Prices and hours checked on 23 September 2026 with Polskie Koleje Linowe (PKL), the company that runs the cable car. PKL publishes the winter prices in December, and we update this page when it does. Header photo: pkl.pl.
- Return ticket until 30 September: 99 to 165 PLN online depending on the time you pick, 165 PLN at the ticket office.
- From 1 October: 129 PLN return (about 30 EUR), the same online and at the office. Reduced 109 PLN.
- Closed from 19 October to 6 November 2026 for annual maintenance.
- Buy online on sklep.pkl.pl for a set day and time. The ticket office only sells the next free departures.
- At the top a return ticket gives you 1 hour 40 minutes before your ride down.
- Getting there: city bus to Kuźnice, 6 PLN, about 10 minutes. Cars cannot drive to the station.
Kasprowy Wierch is the only real Tatra summit in Poland you can reach without hiking. The cable car starts in Kuźnice, at the southern edge of Zakopane, and climbs to 1,987 m in 15 to 20 minutes, with a change of cabin at the middle station, Myślenickie Turnie. At the top the Polish–Slovak border runs along the ridge, and on a clear day you look straight down into both countries. It is also the most expensive cable car in Poland, so it pays to know how the tickets work.
Ticket prices in 2026
The ticket is called a Tourpass. You buy it for a specific day and a specific departure time. Normal fares are for ages 27 to 64, reduced fares for ages 5 to 26 and 65+ (details below). The park entry fee for the Tatra National Park is included, so you do not buy the separate 11 PLN park ticket.
High season: 4 June to 30 September 2026
| Where you buy | Return | Return, reduced | One way | One way, reduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online shop | 99–165 PLN | 89–129 PLN | 89–135 PLN | 75–109 PLN |
| Ticket office and machines | 165 PLN | 129 PLN | 135 PLN | 109 PLN |
| Express Tourpass | 229 PLN | 189 PLN | 199 PLN | 159 PLN |
Low season: 1 October to 18 December 2026
| Where you buy | Return | Return, reduced | One way | One way, reduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online, office and machines | 129 PLN | 109 PLN | 119 PLN | 95 PLN |
| Express Tourpass | 159 PLN | 129 PLN | 129 PLN | 102 PLN |
In euros, a return ticket is roughly 23 to 38 EUR in summer and 30 EUR in autumn. Large luggage, such as an expedition rucksack or a bike, costs an extra 50 PLN, paid at the office. A pushchair for a small child rides free, and a normal day pack costs nothing.
Why the online price changes by the hour
In the high season, the online price depends on the departure time you choose. The busiest slots, late morning and midday on sunny weekends, cost the full 165 PLN. Quieter slots, usually the first departures of the morning and the late afternoon, drop as low as 99 PLN. When you pick a date in the shop, it lists every departure with its price, so you see the difference at once.
For two adults, the gap between the most expensive and the cheapest slot on the same day is 132 PLN. An early ride also means empty viewing terraces and better weather: in the Tatras, clouds usually build up in the afternoon.
Who gets a discount
- Free: children under 4, on the ticket of the adult they travel with. Bring a document showing their age.
- Reduced fare, with a document: children and teenagers up to 15, school pupils, students up to 26 with a student card, ISIC or EURO<26, seniors from 65 (a passport or ID card is enough), people with a severe disability and their carer.
Reduced tickets bought online are checked at the gate. Without the right document, staff can ask you to pay the difference.
Buying a ticket
The online shop on sklep.pkl.pl is the only way to buy ahead for a set day and time, and in summer the only place with prices below the office rate. The ticket arrives by e-mail or text message, and the code on your phone is enough. You can buy up to two hours before departure if seats are left. Be at the gate 20 minutes before your departure time.
The ticket office and machines in Kuźnice sell only the next available departures. In season that usually means queueing, then waiting an hour or two, because the nearest departures are sold out online.
The Express Tourpass, sold only at the customer service office in Kuźnice and only by card, gives a guaranteed time from a small reserved pool. It is the expensive way out when everything else is gone and you need to go today.
Opening hours and the autumn closure
The cable car runs every 10 minutes, or every 30 minutes in bad weather or when it is quiet. Hours change from month to month:
| Period | Hours | Last ride up |
|---|---|---|
| July and August | 7:00–21:00 | 19:00 |
| September | 7:00–18:00 | 16:00 |
| 1–18 October | 8:00–17:30 | 15:30 |
| 19 October – 6 November | closed for maintenance | |
| November and December | see the PKL calendar, usually from 8:00 with the last ride up in the early afternoon | |
Return tickets stop selling two hours before the last departure. The cable car does not run in strong wind or thunderstorms; if your ride is cancelled because of the weather, PKL refunds the ticket. Current status and live cameras are on pkl.pl.
From 19 October to 6 November 2026 Kasprowy Wierch is closed. The funicular to Gubałówka keeps running, and the chairlift to Butorowy Wierch runs until 25 October. If the summit matters to you, plan your trip before 19 October or after 6 November.
How long you get at the top
A return Tourpass covers two set rides: up at your chosen time and down 1 hour 40 minutes later. That is enough for the short walk to the summit itself (about 10 minutes from the station), the viewing terraces, photos and a coffee in the café, but not for a hike along the ridge.
Take a warm layer even in August. The summit is usually 10 to 15 °C colder than Zakopane, and often windy. Next to the summit stands the weather observatory, the highest building in Poland.
Walking up or down
If you want more time on the mountain, the cheapest option is to ride one way and walk the other. From the summit down to Kuźnice takes about 2 hours via Myślenickie Turnie, or 2.5 to 3 hours via Hala Gąsienicowa, a high meadow with a mountain hut. Walking up takes 3 to 3.5 hours; then you pay the 11 PLN park ticket and can ride down one way.
These are real mountain trails with rocky steps, not a road like the one to Morskie Oko. Wear proper walking shoes, bring water and rain gear, and check the weather on tpn.gov.pl before you set off.
Kasprowy in winter
From December to April Kasprowy Wierch is a ski area, and skiers buy a ski pass instead of a Tourpass. It covers the cable car and the chairlifts in the Gąsienicowa and Goryczkowa bowls. In the 2025/2026 season a day pass cost 169 PLN online a week ahead, 189 PLN online closer to the day and 199 PLN at the office. PKL announces the 2026/2027 prices before the season starts.
Visitors without skis still buy a Tourpass on the same rules as in summer. Up top it can be below −20 °C with the wind, and the trails from the summit are closed or exposed to avalanches, so in winter a simple ride up and down is the sensible plan.
Getting to Kuźnice
The lower station is in Kuźnice, 3.5 km from the centre of Zakopane, and you cannot drive there: the road is closed to traffic. Private car parks by the Kuźnice roundabout charge 30 to 40 PLN a day and fill up before 8:00 in season.
The easy way is the city bus: a ticket costs 6 PLN (3 PLN reduced), the ride takes about 10 minutes, and the buses have racks for skis. From Willa Storczyk, the bus stop is 30 metres from our door, and Kuźnice is also a 20 to 25 minute walk away.
No tickets online for today?
- Queue at the machines in Kuźnice for the next free departure, 165 PLN in summer.
- Buy an Express Tourpass at the customer service office: 229 PLN in summer, 159 PLN in autumn, card only.
- Or walk up (3 to 3.5 hours, 11 PLN park ticket) and ride down one way. Rides down are much less in demand than rides up, so there are usually tickets online.
Gubałówka: the cheaper alternative
PKL's other line in Zakopane is the funicular to Gubałówka, a hill on the other side of town. It is several times cheaper: in the high season 44 PLN return online and 49 PLN at the office, and from 1 October 37 PLN online and 42 PLN at the office. It stays open while Kasprowy is closed. The difference is the height: Gubałówka is a hill at about 1,120 m with a view of the Tatras, while Kasprowy puts you in them at nearly 2,000 m.
Questions we often get
How much is the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch?
Until 30 September 2026, a return ticket costs 99 to 165 PLN online depending on the time, or 165 PLN at the office. From 1 October to 18 December it is 129 PLN everywhere (109 PLN reduced). Children under 4 ride free.
Do I need to book in advance?
In summer, winter weekends and holidays, yes. Online tickets for the popular times sell out, and the office sells only the next free departures. In quiet periods you can often buy on the day.
Is it open in October and November?
It runs until 18 October, is closed from 19 October to 6 November 2026 for maintenance, and reopens on 7 November.
Can I stay longer at the top?
A return ticket gives you 1 hour 40 minutes. For more time, buy two one-way tickets for different times, or ride one way and walk the other.
Is the national park ticket included?
Yes. The Tourpass includes the Tatra National Park entry fee, even if you walk down.
Willa Storczyk · Zakopane
The bus to Kuźnice stops at our gate
Family-run rooms from 100 PLN (about 23 EUR) per person per night, with free parking. Leave the car with us and be at the cable car in 10 minutes.
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