Gubałówka funicular

Prices and hours checked on 23 September 2026 with PKL, the company that runs the cable cars in Zakopane. Winter prices from 19 December are usually published in December, and we will add them here.

Gubałówka is the long green ridge that rises straight above Zakopane on the side opposite the mountains. From the top you see the whole town at your feet and the Tatra range laid out in front of you, from Giewont to Kasprowy Wierch. A funicular railway has been carrying people up since 1938. It is the one "mountain" in Zakopane that works for everyone: small children, grandparents, people in city shoes and anyone who has only an afternoon.

Funicular prices in 2026

Prices are set by PKL (Polskie Koleje Linowe) and depend on two things: the season and where you buy. Online tickets on pkl.pl are 3 to 5 PLN cheaper than at the ticket office or machine by the lower station.

In 2026 the low season runs from 4 May to 3 June and from 1 October to 18 December. The high season ran from 4 June to 30 September. Reduced tickets are for ages 5 to 26 (children with an ID, older ones with a school or student card) and for seniors 65+. Children under 4 ride free on an adult's ticket.

• Dog (on a lead and with a muzzle): 5 PLN one way, 10 PLN return.
• Bike or large luggage: 10 PLN, ticket office only.
• Pushchair: free.

For a family of two adults and two children aged 6 and 10, a return trip in October or November costs 132 PLN online (about 31 EUR) or 152 PLN at the office. The same trip in summer: 158 PLN online.

How to pay less

• Buy on your phone, even standing outside the station. PKL e-mails the ticket, no printing needed. That saves up to 5 PLN per person.
• Walk up, ride down. A one-way ticket is 29 PLN online in autumn, and your knees will thank you for not walking down.
• Add Butorowy Wierch. A combined one-day ticket for both lifts costs 37 PLN online in autumn (30 PLN reduced), the same as a plain Gubałówka return. See the ridge walk below.
• Add the thermal baths. PKL sells a "one ticket, two attractions" deal: a return on the funicular plus 2.5 hours at Termy Bukovina for 119 PLN in autumn (95 PLN reduced), 144 PLN in summer. Online or at the ticket machine only. We compare all the baths in our guide to the thermal baths near Zakopane.

Hours and how long the ride takes

The funicular runs all year. Hours change from month to month according to PKL's calendar:

The ride itself takes about 3 minutes: 1,300 m of track and about 300 m of climb. On busy days the cars leave as soon as they fill up. On quiet days they leave every 15 minutes. Your ticket is valid all day, so you can stay at the top as long as you like and take any car back.

Walking up for free

Gubałówka is outside the Tatra National Park, so there is no entry ticket. A path starts next to the lower station and climbs through the forest to the top in 30 to 40 minutes. It is steep but short, and older children manage it fine. With small children or a pushchair, ride instead: the pushchair travels free.

In autumn and winter the path is often muddy or icy. Wear shoes with a proper grip, and in winter slip-on spikes help.

What to do at the top

At the top there is a promenade with the panorama, coin telescopes, deckchairs that PKL calls "the highest beach in Poland", stalls selling oscypek (smoked sheep's cheese) and souvenirs, and a row of bars and restaurants. Honestly: the food at the top is hit and miss and priced for tourists. Eat a proper meal in town, or bring sandwiches and have the view for free.

The Tatras are clearest in the morning, before clouds build over the peaks. The evening light is the most beautiful. Before you go, check the live cameras on the PKL website to see whether the mountains are out.

The ridge walk to Butorowy Wierch

If you have half a day, this is the best way to do Gubałówka. From the top station, walk west along the ridge: about 40 minutes on a wide, gentle track with the Tatras on your left the whole way. At Butorowy Wierch a chairlift takes you down to the village of Kościelisko, and a minibus or bus brings you back to Zakopane.

The Butorowy chairlift runs shorter hours than the funicular: in early October 2026 from 9:00 to 15:00, and its season ends on 25 October. On its own it costs 32 PLN return or 26 PLN one way online. The cheapest way is the combined ticket for both lifts, 37 PLN online. If you would rather spread it over two days, the "Podhalański Duet" ticket covers a return on both lines within 7 days for 49 PLN online.

Gubałówka in winter

In winter a T-bar lift runs on a gentle meadow by the top station: a good slope for beginners and children. The PKL ski pass includes the lift and one return ride on the funicular. In the 2025/2026 season it cost 85 PLN for 2 hours, 95 PLN for 4 hours and 109 PLN for a full day online, the cheapest day pass in Zakopane. Prices for 2026/2027 come out in December. For sledging, sleigh rides and the bigger ski areas, see Zakopane in winter.

Gubałówka or Kasprowy Wierch?

Gubałówka is a view of the Tatras. Kasprowy takes you into them. With children, older relatives, a small budget or so-so weather, Gubałówka wins. If you want to stand on a real summit and see the other side of the range, go up Kasprowy: prices and tips are in our Kasprowy Wierch guide.

Getting there and parking

The lower station is at ul. Na Gubałówkę 4, a few minutes' walk from the lower end of Krupówki, the main street. From Willa Storczyk the city bus takes about 12 minutes and costs 6 PLN. On foot it is 20 minutes to Krupówki and a few more to the station, so from our door to the top takes about half an hour.

By car, there is a paid car park below the station at ul. Kaszelewskiego 10a: 5 PLN an hour, 30 PLN for 12 hours, 50 PLN for the day. Parking without a ticket costs 150 PLN. The centre of Zakopane is a paid parking zone too. If you stay with us, leave the car on our free parking and take the bus.