Winter holidays in the Tatras with kids: ski slopes near Zakopane and things to do off the slopes

Since 2014 we have spent almost every winter school holiday at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. In Poland schools close for a two-week winter break called ferie. Our kids learned to ski here, first on small slopes with T-bar lifts, then on harder and harder runs, all the way up to Kasprowy Wierch. We have gathered in one place the slopes we have skied on, attractions for a day off skiing, and our videos from each of these places.

Slopes for beginners

Gliczarów Górny

Gliczarów Górny is a village on a hill near Zakopane with a view of the whole Tatra range. This is where our kids took their first steps on skis. Small slopes with T-bar lifts, such as Stosel, are perfect for learning, and you can book a lesson with an instructor on the spot. We write more in our posts Skiing in Gliczarów and 2016 Ski holidays.

Harenda in Zakopane

Harenda is on the way into Zakopane. Most of the runs are easy and there is a ski kindergarten, but there is also a black run about 800 m long. In 2018 we came across ice and a steep section, so we got some practice skiing in tough conditions. It was the middle stage of a winter break on which the slopes got harder every time: from Kotelnica, through Harenda, to Kasprowy Wierch.

Bigger resorts

Rusiń-ski in Bukowina Tatrzańska

Rusiń-ski is a large resort with high-capacity chairlifts. We first went there when the kids could already ski on their own, and we have been coming back in the following years.

Kotelnica Białczańska

Kotelnica in Białka Tatrzańska is one of the largest resorts in Podhale, the region at the foot of the Tatras. At the top of the slope our daughters found an area with huge LEGO figures. We describe our day in Białka in the post Skiing with kids in the 2022 winter holidays.

Kasprowy Wierch

Kasprowy Wierch is the highest ski area in Poland, with the black runs Goryczkowa and Gąsienicowa. We only went there once the kids were confident skiers. We write about it in the post Skiing Kasprowy Wierch with kids.

A day off skiing

• Snowlandia at the foot of Wielka Krokiew, with its snow maze and snow castle. We describe the maze's first season and our second visit to Snowlandia.
• Gubałówka, which you reach by funicular from Zakopane. At the top there are T-bar lifts and a hill for sliding down on plastic sledges. More in the post Gubałówka with kids.
• Myszogród, the wax museum and the parrot house in Zakopane, indoor attractions for a rainy day. We describe them in the post Zakopane with kids on a rainy day.
• Terma Bania in Białka Tatrzańska, thermal pools with a fun zone for kids.
• Sledging, for example in a meadow in Murzasichle with a view of the Tatras, or on the hills in Gliczarów.

Our tips

• Start learning on small slopes with a T-bar lift. They are cheaper and quieter, and kids get used to skiing on them faster.
• Buy second-hand skis for the kids. We did this in 2016 and spent as much as renting would have cost, but we came home with our own equipment.
• Look out for night skiing. Many resorts at the foot of the Tatras have floodlit runs, so you can ski in the afternoon and evening too.
• Only go to harder resorts, such as Kasprowy Wierch, once the kids can turn and stop confidently.
• On a clear day, go somewhere with a view of the Tatras: Bukowina, Murzasichle or Gliczarów.

Practical info

Checked in November 2026. The ski pass prices come from skiing websites, so it is worth checking them with the operator before you go.

• Tatry Super Ski is a joint ski pass for 18 resorts at the foot of the Tatras, including Kotelnica Białczańska, Kaniówka, Harenda, Rusiń-ski, Koziniec and Bachledka.
• A Tatry Super Ski day pass cost about 170 zł (PLN) for an adult and 160 zł for a child at the peak of the 2025/26 season.
• At Rusiń-ski a 4-hour pass in the 2026/27 season costs 145-185 zł for an adult and 120-160 zł for a child, depending on the date.
• At Harenda a 3-hour pass cost about 120 zł for an adult and 110 zł for a child at the peak of the 2025/26 season.
• A return ride on the Kasprowy Wierch cable car cost 165 zł at the ticket office at the peak of the 2025/26 season, and 129 zł for a reduced ticket.
• In 2026 the Gubałówka funicular costs 44 zł return at peak season if you buy online and 49 zł at the ticket office. A reduced ticket costs 35 zł online and 39 zł at the ticket office.