minutes.
How the ride works
The cable car runs every 10 minutes, or every 30 minutes in poor weather and low demand. Return ticket sales end 2 hours before the last run. A return Tourpass gives 1 hour 40 minutes at the top.
A Tourpass can be bought in advance at pkl.pl, and tickets are for a set time with arrival 20 minutes before the departure. The ticket office in Kuźnice sells Tourpasses only for current rides, not for another day or a later hour.
Wind and closures
The cable car may not run in strong wind, and a Tourpass can be returned for a full refund if wind stops the car. It was closed from 19 October to 6 November for the annual autumn inspection and was reported running on 15 November.
The upper station of the Kasprowy Wierch cable car. Photo: Zalasem1, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How High Is Kasprowy Wierch?
Kasprowy Wierch is 1,987 m high, on the main ridge of the Tatras and on the Polish-Slovak border.
Wikipedia calls it the most visited peak in the Tatras, with up to 4000 people a day in season.
Key facts
A building at 1959 m holds a bar, a restaurant, a kiosk, a waiting room for the cable car, a ski store, toilets and a winter TOPR station.
| What | Fact |
|---|---|
| Summit height | 1,987 m |
| Summit building | 1959 m |
| Location | Main Tatra ridge, Polish-Slovak border |
| Ride up | About 20 minutes, one change |
| Busiest days | Up to 4000 people a day in season |
| Ski area range | 1,014 m to 1,987 m |
Source: PKL.
How much does the Kasprowy Wierch cable car cost?
A low season return costs 129 PLN normal and 109 PLN reduced, and a high season return online cost 99 to 165 PLN.
Prices below are the operator's own. Zakopane tours listed on this site carry their own prices.
Ticket prices
The price varies by the hour you choose when you buy online. Reduced tickets go to children and teenagers up to 15, students up to 26 with a valid card, and seniors 65 and over. Children up to 4 ride free on a guardian's ticket.
A Large Family Card gives 5% off one Tourpass per card at the ticket office.
| Ticket | Normal | Reduced |
|---|---|---|
| Return, low season, online or ticket office | 129 PLN | 109 PLN |
| One way, low season, online | 119 PLN | 95 PLN |
| Express Tourpass, booked hour, return | 159 PLN | 129 PLN |
| Return, high season, online | 99 to 165 PLN | Ask the operator |
| Return, high season, ticket office | 165 PLN | Ask the operator |
| Extra baggage | 50 PLN | Ask the operator |
When the low season ends
The price list runs to 18 December and no winter high-season list is posted yet, so check pkl.pl before a Christmas trip.
Source: PKL.
How Long Does It Take to Walk Up Kasprowy Wierch?
The park publishes no walking time for this climb, so plan around the cable car, which takes about 20 minutes.
Wikipedia notes that the summit is easy to reach from all the other sides, and trodden paths from the Gąsienicowa Valley and the Goryczkowa Pass have existed since about 1850.
Walking up versus riding
Plan the walk with the official park rules. From 1 March to 30 November walking on any park trail between dusk and dawn is forbidden, so start early. Everyone entering the park on a trail must buy an entry ticket, normal 11 PLN and reduced 5.50 PLN.
In winter the Tatra National Park advises crampons and trekking poles and warns of avalanche danger and very slippery trails. Ask the park information point at ul. Chałubińskiego 44 (open 7:30 to 16:30) before you set out.
Sources: Tatra National Park, Tatra National Park.
Which Is Harder, Giewont or Kasprowy Wierch?
Kasprowy Wierch is the one with a cable car and an easy approach from the other sides.
Tatra National Park grades its trails on its own map, so check both routes there before you choose.
What you can rely on
Wikipedia says the Kasprowy Wierch summit is reachable without problem from all the other sides. In winter, the park advises against trips to the higher Tatras without avalanche kit (detector, probe, shovel), crampons, ice axe and helmet. That applies to both mountains, so pick the climb by season and weather, not by reputation.
Source: Tatra National Park.
Is Kasprowy Wierch good for skiing?
It is good for advanced skiers, with 3.3 km of slopes and 10 km of ski routes served by 4 lifts.
The ski area runs from 1,014 m to 1,987 m and is the highest in Poland.
Runs and conditions
Skiresort.com calls the area especially well suited to advanced skiing. PKL lists the Gąsienicowa and Goryczkowa chairlifts and the ski runs in the Gąsienicowa and Goryczkowa bowls, plus a long run down from Hala Goryczkowa. Its latest reading was 17 cm of snow with all runs and both chairlifts closed.
The 2026/2027 PKL season skipass costs 2,099 PLN normal if bought online by 30 September, 2,499 PLN from 1 October to 30 November and 2,799 PLN from 1 December. It does not include the cable car ride, which needs a 45 PLN seat booking made online only.
What is it like at the top of Kasprowy Wierch?
Colder and windier than the town, with a summit building offering food, toilets and a ski store.
PKL's webcam page showed -4 °C at 1,987 m and the status of each run and lift.
Plan the day
The busiest days draw up to 4000 people, so book a set time, arrive 20 minutes before departure and bring warm layers. Dogs are banned from Tatra National Park territory, and PKL notes the same, except for guide dogs for people with disabilities. Check PKL's live webcam and lift status pages before you leave.
How do you get from Krakow to the cable car?
Take the Koleje Małopolskie train for 26.50 PLN or the Szwagropol bus for 37 PLN to Zakopane, then continue to Kuźnice.
The Pendolino takes 1 hour 57 minutes, and the bus 2 hours 10 to 2 hours 15 minutes.
Or skip the transfers
A tour removes the leg to Kuźnice. From Krakow: Zakopane, Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Day Trip is $20 per person for 9 hours with free cancellation 24h. Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka is $24 per person for 11 hours, rated 4.8.
Sources: PKP Intercity, Koleje Małopolskie, Szwagropol.
The Kasprowy Wierch cable car lower station in Kuźnice, Zakopane. Photo: Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Kasprowy Wierch FAQ
Kasprowy Wierch cable car tickets online: how far ahead?
Tourpasses can be bought in advance at pkl.pl for a set time, and the price varies by hour. See zakopane tours for guided options.
Kasprowy Wierch ski pass price?
The season skipass is 2,099 PLN online by 30 September, 2,499 PLN from 1 October and 2,799 PLN from 1 December. It excludes the 45 PLN cable car booking. A Krakow day trip with baths avoids the pass.
Is there a Kasprowy Wierch webcam?
Yes, PKL runs live webcams and lift status pages for the mountain. A Zakopane day trip is a fallback if the cloud is down.
How high is Kasprowy Wierch in metres?
The summit stands at 1,987 m, and the top cable car station is at that height. A day trip from Krakow shows the Tatras without the ride.
Can children ride the cable car?
Children up to 4 ride free on a guardian's Tourpass, and those up to 15 pay the reduced fare. Families can browse zakopane tours.
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