Are you planning a trip to the Tatra Mountains, Slovakia, but you’re unsure where to go? It’s one of the most underrated places that I’ve visited in Europe (so much so, I’ve been twice). So, I’m here to help you plan an epic 4 days in the Tatra Mountains.

The High Tatras mountains, or the Tatras Mountains, are a mountain range that straddles the north of Slovakia and the south of Poland. They’re filled with high peaks, alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, rugged hiking trails, and cable cars. And, they’re the perfect place to visit for a long weekend!

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I visited in 2024, and it quickly became one of my favourite European spots. So much so that I’ve just returned in October 2025! The mountains were topped with snow, and the leaves had turned gorgeous shades of orange and red, and it was just as wonderful as I remembered it to be.

The mountains are so gorgeous, there’s a great mix of shorter and longer trails. It’s just a really underrated country that I feel HAS to become more popular in the coming years, especially with hiking becoming more and more popular, and more people looking to travel to authentic spots, rather than the same places as everyone else.

We saw hardly any other UK tourists, and the trails were incredibly peaceful. If you like hiking and nature, I think you’ll struggle not to fall in love with the High Tatras in Slovakia.

In this blog post, I will cover exactly how to spend 4 days in the High Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. I’ve included all the details you’ll need, like how to get there, where to stay, a day-by-day breakdown of what to do each day, and the best time to visit (because it’s not as simple as just picking a time if you want to hike).

I found there was a severe lack of information online with regard to visiting the Tatra Mountains, especially on the Slovakian side. I found it really hard to understand where the best hikes were located, so I hope this guide helps make it easier for you!

This 4-day itinerary is perfect if you love hiking, but aren’t a huge fan of long hikes. However, don’t worry if you are, as I’ll include alternative options for those who love longer trails.

In a hurry? Here is our quick guide to visiting the Tatras Mountains, Slovakia!

How to get to the Tatras Mountains: Fly into Poprad Airport and then either hire a car or get a taxi to your hotel.
What language is spoken in the Tatra Mountains? Slovakian
What currency is used in the Tatras Mountains? The Euro
Where to stay in the Tatras Mountains? Hotel Aplend Kukucka is in a great location for this itinerary. This is where I stayed, and it has great little apartments with gorgeous views.
When to visit the Tatras Mountains? Mid-June – mid-September, as this is when the hikes are open
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The best travel insurance for Digital Nomads: SafetyWing!

How to Spend 4 Perfect Days in The High Tatras Mountains, Slovakia: The Ultimate Tatras Mountains Travel Guide

Here’s a quick look at what this 4-day High Tatras Mountains, Slovakia itinerary will cover!

Day 1:
– Arrive in Poprad (the nearest airport to the Tatra Mountains)
– Take the cable car up to Skalnaté Pleso
– Enjoy lunch at the top with the incredible views
– Ride the mountain car back down

Day 2:
– Walk around Štrbské Pleso and take in the gorgeous views
– Enjoy a local lunch

Day 3:  
– Hike to Popradské pleso

Day 4:
– Either visit AquaCity Poprad or hike Zelene Pleso
– Catch your flight home

Here is a handy High Tatras mountains, Slovakia map to help you find each spot:,

Before we dive in, I’ve put together a few of the essential things you need to know to plan a visit to the Slovakian mountains, including how to get there, where to stay and travel around.

For a more in-depth guide on everything you need to know before visiting, including how to get there, where to stay, and when to go, check out our full High Tatras travel guide here, which goes into detail to help you plan the BEST trip. That, paired with this 4-day itinerary, and you’ll be ready to go!

Best Time to Visit the High Tatras in Slovakia

While you can visit the Tatra Mountains all year round, the higher and longer trails are only open during the summer months due to snowfall at the higher altitudes, so keep this in mind if you’re looking to hike any of them.

With this in mind, the best time to visit the Tatras Mountains if you’re looking at hiking and exploring out in nature is mid-June to mid-October, as this is when the trails are open, and you’ll be able to take advantage of the beautiful trails and mountains that form this part of Slovakia.

I visited in September (and then again the following year in October), and whilst I had some rain, I also had some glorious sunshine. In October, the mountains looked a little different and were covered in glorious snow – as were some of the trails.

If you are after sunshine, then I recommend visiting in July and August for the best chance of nice weather.

Some trails do stay open into the latter part, and some open earlier than mid-June, so if you are planning a trip outside of these dates, you will still be able to explore; you’ll just have to do a bit more planning.

Visiting the Tatra Mountains in the winter

If you’re planning a trip in the winter, then your trip will look very different! The whole of the Tatra Mountains turns into a snowy winter wonderland, and is perfect for taking part in winter sports.

It’s a popular place to ski, and a lot more reasonably priced than other popular spots in Europe. The best time to visit the High Tatras in winter for skiing is typically from mid-December to April for your best chance of heavy snowfall.

Where to stay in the High Tatras Mountains, Slovakia

When deciding where to stay in the mountains in Slovakia, it can be hard to decide on the right spot and given how little is written online about where to stay (areas and hotels included) in the High Tatras in Slovakia. I had a tough time deciding if we should stay in Poprad or pick a mountain accommodation in the Tatras. We ended up choosing the latter, and were so glad that we did.

I stayed in Hotel Aplend Kukucka when I visited and couldn’t recommend it enough, from the location, the little apartment I had and the gorgeous mountain views. Not to mention the incredible food!

I’ve also written a full guide on the areas to stay in the Tatra Mountains and the best places you can stay, which you can read here.

If you’re in a hurry, here are a few recommendations for spots that I really recommend staying in:

Accommodation in Poprad: Hotel AquaCity Seasons
Accommodation in Tatranská Lomnica: Hotel Aplend Kukucka
Accommodation in Starý Smokovec: APLEND Villa Dr Szontagh Est 1876
Accommodation in Vysoké Tatry: Apartmánový Hotel HREBIENOK RESORT

How to travel around the Tatra Mountains

There are really two ways to travel around, the train and hiring a car.

Travelling around the High Tatras via train

The Tatra Narrow Gauge Train connects Poprad and each of the little towns that can be found within the Tatra Mountains. It’s a single-track, narrow-gauge electric train that runs once per hour between Poprad, Starý Smokovec, Štrbské Pleso and Tatranská Lomnica.

You can find a map of the train lines here.

The train journey costs €1.50 per journey/ €6 for a day ticket/ €18 for 3 days.

Tickets can be bought at the train stations in Poprad, Starý Smokovec and Strbske Pleso, and must be validated in the machine on the train; this is very important, as if you don’t, your ticket won’t be valid and you could receive a fine of €50.

You can either get a Bolt, a taxi or hire a car from the airport. There is no train station at the airport, so this will be the only part of your trip where you can’t get a train. We got a Bolt from Poprad Airport (which cost €17) and a taxi on the meter back to the airport (which cost €27) as there weren’t any Bolts available, so don’t rely on them.

Travelling around the High Tatras in a car

Car hire from the airport was €15 per day when we visited in 2024. However, I can’t stress enough that you need to book online before you arrive. We made this mistake, and there weren’t any cars available for us, so we had to use the public train instead to travel around (however, in retrospect, I would actually recommend this over hiring a car, so it worked out for the best). But if you have your heart set on a car, book it before you arrive. You can do so by clicking here.

Whilst hiring a car is very budget-friendly, car parks throughout the mountain towns were quite expensive (€15-€20 per day), so keep this in mind when deciding how to get around the Tatras Mountains.

High Tatras 4-Day Itinerary: Day-by-Day Travel Plan

Day 1: Take the cable car up to Skalnaté Pleso and ride the mountain cart back down

Late Morning: Arrive in Poprad, Slovakia

The chances are you’ll probably spend the first morning of your 4-day Tatra mountain itinerary flying into Poprad and travelling from the airport.

As already mentioned, you can either rent a car from Poprad airport or take a Bolt or a local taxi from the airport. Either way, the journey takes around 30 minutes to travel from Poprad to the Tatra Mountains, depending on where you are staying.

A lot of hotels in the mountains are spa hotels, so use this time to relax in your hotel spa, go for a short walk in the local area and relax before an afternoon of exploring.

Afternoon: Take the cable car up to Skalnaté Pleso, enjoy lunch at the top and ride the mountain cart down

This was one of my favourite things that I did whilst in the High Tatras mountains, the views were gorgeous on the way up and from the top, and the mountain car back down was tons of fun.

It’s worth noting that you can take an additional cable car to reach Lomnický štít peak.

This is the second-highest peak in the High Tatras, sitting at a height of 2,634 metres (8,642 ft) above sea level, and offers you a gorgeous panoramic view. I didn’t do this, and instead spent my time at

If you’re staying at Hotel Aplend Kukucka, then you’ll be within walking distance of the cable car station, which will take you up to Skalnaté Pleso.

The cable car prices are as follows as of 2025:

Return: Tatranská Lomnica – Skalnaté pleso: €35
One way up: Skalnaté pleso: €31
One way down: Skalnaté pleso: €27
To reach the top: Skalnaté pleso – Lomnický štít: From €59

The cable car takes approximately 30 minutes each way.

You can also take the two cable cars up to Skalnaté Pleso and the mountain cart and one cable car back down. This is what I did, and I couldn’t recommend it enough. The mountain cart is so much fun, you’ll whizz on down (or go as fast as you feel comfortable, which in my case, wasn’t very fast!) around the mountain, taking in the beautiful views of the Tatra Mountains. This option also costs €35. It’s one of the best things to do in the High Tatras!

After two cable cars, you’ll reach Skalnaté Pleso. At the first cable car station, you’ll find a small cafe, but I suggest you keep going up until you reach the second station, where there’s a larger restaurant serving food and drinks, canteen style.

We enjoyed garlic soup, Slovakian dumplings and roasted vegetables. The food was hearty, good value and came with a view. We couldn’t have asked for more.

At Skalnaté Pleso, there’s a gorgeous lake you can walk around, the walk is easy and takes around 30 minutes to complete. You’ll also come across wild foxes, whilst these are cute to look at, remember they’re wild animals and deserve their own space.

From here, you have the option of hiking to Veľká Svišťovka. The second time I visited, I did this, and it was absolutely gorgeous.

The hike takes just over an hour (we were hiking in the slow, so we were probably a tab slower than usual) and takes you up to an elevation of 2038 m.

Evening: Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant

Whilst we had our breakfast and dinner included at Hotel Aplend Kukucka (which we recommended, the food was excellent), we also ate at multiple local restaurants for lunch (what can we say, we like to eat a lot) and can confirm the local food is great.

Slovakian food is really tasty. It’s hearty, carby and cheesy and also contains a lot of meat, which, as two vegetarians, we were quite worried about. But every place just let us remove the meat (which was usually sprinkled on top), making it vegetarian.

The food at Reštaurácia PaB – Kuszmannov Bazár is highly rated, as is Koliba Kamzík. We enjoyed Potato fritters sprinkled with poppy seeds, butter and sugar and Cheese dumplings with chives, both of which we recommend!

Day 2: Visit Štrbské Pleso 

Late Morning: Enjoy breakfast and then take a train to Vysoké Tatry Štrbské Pleso Train Station

If, like us, you stayed at Hotel Aplend Kukucka, then enjoy a buffet breakfast at the hotel. If not, there are plenty of cafes dotted about, and most restaurants serve breakfast. Take your morning slow before hopping on the electric train to Vysoké Tatry Štrbské Pleso for another day of exploring.

Afternoon: Walk around Štrbské Pleso 

Štrbské Pleso is one of the most popular spots in the Tatra Mountains. The main attraction is Strbske Pleso Lake. The path is 2.5km long and takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour to walk around. The views are beautiful all around, and you’ll have different mountain views in every direction.

Other things to do at Štrbské Pleso include:
– Hire one of the wooden boats and row on the Štrbské Lake (this costs €23 for one hour)
– Hike Rysy, the High Tatras’ highest peak at 2501m
– Walk to Jazierka lásky
– Take the cable car up to Solisko
– Enjoy a delicious meal at one of the Slovakian restaurants
– Have a look around the local shops
– Visit one of the spa hotels

The cable car costs:
Return: Štrbské Pleso – Solisko €23
One way up: Štrbské Pleso – Solisko €20
One way down: Solisko – Štrbské Pleso €17

Evening: Watch the sunset over Štrbské Pleso

Štrbské pleso is known for some of the most gorgeous sunsets in the High Tatras mountains, so I suggest you spend your evening here and watch the sunset over the lake.

There are also quite a few different restaurants where you can grab dinner, offering a mix of local and international dishes.

Day 3: Hike to Popradské pleso

Popradske Pleso in Slovakia is the name of the spot where the train station is located, as well as a lake located deeper in the Nature Reserve. It is only accessible via a hiking trail, which is what you’re going to start doing if you follow this 2-day Tatra Mountain itinerary.

It’s worth noting you can’t drive there, and it also has one mountain hotel; Horský Hotel Popradské Pleso, it’s gorgeous (just look at those views) and is surprisingly budget-friendly, considering its remote location – it even has dorm rooms available. 

Late Morning: Enjoy breakfast and take the train to Popradské pleso

This was our favourite hike in the Tatra mountains, it’s gorgeous, so I can’t wait for you to see it too! It’s definitely one of the top things to do in the High Tatras.

After breakfast, take the train to Popradské Pleso, which is a stop along the way of the electric gauge train in the west of the Tatra Mountains, and is where you’ll start your hike. There’s also a small car park where you can leave your car for the day. The cost to park your car is €5 per hour or €15 for a full day for cars and motorcycles. As mentioned, the train costs €1.50 per journey or €4 for a day ticket, so it is noticeably cheaper than the car park, unless there is a group of you.

Afternoon: Hike to Popradské pleso and enjoy lunch at the mountain hut

The hike to Popradské pleso is rated easy and takes around 1 hour in each direction. It’s a nice hike, with a gradual incline before you reach the lake.

When we started out, it was grey and cloudy, and we weren’t super hopeful that we’d arrive with a nice view. But by the time we arrived, as if by magic, the clouds cleared and the sun came out, making way for a gorgeous view of the mountains surrounding us.

Once you reach Popradské pleso, there’s a mountain hut here where you can enjoy a meal. We opted for the garlic soup (again) and the butternut squash soup; both were incredibly tasty and ideal to warm us up. They also offer main meals (however, there weren’t many vegetarian options), hot drinks and beers.

Once you’ve filled your stomachs, I suggest walking around the lake for some of the best views. The walk around the glacial lake at Popradské pleso takes around 45 minutes and is a relaxed stroll with no elevation gain.

If you’re feeling energetic, from here you can hike further up to Ostrva for gorgeous scenic views over the lake and beyond. The hike is rated difficult, and is 8.64 miles long with an elevation gain of 2,493 ft.

The second time that I visited, I hiked halfway up to the first viewpoint, and I can confirm, the views are gorgeous. Unfortunately, the clouds started rolling in so we didn’t go the whole way – I’ll just have to return a third time!

Once you’ve finished exploring the lake, you have two choices for your hike back. Either take the shorter hike, which is the way you came. Or, hike back to Popradské pleso. I personally dislike going back on myself, so we hiked to Štrbské Pleso instead. The hike is really gorgeous with views over Štrbské Pleso and the lake.

The hike typically takes around 1 to 1.5 hours and is rated easy to moderate with a distance of 4.5 km (2.8 miles).

Evening: Enjoy dinner

From here, you can spend the evening in Štrbské Pleso again, head to a different spot or return to the area that you’re staying in.

I recommend Spitz Restaurant and Bar for dinner at Starý Smokovec for some delicious local dishes.

Day 4: Hike Zelene Pleso or visit AquaCity Poprad and then return home!

Late Morning: Either head to AquaCity Poprad or Zelene Pleso for your last day

After breakfast and for your last day of your 4 days in the Tatras Mountains, you have a few options depending on the weather and what time your flight home leaves, or you’re travelling to your next place.

Option 1: If it’s a rainy day then visit the spa and waterpark at AquaCity Poprad. It’s an indoor and outdoor waterpark and wellness spa centre in the centre of Poprad. You can find the full list of prices here but, a 3-hour adult ticket costs €24 when purchased online one day in advance, you can then add on the wellness centre for an additional €15.

Option 2: If it’s dry weather and you have a bit more time then I suggest hiking to Zelene Pleso. It’s a gorgeous emerald green lake in the eastern High Tatras, which takes around 3 hours to hike in each direction. It’s a relatively gentle uphill climb through stunning scenery.

The trail is 19.5km in length with an elevation gain of 819m. The hike is rated very hard. The Zelené Pleso hike starts from Tatranska Lomnica, where you can either hike from the town or take a cable car to Skalnate Pleso, as you did on day one. From here, you can then hike the rest of the way to Zelené Pleso. 

Afternoon: Head home or to your next destination

The has come to leave the Tatra Mountains, either head to the airport, or take an onward bus to your next destination. I recommend heading across the border to explore the Polish side of the Tatra Mountains.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on visiting the Tatras Mountains, Slovakia

Final Thoughts on a 4-day itinerary for visiting the High Tatras Mountains, Slovakia

The Tatra Mountains are incredible. They’re such an underrated spot that really should be explored by any hiking or nature lover. From the gorgeous hike to Popradské pleso, taking the cable car up to Skalnaté Pleso and the mountain cart back down is just an unbeatable adventure. The Tatras are also registered as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve to protect the wildlife in the region.

Four days is a great amount of time to explore the mountains of Slovakia, enjoy some shorter hikes, sample some hearty local food and discover some of the best things to do in the High Tatras.

I hope that this guide will help you plan your 4 days in the Tatras Mountains on the Slovakian side.

You can find out everything you need to know to plan a trip in our ultimate Tatra Mountains travel guide here.