Plitvice

Croatia

The most popular national park in all of Croatia.
The famous guidebook writer Rick Steves describes Plitvice as "Niagara Falls diced and sprinkled over a heavily forested Grand Canyon."

One of the highlights of Croatia, Plitvice National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Plitvice features a series of 16 lakes with colors ranging between azure, turquoise, and emerald. It is 200 miles in total area and a paradise for hikers and nature lovers. Joined together, Plitvice's lakes cover a distance of five miles. Wooden footbridges make the park easy to traverse on foot. Dense forest, amazing flora, birds, and other wildlife, as well as spectacular waterfalls and cascades, make up this national treasure.

Plitvice National Park is carefully regulated in order to keep it pristine. There are no towns or villages in the reserve. The boats and roads trains available to transport visitors are electric. We suggest spending a full day in Plitvice. Two nights are the most nature lovers will need. You can access the park by bus from both Zagreb and Split, but we believe renting a car is the way to go. This will make for a much faster trip and give some flexibility. The drive from Trogir to Plitvice is about three hours, and two hours from Zagreb. If you have any time to spare, this natural wonder should not be missed.

What we love about Plitvice

Ivana

Dubrovnik City Host & Adriatic Destination Expert

If you were wondering where you can find the paradise depicted on Croatian postcards, come to Plitvice. Although it gets busier every year, you can still enjoy the untouched beauty of the lakes themselves. The most important thing is to be an early bird, and try to be one of the park's first visitors. There is nothing more beautiful and magical than the peace and serenity of the park at that time, just you and nature.

Sanja

Zagreb City Host & Adriatic Destination Expert

Don’t let the crowds discourage you! Plitvice Lakes are a place of exceptional natural beauty and should be on everyone’s bucket list.

Antonija

Split/Trogir City Host & Adriatic Destination Expert

This is Mother Nature's most beautiful child.

Where to stay in Plitvice

When it comes to accommodation choices in Plitvice, there's not an awful lot of variety, and no five star palaces to be found! There are, however, plenty of guesthouses, as you will see when driving through. Based on our own visits we have narrowed down the choices to what we feel are the best hotels and B&Bs available in the Plitvice area. A lack of dining options means that you are usually limited to eating at your accommodations. Most of our guests who come to Plitvice usually arrive in the late afternoon, stay a night in one of our hand-picked accommodations listed here, see the park the next day, then continue on to the next destination. Once we start preparing your customized itinerary, we will present recommended options for you to choose from.

Modern Countryside Hotel

Perfect hotel for those planning to explore Plitvice. This family run hotel has its own restaurant, free parking and is 4 kilometers from the park's entrance.

Modern Countryside B&B

A family owned hotel with all the little details that make it feel like home!

Modern Luxury Bungalows

Located next to a lovely park, these apartments are comfortable and inviting.

Things to do in Plitvice

If you are looking for a tour guide during your visit to Plitvice, JayWay is glad to arrange a highly qualified local guide. However, we find that Plitvice is one of the easiest destinations to navigate on your own, so we do not believe a guide is absolutely necessary. The park uses an easily followed map system containing a number of suggested hikes. The trails are clearly marked using a color system. The best part of this system is it allows you to navigate the park at your own pace and provides suggestions based on the estimated amount of time you want to spend at the park. At a minimum, you can spend a half-day at the park but for outdoor lovers, a full day or longer is possible. We tend to offer Plitvice as a day trip by private transfer, a group tour, or on your own with a rental car. Entrance permits must be bought online at least two days prior to arrival, which we can provide as a service.

Plitvice Lakes Private Walking Tour

Popular Tour Itineraries Featuring Plitvice

Spend some time in Plitvice on a tour that takes in other cities in Croatia and neighboring countries. Our vacation packages including Plitvice and other destinations make traveling in Central & Eastern Europe hassle-free. We take care of getting you from place to place, accommodation, excursions and activities.

Croatia from Top to Toe

Zagreb, Rovinj, Plitvice, Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik

11 Days

The Coast, Islands, and Lakes of Croatia and Slovenia

Ljubljana, Rovinj, Plitvice, Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik

15 Days

An Adriatic Adventure

Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split, Plitvice, Rovinj, Venice

15 Days

Adriatic Affluence

Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split, Plitvice, Rovinj, Venice

15 Days

Active in Croatia

Zagreb, Plitvice, Zadar, Split, Hvar, Korcula, Dubrovnik

16 Days

Slovenia & Croatia for Nature Lovers

Bled, Rovinj, Plitvice, Zadar, Split, Korcula, Dubrovnik

17 Days

Glowing Reviews from Our Guests

4.9 / 5

Average of our Guest's Ratings of our Plitvice vacation packages

Based on 45 reviews

Judith & Edward

New Mexico

JayWay Travel makes it easy to plan and execute a trip that meets your expectations. Carmine, our U.S. contact, and Lidija, our in-country contact, were delightful to work with and made excellent suggestions that enhanced our travel experience.

Year : 2019
Visited : Slovenia, Croatia
Itinerary : Ljubljana, Rovinj, Plitvice, Split, Dubrovnik
Rating :

5 / 5

Year : 2019
Visited : Slovenia, Croatia
Itinerary : Ljubljana, Rovinj, Plitvice, Split, Dubrovnik
Rating :

5 / 5

Kee, Bang, Charles & Mee

Colorado

Without JayWay Travel, my friends and I would not have enjoyed the trip as we did. My wife and friends cannot stop talking about the trip without excitement and appreciation for my planning, for which I owe JaWay Travel. I recommend JayWay Travel to anyone and anywhere.

Year : 2019
Visited : Croatia, Slovenia
Itinerary : Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split, Plitvice, Ljubljana
Rating :

5 / 5

Year : 2019
Visited : Croatia, Slovenia
Itinerary : Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split, Plitvice, Ljubljana
Rating :

5 / 5

Kate & Doug

Colorado

Enormously helpful people, with a good range of ideas of where to go, where to stay, and various ways to get around, JayWay Travel has been an excellent company to work with in organizing personal trips.

Year : 2019
Visited : Croatia
Itinerary : Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split, Plitvice, Rovinj
Rating :

4.83 / 5

Year : 2019
Visited : Croatia
Itinerary : Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split, Plitvice, Rovinj
Rating :

4.83 / 5

Frequently Asked Questions about travel to Plitvice

How much should I expect to spend per person?

A quick lunch with a drink is around 100 kuna/$15. For dinner, 150 - 200 kunas/ $20-$30 per person should do. A one day ticket price varies from 80 - 300 kunas/$12 - $43 per person (depending on the season). Parking is available at the Entrances 1 and 2 of the park for 10 HRK per hour ($1.5)

How can I get around the Plitvice Lakes?

The Plitvice Lakes are very easy to get around. There are two main entrances a short distance from the accommodations we offer. Once there, the park uses an easily followed map system containing a number of suggested hikes. The trails are clearly marked using a color system and allow you to navigate the park at your own pace. Within the park, you can ride a free boat across the largest lake, and ride free road trains from the furthest lakes back to the center of the park, or its other end.

Are there shops?

Plitvice Lakes offers minimal shopping, so make sure you have any items or snacks you need before heading to that area.

Are the Plitvice Lakes safe?

Plitvice is a very safe area, but exercise common sense when hiking, and obey any posted signs.

How long should I stay at the Plitvice Lakes?

While the Lakes can be visited as a transfer stop, we recommend spending a night there, so you can enjoy the park the following morning before it gets crowded, especially in summer.