A mystical place where mountains touch the clouds and brown bears rise from their slumber. The High Tatra Mountains in Slovakia are a beautiful place to visit for a long weekend away or even a week or two. With convenient and budget-friendly flights from the UK, it’s the perfect spot to pop to and get your dose of mountain air.

In this post, I’ll cover everything you need to know about visiting the High Tatras Mountains, Slovakia. I’ll also give a brief introduction to where to stay, whether or not you need a car, and when the best time to visit is.

The Tatras are a mountain range called Vysoké Tatry in Slovakia, which straddles Slovakia and Poland. They are located in the Carpathian Mountains, Europe’s second-longest mountain range, stretching from the Czech Republic, across Poland and Slovakia, and reaching Serbia, Romania, and Moldova.

Hiking the High Tatras is an incredible experience that should be on every hiker’s (or nature admirer’s) list. The High Tatra Mountains haven’t yet become as popular as areas such as the Dolomites, so you can still enjoy them with not many others on the trails, which we completely recommend doing!

We visited for a long weekend in late 2024 and absolutely fell in love with the area. We couldn’t believe how little we’d heard about it before visiting, how few English tourists we saw and how beautiful the area was. Ever since, we’ve been obsessing over it and knowing that we need to return. We put a lot of planning into our trip, so we’ve put this post together to hopefully make it easier for you to plan yours.

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

How to get here: The nearest airport is Poprad, approximately a 30-minute drive
What language is spoken? Slovakian, although English is also widely spoken
What currency is used? Euro (EUR)
Where to stay: APLEND Hotel Kukučka
When to visit: June 15th through September as this is when the trails are open
How to travel around: The tatra electric railway connects all of the mountain towns & the train line connects them to Poprad or hire a car
How many days should I spend in The High Tatras? You can see a lot in 4 days

We hope that this post covers everything you need to know to visit these mountains in Slovakia that are truly incredible!

Everything you need to know to visit The Tatra Mountains, Slovakia

Here is a handy High Tatras map detailing all of the spots to visit in the High Tatras Mountains, Slovakia

What are the Tatra Mountains?

They are a mountain range that spans Slovakia and Poland. They cover approximately 785 square kilometres (303 square miles). This includes 610 square kilometres (236 sq mi) in Slovakia and 175 square kilometres (68 sq mi) in Poland. Zakopane is the largest city on the Polish side, and Poprad is on the Slovakian side.

Why visit the Tatras Mountains of Slovakia?

It’s not somewhere that you hear about visiting every day (or at least, we don’t). But, with an incredible mountain landscape, shorter and longer trails to go on and cheap flights (from London) it’s a wonderful place to visit for a weekend or even longer. 

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, then I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I really appreciate your support, as this is how I keep my content free <3

What is the weather like in the High Tatras?

If you’re looking for blissful sunshine, then the Tatras Mountains probably aren’t what you’re looking for. However, it will be a perfect trip for you if you don’t mind the cold.

With highs of 22 degrees in August, this is the warmest month, but, also one of the wettest with an average rainfall of 133mm. The coolest month is January with an average temperature of 0°C but, it is also one of the driest with an average rainfall of 46mm. The winter months also see the mountains covered in snow and during spring the wildflowers come out, creating a beautiful, colourful backdrop.

It’s important to remember that rapid weather changes can occur in the High Tatras, so it’s important to check the forecast and pack for all weather!

What is the best time to visit the Tatras Mountains, Slovakia?

This question really depends on what you want to do in the mountainous region!

If you are looking to ski, then resorts typically open for the season in mid-to-late December and remain open until March or April with the best snow being found in January and February.

If you are planning to hike, then mid-June to late October is ideal, with warmer, longer days and less rainfall as well as the fact that the majority of higher mountain trails are only open between June 15th and October 31st, so if you are planning some longer hikes then plan your trip during these months.

Outside of these months, you can still hike the shorter lower trails, so don’t let this completely put you off!

The best month to visit the High Tatras Mountains in Slovakia is June or September to avoid the peak crowds, but the weather should be mild and the trails open.

How long should I spend in the Slovakia Tatras?

The High Tatras are a great place to visit for a long weekend. The minimum amount of time that we recommend is 4 nights, to be able to go on multiple hikes and relax a little. This is how long we stayed and found it was a great amount of time, however, we could have easily stayed longer.

We recommend spending at least 4 days here exploring.

How to get to the Slovakia Tatras and where to fly into

Poprad-Tatry Airport (TAT) is a small airport that serves the Tatra Mountains. It’s a tiny airport with just one terminal. The airport only serves a few places, luckily for us, London being one of them.

We flew from London Stansted Airport. The flight costs £45, but if you are a bit more organised and not so last-minute as we are, then we could have booked our flights for as little as £30 each way. They increase to £120 during peak season (August). The flights only run on Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays and are operated by Ryanair or Wizz Air out of Stansted or Luton.

While Poprad is the closest airport, other, larger airports can usually offer better prices, larger schedules, and many more destinations.

If you can’t find a flight to Poprad, then you can also look to fly in and out of:

Košíce Airport (Slovakia) – 2h drive
Krakow Airport (Poland) – 2h 45min drive
Bratislava Airport (Slovakia) – 3h 30min drive
Budapest Airport (Hungary) – 4h 25min drive
Vienna International Airport (Austria) – 4h 25min drive

Public transport in the High Tatras

Travelling via the Tatra Narrow Gauge Train

From Poprad, the mountain towns and hiking trails are each connected via the Tatra Narrow Gauge Train. A single-track, narrow-gauge electric train that runs once every hour between which runs between towns in the High Tatras: Poprad, Starý Smokovec, Štrbské Pleso and Tatranská Lomnica.

The train is very reasonably priced, and as long as you don’t miss the train you are aiming for it’s an easy way to travel through the mountain towns.

A single journey varies from €1.50 – €2, and an all-day pass is available for €4.

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. Ours weren’t checked once, but the fine for not having one if they do decide to check yours is €50, so don’t forget to buy one before boarding!

From the airport, you can either get a Bolt, a taxi or hire a car. We got a Bolt from the airport (which cost €17 and a taxi on the meter back (which cost €27).

However, it is worth noting that I think we got lucky with our Bolt from the airport, as when we looked to return, the cost was €30 each time.

Car hire from the airport was €15 per day. Be sure to book this in advance, as they were sold out when we arrived! Whilst car hire is cheap, car parks throughout the mountain towns were quite expensive (€15-€20 per day), so bear this in mind when deciding how to get around the Tatras Mountains.

Where should you stay in the High Tatras?

When deciding where to stay in Slovakia, Tatras Mountains you really have two options:

Stay in the Tatras Mountains or in the city of Poprad, around a 30-minute drive away from the mountains and home to the nearest airport.

While both options have pros and cons, we recommend staying within the Slovakia Tatras.

Opting to stay in Poprad is a great option if you like a mix of city life and hiking. If you opt to stay in one of the settlements within the High Tatra then deciding which one can be a bit confusing.

Some of the most popular ones are:

Tatranská Lomnica
Štrbské Pleso
Tatranská Štrba
Strba

In terms of hotels in the Tatra Mountains, we recommend staying in APLEND Hotel Kukučka. This is where we stayed and loved it. You can read our full review and guide here. Overall, the hotel is in a great location close to the Tatra electric railway line (which connects all of the mountain towns) and also close to Lomnický Peak and its cable car. The hotel has a spa, restaurant and wonderful views. It’s also rated 8.9 on booking.com.

You can search for hotels in the Tatra National Park, Slovakia:

What is the best base for the Tatra Mountains?

If you’re planning on exploring the Slovakian side, then as we mentioned, we recommend staying in one of the towns within the mountains. We stayed in Tatranská Lomnica and found it to be a great base for exploring. There’s a train station in the town which connects you to each of the other mountain towns, and a cable car station which you can ride to the top of Lomnický ští, which I felt like had some of the most beautiful views in the whole of the Slovakian mountains.

What is there to do in the Slovakia High Tatras Mountains?

The number one thing to do in the High Tatras Mountains is hike!

There’s a really great mixture of shorter and longer hikes. If you’re not at your peak fitness or simply don’t enjoy hiking then you can opt for a shorter hike. Štrbské Pleso or Popradské Pleso are both wonderful options that take a few hours and only require a basic level of fitness.

You can also spend some time in the mountain towns. Strbske Pleso is a favourite, with tons of restaurants and bars in which to relax.

If hiking isn’t your style, or you simply want to take in the panoramic views, hop on one of the area’s cable cars. Ride from Tatranská Lomnica to Lomnický štít, Slovakia’s second-highest peak, offering incredible views. At the top, you’ll be treated to breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. There’s also a restaurant at the top where you can enjoy a delicious local meal.

What are the best things to see and do in the Tatras, Slovakia?

As I mentioned, hiking really is one of the best things to do in the Slovakian mountains.

Here are some of the best hikes in Slovakia:

Strbske Pleso – Rysy
Length: 18.7km
Elevation gain: 1,375m
Estimated time: 8 hours return
Rated: Hard/ challenging

Popradské pleso – Rysy
Length: 10.8km
Elevation gain: 969m
Estimated time: 9 hours return
Rated: Hard/ challenging

Štrbské Pleso – Popradské Pleso
Length: 9km
Elevation gain: 387m
Estimated time: 4-5 hours return
Rated: Moderate

Štrbské Lake Loop
Length: 2.7 km
Elevation gain: 45m
Estimated time: 35 minutes
Rated: Easy

What is there to do in the rain, in the Slovakia High Tatras?

Whether in the High Tatras can be unpredictable. If you find yourself stuck in a rainstorm then there aren’t many things to do inside (the real purpose of a visit here is to be in the mountains), but, there are still a few things to do. AquaCity Poprad is a popular day trip, home to a water park and wellness spa. You can either opt for a combo ticket or just the waterpark or spa. If you’re planning on spending some time relaxing in a spa then opt for one of the many spa hotels in the area.

If skiing is your thing, then head to the Tatra National Park in the winter, where the region is transformed into a skier’s paradise. The ski resort at Tatranská Lomnica boasts some of the highest-altitude slopes in Central Europe. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, there are runs for every level, along with ski schools and rentals.

The resort at Štrbské Pleso is a great choice. Offering both downhill skiing and cross-country trails surrounded by stunning alpine scenery.

Packing list for your trip to the Slovakia Tatra Mountains

If you’re flying with Ryanair, then you’ll know that you have to pay extra for luggage. We opted to share one 10 kg hand luggage-sized suitcase for our trip, and along with our camera, drone, and tripod, we had plenty of room.

As mentioned, the Tatras Mountains don’t get particularly hot even in the height of the summer, and the weather can change very quickly with sunshine and blue skies one moment to thick clouds and rain the next, so it’s important to be prepared for all weather.

If you do forget anything, then Poprad is a fairly well-equipped city where you can get the train. Chris forgot his phone charger, so we took a trip to the electric store here on day 2!

Here is our packing list for the High Tatra Mountains:

• Lightweight hiking shoes (preferably waterproof)
• Moisture-wicking base layers (top and bottom)
• Light fleece or softshell jacket
• Packable rain jacket (waterproof and windproof)
• Convertible hiking pants (zip-off to shorts)
• Wool or synthetic socks (2-3 pairs)
• Hat (for sun protection)
• Light gloves and a beanie (if temperatures drop)
• Water bottle
• Lightweight trekking poles (if needed)
• Trail snacks/energy bars
• Compact headlamp or flashlight
• Travel-sized toiletries
• Power bank (for phone/camera)
• Camera (to capture all the incredible views)

Final thoughts on visiting the Slovak High Tatras

The High Tatras Mountains in Slovakia are an incredible place to visit and one that should be on every mountain lover’s list. It has short, lower hikes and far longer hikes for those who are more experienced. It’s a budget-friendly destination that also has the option to make it as ‘boujee’ as you would like with numerous spa hotels dotted at the base of the mountain ranges. We couldn’t recommend visiting enough!