High Tatras Hut-To-Hut Trek

The Tatra Mountains are an extremely popular place for trekking, and it’s not hard to see why. Covering 785 sq km (300 sq miles), they form the natural border between Slovakia and Poland and are the highest mountains in the Carpathian range.

The landscape, three-quarters of which is in Slovakia, is crammed with rocky peaks, deep glacial valleys, mountain lakes, waterfalls, pine forests and crystal-clear streams. This also makes it a haven for flower-filled meadows and wildlife such as Tatra chamois, brown bears, lynx, wolves, marmots, deer and many bird species. Protected by UNESCO, the mountains are formed of three parts: the High Tatras, the Belianske Tatras and the Western Tatras. On this trip, you’ll get to step foot into the first two, and have far-reaching views of the third.

Meals included
No meals included on this day.

Accommodation
Pension Jesensky (or similar)

After breakfast, you transfer by public bus to Tatranska Kotlina, the official start of today’s route across the Valley of the Seven Springs. This easternmost valley on the southern side of the Tatras is considered the gateway to the Belianske Tatras.

Your route begins in dense forest near to the famous Belianska Cave. The cave is 3,829m long and is a theatre of fascinating rock formations, chambers, halls and waterfalls. You may be able to visit today, or later on in your trip, if you wish. Continuing to Plesnivec Hut, you can take a rest, re-fuel and enjoy the forested surrounds, before arriving at Zelene Pleso, a glacial lake overlooking the majestic peaks of the Belianske Tatras.

Mountain huts are a great way to experience the majesty, solitude and might of the mountains. The huts are located in the middle of nowhere so you can soak up the views from dusk to dawn. They are also steeped in history and tradition, and usually have a story to tell. Locally-run, you’ll be assured of a warm and hospitable stay.

Tonight’s hut dates back to 1876. A traditional wooden cottage, it’s wedged right next to a crystal-clear glacial lake and nestled in the shadow of 2,500m peaks. You’ll be accommodated in multi-share rooms with bathrooms on each floor. There is a small restaurant and bar.

Total walking
Distance: 12 km
Total ascent: 935 m
Total descent: 135 m
Min elevation: 757 m
Max elevation: 1624 m

Meals included
Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner

Accommodation
Mountain hut – Zelene Ples

Leaving the beautiful hut of Zelene Pleso behind, it’s time for a summit challenge. Following the famous Tatranska Magistrala path, you head to Velka Svistovka peak (2,037m).

The first part of the climb is on an easy, stony trail, past streams and waterfalls. As you head higher, the route turns rocky and you’ll need to clamber over boulders and along little ridges. The more difficult sections are secured by chains. The route evens out as you get near to the top, where you’ll be rewarded with stunning panoramic views of the Belianske and High Tatras with Zelene Pleso Lake (your starting point) below you.

The area around Velka Svistovka is also well-known for its high concentration of the Tatra chamois. Continue to Skalnate Pleso Mountain Lake (1,751m), home to an observatory and weather station. There may be time to look around it, before the gentle descent down to Zamkovskeho Chata Hut at the bottom of the Studena Dolina (Cold) Valley.

Zamkovskeho Chata Hut is located in the shadow of Lomnicky Peak, which, at 2,634m, is the second highest mountain in Slovakia. The hut was built in 1943 to house partisans and their families. It provides basic and clean multi-share accommodation and has a restaurant.

Total walking
Distance: 8.5 km
Total ascent: 548 m
Total descent: 630 m
Min elevation: 1648 m
Max elevation: 1997 m

Meals included
Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner

Accommodation
Mountain hut – Zamkovskeho Chata

Continue along the Tatranska Magistrala Trail, rewarded with stunning views all day long. Today’s hike showcases the Tatras’ best bits – waterfalls, glacial lakes, mighty mountains and wildlife.

Your first stop is Studeny Potok (Cold Stream) Waterfall. We think they are one of the High Tatras’ top ten attractions, because the cascading waters are beautiful as they tumble down the mountain into crystal-clear pools below. As this trip is self-guided, you can stay at the waterfalls for as long as you wish, maybe dabbling your feet into the refreshing water!

You continue on to Rainerova Chata, the oldest hut in the Tatras. Built in 1863, it’s a traditional stone hut serving drinks and snacks. Heading into the Velicka Valley, you’ll pass-by the Velicky Waterfall, which is home to Tatra marmots, an endemic subspecies of the alpine marmot. They’re often spotted playing on the rocks by the falls. The final section of today´s long trek is a descent from Ostrva saddle (1,966m) down to Popradske Pleso Hut (1,500m), your final destination for the day and home for the next three nights.

Your accommodation tonight is at Popradske Pleso hut, which is more chalet-like in its style. The hut is located on Popradske Pleso Lake at an altitude of 1,494m, and once again circled by lofty peaks and pine forests. Accommodation is still multi-share, but facilities include a restaurant, bar, sauna, shop and games. There’s also an al fresco terrace for you to sit on and soak up the views with a well-earned beer or wine!

Total walking
Distance: 15 km
Total ascent: 1045 m
Total descent: 1022 m
Min elevation: 1258 m
Max elevation: 2071 m

Meals included
Breakfast, packed lunch

Accommodation
Mountain hut – Popradske Pleso

Today, you’ll attempt to summit Poland’s highest mountain, Rysy (2,053m). It’s a popular route because it’s perfectly achievable without any technical expertise and has beautiful views into Slovakia and Poland from the top – the mountain forms the natural border between the two countries.

Starting out from Popradske Pleso, you follow easier trails next to forested hills and lakes, before heading up onto more difficult terrain with boulders to negotiate. As you get higher, the route turns into a very steep climb with numerous sections secured by chains.

You’ll head to the highest of the three summits, the middle summit, which is renowned for offering one of the widest panoramas in the Tatras. If the weather’s kind, you’ll be able to see the highest peak in Slovakia, Gerlachovský Štít (1,654m), the Western Tatras and, on the Polish side, the biggest glacial lake in the range, Morske Oko (Sea Eye).

You’ll return to your mountain hotel via the same route.

Total walking
Distance: 12 km
Total ascent: 1029 m
Total descent: 1029 m
Min elevation: 1495 m
Max elevation: 2476 m

Meals included
Breakfast, packed lunch

Accommodation
Mountain hut – Popradske Pleso

From Popradske Pleso, follow an easy route to Strbske Pleso (1,347m), the highest village in the Tatras with a glacial lake that’s surrounded by forested hills and tall peaks. The village is one of the most popular destinations in Slovakia as it provides many kilometres of hiking routes and the chance to admire the lake itself.

The rest of the day is free for you to explore the village. You could enjoy coffee and cake at one of the traditional restaurants.

In the early evening, take the mountain tram back to Tatranska Lomnica (your starting hotel) to check-in for the last night in the Tatras.

Total walking
Distance: 5.5 km
Total ascent: 88 m
Total descent: 238 m
Min elevation: 1344 m
Max elevation: 1513 m

Meals included
Breakfast

Accommodation
Penzion Jesenski (or similar)

Your adventure comes to an end today. Straight after breakfast or later in the day (as you wish) transfer to airport for your flight home.

Meals included
Breakfast

This holiday is for those who love trekking and great scenery. Some of the walks follow trails and don’t have too much ascent and descent, whilst the two summits are, by their very nature, more difficult. Both of them have exposed sections secured by chains (so you need a head for heights) and involve some scrambling over rocks.

Self-Guided

• Six nights’ accommodation – two nights in a hotel on a twin-share basis and four nights in a mountain hut on a multi-share basis.
• Six breakfasts, three packed lunches and two dinners.
• Maps and detailed route descriptions, routes for GPS devices.
• 24/7 local support

Guided Groups

• Six nights’ accommodation – two nights in a hotel on a twin-share basis and four nights in a mountain hut on a multi-share basis.
• Six breakfasts, three packed lunches and two dinners.
• Local bus & train
• Maps and detailed route descriptions, routes for GPS devices.
• 24/7 local support
• English speaking tour leader

Self-Guided

• Flights
• Arrival and departure airport transfer
• Travel insurance
• Local bus on day 2, local tram on day 6.

Guided Groups

• Flights
• Arrival and departure airport transfer
• Travel insurance

Single room supplement*: 40 EUR

Please note that in general, a single room is only available at the starting hotel on days one and six, and not at the mountain huts.

Self-Guided

Min 1, max 14.

Guided Groups

Min 6, max 14.

Please contact us if you’d like to arrange a private group for just you and your friends.

This tour starts in Tatranska Lomnica.

This tour ends in Tatranska Lomnica.

To enhance flexibility our holidays do not include flights. This gives you the freedom to choose a local airport that works for you and shop for the best deal.

List of airports with distances to the first hotel in Smokovec:

• Poprad Airport – 17 km / 20 min
• Kosice Airport – 134 km / 1h:30min
• Krakow Airport – 144 km / 2h:30min
• Bratislava Airport – 329 km / 3h:40min
• Vienna Airport – 394 km / 4h:20min
• Budapest Airport – 328 km / 4h:30min

Once you have decided which airport works for you best you will need to choose the way how to get to the starting hotel / joining point. There are two options:

Public transport

You can reach Tatranska Lomnica by public transport (bus, train). Using the public transport is another way of experiencing your destination, which puts you right in the centre of the action. If you prefer to travel by public transport we can help you find the best option.

Private transfers (door to door service)

Book your private airport transfers directly with us. Our fast, reliable and affordable private transfers are the best way to reach your starting hotel quickly and comfortably. For up-to-date prices of Airport private transfers click here.

During this tour you will use: Public bus and tram.

During this trip you’ll stay in a comfortable three-star hotel at the start and end of the trip, and mountain huts for the rest. The mountain huts are basic, but clean. Accommodation is on a multi-share basis, usually with two to eight beds in a room. All bedding is provided so you won’t need a sleeping bag.

For an extra charge we offer the option to book a single room in the start and end hotel only.

Additional hotel nights before and after the tour are available.

We recommend you pack as light as possible. Below you will find a recommended packing list. There is no specialist walking or climbing equipment, such as harnesses etc., needed for this trip.

What you decide to do about luggage transfers (see below) will dictate the size of backpack/s you take for the trip and each day’s trekking. What you will need is a secure bag to leave at the starting hotel. If you’re in any doubt about what to pack, or the size of bag to take, please don’t hesitate to get in-touch with us and our specialist walking team will be happy to advise.

• Walking boots
• Trainers
• Shorts and t-shirts
• Walking trousers and tops
• Fleece or warm jumper
• Waterproofs
• Water bottle
• Small first-aid kit
• Sun cream, sunglasses and sunhat

Trips are accompanied by one of our local group leaders. All the organisation, including transfers and activities, is managed by your leader. Our experienced guides are some of the best in the country; they will be there to assist you with anything you might need, giving you advice and organising your activities on a daily basis so you can fully focus on one thing – enjoying the beauty of the High Tatras.

When a trip is classified as self-guided, the course of the trip is determined by your own pace. Of course, we’ll still take care of all the activities and services that are included in the price of the holiday.

Our professionally prepared detailed routes will guide you safely each day and your printed copy will be also be full of photos and useful information. If you’d like us to, we can also provide you with GPS routes for your own GPS device.

You can read more about our self-guided walking tours with a printed guide here.

Please note, we want to run this trip following the day-to-day itinerary on the trip notes. However, sometimes operational circumstances may sometimes prevent us from doing this. Your tour leader will keep you fully informed of any alternative plans that are necessary on-the-ground. Also, based on feedbacks from past travellers, occasionally our itineraries are amended. Final version of your trip notes will be emailed to you prior to travel.

1. Check availability online or contact us by email or phone.
2. Secure your place/s online by clicking the BOOK NOW button or contact us by email/phone.Your place is secured with a 10 EUR deposit per person and can pay by bank transfer.
3. Once the deposit is received a confirmation email will be sent to your email automatically, and your place/s will be officially confirmed.

Have a look at our detailed trip notes or please feel free to contact us if you have any questions at all. Trip Notes provide detailed information including visa info, how to get to your hotel, what to pack, money matters, climate – pretty much everything you need to know about this tour and more.

Our knowledgeable and helpful team is here to help, and we look forward to welcoming you to our spectacular country soon!

Mountain huts Zelene Pleso and Zamkovskeho Chata used on days 2 and 3 are located in remote areas with no access roads, meaning luggage transport to those huts and on those days is not technically possible. The only mountain hut that is connected by a road is the Popradske Pleso hut that we use on days 4 and 5. Should you require access to your main luggage during this time, we are able to organize luggage transport from your starting hotel to Popradske Pleso on any of those days for a fee of € 50 per vehicle. As the hut is located in a highly protected area of the Tatras, any transfers to and from Popradske Pleso must be approved by the local authorities and reserved at the time of booking. Don’t worry, we take care of this!

There are three options for the transport of luggage:

A. I don’t need any luggage transported as I will carry everything I need on all my trekking days, while my main luggage will be kept at the starting hotel.

B. I want to book luggage transport on day 4 only. This allows you, for example, to change clothes. Your main luggage will be transported back to your starting hotel on the same day. Price € 50 per vehicle.

C. I want to book luggage transport from my starting hotel to Popradske Pleso on day 4. I want to keep all my luggage in Popradske Pleso on day 5 too and then in the morning on day 6, I want my luggage to be transported from Popradske Pleso back to the starting hotel. Price € 100.

Let us know please, what your preferred option is at the time of booking.

During trekking from hut to hut we will use three different mountain huts providing basic, but clean accommodation.

Day 2. Zelene Pleso Hut
Day 3. Zamkovskeho Chata
Days 4,5 Popradske Pleso Hut