The Plitvice Lakes are one of Croatia’s most emblematic landscapes: a succession of 16 lakes linked by waterfalls and wooden footbridges, nestled in a karst plateau of turquoise waters. We visited the park and quickly understood why it attracts visitors from all over the world. Its network of trails, spectacular panoramasand the power of the great waterfall are among the images that remain long after the trip.
In this article, discover our travel tips and tricks for visiting the Plitvice Lakes National Park and preparing your stay.
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We made our own choices, visited the area anonymously, and paid our bills in full.
Why visit Plitvice Lakes National Park?
Is Plitvice Lakes National Park worth it? Our opinion:
Yes, visiting the Plitvice Lakes is a unique experience you’ll never forget. The park offers an exceptional natural setting, with lakes and waterfalls formed by rare geological processes.
We were seduced by the diversity of the ecosystems, between rivers, freshwater lakes and temperate forests. The well-marked trails offer a range of options, from 2 hours to a full day.
- A protected natural environment listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Remarkable freshwater landscapes with waterfalls and turquoise lakes
- Full service: restaurants, stores, accommodation, etc.
- Easy, convenient access by car with parking facilities
- This is one of the best things to visit in Croatia!
Book your excursion to Plitvice Lakes now
Why is Plitvice Lakes National Park famous?
Plitvice Lakes National Park is famous for being the oldest and largest National Park in Croatia. It was created in 1949 and recognized by UNESCO in 1979 for its unique natural process of travertine dam formation.
This exceptional site features 16 lakes linked by spectacular waterfalls, nestled in a temperate forest of deciduous and coniferous trees. This ecological and geological wealth attracts visitors from all over the world.
We were impressed by the park’s unspoilt beauty and the quality of its infrastructure, which allows you to enjoy nature to the full without damaging it. You’ll be seduced by this Croatian natural wonder.
What we liked
- The incredible number of waterfalls and lakes! We felt as if we were on a film set.
- The variety of hiking trails: you’ll hike through forests, over bridges straddling lakes and through waterfalls.
- Preservation of the park: we found that the site, although touristy, was well preserved, which contributes to the enchantment once you’re there.
What we liked least
- Visitor numbers: we visited in April during the school vacations and the park trails were very busy.
- Waiting times: due to the number of passengers, very long queues formed at the landing stages and main meeting points.
- Understanding the many circuits (A, B, C, K…) is not easy. Choosing your route can take a little time, but fortunately, we’ll help you in the rest of the article!
History in brief
Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest and largest national park in the Republic of Croatia.
- 1949: Official creation of Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia’s first national park.
- 1979: UNESCO World Heritage Site for the natural process of travertine lake and dam formation.
Access: Plitvice Lakes National Park, Plitvička Jezera
Where is Plitvice Lakes National Park?
- The park is located in inland Croatia, about halfway between Zagreb and Zadar, on the Plitvice karst plateau (municipality of Plitvička Jezera).
- From Zadar and Zagreb, allow around 2 hours’ drive.
- From Split, allow around 3 hours’ drive.
- From Pula, allow just under 4 hours’ drive.
- The nearest airports are Zadar and Zagreb.
How to get there?
- It’s easy to get here by car. The park is served by national roads and nearby freeways.
- By bus from major Croatian cities such as Zadar, Zagreb and Split.
- Organized excursions: a simple and practical way to get to the National Park without worrying about transport:
Parking
Parking around the entrances is charged for and managed by the park. Large parking lots are available near entrances 1 and 2. Spaces can fill up very quickly in high season. Plan to arrive early or book nearby accommodation if you want to limit travel on the day of your visit.
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING YOUR CAR AT Croatia
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a car that is powerful enough (the roads are steep) but compact (some passages are narrow).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
See our tips (coming soon)
Useful tips: duration, schedules, eating…
Best time to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park
Plitvice Lakes National Park is open all year round, but opening times vary according to the season. In winter, half the restaurants close and accommodation is limited to Hotel Jezero. To avoid the crowds, it’s best to visit during the week and early in the morning. Nature is particularly peaceful here in the off-season, offering a more intimate experience of the lakes and waterfalls.
Book your excursion to Plitvice Lakes now
Length of visit and main difficulties
- A visit to the Plitvice Lakes can take from 2 hours to half a day for an intermediate route, or even a full day for longer hikes.
- The trails are well-marked, but we have found that the ground is sometimes uneven and slippery.
- Toilets are available at several points in the park.
- Please note that strollers and wheelchairs are unfortunately not suitable for the trails.
Tips for visiting
- The park offers several signposted trails, the easiest of which is to follow the official signs at the entrance. More advice on choosing your route in the rest of this article.
- You’ll start your visit at Entrance 1 or 2, depending on your accommodation. If you need advice, don’t hesitate to ask at reception. The staff are generally very knowledgeable about the park.
- We found the signs quite clear. However, please be careful at the crossroads between the different routes, especially at the boat landings, to ensure that you continue on the original route.
- Stay on the paths to preserve the ecosystem.
- We recommend that you book your tickets in advance, especially in high season, arrive early, check the boat/shuttle timetable and adapt your tour according to the number of passengers.
A LITTLE MORE patience
All the photos, maps, information, good addresses to make your stay in Provence a success, will soon be gathered in a single ebook!
If you’d like to be notified when our Madeira guide is published, please subscribe:
Visiting with children
The Plitvice Lakes are accessible to children, but the visit requires vigilance. The paths are sometimes slippery and uneven, so avoid strollers (except perhaps the all-terrain versions). Children will appreciate the beauty of the waterfalls, the boat and panoramic bus rides and the diversity of the scenery.
Schedules and rates
- Opening times: Plitvice National Park is open all year round, but opening times vary according to the season.
- Prices: prices vary according to season and are updated every year. Prices range from €10 to €40 for adults and from €4 to €15 for children.
- We strongly recommend that you book your tickets in advance, especially in high season.
- Book your excursion to Plitvice Lakes now
For more information on times and prices, visit the official website: here.
Guided tours
Guided tours are available for groups of at least 15 people, providing a better understanding of the unique ecosystem of the lakes and waterfalls. Half-day tours last around 4 hours, while full-day tours last between 5 and 6 hours. Guides speak Croatian, English, Italian and Spanish. We recommend booking in advance, by telephone or e-mail. Find out more here.
Lodging
If you want to sleep close to the nature park, you’ll find plenty of hotels! We stayed at the Hotel Fenomen Plitvice, for example, but you can also find campsites.
Spending at least one night on site is, in our opinion, a good way of fully enjoying the park and its surroundings without rushing, and with the possibility of visiting the National Park in 2 stages, for example. Or by arriving early in the morning, among the first visitors, to get the first glimpse of the lakes still asleep.
To find out more, read our article on the best hotels to stay in Plitvice. (Coming soon)
Catering
- Inside the park, you’ll find numerous food stalls offering sandwiches, drinks, desserts… So you can forget about packing a picnic!
- In the vicinity of the park, you’ll find numerous restaurants of all standings. Like Restaurant Lička Kuća, located near entrance no. 1, or Restaurant Plum, our favorite.
What you will see
La Grande Cascade (Veliki Slap)
The Grande Cascade(Veliki Slap in Croatian) is the highest waterfall not only in the park, but in Croatia as a whole. It rises majestically to 78m, offering an impressive natural spectacle from the viewing platform. Although the park is famous for its calm waters and series of small jumps, this waterfall stands out for its power and height, visible as soon as you approach the viewpoint.
Depending on the season, the flow changes a lot, but even in spring, when we were there, the waterfall looked great! Good news! It’s very close to entrance no. 1, so you’ll be able to admire it even if you choose a shorter route. Be aware, however, that it’s a very busy place, so there may be a few delays around Veliki Slap.
A unique karst landscape
Do you know the reason for the Plitvice lakes and waterfalls? We’ve learned that the national park stretches across karst terrain: a relief sculpted by water into limestone rock, where natural dams form. If you keep your eyes open, you may see limestone deposits that create obstacles, mini waterfalls and successive basins. The scenery changes from sector to sector. Sometimes narrow gorges where the water accelerates, sometimes wide, peaceful stretches reflecting the surrounding forest.
We learned that these dams continue to form today, giving the impression of a living, ever-changing landscape. On our tour, we often paused to admire these geological details, visible from the footbridges. It’s a dimension less well known to visitors, but one that makes Plitvice unique.
The Great Lake (Lake Kozjak)
The Great Lake, known as Lake Kozjak, is the largest in the park. Several tour programs include a boat trip across it (B, C, F and H). Depending on the schedule, boarding may require a little patience, but once on board, the ride is enjoyable. During our visit, we really enjoyed sailing on this calm lake where the surrounding forests are reflected. It’s a peaceful, contemplative moment, albeit a short one.
It’s also one of the few places in the park where you can admire open, almost lacustrine panoramas, before returning to the more intimate walkways of the downstream areas. This lake is a focal point for Plitvice Lakes hiking tips, combining serenity and natural beauty.
Views worthy of the most beautiful postcards
What really appealed to us about Plitvice were the views, which follow one another without monotony. You’ll navigate between high vantage points offering a bird’s-eye view, low walkways along the water’s edge allowing you to observe the incredible transparency of the lakes, shaded areas in the heart of the forests, and more open platforms around the great waterfalls. Each turn reveals a new, often photogenic, angle of the park.
The colors also change greatly depending on the time of day. Under the sun, the waters are turquoise, when a cloud passes, the greens become deeper, and sunset offers yellow and ochre reflections. Even months after our visit, we’re still enchanted by it. The views from Plitvice Lakes National Park are among the most beautiful you’ll see in Croatia.
Rich flora and fauna
The park is home to a remarkable biodiversity, with a varied fauna and dense flora that we enjoyed taking the time to observe. For example, you’ll find a wide variety of plant species typical of the karst environment, particularly in the shadier, wetter areas. We noticed alternating forests of beech, pine and conifer, creating a very different atmosphere in different areas.
As for the fauna, even if you can’t see the big emblematic animals (bear, lynx) in the middle of the day, we often came across birds, fish visible in the clear water, and a few large green lizards, very common in Croatia. These are discreet details, but they are a reminder that Plitvice is above all a protected area and not just a backdrop. A fact that has earned it UNESCO status. We recommend that you take the time to stop, listen and observe. It enriches the experience enormously and gives a different reading of the site.
Which tour to choose?
Understanding the Plitvice Lakes Tour Programs
We have found that the structure of the programs may seem complex at first glance, but in reality it follows a fairly simple logic.
- Many programs are virtually identical, but are designated by different letters depending on whether they start from input #1 or input #2. You’ll find equivalents like C and H, or B, E and F, which cover similar areas but in a different order. If you enter the park from entrance n°1, you’ll be able to choose between 4 programs marked in green on the information panels, while the other 4 routes, marked in orange, start from entrance n°2.
- All programs (except A) include at least one electric boat trip.
- We’ve noticed that the longer itineraries allow you to visit both the Upper and Lower Lakes, while the shorter programs concentrate on a single area. So you’ll choose your itinerary mainly according to your entrance, your desire to hike and the time you plan to spend in Plitvice National Park.
If you have half a day or want to walk as little as possible
We’ve walked the park several times and found that if you can’t or don’t want to travel a great distance or spend a lot of time in the park, there are short itineraries that allow you to enjoy a concentrated glimpse of the scenery while walking at a leisurely pace, alternating strolls with boat and panoramic bus transfers.
- Program A, which starts at entrance no. 1, is the shortest. You’ll cover just 3.5km in around 2 to 3 hours. It’s a loop that allows you to discover Veliki slap (the largest waterfall in Plitvice Lakes and in Croatia) and the lower lakes and their waterfalls, before returning to the starting point. You won’t be taking either the boat or the panoramic bus.
- Program B, which starts at entrance no. 1, will take you around 4km in 3 to 4 hours. In our opinion, this loop is the best option among the shorter routes, as it takes you to the Lower Lakes, across Lake Kozjak by electric boat and by panoramic bus on the way back, before covering the last kilometer along the summit of the gorge on its eastern side, which offers one of the park’s most emblematic views.
- If you’re starting out from entrance no. 2, we recommend Program E. This 5km circular route, which lasts around 2-3 hours, takes you through the upper lakes and the lower lakes. their wooded banks. You can also observe the most emblematic waterfalls from the footbridges that cross the waterways. You’ll also cross Lake Kozjak by electric boat and take the panoramic bus back.
- Program F, also departing fromentrance no. 2, is also an interesting alternative if you’re looking for a short tour that still allows you to discover the emblematic areas of the lower lakes. This pleasant and easy itinerary, lasting 3 to 4 hours and covering some 4.6 km , allows you to walk on the bucolic footbridges that cross the waterways, cross Lake Kozjak by electric boat and return by panoramic bus.
If you have a full day but would like an accessible itinerary
In our opinion, a full day is the ideal length of time to discover the park. If you’d like to see as much as possible, without getting too tired, here are a few complete itineraries that combine footbridges over water, elevated trails, electric boat crossings and panoramic bus transfers. You’ll enjoy an all-round view of the park and a wide variety of landscapes, from the wooded shores of the upper lakes to the spectacular waterfalls of the lower reaches.
- Program C, departing fromentrance no. 1, is one of the most popular full-day tours! You’ll cover around 8km in 4 h to 6 h , depending on your pace, starting with the Lower Lakes before crossing Lake Kozjak by boat. You’ll then discover the Upper Lakes via their footbridges and return to the entrance by panoramic bus.
- Fromentrance no. 2, Program H offers a similar itinerary, but in the opposite direction. We found this itinerary very enjoyable, as it begins with the quieter areas of the Upper Lakes before joining the more spectacular panoramas of the Lower Lakes at the end of the tour. You’ll alternate between quiet sections, high vantage points, a boat trip and a scenic bus ride back, for a well-balanced and complete day out.
If you want to do it all on foot and love hiking
We tested the most complete and (almost) entirely pedestrian itinerary: the K program. It takes you around theentire park, covering the less frequented sections, especially around the Upper Lakes, while offering breathtaking views of waterfalls and wooded areas. You’ll appreciate this total immersion in nature if you want to walk in a wilder atmosphere and observe the flora and fauna.
- The K itinerary, which exists in 2 variants: departure fromentrance n°1 orentrance n°2, is around 17km long and will take you a full day. Allow between 6 and 8 hours, including the (sometimes long) waiting time at the pier for the only boat to be taken on the route. We particularly liked the tranquility of this program, away from the busiest areas.
We recommend that you bring good shoes, water and perhaps a picnic lunch, as the route takes you away from the infrastructure areas. However, you can buy a picnic lunch in the park at the start of the route (in zone P3) before leaving the busy areas. This route is ideal for hikers who really want to explore Plitvice at their own pace. You’ll cross fewer footbridges perched on the water than if you chose Program C, for example, but you’ll have access to spectacular viewpoints inaccessible from the other routes.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
- Get away from it all with Region Lovers’ beautiful destinations!
- Once a month
- Advertising-free
Frequently asked questions
Are dogs allowed in Plitvice Lakes National Park?
Yes, dogs are allowed in the Plitvice Lakes National Park. They must, however, be kept on a leash at all times to respect the local flora and fauna. Swimming is also prohibited.
Are the boat and sightseeing bus included?
Yes, boat crossings and the scenic bus ride back are included in the tour.
Which entrance to choose?
The National Park has several entrances: Entrance 1 (Rastovača), Entrance 2 (Hladovina) and an auxiliary entrance 2 (Flora). There’s no one better than another, so choose the one closest to where you’re staying or where you’re arriving.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes! We highly recommend it, especially in high season, as you run the risk of not being able to enter the park. It also helps you avoid queues and better organize your stay at Plitvice Lakes. You can book your tickets online here.
What are the best tips for visiting Plitvice Lakes?
- It’s best to visit in the morning to avoid the crowds and take full advantage of the scenery.
- We recommend that you wear suitable footwear, as the trails can be slippery, and that you take water with you.
- it is compulsory to follow the marked trails.
- Use the interactive map or the park app to optimize your route.
