High Tatras are a mountain range spread along the border of northern Slovakia and southern Poland. The majority of the High Tatras mountain range is located on the Slovakian side. High Tatras are distinct from the “Low Tatras” located in southern Slovakia. There are two large national parks in High Tetras named Tatra National Park in Poland and Tatry National Park in Slovakia.
The Tatras are filled with many alpine lakes, hanging valleys, high-mountain animals (chamois, deer, foxes, wolves, owls, eagles, squirrels, and hedgehogs) along with summer and winter sports resorts. The best time to visit Tetras for hiking is between June and October and the winter months for snow activities. Krakow John Paul II International Airport (KRW) is nearest to Tatras (~2 hours) for international travelers from the US.
Award booking flights to Krakow Airport (KRW), Poland
I recommend only using the ANA Mileage Club to book business class roundtrip flights for just 88K miles with ~$200 taxes. Avianca LifeMiles will charge 63K miles and Aeroplan will charge 70K miles per direction of travel.
Aeroplan Award Booking
Driving from Krakow airport to Tatras
Travelers have the option to stay at either Zakopane, Poland or Ždiar, Slovakia to explore Tatras. I recommend staying at Ždiar to stay away from larger crowds and enjoy less traffic at trails.
Accommodation in Tetras
Accommodations in either Zakopane or Ždiar are very reasonably priced, and it is easy to find well-rated places for $50-100 per night (Booking.com Zakopane & Booking.com Ždiar).
Tatras Cable Cars
The gondola to the top of Kasprowy Wierch is the only alpine cable car in Poland which takes just 20 minutes to enjoy the incredible views of the Tatras at the summit.
The Slovakian Tetras have several cable cars that can be used to ride up into the mountains and hike up there (the lines for the cable cars are much shorter compared to Poland).
Best Hikes in Tatra National Park
I recommend doing some of the top 10 hikes listed at AllTrails.com during your stay in Tatras.
Slovakian Tetra activities:
- Hike to Zelene Pleso.
- Ride a cable car from Tatranská Lomnica to Lomnicky štít.
- ~12 miles roundtrip hike to the peak of Rysy (from Štrbské Pleso in Slovakia).
- Gerlachovsky štít (only with a mountain guide).
- Veľké Hincovo pleso – the biggest and deepest lake in the Slovakian High Tatras.
- Štrbské pleso – row a boat and enjoy a beautiful view of Mt. Solisko.
Tetra Mountain Range Scenery
Summary
High Tatras accommodation and dining is very affordable compared to other alpine regions of Europe (e.g., Switzerland). I found the Tetra region to be even more affordable than the Dolomites and highly recommend visiting for scenic drives and hikes.