How to get from Zadar to Plitvice Lakes

Why visit Plitvice Lakes?

Plitvice Lakes National Park is an emerald beauty in Croatia’s northern mountainous region. The country’s largest national park boasts 16 terraced lakes, cascading waterfalls, and a glorious karst landscape. Visitors can admire this from the numerous trails that wind through the park or on a relaxing boat ride on one of the lakes.

As majestic as the lakes are, they comprise only 1% of the National Park’s land area. The remaining 99% is lush forest, home to a variety of wildlife – brown bears, wolves, and lynx, as well as a huge array of birds and bats. Plitvice Lakes has seven viewing paths around the lakes and four hiking trails. For safety reasons, tourists are not allowed to stray from these routes, and swimming is strictly prohibited.

Not sure which route to take? Our detailed Plitvice Lakes guide will tell you everything you need to know to plan your perfect visit.

Visiting in summer? It’s important to buy your tickets beforehand to skip the long queues at the park. Prices are the same whether you book through GetYourGuide online or at the ticket booths on-site. An entrance ticket to Plitvice Lakes costs €40 ($46.50) in summer, €23 ($26.50) in spring and autumn, and €10 ($11.60) in winter.

Plitvice National Park entrance fees

Plitvice Lakes is open all year. However, some areas may be closed at times, especially in winter, for the safety of visitors. This is one reason why entrance fees to the park vary depending on the season you’re visiting.

You can see the seasonal rates below.

These rates are for when you buy your tickets directly at the park entrance, where a long queue awaits every summer.

Want to save time? Buy your entrance tickets online! With Viator, you can get a summer ticket for €52 ($60).

There are 3 ways to travel the 120 kilometre (75 miles) distance from Zadar to Plitvice Lakes. You can choose between the bus, day trip and Overnight Stay. The journey takes 1 hour 30 minutes to 21 hours and the quickest way is by bus. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at €14.10 ($16.30).

The bus is the only form of public transport from Zadar Bus Station to Plitvice Lakes.

During the peak season (June to September), there are three bus companies operating this route: Polet Vinkovci, Autobusni Prijevoz Varazdin and Knezevic - Puntamika.

We recommend travelling with Knezevic – Puntamika. It has the shortest travel time at only 1 hour and 45 minutes, and offers multiple departures throughout the day.

Other bus companies take longer because they make more stops along the way. Travel time is over 2 hours, but they usually offer cheaper fares starting from €14.10 ($16.30).

If you only have a day to visit Plitvice Lakes, it’s best to take the earliest bus to make the most of your time in the park.

Not keen on arranging the transport yourself? Join an organised day trip from Zadar.

An organised day trip saves you the hassle of worrying about your transfers to and from the park. Most day trips also include a skip-the-line ticket, which will save you a lot of time if you’re visiting Plitvice Lakes in summer!

Day trips normally take 9 hours, with about 3 hours of travel time to and from Plitvice Lakes. Keep in mind that the rates for day trips normally do not include the entrance fees to the park, and prices vary depending on the season.

There are several group day trips available from Zadar to Plitvice Lakes.

Basic day tours include:

• roundtrip transfers
• a professional guide
• boat ride
• skip-the-line ticket (you’ll pay this directly to the guide)

We recommend GetYourGuide’s Plitvice Lakes Full-Day Guided Tour. It offers great value, includes skip-the-line access, and is still one of the cheapest options available. Rates start from €49 ($57) per person.

Most group tours start around 07:30 in the morning, with pickup at a designated point in Zadar.

Not a fan of organised tours but don’t want the hassle of finding your way through public transport?

Shared roundtrip transfers are convenient when travelling between Zadar and Plitvice Lakes. They’re especially handy during the off-peak months, when local buses don’t run as often as they do in summer.

• The shuttle leaves Zadar at around 07:30 from a pre-arranged pickup point.
• You’ll arrive at Plitvice Lakes at around 09:30 and will have 5 hours to explore the park.
• The return transfer departs at approximately 15:00.
• You also get access to a skip-the-line ticket, which you’ll pay for in cash directly to the driver.

Rates for shared roundtrip transfers from Zadar to Plitvice Lakes start from €41 ($47.50), excluding the entrance fees.

Fancy a day trip with just your group? You can also get a private tour of Plitvice Lakes, which lasts around 9 hours. You will be picked up and dropped off directly at your hotel, so you really won’t have to worry about anything apart from showing up!

A private day trip includes the following:

• roundtrip transfers
• hotel pickup and drop-off
• a walking tour with your own private guide

Prices for a private day tour from Zadar to Plitvice Lakes start from €590 ($685) for a group of up to seven people. This price excludes the entrance fee to Plitvice Park.

With everything Plitvice Lakes National Park has to offer, one day might not be enough! To really take it all in, we recommend staying at least two days.

There are a few hotels conveniently located within walking distance of Entrances 1 and 2. Due to their proximity to the park, they are often fully booked. It’s best to reserve a room well in advance, especially during summer!

For a more unique stay, check out the campsites 5–7 km north of Entrance 1, like Campsite Korana and Borje. You can pitch your own tent or stay in a mobile home. These campsites also offer on-site activities and free shuttle transfers to the park. Rates start at €20 ($23) per person for an overnight stay.

Looking for a more budget-friendly accommodation? Many hostels are located in Jezerce Village, about 2 km away from Entrance 2. To get to the park from Jezerce, you can board a 2-minute bus from Mukinje Bus Stop, costing around €2 ($2.30).