Cave of Dead Bats: Hike, Tours, Booking and Prices

What the Cave of Dead Bats is

The Cave of Dead Bats lies in the central part of the Low Tatras ridge, in the Ďumbier high-mountain karst below M. R. Štefánik Chalet. It got its name from the large number of bat bones, whose age is estimated at about 6,000 years.

According to the operator, in the limestone massif of Kozie chrbty, 2 km long and only 300 m wide, the passages lie on 14 known levels and in two parallel branches. The largest space, the Bystrický dóm, is on the 7th level at a depth of 180 m directly beneath Štefánik Chalet and has a volume of 52,500 m³.

It is not a classic show cave of the kind you know from the Slovak Caves Administration. It is opened up by a speleological guiding service, cavers guide you, and even the basic route follows rock paths with rope protection. The cave receives no state subsidies; the admission goes to maintaining the routes, research and the exploration of further parts.

Booking and opening hours

You cannot go without a booking. Every tour must be booked in advance by phone on +421 905 135 535 or by e-mail at kontakt@jmn.sk. When you call, also check the date, because it takes almost two hours to reach the cave and a wasted trip would be annoying.

Opening times according to the cave’s website:

• January and February: closed,
• March to June: Saturday and Sunday,
• July and August: daily except Monday,
• September to December: Saturday and Sunday.

Regular entries are at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00. For school trips and excursions the price is by arrangement. The cave’s website still carries a notice from 2024, so treat the prices and opening days as indicative and confirm them when booking.

Which route to choose

Excursion A is a tourist route for families with children from 8 years. It leads through the central 7th level of the cave, is 1 km long and takes about an hour and 20 minutes, depending on the size of the group. The operator warns that it is more demanding than ordinary show caves. Adults pay €20, children under 15 €15.

Caving trek B is for people with experience of high-mountain terrain and basic climbing skills. It passes several exposed places where you are protected by rope, and takes about 2 hours or more. It costs €55, €70 together with route A.

Caving trek C is the hardest. The terrain is almost continuously exposed, and moving through it often requires more advanced climbing skills. It takes about 3 hours or more and costs €65. For both B and C you must be over 18 and physically fit.

If you are not at home in caves, start with route A. Even that is an experience that cannot be compared with an ordinary tour.

Getting to the cave from Bystrá

You drive up the Bystrá valley to the Trangoška car park; you will find the exact route in the box above. According to the Jasná resort car park overview (May 2026) it has 100 spaces and costs €5 a day.

From Trangoška you continue on foot on the green trail towards M. R. Štefánik Chalet. No road for cars leads to the entrance hut, and a climb of about 90 minutes awaits you. On the green trail you come to the junction To the Cave of Dead Bats (1,400 m), where you turn off along a short path to the entrance. Leave yourself a larger margin, as you need to arrive on time for the tour.

If the gondola from Krupová is running, you can also come from above. From Kosodrevina you take the blue Magistrála to Kološňa (20 minutes by the KST signpost) and from there the yellow Poľovnícky chodník to the junction by the cave; the signpost gives 50 minutes. The Jasná resort rates this route as hard in its hiking tips. For the return, watch the time of the last gondola ride; more in the article Chopok South in summer.

What to bring

• Warm clothing, a hat and gloves. According to the slovakia.travel portal, inside the cave it is only a few degrees above zero and the air flows strongly.
• Sturdy shoes, ankle-high for caving treks B and C.
• Water and something to eat for the climb.
• A rucksack in which to stow a wet or sweaty layer from the climb, so that you enter the cave dry.

Check when booking whether you will be given a helmet and a light.

When to go

It is easiest in July and August, when it is open daily except Monday and the trail is dry. Outside summer you can go only at weekends. In spring and at the end of the year, ask when booking about the state of the trail too; it is mountain terrain at an altitude of about 1,400 m.

The cave is a good programme for a day when the ridge is in fog and Ďumbier is not worth it. It is not for a downpour, though: the climb follows a mountain trail, and wet stones are slippery.

Combining it with a hike

The cave is on the way to M. R. Štefánik Chalet; from the junction to the chalet it is an hour by the signpost. If you take the 10:00 tour, you can fit in the chalet in the afternoon and, if you are fit, Ďumbier as well. We describe the whole route to the summit in the article Ďumbier hike from Trangoška. The usual rules apply in the national park: marked trails only, daylight only, and dogs on a lead and muzzled.

What to combine it with

If you want a cave without a climb, go to Bystrianska Cave right in Bystrá; the tour takes 45 minutes and small children can manage it.

In summer you can fit in both caves in one day. If you book route A at the Cave of Dead Bats for 10:00, you are back at Trangoška early in the afternoon. Bystrianska Cave has entries every hour from June to August, the last at 16:00, so you can still get in on the same day. Just beware of Mondays, when both are closed. After you come back from the mountains you can warm up in the Hotel Bystrá water and sauna world, which is across the road from Bosorka Apartments. More tips for bad weather are on the Rainy day ideas page.