Plitvice Lakes National Park is located in the central part of Croatia. The nearest airports and largest cities are Zagreb and Zadar. The distance of the Park from Zagreb is 130 km (about 2 hours drive) and from Zadar is 118 km (about 1.5 hours drive).
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Where do you fly into for Plitvice Lakes?
Zadar Airport is the closest airport to Plitvice Lakes, with a distance of about 120 km. If you are planning to visit Park as well as some islands, this airport is perhaps the best option to fly to. The nearest alternative airport is Zagreb, with a distance from the Park of about 135 km. From both airports, there are direct bus lines to Plitvice so you can use buses to do day trips to this amazing National Park.
How do you get to Plitvice Lakes National Park?
The most convenient way to get to Plitvice Lakes National Park is by car, taxi, Uber, or private transfer as this option will enable you to have a schedule that best suits your needs. The alternative is to take a direct bus from Zadar, Zagreb, or even from Split for an enjoyable day trip to the Park.
Getting to the Plitvice Lakes from Zagreb
Travel duration: between 2 and 2.5 hours
The best way of getting to the Plitvice Lakes National Park from Zagreb is by car or bus. All buses leave Zagreb from the main bus station (Autobusni Kolodvor Zagreb). It will take you about 2.5 hrs from there to reach the Park by bus. You can book your bus tickets in advance at the Zagreb bus station’s website.
If you are arriving at Zagreb Airport and would like to go straight to Plitvice, take a bus from the airport to the main bus station and proceed from there. There are up to 12 departures throughout the day, depending on the season.
Traveling by car from Zagreb to Plitvice is similar duration as traveling by bus as they use the same route. Read a detailed article about getting here from Zagreb
Getting to the Plitvice Lakes from Zadar
Travel duration: between 1.5 and 2 hours
The easiest way of getting to the Plitvice Lakes National Park from Zadar is by car or bus. All buses leave Zadar from the main bus station (Autobusni Kolodvor Zadar). It will take you about 1.5 hrs from there to reach the Park by bus. You can book your bus tickets in advance at the Zadar bus station’s website.
If you are arriving at Zadar Airport and would like to go straight to Plitvice, take a bus from the airport to the main bus station in the town and proceed from there. There are up to 8 departures throughout the day, depending on the season.
Traveling by car from Zadar to Plitvice is a similar duration (about 20 minutes shorter) as traveling by bus as they use the same route. Read detailed Zadar to Plitvice info
Getting to the Plitvice Lakes from Split
Travel duration: between 3.5 and 6 hours
The easiest way of getting to Plitvice Lakes National Park from Split is by car or bus. All buses leave Split from the main bus station (Autobusni Kolodvor Split). It will take you about 6 hrs from there to reach the Park by bus. You can book your bus tickets in advance at the Split bus station’s website.
If you are arriving at Split Airport and would like to go straight to Plitvice, take a bus from the airport to the main bus station in the town and proceed from there. There are up to 6 departures throughout the day, depending on the season.
Traveling by car from Split to Plitvice is a similar duration (about 40 minutes shorter) as traveling by bus as both options include the same route. Read detailed Split to Plitvice info
Getting to the Plitvice Lakes from Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Istria, Rijeka..
None of these is an ideal place to fly to as there aren’t direct travel connections to the Park from either of the above places. They are all too far from Plitvice Lakes National Park to make a day trip viable. In all cases, you would have to overnight at the Park as traveling there will take you between 7 and 14 hours, depending on the route and means of transport.
Getting into Park
All buses to the National Park stop outside both entrances – there are two park’s main entrances – Entrance 1 and Entrance 2 (see video here). Which one will you use depends on your preferences i.e do you plan a shorter or longer visit. For shorter visits use Entrance 2, for a longer one, use Entrance 1. – read more Plitvice Lakes Entrance, Opening Hours, Tickets & Parking
Map
Here is an orientation map – use + and – to see closer location:
How much does it cost to get into Plitvice Lakes?
One-day adult tickets prices are:
- 80 kuna (12 USD) in winter
- 180 kuna (27 USD) in spring and fall (autumn)
- 300 kuna (45 USD) June to September
- All transport within the Park (ferries and buses) is included in the ticket price
How much time do you need in Plitvice Lakes?
Plitvice Lakes is convenient for a day trip from Zagreb, Zadar, and also Split. However, the recommended time is to spend at least one night there to have enough time to slowly experience this amazing nature. The two-day visit to the park is ideal.
