Plitvice lakes - complete info

In fact, this place was the only reason I ever wanted to go to Croatia. Fortunately, as you read in the first article, I have finally changed my mind and have finally made my own opinion about this absolute Croatian must see. There is no other way to say it.

Plitvice Lakes are located in Licko-Senj County on the Korana River and are, as we all know, Croatia's most famous national park. They are even on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which is of course why they are also the most visited. Every year, about 1.5 million people come here. Yeah, it's a bit of a crowd, but it's still worth it. The nature here is absolutely breathtaking and I don't know anyone who wouldn't be impressed by the incredibly clear blue water. So let's give you some tips on how to make the most of your trip to Plitvice Lakes.

WHEN to go?

In my opinion, this is exactly the most important question. Everything will depend on it, especially how much you will squeeze in the crowd, which you probably don't want, right? We visited Plitvice in May, after the coronavirus precautions started to be released. Generally, there was an absolute minimum of tourists in Croatia at that time, but we still chose a weekday to visit. Just in case. I'll tell you right now that it was totally awesome! The car park was half empty, no queues at the ticket office, and basically just families with small children + one bus of pensioners inside. This lineup then dispersed very quickly in the park area and we were able to walk around completely at ease without anyone breathing on our backs.

The Plitvice Lakes are open all year round, but I personally would still prefer to go in spring, mainly because of the amount of water. In the summer, not only would you be walking in a crowd of people, but you wouldn't even have to see much yet, as the drought often turns the impressive waterfalls into light trickles. In the autumn, the beautifully coloured scenery will certainly be a big plus and the number of visitors might even be more bearable. Plitvice has a completely different atmosphere in winter. I believe that it will be very beautiful in person, but as far as our situation is concerned, you just don't want to slip on a frozen wooden walkway with little Donut in a carrier. 

So to sum up - avoid the summer season at all costs! If you can, even skip weekends and holidays, choose a normal boring day instead :) The last reason I'll give is the financial side, see paragraph below. 

HOW MUCH will it cost?

Visiting Plitvice Lakes in the off-season will not only save you nerves in terms of overcrowding, but also quite a bit of money. Sure, a lot of people don't really look at the price of admission when it's basically a one-time thing/expense. However, some people could use some of that money saved. Plitvice National Park has four seasons, which determine the price. A one-day entrance fee for an adult works out as follows (current prices here!):

• November to May - 80 kn
• June - 150 kn
• July, August, September - 200 kn
• October - 180 kn

Quite a difference, isn't it? And it doesn't stop there, because you'll probably come here by car and parking is not included! It is charged separately - either 8 or 10 kn/h (depending on the season). Motorbikes park for free and, conversely, motorhomes have a special rate of 80 or 100 kn/day. In sum, Plitvice in May cost us 2x 80 kn entrance fee + six hours of parking, or 208 kn in total.

If you don't want to wait in line, I recommend getting tickets online. But be warned, it has to be at least one day in advance, as when you buy you specify a specific time slot in which you will enter the park. In short, you can't buy tickets online in the parking lot upon arrival, I guess :) If online tickets are sold out, don't hang your head. It doesn't mean you're completely out of chances, as they still hold a certain number of tickets at the box office. 

WHICH route to choose?

First of all, it should be noted that the national park includes the Upper Lakes and Lower Lakes area. You probably can't really objectively assess which part is better/prettier, but if you have a full day to spend on Plitvice, you can probably do both. 

The other important thing is that there are two entrances - Entrance 1 (north) and Entrance 2 (south). There is a ticket office at both, and parking at both. So from my perspective, it doesn't really matter which one you choose, because there is a free panoramic train that runs between them. With the second train line, it is also possible to approach Entrance 2 from the Upper Lakes, but beware! This one is only in full operation during the summer season! Outside of it, it usually only operates on weekends or not at all, so you'd better check this information beforehand on the official website.

transport in NP = train, boat + dock

Wondering how we did it? In May, with one day to spare and a six-month-old Kobliha in a carrier, we decided to go for circuit B, but we expanded it a bit more. We parked at entrance number 1, walked down to the largest local waterfall, the Great Waterfall (photo left), and continued on through the Lower Lakes Valley, which includes lakes Novakovića brod, Kaluđerovac, Gavanovac and Milanovac. At Lake Kozjak (P3) we boarded a boat and were ferried to the other side (P2). Boating is also included in the price of admission and I recommend taking advantage of it, as it is a nice diversion. Here we did an even shorter loop through the Upper Lakes, illustrated in green on the map, and then took a short cruise from P2 to the opposite shore of P1, where we chilled out on a blanket for a while.     

We took a train or rather a bus from St1 to St2, from where we walked back to the entrance. By the way, I think this section is definitely worth it, as it offers great views of the Lower Lakes from above, see photos below. This whole thing took us about six hours, and we were definitely not in a hurry. If you have less time or, on the other hand, would like to spend more than one day here, choose from the route overview here. There's even an option to buy a two-day pass and stay overnight in the park to make sure you really get to see everything.

WHERE to stay?

• cheaper: B&B Plitvica Falls House or House Biba & Leona - nice, clean guesthouses with a price of about €52 for a double room

• medium: who would be interested in apartments, I would personally choose from these L&L Leisure Apartments Plitvice or Etno Garden Apartments - beautiful, modern and affordable for about €80/night for two, or I would consider this guesthouse with breakfast for about €72 in the form of a wonderful B&B Lower Lakes Plitvica Selo

• more expensive: Hotel Jezero - well rated hotel right at the entrance No. 2, a night for two here starts at about €128 with breakfast and parking, or a fabulous room with wooden paneling in Ethno Houses Plitvice Lakes Hotel for about €140/night

WHAT to bring?

• definitely shoes with a solid sole - some of the wooden walkways have obviously been through something, so it won't be ideal in flip flops

• sun gear - sunscreen, sunglasses, cap, hat, scarf

• rain gear - raincoat, light windproof jacket, sweatshirt

• snacks and drinks - there are several restaurants and buffets in the park area, which are always concentrated at the train stops and docks. Feel free to bring your own food, though, or at least some kind of bar/cookie, as you can then eat that anywhere.

• stroller vs. carrier - from my point of view, definitely the carrier, however, we have seen a few people with a stroller. With it, though, I would only focus on the Lower Lakes area where there aren't as many steps. Even so, there are some, and overall it's going to be a bit of a scramble on the footbridges, so I'd opt for a proper sports stroller for a non-walking baby or a very lightweight golf cart that you can carry when your baby runs off.

• for myself, I would also recommend the picnic blanket - we took it mainly for Nina to crawl around a bit and not be in the car seat and carrier all day. Otherwise, there are plenty of picnic tables and benches, so you don't have to be completely worried about not having anywhere to rest.

• Dogs can also enter Plitvice Lakes National Park, so you don't have to leave your pet at home. However, it must be on a leash and be sure to bring some water, because neither people nor dogs are allowed to swim in the lakes.

• charged camera/mobile - to take a piece of the beauty with you :)

And now we can only wish you a wonderful trip! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. If you're heading south from here towards Zadar, be sure to check out the Zadar + 6 tips for trips article. You'll find more cool places in there that are definitely worth checking out.

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