Your hike
Five inputs that decide the actual 2026 cost.
Polish "legitymacja studencka" or ISIC. School-age kids (under 7) enter free.
Result
A 2026 figure based on TPN published tariffs.
Total to pay
~ 20 zł
2 × 10 zł TPN gate entry. No permit required for Morskie Oko (lake only).
No reservation required
Best window: any clear day, July 06:00–09:00
Quota control at Rysy launches 2024
Gate entry (TPN)
10 zł / adult
Parking
30 zł (Palenica)
Prices are 2026 reference values from TPN. Rysy quota booking is via tpn.pl/ery. Always re-check before paying.
How to read the result
TPN operates two distinct systems at once: a gate entry ticket (everyone entering the protected zone pays), and a separate permit system for routes where traffic is capped. The 2024 reform added the Rysy permit because the highest Polish summit was being worn down by 100,000+ annual ascents and a chronic rescue-load of under-equipped hikers.
Gate entry ticket
Sold at every TPN gate. 10 zł adult, 5 zł student (with valid Polish or ISIC card). Children under 7 free. Tickets are date-stamped, not for a specific gate, and one ticket covers re-entry for the same calendar day (rare but possible via Łysa Polana or Palenica Białczańska).
Rysy permit (2024 new)
50 entries/day in summer (1 Jun – 30 Sep), 20 in shoulder season, none in winter. 15 zł per person. Booked at tpn.pl/ery. Gate still charges 10 zł on top — separate fees.
Morskie Oko
No permit required, only gate entry. But: 7.5 km of road is closed to private cars — shuttle bus (or 1.5h walk) from Palenica Białczańska. Bus ~12 zł round trip. In July–August, the parking lot fills by 08:00.
Kościelec
No permit, but the marked "Orla Perć" path that crosses it requires a helmet (rental at Kuźnice ~15 zł) and is one-way in summer. Gate entry plus through-hike permits are not interchangeable.
Dolina Pięciu Stawów
Valley route — gate entry only. Optional fee for the Stawy hotel area (for toilets / water). No reservation system.
Wolski & Turbacz
Wolski is on the easy "sub-Tatra" ridge in Pogórze, technically outside the strict national park gate zone — no TPN fee. Turbacz (Gorce) is in Gorczański Park Narodowy — separate 8 zł entry, no permit.
The Rysy quota system
Before 2024, Rysy (2,499 m, the highest summit in Poland, the border tri-point with Slovakia) was being summited by 110,000+ people a year. Mountain rescue logged 60+ interventions per season on the route alone, mostly under-equipped day-trippers from Zakopane.
TPN's response: a hard cap of 50 entries/day on the Polish-side approach from Morskie Oko (the easier Czarny Staw side), June through September. Bookings open at 12:00 (noon, Polish time) exactly 30 days before the target date. By 12:05, July slots are gone. By 12:20, August is. Shoulder season (May, October) clears by 14:00–16:00 on day 30.
The permit is non-transferable — the name on the booking must match the ID at the gate. A 15 zł per-person fee on top of the standard 10 zł gate entry. Cancellations 48 hours ahead get a refund; later than that, no.
The Slovak-side approach (from Łomnica, via Popradské Pleso) is not capped — but you'll need a Schengen entry stamp, parking at Tatranská Lomnica, and a more technical route. Half of all Rysy ascents are now via Slovakia.
Limitations of this calculator
FAQ
Do I need both an entry ticket AND a Rysy permit?
Yes. They are separate. The 10 zł gate entry gets you into the park. The 15 zł Rysy permit gets you the right to ascend Rysy on a specific day. Two different counters, two different payments. The Rysy permit cannot substitute for the entry ticket and vice versa.
What if I show up without a Rysy permit?
TPN rangers at the Czarny Staw branch turn you back. There is no on-site purchase — the quota system has no "walk-in" slot. The only legal alternative is the Slovak-side approach from Popradské Pleso (requires Schengen entry stamp and is more technical).
When does the booking open each day?
12:00 noon Polish time, exactly 30 days before the target date. tpn.pl/ery is the only booking page — third-party resellers exist but charge 3–5× the permit fee. The 30-day window is hard: not 28, not 31.
What about Gorczański Park Narodowy (Turbacz)?
Turbacz is NOT in TPN — it's in Gorczański PN, with separate gate fees (8 zł adult), separate parking (free at Koninki), and no permit system. The calculator assumes TPN rules; for Turbacz, ignore the result and treat it as a free hike.
Related tools
Sources
- Tatrzański Park Narodowy official fee schedule — tpn.pl (2026 published tariff)
- Rysy permit booking portal — tpn.pl/ery (2024 reform notice)
- Gorce National Park gate tariff — gpn.gov.pl