Plitvice Lakes National Park is Croatia’s most famous natural wonder: sixteen terraced lakes joined by waterfalls, in a forest of beech and fir. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, and it is close enough to Zagreb for a relaxed day trip.
How far is Plitvice from Zagreb?
The park is about 130 km from Zagreb. By car the drive takes around two hours via Karlovac – the motorway to Karlovac, then the old state road through the green Kordun region. On the way back many travellers stop in Rastoke, a village of old water mills where the Slunjčica river falls into the Korana.
Entrance 1 or Entrance 2?
The park has two main entrances, and the walking programmes start from them:
- Entrance 1 is close to the Lower Lakes and the Great Waterfall, the highest in Croatia. The famous postcard view over the lakes is here.
- Entrance 2 is near the Upper Lakes and the electric boat across Lake Kozjak.
Most visitors choose a programme of 3 to 4 hours: a walk over the wooden boardwalks of the Lower or Upper Lakes, the electric boat across Kozjak and the panoramic train back to the entrance. Fit walkers can see both the Upper and Lower Lakes in 6 hours or more.
Tickets
Buy your tickets online on the official park website (np-plitvicka-jezera.hr) before you travel, especially from June to September, when the number of visitors per entrance and time slot is limited. Prices change with the season, so check them there. Swimming in the lakes is not allowed.
When to go
- Spring (April–May): the waterfalls are at their strongest after the snowmelt.
- Summer: the lakes are the bluest, but it is busy – arrive at opening time.
- Autumn (October): red and gold forest, fewer people, our favourite season.
- Winter: frozen waterfalls and almost no one around; some boardwalks may close in snow.
A sample day with your own driver
- 07:30 – pick-up at your hotel in Zagreb or at Zagreb Airport.
- 09:30 – arrival at Entrance 1, ahead of the tour buses.
- 09:45–13:30 – boardwalks, the Great Waterfall, the boat across Kozjak.
- 14:00 – lunch near the park: trout or lamb from the spit.
- 15:30 – Rastoke water mills, a short walk and coffee by the falls.
- 18:00 – back in Zagreb.
Plitvice on the way to the coast
You don’t have to go back to Zagreb. Plitvice is almost on the way to Zadar and only a short detour on the way to Split, so you can visit the park and continue to the Adriatic the same day, while your luggage stays locked in the car. See Zagreb to Zadar via Plitvice and Zagreb to Split via Plitvice.
Practical tips
- Wear proper shoes – the boardwalks are wet and have no railings.
- Bring water and a light jacket – it is cooler by the lakes than in Zagreb.
- With small children, choose a shorter route; pushchairs are difficult on many paths.
- Drones are not allowed without a permit.
Book a private Plitvice day trip →
Questions before you book?
Call or message us any time – you will speak to the people who drive you.