Zakopane is a famous resort in Poland, with distinct characteristics in all four seasons: hiking and mountain climbing in summer, skiing and spa in winter. For family trips, Morskie Oko high mountain lake can be reached by carriage or hiking, the route is flat and family-friendly, and the frozen lake surface in snow season offers panoramic photo opportunities, making it a mountain snow and lake view paradise enjoyed by both children and adults.
Many visitors to Zakopane come specifically to see Morskie Oko (Eye of the Sea). Morskie Oko is a high-altitude mountain lake; the hike to the mountain takes about two and a half hours, with a round trip of approximately five hours. The road to and from the mountain is very flat and wide, and there is an option to take a carriage. The carriage road is the same as the hiking trail, so there are no stairs the entire way, making it family-friendly.
Transportation
Krakow → Zakopane
Train: approximately 2 hours 20 minutes, tickets 30~40 PLN
Bus: approximately 2 hours, FlixBus, tickets 30~40 PLN
There are many direct trains and buses to Zakopane within Poland. We took the train from Krakow because our travel time was during the New Year’s period, which is peak season in Zakopane. Choosing the train over the bus avoids traffic congestion issues.
Zakopane → Morskie Oko
Bus: 30 minutes, 15 PLN one-way, cash only
Self-driving: can park at the parking lot next to Zakopane, parking spots need reservation during peak season
Carriage: 100 PLN/person going up, 70 PLN/person going down in summer, 100 PLN/person going down in winter; children also occupy a seat and are charged
National Park ticket: adults 11 PLN, children under 7 years old free, card accepted
Zakopane Accommodation Recommendations
It is recommended to stay near the Krupówki shopping street or Zakopane train station. During our stay, we stayed at APARTHOTEL GIEWONT, an apartment-style hotel where you can cook breakfast. It has enough activity space for families with children and is a highly recommended holiday cottage. The hotel also has sledges for children that can be borrowed, so there’s no need to purchase them separately.
Pre-Trip Notes for Visiting Morskie Oko
Remember to prepare at least 300 PLN in cash
The round-trip bus from Zakopane to the trailhead requires cash payment, totaling 30 PLN. If you want to take a carriage, cash is also the only accepted payment: 100 PLN going up, 100 PLN going down in winter, and 70 PLN going down in summer. The toilet at the cabin by the lake also requires small change, 4 PLN per use.
Wear comfortable shoes, preferably with ice grips
In winter, you can wear waterproof and non-slip shoes, or purchase ice grips that can be attached to your shoes, making walking on snow much safer.
Don’t want to walk? Bring a sledge!
If traveling with children, you can purchase a sledge in Zakopane. The hiking trail at Morskie Oko is very flat; if children don’t want to walk, they can be pulled up the mountain on the sledge. Sledges can also be brought onto the carriage.
Toilets on the mountain
There are portable toilets along the way that are free of charge, but the toilets at the cabin by the lake are paid and have better hygiene conditions, so the fee is worth it.
To reach Morskie Oko, you can take a bus from the town of Zakopane. We stayed near the shopping street where there is a bus stop with direct bus service. The bus departs from the train station, so there may not be available seats at this stop. The bus ride takes 30 minutes.
Upon arriving at the Morskie Oko trailhead, you need to pay the national park entrance fee, which is 11 PLN for adults. Children under 7 years old are free, and cards are accepted.
If you need to take a carriage, after purchasing your ticket and entering, you will see many carriages or queues of people. You can then tell the carriage driver how many people in your group, pay the fee, and board the carriage. Carriages also accept cash only. If it’s winter, there are blankets available on the carriage. When we visited in early January, the temperature was -10 to -15 degrees Celsius, with the体感 temperature (feels-like temperature) even lower. Therefore, the blanket on the fast-moving carriage is very important, and you also need to pay attention to staying warm.
Since we were traveling with a four-year-old child, we chose to take the carriage up and down the mountain. The one-way fare is 100 PLN per person. Since children also occupy a seat, they are charged the same rate. We saw information that the downhill fare is 70 PLN, but perhaps because we visited in winter, the price was also 100 PLN per person.
The carriage ride up the mountain takes about one hour. The scenery along the way is exceptionally beautiful. The magnificent and magical snow-capped mountains are a sight that is relatively rare to see in Taiwan. This one-hour carriage ride was very enjoyable.
After the carriage arrives, you need to walk an additional two kilometers. It is recommended that families with children purchase a small sledge in Zakopane. Dragging children on a sledge in the snow is very convenient, and you don’t need to worry about children not being able to walk or frequently falling down. Tied to a backpack going up and down the mountain, children can easily reach the high mountain lake. It is also recommended to wear non-slip shoes, or like us, purchase anti-slip ice grips at Decathlon or various equipment stores in Zakopane to attach to your sneakers, which makes walking much easier.
In early January, the Morskie Oko lake surface is completely frozen. You can walk on the lake surface to take photos and enjoy the panoramic views. The cabin by the lake has toilets (4 PLN) and offers meals, selling hot soup and hot beverages. After hiking in -10 degrees Celsius, drinking a bowl of hot soup to replenish energy is a great enjoyment.
Morskie Oko in Zakopane is a scenery that the whole family can enjoy together. It is highly recommended that travelers to Poland include Zakopane and Morskie Oko in their itinerary. The magnificent mountain and lake views will definitely create unforgettable memories.
