Essential guide to visiting Plitvice Lakes

Updated January 2022

Visiting Plitvice Lakes is a ‘must do’ and should be added to any Croatia itinerary.

Plitvice Lakes National Park is in northern central Croatia and is not on a major thoroughfare so you will need to make a special trip to visit it. Throw in high entrance fees and a reputation for being overcrowded and families may wonder if visiting Plitvice Lakes is worth it.

This guide will demonstrate that visiting Plitvice Lakes IS worth it and why it is one of Croatia’s most popular tourist attractions.

Visiting Plitvice Lakes National Park

What is Plitvice Lakes National Park?

It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Croatia’s’ oldest and largest national park covering 73,000 acres.

The park is famous for its sixteen, mineral-rich lakes which are created by water cascading over travertine dams through a limestone canyon.

However, the lakes comprise just 1% of the park: the remainder is heavily wooded and home to bears, wolves and rare birds.

Things to do at Plitvice Lakes National Park

There are waterfalls, lakes, incredible views, walking and hiking trails, boat trips, rowing boats and wildlife. Cycling and swimming is not allowed inside the park.

The park is naturally divided into two sections: the Upper Lakes and the Lower Lakes. Each section has its own unique features and stunning views and families will easily spend one day exploring the park.

The Lower Lakes has the famous turquoise lakes and waterfalls, including Veliki Slap which is Croatia’s highest waterfall. This is the most visited section of the park.

The Upper Lakes has waterfalls and lakes but has more accessible woodland. It is a quieter and less visited part of the park.

Lake Kozjak links the two sections of the park and can be crossed by an electric boat ride which is included in your Plitvice entrance fee.

We travelled across the lake on an empty boat at sunset. It was a beautiful, serene trip and one of my favourite memories of visiting Plitvice Lakes.

Families can also hire a rowing boat on Lake Kozjak. Boats take four people and cost 70 Kuna per hour.

Plitvice Lakes hiking

There are eight routes which you can take to explore the lakes. The trails are different lengths and together total 22 kilometres. These routes are called programs and are named from A – H (we chose Program C).

Hikes range from 2 hours to 8 hours and, for experienced hikers, there are a further four hiking trails.

I recommend researching which hiking route you would like to do before visiting Plitvice Lakes so you can prepare for the trail and enter by the most appropriate park entrance (see below). This will save time on the day of your visit.

Check out the different Plitvice Lakes hiking routes here. 

Plitvice Lakes opening hours

Plitvice Lakes National Park is open all year round.

Summer is the most popular time to visit Plitvice and it is open from 8 am till 8 pm during the summer months.

The park gets very busy in peak season so make the most of these extended opening hours by arriving very early or leaving late. Coach parties arrive around 10am and leave around 4pm so if you can visit outside these times you will enjoy a quieter park.

If you are visiting Plitvice in winter, the opening hours are shorter: 8 am till 4 pm. Some hiking routes may be closed in winter due to bad weather so check Plitvice National Park’s website before visiting.

Plitvice Lakes tickets

Entrance tickets to Plitvice are not cheap but the money contributes to the upkeep of the park.

Tickets are available online in advance (recommended) and, if not sold out, walk in tickets are available on the day at the park entrances.  You can by tickets for one day or for two consecutive days.

Ticket prices vary according to the season.  Summer is the most expensive time to visit when entrance costs 300 Kuna for adults and 120 Kuna for children aged 7-18 years. Children under 7 are free.

Visiting Plitvice in winter is much cheaper. Entrance fees cost 80 Kuna for adults and 35 Kuna for children.

Tickets prices for Plitvice in Autumn and Spring are also cheaper than summer with tickets costing 180 Kuna for adults and 50 Kuna for children.

TOP TIP – If you are visiting Plitvice Lakes in summer consider entering after 4pm as it is cheaper. If you are prepared to spend less time in the park, you can make a considerable saving. An adult after 4pm ticket costs 200 Kuna and 70 Kuna for children. Queues form early for these discounted tickets.

Parking in Plitvice

Both of the park’s two entrances have large car parks that charge by the hour so car park fees are paid when exiting.

It costs 10 Kuna an hour to park a car in peak season and 8 Kuna an hour to park in off peak seasons.

Facilities in Plitvice Lakes

There two entrances to Plitvice known as ‘Plitvice Entrance 1’ and ‘Plitvice Entrance 2’. The entrances are 3 kilometres apart on the same stretch of road.

Plitvice Entrance 1 has a ticket office, cafe, public toilets and a gift shop. There is a large car park across the road from the entrance.

It is the closest entrance to the Lower Lakes, the famous Lower Lakes viewpoint and to Veliki Slap.

Plitvice Entrance 2 has a ticket office, cafe and public toilets and is the closest entrance to the Upper Lakes.

Inside the park itself, there is a cafe and toilets at Lake Kozjak but the cafe closes before the park closes.

There are no other facilities inside the park so make sure you have plenty of water and snacks if you plan to go hiking.

Getting around Plitvice Lakes National Park

The huge park has efficient internal transport to help visitors get around.

A ‘panorama train’ (which is basically a bus) runs along the upper rim of the park linking the Upper and Lower Lakes sections.  There is a path adjacent to the train route so you can walk if you prefer. The path is shaded and has lookout points with fantastic views over the lakes below. But, if you are short on time or need a rest, take the ‘train.’

In addition to the electric boat on Lake Kozjak, there are smaller boats linking the Upper and Lower Lakes. All the boats and the panorama train are included in your Plitvice entrance fee.

Wooden boardwalks link the individual, lakes together and in the Upper Lakes section, there are also earthen, woodland paths.

Plitvice Lower Lakes

A sloping path leads from Plitvice’s Entrance 1 down the side of the valley to join the Lower Lakes portion wooden boardwalks.

It is in this section that you will see the stunning views featured on postcards throughout Croatia.

An elevated boardwalk winds its way around and over the turquoise lakes which change hue according to the time of day. The lakes look at their best in full sun (in the morning).

The main attraction here is Veliki Slap, Croatia’s highest waterfall at 78 metres high. Look out for signs (or people queuing) off the main boardwalk.

Further along the boardwalk toward the Upper Lakes, another side path leads to a cave which you can enter via steep steps but beware of the bats!

The Lower Lakes section eventually leads to dense reed bed after which the path ends at the Lake Kozjak cafe and boat dock.

Return the way you came or take the boat ride across the lake. At the end of the lake, you can either start the Upper Lakes walking trails or walk up the hill to Plitvice Entrance 2 to catch the panorama train back to Entrance 1.

Upper Lakes

The twelve lakes in the Upper Lakes section are less colourful than the Lower Lakes but are no less beautiful. We found this part of Plitvice National Park enchanting.

A circular path leads through dense woodland past with pristine falls plunging into crystal clear lakes. This is a good area to spot crayfish.

You can detour from the main path to hike around Lake Gelovac, the largest lake in the park. It is a lovely, tranquil trail but there are no shortcuts off this lakeside path so you either complete the circuit or return the same way.

How To Get To Plitvice Lakes

Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes

Driving from Zagreb to Plitvice will take around two hours depending on traffic and expect a toll on the A1 motorway. The drive is easy to navigate and well signposted.

Frequent public buses depart from Zagreb bus station and take approximately 2 1/2 hours to reach the park entrance.

There are day tours available from Zagreb but with any tour, check carefully what is included in the price and how much time you will actually spend in the park.

Plitvice Lakes from Split

Driving to Plitvice Lakes from Split takes between 2-3 hours.

It is an easy and scenic route to drive.  After climbing steeply out of Split, the road enters Sveti Rok tunnel and emerges into a landscape of green, rolling hills and farms. It is a sudden and stark contrast to the built up rocky coastline around Split.

Alternatively, you can catch a public bus from Split to Plitvice but you will need to stay overnight as the buses take around 4 1/2 to 5 hours each way.

Day tours to Plitvice are advertised all over Split.

Dubrovnik to Plitvice

It is too far to travel from Dubrovnik to Plitvice as a day trip as the drive takes around 5 hours each way. You can travel to Plitvice by a series of public buses via Omis.

Alternatively, travel by boat from Dubrovnik to Split from where you can catch a bus, drive or join a tour. I highly recommend the easy and comfortable foot passenger catamarans which take around five hours.

Zadar to Plitvice

It is a short two hours drive from Zadar to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Even the public bus is a good option from Zadar as it is a quick journey of two hours.

Where to stay in Plitvice Lakes

I recommend staying in or near Plitvice Lakes in peak season as it enables you to access the park early or stay till late. Staying overnight will help you avoid the worst of the crowds during the middle of the day.

There are four hotels and two campgrounds within the park, though some are only open in peak season.

A budget friendly option is Plitvice Backpackers which offers shuttles to the park.

Self-catering or Airbnb accommodation is available in nearby towns and villages. We stayed at a this apartment in nearby Korenica whose owners kindly let our children play with their kids toys.

Visiting Plitvice Lakes with kids

I read a lot of comments before we visited about how Plitvice was not suitable for children – though bizarrely these were often written by people without children?!

Our children loved their visit but, as with any trip in Croatia with kids, visiting Plitvice Lakes with kids just requires a bit of planning.

The main challenges you will face will be the crowds and the heat.

Plitvice in summer

Families tied to school summer holidays don’t have the option to visit off peak!

But there are things you can do to avoid Plitvice’s summer crowds.

Firstly, visit as early as you can or stay as late as you can. The park is busiest between 10 am and 4 pm. It will also be cooler temperatures.

If you visit the park early, tour the Lower Lakes first and then head to the Upper Lakes.

If you visit in the middle of the day, tour the Upper Lakes first and then visit the Lower Lakes in the late afternoon. You will miss full sun on the lakes but you will also miss the crush of people on unfenced, narrow boardwalks.

These boardwalks get very busy and it can be difficult with people walking in both directions, taking selfies and rushing.

Don’t rush, take your time and be prepared to stand back and let a crowd pass you by.

Summer temperatures can also be a challenge for families especially as the Lower Lakes has very little shade.

Bring a sun hat, sunscreen and plenty of water and fluids.

Tour the more shaded Upper Lakes during the hottest part of the day, enjoy a cooling relaxing boat trip or have lunch and a cheeky siesta at Lake Kozjak.

Tour the Lower Lakes when it is cooler.

Moving around Plitvice with kids

Use a carrier for babies and toddlers. You can get a pushchair around Plitvice but it will be bumpy ride, it will need to be carried over lots of steps and it will be difficult to navigate a crowded boardwalk.

Move slowly on the unfenced boardwalks to avoid trips and slips. People do occasionally fall in and the water is very deep in places.

Wear suitable footwear. Flip flops won’t cut it! The paths are bumpy and uneven and the boardwalks can be slippery in non gripping shoes.

If the kids are getting frustrated having to stay close to you on the unfenced paths, head to the cafe area at Lake Kozjak for a good run around

Other tips for Plitvice with kids

Plan your route in advance and aim for ‘lower’ than your abilities. You can always choose to do something else if you have time left over rather than plan too much and end up rushing or stressing.

Carry a map of Plitvice Lakes with you around the park. You can pick one up at the entrances or download a Plitvice Lakes map here in advance.

Wear suitable clothing for the weather.

Bring plenty of snacks and water – more than you think you will need.

Use a toilet when you see one, even if you don’t need it as they are few and far between.  All that gushing water….

Pack a basic first aid kit for grazed knees or hands.

Pack a rubbish bag. There aren’t any rubbish bins on the trails.

What we did…

I ‘m adding this footnote as we were so worried by bad reviews of summer crowds at Plitvice that we nearly didn’t go. I didn’t enjoy Split due to the crowds.

We hired a car in Split and drove to Plitvice for a two night stay. I’m glad we stayed as long as we did as the inland scenery was a welcome change to the coast.

We entered Plitvice Lakes after 4pm (about 4.05pm!) due to the lower cost, heat and to avoid the crowds. Although this gave us only four hours in the park it was enough as we walk to the abilities of our youngest child. I think if we had visited at the busiest, hottest part of the day we wouldn’t have lasted four hours!

We chose to walk Program C in reverse as this would leave the popular Lower Lakes until the end of our visit. I don’t think you could do this reverse route at peak time as you would be walking against the flow of people.

So we visited the idyllic Upper Lakes first and, by the time we got to the Lower Lakes, they were deserted.

The downside of walking Program C in reverse was that the waterfalls were behind us but it doesn’t take much effort to turn around.

By the time we reached Veliki Slap we had it to ourselves!

Unfortunately, I didn’t get Insta worthy photos of the Lower Lakes in full sun but our family got to enjoy the lakes in a peaceful, stress free environment.

I am happy I sacrificed great photos for a great experience!

If you enjoyed visiting Plitvice Lakes and have any tips, please let me know in the comments below!

If you are a waterfall lover like me, check out my guide to waterfalls in Croatia here.