Ultimate Guide to Visiting Zakopane Thermal Baths in 2024

Within Eastern Europe, something that few foreigners know is that there’s a decent amount of thermal baths in Poland. In particular, the Zakopane thermal baths are a crowd-favorite and attract thousands of locals and tourists staying in Krakow. In this post, I’ll provide you with all the essential details that you need to experience the magic of the Zakopane thermal baths.

#1 Top Pick

Short on Time? Here’s the Best Zakopane Thermal Baths Tour

Zakopane & Thermal Springs — You’ll visit the historic wooden village of Chochołów, go to the top of Gubałówka mountain & spend 3 hours relaxing in the Chocholowskie Thermal Baths!

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Why Visit the Zakopane Thermal Baths?

For those who don’t know, Zakopane is nestled in the Tatra Mountains along the southern part of the country. Around this region alone, there are 6 different thermal baths, pools, and parks available to select from. They offer guests the opportunity to indulge in a relaxing spa experience while enjoying the beautiful, natural mountain scenery.

Plus, they are much more affordable than many other spas and thermal baths around the world. So, whether you’re staying in Krakow, passing through, or visiting from another nearby city, I’d suggest visiting at least one of them!

Best Thermal Baths in Zakopane

Of the six thermal baths, the most popular and absolute best one is the Chocholowskie Thermal Baths in Zakopane. It’s located 10.5 miles or 17km from Zakopane in the quaint town of Chocholow! The Chocholowskie Thermal Baths is the largest thermal pool complex in Poland. Around the premises, you’ll find 30 indoor and outdoor pools and jacuzzis that are nothing short of heaven. 😌

Here are just a few amenities included at this location! You can see the full list on their official website.

• Older Children’s Zone with Tube Slide
• Young Children’s Zone with a children’s pool
• An aquarium
• Outdoor playground
• Textile sauna and salt cave
• Gym & Fitness Center
• Restaurants

How to Reach the Zakopane Thermal Baths

Hopefully, by now you are convinced to visit these thermal baths. 😉 If so, let’s discuss the three ways to get there.

By Public Transport

Since Chocholow and Zakopane are such small towns, they have no train station or airport, making the only form of public transportation available is the bus. Thus, your first option, which is also the cheapest, is to take the bus. For example, from Krakow, a bus to Zakopane costs ~€7 or $8 USD.

If you decide to take the bus, I recommend booking your bus ticket through the platform OMIO. It’s the most intuitive transportation platform out there, and I’ve been a satisfied user of it since 2019, so I can definitely vouch for it. Just input your starting location, the end destination as “Chocholow, Poland,” and your travel dates. Afterward, the various bus routes will appear, and you can select the one that works best for you.

One thing to note is that you’ll likely notice that all the end addresses are in Zakopane. This is because Zakopane is the main tourist destination, not the tiny town of Chocholow. As a result, you’ll likely need to take another 30-minute bus ride that costs a couple of dollars one-way. Just follow Google Maps instructions and know that most bus drivers don’t speak English well, so have Google Translate ready!

Alternatively, you can try to Uber from Zakopane to the Chocholowskie Thermal Baths. I’d be careful with this route though because while Uber operates in Poland, your options may be limited within the Tatra Mountains. This could mean longer waiting times or straight up, there are no cars available to take you. I’d do a “trial run” of pre-scheduling a ride the day before.

By Private Transport

Your second option is to drive yourself there. This is the best option if you already have access to a car, whether it be your own, a family member’s, or a friend’s. Or, if you don’t have access to a car, you can always opt to rent one.

The company that I normally use to rent cars while traveling is DiscoverCars. I’ve always found that they provide the best and most intuitive service. Plus, 99% of the time, cars are available for pick-up from airports, which makes life easier when traveling. So if you want to drive yourself to the baths, that’s an option.

So, if you have access to a car and are comfortable navigating around Poland, you can easily drive to Zakopane. That said, there’s really only one road that travels from Krakow into the Tatra mountains, so navigating isn’t particularly challenging. 😅

✅ 🚗 Click to check the availability of rental cars in Krakow

By Tour

Now, the third and, in my opinion, the best option is to take a private tour. You don’t have to worry about navigating Poland’s transportation network and get the perk of having a local guide you around Zakopane! The only downside is that tours aren’t always an option if you’re outside Krakow. You would likely need to figure out how to get from your housing to a meeting spot in Krakow, which may not be worth your time.

But, if you are staying in the area, I highly recommend this option. Below are the 3 tours I highly recommend taking for the best possible hassle-free experience!

3 Best Zakopane Thermal Baths Tours from Krakow

1. The Zakopane Tour I Took

⭐️ RATING: 4.9 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 11 hours

The From Krakow: Zakopane, Tatra Mountains & Thermal Baths Tour includes:

• Trying two different types of traditional sheep cheese (oscypek)
• Touring the inside of a well-preserved wooden chalet
• Seeing the inside of a folk sculpture studio
• Wandering around Krupowki Street (main street)
• Riding a funicular car up Gubałówka mountain
• 3-hours at Chocholowskie Thermal Baths
• Round-trip transportation in a comfortable 8-seater van

This is the amazing tour I took and loved — you can read my complete review here. My English-speaking guide, Jakob, was so kind and flexible. What sets this tour option apart from the 100+ others is that you get to dive deeper into the local culture.

For example, you get to see various intricate wood carvings and walk inside one of the wooden houses that the Chocholow and Zakopane region is famous for. Thus, if you are interested in witnessing the beauty of the Tatra Mountains, visiting the thermal baths, and discovering the local culture, this is the tour for you!

✅ Check rates & availability for the tour to Zakopane that I thoroughly enjoyed 🌲

2. A Cheaper but Similar Version of the Tour I Took

⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 stars – 3075+ 5-star reviews! | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 11 – 12 hours

The Zakopane & Thermal Springs Tour includes:

• Visiting the oldest traditional mountain hut in Chochołów
• Sampling Highlander cheese & regional alcohol
• Going to the top of Gubałówka mountain
• Strolling along Krupowki Street
• Spending 3-hours at Chocholowskie Thermal Baths
• Round-trip transportation from Krakow

This tour is one of the highest-rated tours and the most popular Zakopane tour from Krakow. As mentioned previously, this tour goes to almost all the same places in the tour above, but for a cheaper price. Thus, if you want to visit the popular Chocholowskie thermal baths, still explore much of what Zakopane has to offer, and save a few dollars while you’re at it… this is a fantastic option!

✅ Check rates & availability for this more affordable tour of Zakopane & the thermal pools

3. From Krakow: Bukovina Thermal Baths

⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 – only 5-star reviews! | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 8 hours

The From Krakow: Bukovina Thermal Baths includes:

• Hotel pick up and drop off
• Admiring the scenic views of the Tatra Mountains
• 4 hours at the Bukovina thermal baths
• Round-trip private transportation

Compared to the other two tours, this one goes to the Bukovina thermal baths, which is a little closer to Zakopane. This facility has 13 indoor and outdoor thermal baths, 8 saunas, and lots of water slides, great for kids! Thus, if you’re traveling with younger ones or keen on just spending more time at the thermal baths instead of getting a tour around Zakopane, this tour is worth considering

✅💧Check rates & availability for this tour to the Bukovina thermal baths

What to Bring for Zakopane Thermal Baths

To ensure that you’re all good to go and have a rejuvenating time, here is everything I suggest bringing.

• 🌬 Light Jacket: Even if you’re visiting in the summer, the weather in Zakopane is quite unpredictable, and it can rain out of nowhere. Add in the higher elevation and it can get pretty cold. Thus, bring a light jacket — a heavy one if you’re there between October and May.

• 👙 Swimsuit: A necessity, unless you plan on going in your birthday suit! Then again, I don’t think they’d let you enter the pool area…🤔

• 🧖‍♀️ Towel: If you can, bring your own towel to avoid paying added fees. I used my small Rainleaf microfiber towel that I always travel with, and it was perfect. It doesn’t take up a lot of space and is extremely efficient at drying. I recommend buying a microfiber towel if you don’t already have one!

✅🧖‍♀️ Check out the travel-friendly microfiber towel I always travel with

• 🩴 Flip Flops: Even if you opt for a tour around Zakopane, bring a pair of sandals, clogs, or flip-flops. Signs everywhere say you must wear flip-flops in the locker room/changing area to keep everything clean.

• 🍎 Snacks & Water: Although traditional Polish food, desserts, and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are available, I would still bring some small snacks. The drive from Krakow is over an hour and you may get hungry.

Other Thermal Baths Near Zakopane

As mentioned earlier, there are 6 thermal baths near Zakopane. I have a full breakdown of my experience solely at the Chocholowskie Thermal Baths here if you’re interested. Otherwise, here’s a quick and general overview of what the other ones have to offer. I’ve listed them in increasing distance from Zakopane to help if transportation is a considering factor.

• Aqua Park Zakopane — This is located in the center of Zakopane and includes 2 outdoor pools with thermal water. There are also regular pools with swimming lanes, several pool areas for kids, and a bowling center.

• Bukovina Thermal Baths is 9 miles (15 km) from Zakopane in Bukowina Tatrzanska and offers 13 thermal indoor and outdoor pools with water attractions. Again, there are numerous saunas, slides, and mini-pools for those traveling with kids. The Bukovina Thermal Baths are also connected to Hotel Bukovina, and I would easily rate this as the second-best thermal pool! 😉

✅ Click to see details for this highly-rated tour to the Bukovina Thermal Baths

• Goracy Potok Water Park is located in Szaflary, 10.5 miles (17km) from Zakopane. Some of the things it includes are 21 small outside thermal pools, mud baths, and a playground for children. This is one of the better spots geared towards kid’s entertainment.

• Szaflary Thermal Baths is also located in Szaflary. It has 4 thermal pools, several saunas, and some smaller pools for children. You’ll also find an Italian restaurant located inside.

• Terma Bania Water Park — is located in the small mountain village of Bialka Tatrzanska, 14 miles (22km) from Zakopane. There are 8 indoor and outdoor thermal pools, several saunas, and mini-pools for kids. This particular pool is connected to the luxurious Hotel Bania.

Zakopane Thermal Baths Prices

Zakopane thermal baths prices greatly vary depending on which facility you are planning to visit, whether you are purchasing a minimal day pass, want access to additional facilities, etc. Thus, for this information, I would recommend just clicking the links above to visit the actual websites. This way you can calculate how much your exact package would cost.

But, to give you a general idea. At the Chocholowskie Thermal Baths, you can pay as little as ~$16 USD for a single adult for 3 hours in the main thermal pool area! So, from my perspective, this is an incredibly affordable and amazing activity worth investing in!

Where to Stay in Krakow

Planning your trip to Krakow and looking for places to stay in the area? Here are a few recommendations. These are based on where I stayed and my extensive research from when I was booking my accommodations.

🇵🇱 PRO TIP: If there’s ever been a time in your life when you wanted to stay in a fancy hotel with all the amazing amenities but it’s just been out of budget… this is the time to splurge just a little! Eastern Europe is ridiculously cheap compared to places like Paris, Milan, and Stockholm. Take advantage because what would buy you a 3-star hotel in Paris easily gets you a 5-star in Krakow!

Low-Cost Stays

• Ibis Styles Kraków Centrum — Super aesthetic and comfy 3-star hotel | ⭐️ 9.2 / 10
• Hotel Estera — 4-star hotel with lovely restaurant & breakfast buffet | ⭐️ 9.2 / 10

Mid-Range Stays

• Hotel Mercure Krakow Stare Miasto — 4-star hotel near train station | ⭐️ 9.1 / 10
• Sky Hotel Kraków — 4-star hotel w/ restaurant & bar | ⭐️ 9.3 / 10
• Hotel Indigo Krakow – Old Town — 4-star IHG hotel w/ sauna | ⭐️ 9.6 / 10

Luxury Stays

• The Bonerowski Palace — 5-star hotel with wet & dry sauna | ⭐️ 9.2 / 10
• Hotel Unicus Palace — 5-star hotel with pool & spa service | ⭐️ 9.3 / 10

Wrap-Up: Ultimate Guide to Zakopane Thermal Baths (2024)

Zakopane is one of Europe’s lesser-known hidden gems, perfect for those looking to escape the city and recenter themselves in nature. And between the sweeping Tatra mountain scenery and the therapeutic waters of the region’s many thermal pools, the small mountain town has quite a bit to offer visitors. So, if you’re looking for a special way to pamper yourself or spend quality time with your family and friends, I can’t recommend making a Zakopane and thermal baths trip enough!

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