The picturesque Morskie Oko is perhaps the most famous natural destination in Poland. The lake is surrounded by lush green forest and towered over by the mighty Tatra Mountains. 

Morskie Oko (Polish: “Sea Eye” or “Eye of the Sea”) is the largest lake in the Tatra Mountains, located in the Tatra National Park in the south of Poland. Morskie Oko is one of the few lakes in the Tatra Mountains naturally stocked with fish. In the past this earned the lake the name of “Fish Lake”. According to legend, the lake was connected to the sea via an underground passage, hence the name “Sea Eye” or “Eye of the Sea”. The peaks of the Tatra Mountains that surround the lake rise over 1000 metres.

Morskie Oko is one of the most popular destinations in the Tatras, receiving over 50,000 visitors a year. It takes two hours to hike to Morskie Oko from the trailhead at Palenica Białczańska, a distance of 8 kilometres. Many tourists opt to take a horse-drawn cart to Włosienica, leaving a distance of only 1.5 kilometres left to hike. 

To reach Morskie Oko, you first need to get to the resort town of Zakopane. There are regular buses to Zakopane from Krakow, costing 18 PLN, and taking approximately two hours. From Zakopane, you need to take another bus to the Morskie Oko trailhead at Palenica Białczańska. Buses are marked “Morskie Oko” and take around half an hour, costing 18 PLN (2023). On arriving at Palenica Białczańska, pay the Tatra National Park entry fee of 5 PLN (per person per day) at the kiosk. If you have driven to Palenica Białczańska, parking is 25 PLN per day.

From Palenica Białczańska, it’s an approximately two hour gradual uphill walk along a sealed road to Morskie Oko (1395m). It’s not a particularly pleasant walk with hundreds upon hundreds of people walking up and down the road and horse carriages pushing you to the side of the road every ten minutes. Give the horses a wide berth as some will try to give you a bite if they think you’re too close. For those wanting to cut out some walking, you can ride in one of the horse carriages for 90 PLN per person (2023). The carriages take approximately one hour and bring visitors to Włosienica, 1.5 kilometres from Morskie Oko.

On arriving to Morskie Oko there are two huts, commonly known as the Old Hut and the New Hut. The first shelter at Morskie Oko was built in 1836. This shelter burned down in 1865. A new shelter was constructed in 1874. A coach house (Polish: Wozownia) was built in 1890 to accommodate the coaches that came to the lake. The new hut burned down in 1898 and Wozownia was converted and into the main shelter. In 1907 construction began on a new hut – Schronisko PTTK Morskie Oko, commonly refered to as the New Hut. The new hut officially opened in 1908. Today Wozownia is often refered to as the Old Hut (Polish: Stare Schronisko). It still houses guests and is the oldest mountain hut in the entire Polish Tatras. Both huts provides lodging, with the New Hut having a busy restaurant. Having a nice cold Polish beer is my recommendation!

The New Hut is situated right on the edge of the lake with a magnificant view. This is where the vast majority of visitors stop to take photos, to eat, and to rest. That makes the lakeside and area around the New Hut very crowded with literally hundreds of people sitting and loitering around. Take note that it is prohibited to swim in the lake, or for that matter even paddle. The reason for this is to protect the delicate ecosystem of the lake. As tempting as it might be to go for a dip, don’t risk it! The ban is enforced and you could be slapped with a fine for violating this rule.

Morskie Oko is roughly 500 metres wide by 800 metres long, with a total surface area of 0.3493 square kilometers. The lake reaches a depth of 51.8m deep, and typically freezes over during the winter. The lake is surrounded by the highest peaks of the Tatras, which rise over 1000 meters above its surface, including Rysy (2499 meters), the highest peak in Poland.

If you have the time I highly recommend doing a circuit of the lake. The circuit is an easy 2.6 kilometers which takes no more than an hour and you’ll get beautiful views all around the lake. Another option is to walk up to the lake Czarny Staw. Czarny Staw is at 1583m elevation, 170 metres above Morskie Oko. The lake is around half the size of Morskie Oko but is perhaps even more beautiful. Much fewer tourists make the hike to zarny Staw, expect dozens as opposed to the hundreds at Morskie Oko. If you’re up for a serious adventure with some seriously spectacular scenery, you could attempt climbing Rysy, the highest mountain in Poland.

ZAKOPANE TO MORSKIE OKO WALKTHROUGH

750m elevation
Zakopane
To reach Morskie Oko, you will first need to get yourself to the resort town of Zakopane. There are regular buses to Zakopane from Krakow, costing 18 PLN and taking approximately two hours.
750m elevation
0km, 990m elevation
Palenica Białczańska
From Zakopane, take another bus to the Morskie Oko trailhead at Palenica Białczańska. Buses are marked "Morskie Oko", take around half an hour, and cost 10PLN. Once you arrive at Palenica Białczańska, pay the Tatra National Park entry fee of 5 PLN at the kiosk. Once you've paid, its time to begin your hike!
0km, 990m elevation
2.6km, 1031m
Schronisko w Dolinie Roztoki
A shelter was built on the site in 1876. The current shelter, Schronisko w Dolinie Roztoki, was built between 1911-1912. Beds cost between 40-60 PLN depending on the time of year and type of room.
2.6km, 1031m
6.5km, 1315m
Włosienica
A small clearing 1.5km from Morskie Oko. The site was the main carpark until the 1980s. Today this is where the horse carriages stop. There's a small kiosk selling snacks under the pavilion.
6.5km, 1315m
7.9km, 1405m
Wozownia / Stare Schronisko
The first shelter at Morskie Oko was built in 1836. This shelter burned down in 1865. A new shelter was constructed in 1874. A coach house (Polish: Wozownia) was built in 1890 to accommodate the coaches that came to the lake. The new hut burned down in 1898 and Wozownia was converted and into the main shelter. In 1907 construction began on a new hut. The new hut officially opened in 1908. Wozownia is often refered to as the Old Hut (Polish: Stare Schronisko). Today Wozownia still houses guests and is the oldest mountain hut in the entire Polish Tatras. The Old Hut has 43 beds, costing 36-39 PLN per night.
7.9km, 1405m
8km, 1405m
Schronisko PTTK Morskie Oko
Schronisko PTTK Morskie Oko was built in 1907 and officially opened in 1908. It is commonly refered to as the New Hut, as opposed to the Old Hut (Wozownia / Stare Schronisko). The New Hut has 36 beds, costing 50-70 PLN per night. The hut has a busy restaurant which serves 28 dishes. There is also a small kiosk which sells snacks, drinks, and souvenirs.
8km, 1405m
8km, 1395m
Morskie Oko
Morskie Oko is one of the most spectacular lakes of the entire Tatras. The lake is surrounded by the highest peaks which rise over 1000 meters above its surface, including Rysy (2499 meters), the highest peak in Poland.
8km, 1395m

TRIP VARIATIONS WITH DISTANCES & WALKING TIMES

Morskie Oko + Circuit

Palenica Białczańska to Morskie Oko – 8km, 2h
Morskie Oko Circuit – 2.6km, 1h
Morskie Oko to Palenica Białczańska – 8km, 2h
Round Trip: 18.6km, 5h

Morskie Oko + Czarny Staw

Palenica Białczańska to Morskie Oko – 8km, 2h
Morskie Oko to Czarny Staw – 1.8km, 50m
Czarny Staw to Morskie Oko – 1.8km, 40m
Morskie Oko to Palenica Białczańska – 8km, 2h
Round Trip: 19.6km, 5h30m

Morskie Oko + Rysy

Palenica Białczańska to Morskie Oko – 8km, 2h
Morskie Oko to Czarny Staw – 1.8km, 50m
Czarny Staw to Rysy – 3km, 3h
Rysy to Czarny Staw – 3km, 2h30m
Czarny Staw to Morskie Oko – 1.8km, 40m
Morskie Oko to Palenica Białczańska – 8km, 2h
Round Trip: 25.6km, 11h

Morskie Oko to Popradske Pleso (Slovakia)

Palenica Białczańska to Morskie Oko – 8km, 2h
Morskie Oko to Czarny Staw – 1.8km, 50m
Czarny Staw to Rysy – 3km, 3h
Rysy to Chata pod Rysmi – 0.9km, 40m
Chata pod Rysmi to Popradske Pleso – 4.8km, 2h
Total Trip: 18.5km, 8h30m

Accommodation At Morskie Oko

HOW TO GET TO MORSKIE OKO

  • Krakow to Zakopane by bus, 2 hours, 18 PLN
  • Zakopane to Morskie Oko by bus, 30 minutes, 18 PLN (2023)
  • Tatra National Park fee: 5 PLN
  • From the bus stop it takes 2 hours to walk to Morskie Oko
  • A horse carriage to Morskie Oko costs 90 PLN (2023).

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8 Comments

  1. Good morning,

    We are planing to visit Morskie Oko on June 4th. We are planing to stay at Chłabówka Górna, 34-500 Zakopane, Poland. What will be the best / viable way for us.

    • Hi Maksim,

      The bus from Zakopane to Palenica Białczańska (Morskie Oko) passes by Chłabówka Górna. The trip from Chłabówka Górna to Palenica Białczańska takes around 24 minutes. The bus stop is called ‘Zakopane Chłabówka Górna’. I hope you have a great trip!

  2. Hi, do you know the latest buses price from Zakopane to Morskie Oko and also the latest price of the national park entry? Because your post was from 2018 and I was wondering about the price for this year. Thanks! 🙂

    • Hi Amira. Sorry I have not been to Poland for a couple of years and do not have any price updates.

  3. The horse carriage cost 90PLN up, and not 40, per person. 2023

    • Thanks for the update!

  4. Update as of 28 May 2023
    -From Zakopane center the bus charge is between 15-18 PLN to reach Palenica Białczańska.
    -Tatra national park fee is 4.50 PLN
    -The horse carriage takes an hour to reach Włosienica and it costed 90 PLN per person, unsure if it was due to Sunday or the prices changed

    • Thanks for the update!

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