The queue for Kasprowy: How can you avoid queuing for four hours?

Legend has it that some people are still standing in Kuźnice to this day. Find out how to avoid the crowds, buy a cheaper ticket, and why the touts outside the station are a bad idea.

💡 In a nutshell – Cable car to Kasprowy:

1. Online tickets: Buy exclusively through the PKL website. You skip the giant queue at the ticket office and are guaranteed a specific time.
2. Access: You cannot drive your own car to Kuźnice (traffic ban). Take a minibus, taxi, or walk from the Jana Pawła II Roundabout.
3. One way only: Consider a one-way ticket up. A return ticket limits your time at the top (usually to 1h 40min). The descent via Hala Gąsienicowa is beautiful!
4. Clothing: It is much colder and windier on Kasprowy (almost 2000 m a.s.l.) than in Zakopane. Always have a warm layer in your backpack.

Kasprowy Wierch is a mecca for skiers and the number one destination for “weekend tourists”. The result? During the summer season, the queue at the ticket office in Kuźnice can stretch for several hundred metres. Standing in it is a waste of time, nerves and a whole day.

Here’s a guide on how to reach the summit like a VIP without overpaying.

1. Buy your ticket online. Full stop.

This is the most important piece of advice in this article. Tickets are available in advance on the PKL (Polish Cableways) website.

• Advantage: You’re guaranteed entry at a specific time (e.g. 8:40). Arrive 15 minutes early, skip the whole queue at the ticket office and go through the ‘E-ticket’ gate.
• Price: It’s often cheaper online than at the ticket office (dynamic pricing – the earlier you buy, the cheaper it is).