Plitvice National park is the oldest, largest, and one of the most beautiful national parks to visit in Croatia. If you had to pick one national park in Croatia then we would highly recommend picking this one. In this post, we share some vital information to get you started before you plan your visit to Plitvice National Park. So without further ado here is a list of things you should know before visiting Plitvice National Park.
📍The national park is broadly divided into 2 sections — Upper lake & Lower lake. There are 12 upper lakes and 4 lower lakes connected by waterfalls and streams of all sizes.
📍There are eight different routes and 4 different hiking trails. Entrance 1 is near the lower lakes, and Entrance 2 is close to the upper lakes. The shortest trail takes approximately 2 to 3 hours, and the longest between 6 to 8 hours.
Don’t forget to grab an offline map from the ticketing office or download the map beforehand.
📍You can also refer to the official trails guide to plan your walking route or hiking trail.
📍If you have just 1 day, our suggestion would be to start from Entrance Gate 2 (P2) and take a ferry to cross Lake Kozjak. As soon as you exit, follow the trail that takes you on a loop trail and brings you back to the pier. Once you reach the pier, take another ferry taking passengers from pier P2 to pier P3. From there, follow the F Trail. Walk along the Lower Lakes canyon to Veliki slap (Big Waterfall). You can exit from Entrance 1 ( P1) or take the panoramic tourist train ride to St2 and walk back to entrance gate 2 ( P2 )
Note: Our walking route was a mix of F, E & C. Also, in our opinion hiking from the Upper lake to the lower lake is less tiring than the other way around.
📍The Veliki Slap (aka the Big Waterfall) is close to Entrance Gate 1.
📍Ticket price for visiting the Plitvice Lakes varies throughout the year. The price is on the higher side from June to September which is around 40 Euros.
The cheapest tickets are available for those visiting from November through March – around 10 Euros.
📍During high season, we would highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance, especially during the summer. The number of visitors per day has been capped at 10,000.
📍You can also buy 2 Day Pass if you are in no rush and plan to explore the National park at your own pace and spend more time exploring and enjoying your time in the Plitvice National Park away from the popular and crowded trails.
📍Start early so that you will get to enjoy without the crowds or travel in the shoulder season ( October/ November or April/ May )
📍If you want to stay in the park: Hotel Plitvice, Hotel Jezero, and Hotel Bellvue are your accommodation options. There are also many B & Bs and hotels near Plitvice National Park. Use the map below to find hotels in and around Plitvice National Park.
📍Nearest airport is Zadar. You can rent a car and drive or opt for guided tours from Zagreb/ Zadar/ Split.
📍Carry food and water.
📍Don’t forget your sunscreen and a hat during summer, an umbrella or rain jacket for bad weather, and good walking shoes no matter what.
Hope this list of things to know before visiting Plitvice National Park helps you to plan your trip and enjoy your time in Croatia!
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