We visited Plitvice Lakes National Park in May 2024 on a day trip from Zadar. The park can get extremely busy, so planning your visit thoroughly can help you avoid crowds, and get the most out of your time there.
- Best time of year to visit
- How to get tickets for Plitvice National Park
- What to do at Plitvice National Park
- Which trail to choose?
- Food & Drink
- How to get to Plitvice National Park
- Other day trips from Zadar
Best time of year to visit Plitvice National Park
The national park can get extremely busy. We were there in May, and thought it was busy but overheard a guide saying it was quiet compared to summer months.
Shoulder season is your friend! Visit in April, May or October for less crowds, cheaper tickets and beautiful weather.
It’s cheaper still to visit in winter if you don’t mind running the risk of the falls being frozen (which could be quite cool!). If at all possible, I’d recommend avoiding summer months.
The boardwalk paths are narrow, and I was mildly annoyed having to wait for people to take pictures (doing several poses) in May, so in summer I’d imagine this definitely impacts on the enjoyment factor (if you’re anything like me!).
TIP:- I found a general rule helpful for navigating the boardwalks. If someone was taking a photo in a respectful place (i.e they were in a place where people could still get past, or only had to pause momentarily for a snap or two) I’d wait of course (or even volunteer to take a picture for them). However, if they were in the centre of the boardwalk, holding everyone else up and taking multiple (no look) photos I’d just wander through and continue on my way (which I was very proud of as I’m typically a chronic people pleaser!).
How much do tickets to Plitvice National Park cost?
There is a cost to see the lakes and waterfalls within the national park. This varies significantly due to the time of year you visit.
If you go in the summer months (June – September) tickets cost €40. If you visit in shoulder season (April, May, and October) tickets cost €23.50, and if you go in winter (Jan-March and November – December), they are just €10 euros.
These are adult prices, child tickets are much cheaper (€16 in peak season, €6.50 in shoulder, and €4.5 in winter).
How to get tickets for Plitvice National Park
Buy tickets ahead of time online to save potentially huge queues (and wasting precious time at the park).
You’ll notice there is a time slot to select for your visit. This is your entry time, however you may stay in the park as long as you want for that day. It’s best to plan your transport and route before buying a ticket so you know what time you will arrive (keep reading for help planning your visit).
TIP:- There was some flexibility with entry time. For example, we booked 11am and our bus arrived at 10:35 and we were allowed in with no issue. Please note though this may have just been in shoulder season as the time slots are to reduce crowding (which is less of an issue in shoulder season). When you buy the ticket, it does warn you may not be allowed in before your time slot. They do however state after purchase that they will allow you to enter up to one hour after your allotted time.
You also have to book an entrance (there are 2) which is why you need to know which route you will take before buying your ticket (see options below).
Know what time you’re visiting?
You can get your tickets here.
We also have a guide on booking your own transport below, but if you want to organise a transfer (from Zadar) then you can get your ticket through here instead and include your transport.
How to spend your time at Plitvice Lakes National Park
There are multiple trails to choose from that vary in length and distance to see the waterfalls whilst in the national park.
You should pick which trail prior to your visit. This helps you hit the ground running thus, making the most of your time, but it also helps you plan your transport to and from.
You’ll also need to know a trail before buying your ticket as there are two entrances to the park.
We chose to do trail C; starting at entrance 1 taking approx 5 hours (between 4-6). This time estimate includes the boat and shuttle ride (including waiting time) and does not relate to hours physically walking. It’s the same route as H (starting at entrance 2) but we chose C. Entrance 1 gives you a better chance of getting a seat on the bus next to each other, and also the waterfalls come into view ahead of you as opposed to passing them and needing to look back.
If you have the time, we very much recommend trail C because it takes you to the upper lakes which in my opinion were more impressive than the main waterfalls in the lower lakes. They were also much less busy, so you got a much more relaxed feel when exploring them.
The majority of people on tours do either route A or B (which is A with a boat ride & shuttle bus tagged on the end). These are therefore the busiest bits of the path.
Our bus got there at 10:30 and we were getting the 5 pm bus back to Zadar. This gave us plenty of time to do Trail C – and we even had time to get off the shuttle bus at Entrance 2 and do an extra walk between there and Entrance 1.
The extra walk took us alongside the lake we’d got the boat across earlier on. This path was the quietest one we’d been on and gave us a peaceful walk back.
The trails are all well-signposted and have good paths. The boardwalks have an explorer feel about them as they twist and snake right next to (and over) some of the waterfalls.
Food & Drink
Food and drink is available at the stops for the boat and the entrances. You will pay double what you would if you took food from Zadar though.
We stopped at a bakery before getting the bus and got two ham and cheese baguettes for €2.50 each. Be sure to take plenty of water too as this was also expensive at the cafe stops. Soft drinks were €4 (May 2024)
Take your own food and drink to save money and save on queueing time. This way, you can enjoy a quiet picnic, as opposed to needing to eat in the large picnic-tabled areas outside the restaurants.
How to get to Plitvice Lakes National Park from Zadar
You can get a direct bus from Zadar bus station to Plitvice National Park on Get by Bus. Tickets cost around €15 euros one way, and it takes an 1 hour 50 minutes.
Arrive at the bus station in good time as you aren’t allocated a seat and the buses get full quickly.
We used Uber within Zadar to get to the bus station. It’s easier (and cheaper) if you walk to the city gates and book it from there as the old town is largely pedestrianised and this can make the route strange (and more expensive).
TIP: Plan which hiking trail you will do at Plitvice (above) before booking your bus to ensure you have enough time. It’s best to get tickets ahead of time.
Fancy another (bonus) trip from Zadar?
If you’ve got half a day spare it’s a good opportunity to visit one of the Islands near Zadar. The Islands are a different pace of life than the mainland, and you’ll get gorgeous views looking back across the water.
Catch the ferry to explore Ugljan Island. Check out our guide (including ferry timetable) here.
Any more questions about getting the most out of your visit to Plitvice? Let us know in the comments, we are happy to help
As ever with our blogs (and content on social media) we never use filters on our photos. We want to represent what you will see in real life when you get there (so many times we’ve been left feeling underwhelmed in overwhelming places because of filters).