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.

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).

2. “Up and down” or one way?

A return ticket is convenient, but… it limits your time. You can only spend a set amount of time at the top (usually 1 hour 40 minutes) to make it back in time for the return cable car. My tip: Buy a ticket for the ascent only. Enjoy the views at your leisure, have a pizza at the highest-altitude restaurant, and then walk down.

• The descent via Hala Gąsienicowa is stunning and much easier than the climb.

3. Getting to Kuźnice (A trap for drivers)

You cannot drive a private car right up to the cable car station. There is a traffic ban at the John Paul II Roundabout.

• Option A: A bus from the station or the town centre (costs next to nothing, runs every few minutes).
• Option B: Walk (approx. 20–30 mins from the roundabout).
• Option C: Taxi or Uber (can drop you right at the station).

Don’t try to sneak in – the police and city wardens are raking in fines there.

4. The weather at the summit is like another planet

Down in Zakopane it’s +25 degrees and you’re in short sleeves? On Kasprowy Wierch (almost 2,000 m above sea level) it can be +10 degrees with a gale-force wind. Packing a jumper in your rucksack isn’t a hassle, it’s a necessity. The cable car will take you up to the high-altitude zone in 20 minutes. Don’t let it catch you off guard.

Interesting fact: The cable car holds 60 people. If you’re worried about crowds, aim for the first morning runs (7:00–8:00 am). That’s also when visibility is usually at its best.