The leader will meet the group on arrival at Krakow Airport. From here, we will take the train (15 minutes) into the city. Here we will have time to explore Krakow before heading south towards the Tatras. Arriving at the mountain resort town of Zakopane, we check in to our simple hotel accommodation. The guide can advise on the choice of restaurant for your evening meal.

After breakfast, we set off on a picturesque hike from Toporowa Cyrhla to the summit of Kopieniec Wielki (1,328m). The trail leads through scenic forest paths and gentle mountain terrain, making the ascent both enjoyable and rewarding. From the top, you can take in one of the finest viewpoints in the Polish Tatra Mountains, with a wide panoramic view stretching over Zakopane, the Giewont massif, the Western Tatras, and the High Tatras. We then descend toward the Olczyska Valley, following a pleasant trail before beginning another steady climb to Nosal (1,206 m), a distinctive rocky peak rising prominently above the town. From Nosal, we can pause to admire a spectacular panorama of the Western Tatras and the surrounding landscapes below.

In the afternoon some free time in the lively town of Zakopane the capital of the Polish Mountains. The day is rounded off with a 45-minute transfer to the Bialka Valley (on the border between Poland and Slovakia). From here we have an hour of forested walking to reach the charming Roztoki Hut, our accommodation for the next 2 nights. Local special food will be provided by the hut for dinner.

After breakfast, we follow forest trails and gravel tracks up the Bialka Valley to the northern shores of Morskie Oko lake. Here, we can enjoy a coffee stop and enjoy the dramatic views of Mieguszowiecki (2438m) and Rysy (2499m) itself. Onwards, we hike up to the Swistowka Pass (1800m) into the Valley of the ˜Polish Five Lakes™. This is wonderfully wild area threads its way through a prominent boulder field as we descend towards the string of 5 lakes that gives the upper part of the Roztoki Valley its alternative name. Dropping into the lower valley there are sections of steep cobbled steps as we return the Roztoki Hut.

Amongst the forested ridges on the north side of the High Tatras there is a prominent clearing and grazing area known as Rusinowa Meadow. With its traditional, steep-roofed shepherds' huts and flocks of sheep, set against a backdrop of the rocky summits of the Tatras, this is one of the most picturesque locations imaginable. It is a pleasant walk of around 2 hours from the Roztoki Hut to reach the meadow and we can spend some time there, taking photographs and trying the local sheep's cheese, before continuing our morning's walk for a further hour amongst trees and via several smaller clearings to Wierch Poroniec. Here, we meet our transport and set off on a drive of a little more than an hour which will take us across the border into Slovakia and then, looping around the highest part of the Tatras, to the small lake-side settlement and winter ski-resort of Strbske Pleso (1320m). We are now due south of Rysy and our walk-in to the mountain today will take us as far as the hut beside the stunningly-situated mountain lake of Popradske Pleso (1500m). It will take us a little under 2 hours, walking on a great trail, partly in forest, which traverses the west side of the scenic Mengusovska Valley.

Today is a brilliant mountain day and we will aim to make a reasonably early start. Climbing Rysy from the Slovakian side is generally less busy (and thus safer) than from the Polish side and also, since we will be returning to the same accommodation tonight, we can leave most of our gear in our rooms and enjoy the day unencumbered. Our ascent into the upper part of the Mengusovska Valley follows a rocky path through an alpine forest with clear trail marking and signposts. Quite soon, we leave the trees behind and the views get better and better. The path zig-zags upwards and then levels out briefly as it crosses a huge boulderfield beside the twin mountain tarns of Male Zabie Pleso and Velke Zabie Pleso. With Rysy ahead of us now, the trail climbs again and there is some easy scrambling and short ladder-assisted sections which are well protected by cable or chain handrails. After 3 hours we reach the Rysmi Hut (2250m) and we can choose to eat our packed lunch here or to save it until we get to the summit which we reach after a further 45 minutes of steep ascent. If it's clear, the views are spectacular and extend across the Tatras and down into both Poland and Slovakia. Returning via the route of our ascent, we are soon back at the Rysmi Hut where we can grab a coffee before continuing the descent for a further 2 and a half hours to Popradske Pleso where we spend a second night.

After breakfast at the Horsky Hotel, it takes an hour to hike out from the valley on the little-used access road. Close to Strbske Pleso we reach a station on the railway line and board a train which takes us eastwards for an hour beneath the Tatras and via the picture postcard village of Stary Smokovec to Tatranska Lomnica. From this small and pretty town, overlooked by the striking peak of Lomnicky Stit (2634m), we take the cable car up to the small lake of Skalnate Pleso (1751m). There is a lodge here and an astronomical observatory and it's also the starting place for today's excellent walk. Setting off northwards, we climb for about an hour to the Svistovkou Pass (2023m) where we cross Lomnicky's North-East Ridge. We can take a short detour from the pass to the small summit of Velka Svistovka, where the views of the Bielskie (White) Tatra and the Kezmerska Valley are superb. Dropping down from the pass we reach the Pri Zelenom (Green Lake) Hut, one of the most picturesque hut settings in the entire Tatras. The surrounding limestone landscape of the White Tatra is quite different from the mountains we have walked through thus far. Leaving any gear we don't need at the hut, there is the option to make a lightweight hike up into a tarn-filled valley below Jagniecy Peak (2230m) where we can usually spot chamois. Exactly how far we climb will depend on our time of arrival at the hut and anyone who has had enough walking for the day can just enjoy relaxing in this spectacular location. Overnight at the Pri Zelenom Hut.

After breakfast, we hike for around 40 or 50 minutes on a gradually ascending trail to Velke Biele Pleso, the 'Great White Lake'. Here there is a path junction with one trail heading east and down out of the mountains to Tatranska Kotlina and the other, which will be our trail today, heading west and climbing to a pass at 1778 metres with spectacular views. We descend momentarily before climbing to a second pass at 1750 metres which we should reach in less than an hour from the trail junction. From this second pass we begin our descent dropping first to flower-strewn meadows and then into the wooded Javorova Valley. We follow the river which heads west and then swings north to take us out of the mountains. Reaching the road-head above the town of Tatranska Javorina, our transport will be waiting and start to make our way Krakow. Please be aware that the transfer at the end of the trek back to Krakow is a combination of private and public transport. A brief private transfer will take us to Zakopane. Depending on our arrival time in Zakopane there may be time to enjoy some refreshments before we board a public bus (2.20 hrs) back to Krakow. Arriving in Krakow we will check in at our hotel, freshen up and then head out for our final dinner.

Your holiday ends after breakfast. There will be an escorted group transfer on public transport to Krakow Airport in the morning.