Plitvice Lakes – The best tips for Croatia's largest national park

The national park around Plitvice Lakes is not only the largest and oldest, but also one of the most beautiful national parks in Croatia. Here you can explore 16 terraced lakes on beautiful hiking trails and discover the spectacular waterfalls between the lakes. There are over 90 of them to discover in total. The most famous waterfall is the 78-meter-high Veliki Slap, which is also Croatia’s highest waterfall.

You can find a possible road trip route through Croatia, which includes a visit to the national park, here:

Colossal Croatia Road Trip – 1-week itinerary from Zadar through Dalmatia

Key facts about Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice Lakes National Park, often referred to simply as Plitvice Lakes, covers a total area of 300 km² and is located between the Mala Kapela mountain range in the west and northwest and the Lička Plješivica mountain range in the southeast.

Only about 1% of the park’s area is covered by lakes. However, this is the part most visited by tourists. The rest is covered by many forests where brown bears and wolves live. In the tourist part of the national park, however, you don’t have to worry about encountering these creatures.

It was declared Croatia’s first national park on April 8, 1949, and added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on October 26, 1979.

Due to its large forest areas, the national park is one of the world’s leading UNESCO World Heritage Sites in terms of CO2 absorption (ranked 4th).

The 16 lakes listed are divided into two areas:

• Upper Lakes (with 12 lakes and many small waterfalls):
  • Prošćansko Lake
  • Ciginovac
  • Okrugljak
  • Batinovac
  • Great Lake
  • Malo Lake
  • Vir
  • Galovac
  • Milino Lake
  • Gradinsko Lake
  • Burgeti and Kozjak
• Lower Lakes (four lakes located in a narrow gorge and the Veliki Slap waterfall):
  • Milanovac
  • Gavanovac
  • Kaluđerovac
  • Novakovića Brod

At €40 per day in high season, admission isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s definitely worth it if you plan to spend the whole day here.

When is the best time to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park?

The Plitvice Lakes have their own special charm in every season. While in summer you can hike along the turquoise blue lakes and experience nature in all its glory, in winter a white, enchanting ice world awaits you, where the lakes and waterfalls are even frozen over. In contrast, the deciduous forests around the lakes are as colorful as a Bob Ross painting in autumn, and in spring you can watch as this fairy-tale world slowly awakens from its winter slumber.

You have to decide for yourself which of these backdrops you would most like to see. Personally, I really wanted to be there in August during the summer and found it quite impressive. However, it was also very crowded with many other tourists and the admission fee was quite expensive.

If you want to encounter as few other tourists as possible in the national park and don’t want to pay too much, but still want a good chance of good weather, then the off-season is probably the best time to travel, i.e. in spring (April to May) and fall (October).

Depending on when you are traveling, you should also consider a few other criteria:

• Different prices: The high season is the most expensive, while the mid and low seasons are cheaper.
• Different opening hours: In summer, you can enter the park earlier (7:00 a.m.) and leave later (8:00 p.m.) than in other seasons. The boats and buses also have different last departure times depending on the season. It’s best to check the website in advance to find out the exact opening hours.
• Variable tourist numbers: In 2024, there were around 1.5 million visitors in total. Most of these visited the national park in the summer, particularly in July (approx. 250,000) and August (approx. 300,000). This is undoubtedly due to the summer holidays. October (approx. 130,000) and April (approx. 110,000) were also busy months, but things were much more relaxed then (source: Plitvice Lakes National Park).
• Different water levels: In spring and fall, heavier rainfall usually results in higher water levels and greater flow at the waterfalls. Despite superficial fluctuations, however, the karst springs provide water throughout the year.

Getting to Plitvice Lakes

The best way to reach the region is by car or rental car. There is no train station nearby. However, there are also long-distance buses (regular buses or Flixbus from Zagreb).

The travel times are:

• From Zagreb, approximately 2 to 2.5 hours
• From Zadar, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours
• From Split, approximately 3 to 3.5 hours

Tours to the national park

It is also possible to visit the national park on a tour from larger cities such as Zagreb, Zadar, or Split. These are usually guided day trips that include bus transportation to and from the park on the same day.

Personally, I would recommend traveling there yourself with a rental car and staying for several days at this truly fantastic natural spot. But if you can’t drive yourself or only have a little time, day trips like this are also a good idea. Take a look here:

• Guided day trip from Zagreb with a stop in Rastoke
• Guided day tour from Zadar
• Guided day tour from Split

Plitvice Lakes admission: Everything you need to know about tickets for the national park

You can buy tickets directly on site, but I would recommend purchasing tickets to Plitvice Lakes National Park online in advance:

• To do this, select a date, time, and the desired main entrance on the website.
• On the day of your visit, you have 1 hour to enter the park at the entrances.
• When I was there, however, no one ever checked the exact time. I think that’s more of a problem when everything is fully booked.
• Only 300 to 400 tickets are offered on the website per hour.
• The main arrival times are usually around 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. That’s when all the buses arrive with tourists from the surrounding cities who have booked a day trip.
• Accident insurance is also included in the tickets.

Ticket prices per adult vary depending on the season and when you enter the park:

• High season (June 1 – September 30):
  • Admission until 4 p.m.: €40
  • Admission from 4:00 p.m.: €25
• Mid-season (April 1–May 31 or October 1–October 31): €23
• Low season (January 1–March 31 or November 1–December 31): €10

If you want to explore the lakes for two days, you don’t have to pay the price for two full days, but get a few percent discount. There are also discounted prices if you travel in a group.

In some years around April 8 (the park’s founding date in 1949), there are promotional weeks with discounted admission prices to celebrate the park’s birthday.

Entrances, buses, and boats: the best way to navigate the national park

There are two main entrances where you can buy tickets:

• Entrance 1: At the lower lakes near the Veliki Slap waterfall.
• Entrance 2: At the upper lakes.

There are many parking spaces at both main entrances. However, these are not free of charge:

Categories	March 1–May 31	June 1–September 30	October 1–November 30
motorcycles	$3.00/day	$5.00/day	$3.00/day
cars	$1.50/hour	$2.00/hour	$1.50/hour
motorhome	$15.00/day	$17.00/day	$15.00/day
Car with trailer	$15.00/day	$17.00/day	$15.00/day
bus	$15.00/day	$17.00/day	$15.00/day

In addition to the two main entrances, there are also many side entrances with smaller ticket counters, but these are not always open. If you have booked a ticket online in advance, you can simply enter through one of the side entrances. It does not matter which of the two main entrances you select when purchasing your ticket. The important thing is that you can show your ticket inside the park. This is checked from time to time.

There are also three ports (P1 to P3) and three bus stations (St1 to St3) where the national park buses arrive and depart. Use of the boats and buses within the park is included in the ticket price.

Plitvice Lakes Map

There are signs throughout the national park, and you can also pick up information brochures with a map of the lakes at the entrance.

But I have also entered everything important here on this digital map:

The best hikes along the Plitvice Lakes

The official website of Plitvice Lakes National Park describes eight routes, all of which start and end at one of the two main entrances. Depending on how much time you have available, these are already a few great options:

• Route A: 2–3 hours; 3.5 km; Walk only along the lower lakes and the Viliki Slap waterfall.
• Route B: 3–4 hours; 4 km; the lower lakes, plus a bus ride and boat trip across Lake Kozjak
• Route C: 4–6 hours; 8 km; lower lakes, then by boat to the upper lakes, then part of the upper lakes and back by bus
• Route E: 2–3 hours; 5.1 km; Take the bus to the upper lakes and then return to entrance 2 with the short ferry ride.
• Route F: 3–4 hours; 4.6 km; from Entrance 2 by boat to the lower lakes and back to Entrance 2 by bus
• Route H: 4–6 hours; 8.9 km; Lower and Upper Lakes. In between, a boat trip and a bus route.
• Route K1: 6–8 hours; 16.5 km; From entrance 1, walk completely around all the lakes.
• Route K2: 6–8 hours; 17.5 km; also runs completely around the lakes, but starts and ends at entrance 2.

If I had to choose one of these options, I would choose the one with the boat trip because that is also a great experience.

• If you’re short on time: Route E
• If you have plenty of time: Route C or H

However, I would recommend a different option, which does not start at one of the main entrances, but in the village of Plitvica Selo. Ideally, you should also have your accommodation there. I have some tips on this further down in this article.

Here is my recommendation for a circular hike around the Plitvice Lakes, which takes about 5-7 hours:

1. The start is in the morning in Plitvica Selo, from where you walk to the side entrance near the harbor (P3).
2. From there, you cross the lake and continue along the wooden walkways of the lower lakes to the Veliki Slap waterfall.
3. From Veliki Slap, walk back along the other bank to the bus stop (ST1).
4. Here you wait for the next bus and ride directly to the last bus stop (ST3). While you wait, you can fortify yourself with some provisions you have in your backpack.
5. At ST2, you have to change to another bus, which then goes to ST3.
6. From ST3, walk all the way along the shore to Harbor P2.
7. You can also take a short detour to the Tomićevo Pogledalo viewpoint. It is located on a mountain and offers a fantastic view over Lake Prošćansko Jezero.
8. Don’t miss the area between the two lakes, Galovac and Gradinsko Jezero. It’s always busy there, but there are lots of really beautiful waterfalls.
9. From the harbor (P2), take the boat back to the harbor (P3) where you started in the morning.
10. There is an idyllic picnic spot where you can treat yourself to a beer or a soda and something to eat while enjoying the lake panorama before heading back to your accommodation.

Practical tips: Food, packing, accessibility

Before visiting the national park, you should definitely check whether there are any warnings or whether parts of the park are closed for specific reasons. You can always find the latest information on the national park’s warning page.

Particularly in April and May, wooden footbridges and connecting paths between the lakes may be flooded and closed for safety reasons.

When planning your route, please note that boats and buses in the national park do not run all day (until 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. depending on the route and season).

The following is strictly prohibited in the national park:

• Collecting plant material or taking away any “souvenirs” of natural origin.
• Feeding animals.
• Swimming in the lakes.
• Disposing of waste outside of the designated trash bins.
• Leaving the marked trails.

You should also not leave behind any litter, messages, or damage to nature in any form.

There are restaurants, kiosks, and restrooms at the entrances, some side entrances, and scattered throughout the park. However, it is recommended that you bring something to eat and enough water with you.

The best accommodations & hotels at Plitvice Lakes

When booking accommodation, I recommend staying as close to the national park as possible, as this means you won’t have far to go in the morning and can admire nature before all the other guests. It also means you have a shorter journey back in the evening and can relax in your accommodation earlier after the exertions of the day’s hike.

Hotels in Plitvica Selo

In my opinion, the small village of Plitvica Selo is the best starting point for exploring Plitvice Lakes National Park and also a little-known gem. Here, you are already in the middle of the national park and can walk straight from the hotel to a side entrance in the morning. This allows you to avoid the crowds of visitors at the two main entrances. If you start early enough, you can even be in the national park before most of the tourists.

In addition, Plitvica Selo is located directly on the river and is an idyllic place with a very high level of hospitality. There are many accommodations throughout the village, mostly bed and breakfasts and vacation apartments.

I personally found the B&B Plitvica Creek to be the most appealing. It is located directly on the river, has a large garden, excellent rooms, and also serves a delicious breakfast and dinner (both of which can be ordered as options). The hosts are a family with two sons and a daughter who take excellent care of their guests while also allowing them sufficient privacy. In addition, they are fans of Hamburg, which naturally earns them bonus points from me as a Hamburg native.

However, you can’t go far wrong with other accommodations in Plitvica Selo either:

Hotel in Plitvice Lakes National Park

There is also a hotel located directly in the national park itself. Hotel Jezero is very close to entrance 2 and also offers a wellness center.

Pretty cool: if you stay at Hotel Jezero, you have to buy a ticket for the first day in the park. On each subsequent day of your stay, admission is free. All you have to do is request an extension of your ticket at the hotel reception before visiting the park.

Plitvice Lakes Campground

There are no traditional campsites in the national park itself, but the park operates two official camps a few kilometers from the entrances:

• Korana (north of the park)
• Borje (south of the park)

Korana also offers bungalows that you can book online.

In addition, there are several private campsites in the immediate vicinity of the national park.

• Camping Plitvice
• Primavera Plitvice Campground
• Plitvice Holiday Resort (glamping in teepees, tree houses, and lakeside houses)

Frequently asked questions about Plitvice Lakes

A visit to Plitvice Lakes National Park is an absolute highlight during a vacation in Croatia. Have you been there before or would you like to go? Do you have any other tips or questions? Feel free to write them in the comments.