Chopok South in Summer: Krupová Gondola, Prices, Hours and Hikes

How the Krupová gondola works

From the south, from Horehronie, two gondola lifts take you up Chopok. The first carries you from the lower station at Krupová (1,084 m) to Kosodrevina (1,494 m), where you change to the second, which ends just below the summit of Chopok (2,024 m). Both have 15-seat cabins, and each section takes about 5 minutes.

At the top the south side meets the north side. According to the overview on the lanovky.sk portal, a return ticket to Chopok is also valid for continuing north via Priehyba to Jasná, but always with a return by the same route. On one trip you can cross the whole of Chopok, you just have to watch the time of the last ride.

In summer only this pair of gondolas runs. The Srdiečko - Kosodrevina chairlift is in the timetable only for the winter season.

When the gondolas run

The Jasná resort timetable gives the following summer operation:

• 1 May to 15 June, weekends only, 8:30 - 15:00,
• 16 June to 30 June, daily 8:30 - 15:30,
• July and August, daily 8:30 - 17:00,
• September, daily 8:30 - 15:30,
• 1 October to 30 November, weekends only, 8:30 - 15:00.

The cabins leave every half hour, more often when it is busy. For autumn 2026 the resort gives operation from 8:30 to 15:00, with the last ride down from Chopok at 15:00. According to the overview on lanovky.sk, in October 2026 the lifts run at weekends and, at the start of the month (1 to 4 October), also on Thursday and Friday. Jasná will publish the dates for summer 2027 on its website.

Operation always depends on the weather. When it blows hard on the ridge or a storm threatens, the upper gondola may stop. Check the webcams and the status on jasna.sk in the morning, or call the Krupová client centre (daily 8:00 - 15:30, +421 911 85 63 91).

How much a ticket costs

Jasná sells tickets at so-called flexi prices. The highest is the fixed price at the ticket desk, a little cheaper are the Gopass Tickets machines at the resort (card only), and online on gopass.travel is usually cheapest. Prices for autumn 2026 operation (checked on 2 October 2026):

Ticket	Adults	Juniors and seniors	Children 6 - 11 years
Return, ticket desk	€35	€28	€25
Up only, ticket desk	€31	€25	€22
Down only, ticket desk	€27	€22	€19
Return, Gopass Tickets	€33	€27	€24
Return, online (October)	from €31	from €25	from €22

The junior ticket applies to ages 12 to 17 and to holders of ISIC, ITIC, EURO26 and GO26 cards. The senior ticket is for people from 60 and holders of ZŤP and ZŤP-S disability cards. Children under 6 travel free if they are with a paying adult over 18, at most two children per adult.

The “down only” ticket is handy if you walk up or arrive along the ridge from Ďumbier. If the upper gondola does not run because of wind and you only get as far as Kosodrevina, under the 2026 terms and conditions you get 75% of the return ticket price refunded.

Where to park

According to the Jasná car park overview (May 2026), there are three car parks on the south side:

• Krupová: 520 spaces right by the lower station, €10 a day,
• Trangoška: 100 spaces, €5 a day, the starting point for Štefánik Chalet and Ďumbier,
• Srdiečko: 100 spaces, €5 a day, higher up above Krupová.

If you are only going for the gondola, Krupová is the most convenient. If you plan to walk down from the mountains to Trangoška, leave the car there instead; it is under 2 km along the road from Krupová to Trangoška.

At the top without a big hike

You can go up Chopok even without the fitness for an all-day hike. The Chopok Panoramic Trail with 11 stops starts right by the upper station: a 3D model of the Tatras, boards about mountain weather and about NAPANT, a table of two regions and a big swing shaped like a bird’s nest with a view of the south side of the Low Tatras. Entry is free and the trail is open every day during the summer season.

At the summit there is the panoramic Rotunda restaurant with a terrace and a statue of the dragon Demian, and a little below it the Kamenná chata (Stone Chalet) below Chopok. At Kosodrevina there is a restaurant and a mountain cart hire. On a cart you can ride from Kosodrevina all the way down to Krupová; the track is 2,600 m long and for people over 12.

With small children it makes a good half-day trip. It is noticeably colder and windier up there than down in Bystrá, so take a jacket and a hat for everyone. People in wheelchairs ride the cabins on the south side accompanied by an adult, but the terrain on the ridge is stony.

Hikes from Kosodrevina and Chopok

The times come from Slovak Tourist Club (KST) signposts and Jasná’s tips:

• From Kosodrevina on foot to Chopok on the yellow trail: 1 h 40 min. Walking up and taking the gondola down saves your knees; a “down only” ticket costs €27 at the ticket desk.
• From Kosodrevina to Štefánik Chalet and Trangoška: on the blue Magistrála to M. R. Štefánik Chalet 1 h 30 min, then on the green trail to Trangoška 1 h 15 min. Jasná gives 9 km and 2 hours 40 minutes. It is an easy hike with views of Ďumbier and lunch at the chalet.
• From Chopok to Ďumbier and back on the red trail via Demänovské sedlo and Krúpova hoľa: according to Jasná 8.8 km and 4 hours. The turn-off to the summit of Ďumbier is at Krúpove sedlo (saddle). We describe the whole route from the south in the article Ďumbier hike from Trangoška.
• From Kosodrevina to the Cave of Dead Bats: on the blue trail to Kološňa (0:20 h) and on the yellow Poľovnícky chodník (Hunters’ Trail) to the junction by the cave (the signpost gives 0:50 h). The cave can only be visited by reservation; more in the article on the Cave of Dead Bats.
• From Kosodrevina on foot to Krupová: on the yellow trail via Srdiečko; according to the signpost it is 55 minutes to Trangoška.

On any hike where you return by gondola, set an alarm for the last ride. In autumn 2026 it is 15:00 from Chopok, and if you miss it you face a walk down.

NAPANT rules, closures and weather

The whole ridge lies in the Low Tatras National Park. You may walk only on marked trails and only in daylight, dogs must be on a lead and muzzled, drones are not allowed and bicycles do not belong on the ridge. The park administration (NAPANT) also lists seasonal closures, two of which concern the area around Chopok:

• the yellow trail Demänovské sedlo - Javorie sedlo - Krupovské sedlo is closed from 1 October to 30 June,
• the winter pole-marked route M. R. Štefánik Chalet - Ďumbier is closed whenever there is not at least 15 cm of continuous snow.

If you want to walk down from Chopok to Jasná on the north side, first check the notices on jasna.sk. As of 2 October 2026 the resort says the blue trail from Brhlísky to Chopok is temporarily closed because of construction work.

Weather on the ridge changes quickly. Before your trip check the forecast and the information from the Mountain Rescue Service, and in an emergency call the Mountain Rescue Service on 18 300 or the emergency number 112.

What to combine it with

Chopok combines easily with an afternoon in warm water: the Hotel Bystrá water and sauna world is across the road from the Bosorka apartment. If you feel like a full-day hike, go for the Ďumbier hike from Trangoška. In winter you can ski from Krupová; for ski pass prices and parking see the article Chopok South ski passes. More summer tips are on the Summer below Chopok page.