If you’re vacationing to Croatia, a trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park is a must! While vacationing in Zadar, we took a day trip to the park, about a 1.5 hour drive to the northeast. Initially unaware of how large this place actually was, it soon became apparent that we should’ve did some research beforehand. The various stops to make within the park are spread out, making it difficult to really know the best route to take to see it all in an efficient manner.
Here’s the Ultimate Route to Take Through Plitvice Lakes National Park:
Info for Plitvice Lakes National Park
Reigning as the oldest National Park in Europe, Plitvice attracts over a million visitors per year. Although the park is open year-round, the busiest time for tourists is in the summer months of July and August. Entry prices also quadruple during the summer time at 180 Kuna ($26), compared to 55 Kuna ($8) in the winter.
Upon arrival to Plitvice, decide beforehand where you will want to begin your journey. With multiple places to park, your journey through can be dependent upon where you begin. We parked at St.2, which I think gave us the most convenient place to start from.
Use the map below as your reference throughout this post.
Trail #1
Equipped with only the map on the back of our tickets and no knowledge of where we to go, we head over a wooden bridge making our way past a hotel and cafe. After a short walk, we’re greeted by a boat dock and the starkest-colored water I’ve ever seen. If this view is a hint for what we were about to be in for, I was already blown away by the beauty!
Trail #2
Piling on to the 40-person ferry-like boat, we travel from P1 to P2 (see map). Once we had our feet on the ground, we notice an empty trail in the opposite direction of where the crowd was going. About a 5 minute hike up, the most beautiful view appears through the opening of the trees.
At this point, we conclude that we didn’t wear the proper shoes to be hiking any higher so we head back down to the original trail. Following the pack of people around a narrow winding path, we make our way around Gradinsko Lake. Within minutes, we’re met with those waterfalls we were just viewing from above.
By the time we end our exploration of Trail #2, the queues for the small ferries are filling up so we hop back on the boat and head towards P3 (see map).
Trail #3
Hopping off Ferry #2 and back on the ground, we smell the mouth-watering scent of hamburgers and hot dogs. As a few concession stands exist at the beginning of P3, we recharge with food fuel and get back on the trail.
Upon leaving the concessions, our trek to Veliki Slap, or ‘The Great Waterfall,’ begins. This entire route towards the biggest waterfall was my favorite part of our entire Plitvice Lakes National Park journey.
Wooden paths wind like a snake around the insane-colored water. So pure and clear, you can see every single fish swimming around below the surface.
Even though this was my favorite part of Plitvice, the trek towards the waterfall can get annoying because of the large crowds. The paths are super narrow so everybody walks in single-file lines.
On top of that, people are constantly stopping to take pictures and it’s impossible to go around them (we got really good at “snapping on the go”). Regardless, the pure nature of Plitvice tend to dissolve any frustrations.
The Grand Finale of Plitvice Lakes
Acting as the most fitting way to end your trip to Plitvice, ‘The Great Waterfall’ streams down ahead. At 250 feet high, you can feel the mist of the falls floating around, cooling the visitors down on a hot summer day.
Feeling too crowded at the base of the falls? Look to the left for a steep and narrow stone-made stairwell. If you climb to the top of that, you can get the best views of the waterfall.
After seeing all there is to see at Plitvice, head back towards Ferry #2 on the same trail and retrace your steps. You will have to return back to Trail #1 to grab Ferry #1 back to your starting point.
Read More European Travel Posts Here
Like this Post? Pin It!
| This post contains affiliate links which means that, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase one of these products I may receive a small commission. This helps me maintain my blog as a free space to you. Check out my Disclaimer for more info.
Plitvice Lakes National Park is accessible on foot via dirt paths, and walkways. Shuttle buses run every 20 minutes along designated areas of the park. A visit also includes a boat ride.