If you’re planning a trip to Croatia, you will most definitely have heard about the infamous Plitvice Lakes National Park and that it is a must-visit.
Whether you’re visiting from Zadar, Split, Pag or even Zagreb – Croatia’s largest and oldest national park boasts luscious greenery and stunning waterfalls. Though we had done our research before we started our expedition to the Lakes, there were many handy pieces of information and tricks that we were unaware of. We wish someone had warned us about these 8 tips, so instead of suffering like us, we decided to make your lives easy and list them out for you…
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1. You do not have to visit Plitvice Lakes with a tour
Depending on where you’re visiting Plitvice Lakes from, you surely would have seen many tours offering return trips to the National Park such as this one here from Zadar, this one here from Zagreb, this one here from Split.
However, visiting with a tour heavily restricts your freedom given that you have to comply to the group’s itinerary. This may mean that you may not get to enjoy the lakes as much as you would like to.
But the good news is that you are not restricted to visiting with a tour. In fact, we really wouldn’t recommend it to be honest. The public transport to Plitvice Lakes is extremely accessible and easy to use. The locals are also extremely friendly and happy to help if you do manage to get lost.
We took the public bus to the Lakes from Zadar and it cost us just €25 return and less than 2 hours one way. By taking public transport this enabled us to have the complete freedom to navigate the park how we wanted to, arrive when we wanted to and leave when we wanted to – Perfect!
2. The entry ticket price varies depending on when you visit
This was a big shock to us and we wish someone had told us before we visited! During the winter months from November to March, an adult ticket costs just €10. In April, May & October the price increases to €24 and then in the summer, the price hikes to a whopping €40 for an adult ticket!
So if you’re looking to avoid the crowds and save some money, perhaps consider visiting in the off-peak or shoulder months. You can buy an e-ticket via the official website here.
3. Choose your route wisely, ideally before visiting
This National Park is very, and I mean very big. Please do not underestimate how big this park is. There are 7 different routes to choose from – A, B, C, E, F, H and K. Route A is the shortest and most popular route, it takes on average 2-3 hours to complete and covers about 3.5 kilometres.
Moreover, it is very important to choose your route appropriately especially according to your fitness level, how much time you have to spare, how long you want to stay at the Lakes etc. The longest route is Route K which covers around 18 kilometres – this perhaps wouldn’t be the best idea for someone who is short on time.
4. Do not let the rain stop you from visiting
Unfortunately, we were extremely unlucky during our visit. The weather forecast warned us that the chances of showers were 100% however, we had no other choice due to our tight schedule – it was either visit whilst it was raining or do not visit at all.
We chose the former and we are so glad we did. Plitvice Lakes looks even more beautiful when it rains – the greenery and vegetation look fresher, the current of the waterfalls is stronger and you even get to beat the crowds – sounds like a triple win to me!
Do be wary though, as it can rain even on sunny days so always come prepared. Speaking of being well prepared, make sure you…
5. Dress Appropriately!
Dress prepared for rain, shine and perhaps a mix of both.
We definitely recommend sturdy footwear as the tiles here can get very slippery when wet and a good quality raincoat. If you’re really looking to stay dry, you should bring along an umbrella, wellies and a plastic disposable rain poncho. Basically what I’m trying to say is, do not dress how I did…
6. Eat a hefty meal beforehand and bring snacks
If there was one word to describe how I felt after visiting the Lakes (apart from awestruck), it would be ‘HUNGRY’.
We navigated Plitvice Lakes for around 5 hours and we only came across one café (that was actually closing up for the day by the time we arrived). We managed to quickly buy a hot drink and some chips before continuing our trek – this is all we ate all day.
Bringing snacks and water in a waterproof backpack is essential especially if you are considering exploring the more extensive trail routes. Be sure to bring some money if you do come across a shop/café.
7. Be prepared for long wait times during peak season
I really wish someone told us this. Waiting around for the electric boats, trains and buses around the National Park definitely added at least an extra hour and a half to our time spent at the Lakes.
We visited in May which is considered one of the shoulder months, nevertheless, we still experienced very long wait times, especially for the boat seeing as it can only carry a certain number of people.
Please do factor this into your itinerary especially if you are short on time.
8. Plan your route home wisely
If you decide to take our advice and opt to visit Plitvice Lakes on your own accord via public transport, please do plan your route home wisely.
The signs to signalling where the bus stops are located exist but they aren’t the easiest to find we recommend leaving ample time to get your bearings.
Further to that, we would not advise you to aim for the last bus as the buses rarely run according to their schedule so you may find that the last bus has already departed or will never actually arrive!
Without the bus you’re looking at an expensive cab journey home, so please be wise and spare enough time to get lost and finally figure out where to get the bus!
That’s All 23 Travellers! Thank you for reading. We hope you enjoyed reading through the 8 Things No One Tells You Before Visiting Plitvice Lakes in Croatia. Hopefully, you are now well-equipped to tackle the Lakes much better than we did!
23 Travels are Personal Travel Planners who have been creating bespoke travel itineraries for many years. If you would like us to plan your trip to Croatia, or any other worldwide destination for you, please visit 23 Travels Itinerary Services.
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