Plitvice lakes is one of the most beautiful and popular places to visit in Croatia attracting more than a million visitors every year. While it is technically possible to see doing a day trip from Zagreb, I’d recommend leaving Zagreb early in the morning and then staying overnight at the lakes if possible.
It can take 6-7 hours to see the whole thing and this will give you a chance to go back into the park the next morning if you haven’t been able to see everything or you just want to see it in the early morning light.
The trails aren’t all that signposted and it can get a little confusing trying to work out which direction to go to ensure you see all the lakes so it’s helpful to have a detailed map, particularly if you only have limited time.
The information office doesn’t give out free maps, all they are able to provide is an information brochure. If you want a map you will have to purchase one at the souvenir shop so it’s worthwhile downloading one beforehand.
Getting to the park
Buses from Zagreb and onto Zadar are plentiful and can be easily booked online at http://wwww.croatiabuses.com
By bus it takes about 2 1/2 hours to get to the park from Zagreb and about 2 hours to get from the park to Zadar. Coming from Zagreb buses will make 2 stops, one at each of the entrances to the park.
Getting around the park
The best way to see the park is to get a shuttle bus from Entrance 2 to Stop 3 which is at the top of park and then walk back down. The alternative is to walk both directions (which will add around 2 hours to the visit) or to walk up the hill and get the bus back down.
Getting the bus up is obviously the least time consuming and means less hills. Even getting the bus there are plenty of stairs you’ll need to go up and down so you need to have a least some level of fitness in order to be able to see the majority of the lakes.
About half way down you can get a boat (included in the admission price) across the biggest lake to join from the upper lakes to the lower. Again you can walk this rather than getting the boat but the views from the boat are very scenic and it will save you quite a bit of time.
Food and drink
There are a few kiosks / cafes dotted around the park. I had lunch at the self-service café near Entrance 2. The food was OK and the prices fairly reasonable given the captive audience. It’s a good idea to carry some water with you as it can get quite hot and the nearest kiosk may be an hour or so away.
Accommodation
Accommodation is limited in the park and so a lot of the guidebook suggest staying outside the park. In the streets around the edges of the park almost every house has a sign up saying they offer accommodation.
I stayed in a little hotel / bed and breakfast outside the park. The walk into the park was a manageable 25 minutes, however, the majority of it was through a bush trail.
At the end of the day on dusk I wasn’t keen on walking through the trail, particularly as I hadn’t seen anyone on the trail during the day (not to mention reading that there are bears and wolves in the local area) so had to walk back along the main road. This took more than 30 minutes from where I exited the park and was somewhat harrowing as it is a main highway and there is no footpath so you have to hug the side of the road while cars wiz past you.
Therefore, if you are planning on getting to the park via bus rather than hiring a car, I’d strongly recommend staying at one of the hotels just near the entrance to the park. These are quite popular so book as far in advance as possible.
If you are staying at a hotel outside the park, keep in mind that there isn’t really a village as such nearby so dinner in the hotel is probably the best option. You’ll usually need to book this in advance when you check in.
Other places in Croatia
If you’d like to read my posts about other places in Croatia see the following links: