Get to Know Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice Lakes National Park is an UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Continental Croatia, just at the midway between capital Zagreb and coastal city Zadar.

It is an outstanding natural phenomenon of 16 lakes inter-connected and over 90 magnificent waterfalls, and many caves and caverns, set in deep woodland populated by deer, bears, wolves, boars and rare bird species.

• 2 groups of the lakes – 12 Upper Lakes and 4 Lower Lakes. While walking on the wooden footbridges, you feel like walking on the water.

• The park covers a total area of 29685 ha (300 square kilometers) and the lakes are just a small part of it (200 ha).

• The Great Waterfall is the largest fall of the Plitvice Lakes and the largest lake is Lake Kozjak.

Plitvice Lakes National Park and Dubrovnik are the most visited Croatian sites.

The Best Time to Visit Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice Lakes are worth of visiting year-round but the best time is in May, June, September and October to avoid the crowd. In these months the weather in Plitvice could be unpredictable but you can expect mild temperatures and incredible colors of the nature.

During the spring and early summer the waterfalls are at their fullest. In the winter the scenes of nature are just unbelievable but be prepared to low temperatures.

Summer months are the peak season in Plitvice, it is very crowded, and you should buy your tickets on line in advance.

How to Buy The Tickets for The Lakes?

The easiest way to buy your tickets is on line on Plitvice Lakes official web site. When buying your tickets on line, you need to choose exact date and time slot in the peak season.

If you want to buy tickets on site, first you need to check on their web site if there are available tickets. You can buy the tickets at Entrance 1, Entrance 2 and Entrance Flora.

The ticket includes electric boat ride on Lake Kozjak and panoramic train ride plus visitor’s insurance.

You can buy on line tickets for entering Plitvice Lakes HERE.

2 Main Entrances and 8 Trails

There are two main entrances to the lakes and an additional auxiliary entrance.

Entrance 1 is just above Lower Lakes and Entrance 2 is next to the Upper Lakes. An additional Entrance Flora is less crowded, but a bit off main routes.

There are 8 routes – trails in total, four of which start from Entrance 1 – green routes, while the remaining four start from Entrance 2 – orange routes.

The routes – trails are officially called PROGRAMS and each program is named by a letter of the alphabet (A, B, C, E, F, H, K1, K2).

Which Trail to Take and How Long Does It Take?

It depends on a route you take and it is recommended to plan the route in advance, depending on your own wishes, time you have and physical fitness. The tours are available in different durations, ranging from a few hours to full-day excursions and give visitors the option of choosing what suits their needs.

• Routes A, B, F (2 – 4 hours) 
• Route E (2 – 3 hours) 
• Routes C and H (4 – 6 hours)  
• Routes K1 and K2 (6 – 8 hours)

Before going to explore Plitvice Lakes, you need to prepare your self – read the details about the routes/programs and the entrances where they start.

There are signs along the paths and it is impossible to get lost. All you need to do is follow the signs with the name of the route you have chosen.

It is also possible to change the route during the tour so that you start with route A and end with route E.

The ticket includes electric boat ride on Lake Kozjak, panoramic train ride and visitor’s insurance.

Getting to Plitvice With an Organized Tour

If you prefer to get to The Plitvice Lakes with an organized group, you can join one of the numerous small group or private tours.  that are available from almost all coastal towns, and from capital Zagreb. You can join a tour at a travel agency or Tourist Board in the town of your stay.

Or, book your tour online. Some organized tours to Plitvice Lakes include a visit to Rastoke village, a charming place with the old watermills, small waterfalls and rapids that will leave you breathless.

The organized tours to Plitvice Lakes you can BOOK HERE:

Organized tours from ZAGREB:

Plitvice Lakes With Ticket & Rastoke Tour from Zagreb

Organized tours from ZADAR:

Plitvice Lakes Tour from Zadar

Organized tours from SPLIT:

Plitvice Lakes Guided Tour from Split

You can also book a guided tour of Plitvice Lakes on their offical web site. The group minimum is 15 persons and it is not for free.

Getting to Plitvice by Car

From Zagreb you drive on the motorway A1 in direction Karlovac, and then take a state road D42 in direction Slunj, Grabovac, Plitvice.

From Split or Zadar you drive on the motorway A1 in direction Zagreb/Rijeka (to north). Than you take the highway exit at Gornja Ploča and continue on the state road D522 to Udbina. From Udbina D1 road will take you to the Plitvice Lakes. You can park you car at Entrance and Entrance 2 and it is not for free. To reach Plitvice Lakes by car, either from Zagreb, Zadar or Split, takes about 2 hours.

Getting to Plitvice by Bus

If you plan visiting Plitvice Lakes by bus, here are bus lines to The Lakes Plitvice from bigger towns and cities. You can take a bus to Plitvice Lakes from Zagreb, Zadar or Split at the main bus station.

To reach Plitvice Lakes by bus, either from Zagreb, Zadar or Split, it takes about 2.30 hour.

8 Tips on Planning a Visit to Plitvice Lakes

• The hiking routes take longer than officially stated.
• Get there early in the morning  and avoid crowds.
• Car parking is at Entrance 1 and Entrance 2 and it is not for free.
• Book an overnight stay to explore the Lakes and the area without rush.
• Rent a private wooden boat at the Lakes for even more experience.
• Swimming in the Lakes isn’t permitted.
• Park Map is sold at the Park entrances.
• Dogs must be kept on a leash at all time.

Plitvice Lakes Phenomenon

The Best Things to Do Around Plitvice Lakes

If you are a true nature lover and want to explore this region even more, there are more incredible places you can discover and admire its outstanding beauty.

Visit Charming Old Village Rastoke

Just 20 km north from Plitvice Lakes (at the entrance of town Slunj) road takes you to a charming village Rastoke.
This lovely place with the old watermills, small waterfalls and rapids will leave you breathless while eating local food at the restaurants and cafes with terraces above and at the edge of water. If you travel for a day trip to Plitvice from capital Zagreb, we definitely recommend you a fantastic COMBO TOUR PLITVICE LAKES AND RASTOKE.

More Hiking and Trekking

Besides hiking trails in National Park, there are many other hiking trails to explore in this area. For more info on trekking and hiking please visit Plitvice Lakes official site.

Cycling in Plitvice Area

Cycling in The Plitvice Lake National Park is not allowed but cycling is very popular activity in this region. For more information on cycling routes in the area, you can read HERE.

White Water Rafting

This region is very popular for white water rafting with exciting rivers you can roll down streams and rapids – the rivers Korana and Una (in Bosnia).
For more info on rafting near Plitvice Lakes please check local company Mirjana-Rastoke.

Memorial Center Nikola Tesla

Visit memorial Center Nikola Tesla in the village Smiljan, the birthplace of one of the greatest inventors ever lived – Nikola Tesla. Take exit Gospić from the main motorway A1 and follow the road with the signs for the Memorial Center. This thematic park consists of renovated birth house of Nikola Tesla, Serbian Orthodox Church and a multimedia center. The program and guiding tour runs every few hours and the best is to contact The Memorial Center directly before visit.

Accommodation at Plitvice Lakes

Although people mostly visit Plitvice Lakes for a day-trip, an overnight stay in a nearby hotel, private room or apartment is for everyone who don’t want to be in rush. If spending a night in a hotel or private accommodation in Plitvice, you can enter Park earlier in the morning to avoid a crowd and rent your own boat for a fantastic experience of exploring the lakes.

Moreover, you’ll have enough time to explore some other sites in the region, such village Rastoke or Memorial Center Nikola Tesla.