How to Get From Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes

Several bus companies cover the Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes route daily. However, not all bus departures give you enough time to explore the park on the same day.

Some buses arrive late in the afternoon when the park is almost closed for the day. If you take these afternoon bus trips, you’ll need to stay in a hotel overnight and explore the national park the next day.

Travel time by bus is around 1h 50m - 2h 45m, with ticket prices starting from €12 ($14).

Departure and arrival stations

All buses depart from Zagreb Bus Station, about 1.5 km from the train station in the city centre.

There are two possible drop-off points at Plitvice Lakes, depending on the bus operator:

• The Flixbus Bus Stop in front of Entrance 1
• Plitvice Jezera Bus Stop near Entrance 2

Both stops have ticket offices nearby, so if you haven’t bought your ticket online, you can get one before entering the park.

Travelling with a group? A private car or minivan is the most convenient way to get from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes. You'll be picked up directly from your hotel in Zagreb and can choose a departure time that suits your schedule.

Since you won’t have to make stops along the way like the bus, you can get from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes in just 2 hours.

What we like most about this option is that it includes the return journey. Your driver can wait outside Plitvice Lakes for up to 5 hours, giving you plenty of time to explore the park before heading back to Zagreb.

Round-trip private transfers for up to 7 people are available with rates from €350 ($410). This option is the most expensive, but you can split the cost with your group. With the return journey already included, you may end up paying not much more than the cost of round-trip bus tickets!

Check GetYourGuide for more details.

There are several day trip packages to choose from for the Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes route. Most of these tours include a short trip to Rastoke, a 300-year-old village that is also famous for its waterfalls.

One of the popular options on GetYourGuide costs €95 ($110) and includes round-trip transport, a guide, and entrance tickets to Plitvice Lakes. Considering that summer entrance tickets alone cost €40 ($47), we think this tour offers good value for a convenient day tour.

The entire tour takes 10 hours, including around 4 hours of round-trip travel.

With the travel time involved in a day trip, you might not have enough time to explore all that Plitvice Lakes National Park has to offer. We recommend staying in the area at least the night before so you can be at the entrance when the park opens.

There are a few hotels located within walking distance of Entrances 1 and 2 of Plitvice Lakes. But because of their proximity to the national park, these hotels are often fully booked. If you're planning to stay overnight, make sure to reserve your room a few months in advance!

For a more unique experience, check out the campsites located 5-7 km north of Entrance 1: Campsite Korana and Camping Plitvice. There, you can pitch your own tent or stay in a mobile home! These campsites offer different activities and provide free transportation to the national park.

Rates start at €20 ($24) per person for an overnight stay at a campsite.

If the nearby hotels are all fully booked, another option is to stay in Grabovac Village, about 9 km from Entrance 1. To get to the national park, you can take a 15-minute local bus, which costs around €4.00 ($4.70).