Yulia Saf 
Are you thinking about visiting Croatia for the first time?
If so, I am a bit jealous, because you are about to be charmed by one of the most beautiful countries on Earth! Croatia has countless places to visit!
In this post, let’s talk about the famous Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. If you need help planning your Croatian vacation, you can read more about that here.
Here is what you’ll find in this post:
Contents
- 1. What are those lakes exactly?
- 2. How many days should I stay in Plitvice Lakes?
- 3. How much is the entrance fee?
- 4. Where do I get the best pictures of Plitvice Lakes?
- 5. How do I get around in the national park?
- 6. How do you get to Plitvice Lakes National Park?
- 7. When is the best time to visit Plitvice Lakes?
- 8. Can you swim in Plitvice Lakes?
- Where can you stay in Plitvice Lakes National Park?
Have you heard about the amazing waterfalls in Croatia? If so, Plitvice Lakes National Park should be on your Croatian bucket list for sure!
Plitvice Lakes (Plitvička Jezera) was the number 1 place I wanted to visit in Croatia!
That is why after just 1 day in Zagreb, I left the hustle and bustle of the city and headed to this amazing natural collection of Plitvice waterfalls.
And I did not regret my decision. Why?
Hopefully, you will understand soon just by looking at the pictures below.
But to make everything clearer for you, let me answer some frequently asked questions here:
1. What are those lakes exactly?
Plitvice is a group of 16 natural lakes and is a UNESCO heritage site due to its breathtaking views, its fauna and the unique turquoise waters of the lakes.
Plitvička Jezera National Park is located in the middle of the country and is about 130 km from the capital of Zagreb which is great, because it is an easy day trip from Zagreb or from Split.
2. How many days should I stay in Plitvice Lakes?
It depends on what you are looking for and how tight your schedule is.
For instance, if you want to simply check the place off your to-do list, or, if you are on a tight schedule, it is totally doable in 1 day. As I mentioned above, there are plenty of day trips offered from Zagreb or Split, so that would not be a problem.
But if you ask me, 1 day would be a bit rushed in my opinion because you will not be able to enjoy it to the fullest. I stayed overnight in the park, and 2 days seemed just perfect to me!
On the other hand, if you want to do some extra activities (read below) and have a relaxed schedule, why not to stay there for 3 days? You will not get bored, I promise!
PRO TIP: Try to start your park visit early in the morning – you will take amazing pictures and will walk the park without the crowds. It has a completely different atmosphere when tourists aren’t around!
NOTE: Wondering about the Plitvice Lakes opening hours? The park is open 365 days a year 7 am to 8 pm.
3. How much is the entrance fee?
I often get asked about that. There are different packages depending on how many days you want to stay, the season you visit and your age. The most expensive ticket for an adult during the high season for 1 day is 250 HRK (~34 EUR). In order to save on your Plitvice Lakes tickets, you can go after August during the off season, or get a 2-day ticket. Don’t forget to take your student ID if you are a student (your entrance fee is 160 HRK or 22 EUR in this case).
If you want to discover this UNESCO World Heritage Site with an expert guide, it is about 100 EUR for a group of up to 50 people (good deal!)
Note that all the transportation INSIDE the park is included with your ticket. There are ferries and a small train that will take you from one side of the park to the other.
Food is not included, however, there are plenty of restaurants at station points where you can get a snack or a full meal.
Alternatively, you can take sandwiches with you and have a nice picnic with an amazing view of the lakes! Beware of the geese and ducks, they will want a part of your lunch! 😉
PRO TIP: To save you some time in line – there are two entrances to choose from. Plitivce Lakes Entrance 1 can get a bit crowded during the tourist season. Just head over to Plitvice Entrance 2; it is close by, and there are way less tourists.
4. Where do I get the best pictures of Plitvice Lakes?
If you have already surfed the Internet and seen pictures of the lakes, you probably have seen the picture above, right?
But the problem with this view is that it is not really obvious how to get there; there are no arrows saying “This way to the amazing post-card like view”. So, where the hell is this view and how do you get there?
No worries, I investigated everything for you! 😉 I was unsuccessfully searching for it and eventually, I just pointed to my ticket (there was a photo of that view there too) and asked the staff how to get there. You can do that too, but let me give you a small bit of instruction just to make it easier. Make sure to go there, though, as this is the best view of the lakes!
The lookout spot is called Veliki Slap. There are no signs directing you to it, but the place is stunning!
There are two simple ways to reach that location:
- If you take Plitvice Lakes Entrance 2, once you are downstairs at the river, take the boat to the other side (2 minutes).
Once on the other side just follow the path upstairs, you can’t miss it. These are the upper lakes with the most beautiful waterfalls - You can also easily reach it by car by searching for “Veliki Slap” in Google Maps and driving for approximately 10 minutes
Here is how to get to the secret spot:
After you pass by the bBig waterfall, (that has a tremendous amount of tourists by the way),
-> go up the stairs that are located on the right side of the waterfall,
-> at the top of the stairs, take a right
-> follow the road for about 5 mins (you will see the Big waterfall from above) until you get to an asphalt road.
-> turn right and walk straight (2-3 mins) until you pass a wooden bridge,
-> then turn right after the bridge, follow the path for 1-2 min until you see a viewpoint deck and, voila!, you will see THE view!
When I was there, there were only 3 other people, so basically you have the view all to yourself! How amazing is that? Now you know too, but shhh! 😉
5. How do I get around in the national park?
The territory of Plitvice Lakes is huge and you definitely cannot visit the whole park by walking. That is why there is a special transfer service that will take you from point A to point B either by ferry or by train.
Here is the Plitvice Lakes map so that you understand it better:
As you can see in the Plitvice map above, there are different routes for getting to the variou points in the park. The transportion runs according to a schedule and the frequency of runs depends on how busy the park is.
I waited in line for a maximum of 20 minutes, so do not worry about standing in lines for ages! (Yes, avoiding lines are very important to me. I wrote a great post about how to avoid lines in Paris).
By the way, if you want to visit the park with your dog, it is not a problem, I saw many people walking in the park with their dogs.
NOTE: Plitvice Lakes is not extremely wheelchair-friendly, but it can still be visited. For example The Great Waterfall (one of the main attractions of the park) can be seen soon after you enter Plitvice Lakes using Entrance 1, so this is totally doable. There is also a bus that can take you on a panoramic ride to some parts of the park. But there are some spots that cannot be seen because of steps or high water levels during some periods of the year (make sure to check the forecast before going). You can find a guide on how to see as many things in the park with a wheelchair here.
6. How do you get to Plitvice Lakes National Park?
The national park is located on National Route D1 Zagreb–Split between Slunj and Korenica in the vicinity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Zagreb Airport is the closest airport to Plitvice Lakes. This is good news as, being the capital, it is very easy to get to Zagreb from abroad. It is 130 km (or about 2 hours driving) from Zagreb to Plitvice.
The best option to get around all of Croatia is definitely to rent a car. The roads are great and you get to see some truly breathtaking coastal views! In the case of Plitvice Lakes, it is also easy; many people arrive with a car and there are parking lots available everywhere! Check the rates and today’s discounts for a car rental here.
If you don’t want to rent a car, here are some awesome (and convenient) door-to-door tours depending on where you are coming from:
- Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes day tour
- Trogir or Split to Plitvice Lakes day tour
- From Zadar
- From Porec and Rovinj
- Private Plitvice Lakes tour
- Private transfer
- Pick up in Zagreb, drop off in Split tour
Are you in Croatia, searching for a bus from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes, for example?
You should know that there are many buses departing from all the major Croatian cities that are quite cheap and they run frequently You can check the schedule and buy tickets online here. There is even a bus that departs directly from Zagreb Airport in case you do not want to stay in the city!
NOTE1: Keep in mind that you will have to pay a small luggage fee similar to the one you pay to low-cost airlines (from 7 to 10 kunas, ~1 Eur). You can usually save about 5% by booking your ticket online for bus companies like Arriva. They also have Wi-FI on board by the way!
NOTE2: the fee for parking once you arrive in the park is 7 kunas/hour (1.3 Euros)
7. When is the best time to visit Plitvice Lakes?
Anytime you can because seriously, as Plitvice weather is almost always nice and welcoming. I wa there in early October when the weather was still nice and the water was incredibly turquoise. But every season is different in its beauty. Thinking of visiting Plitvice in the winter? I bet it looks gorgeous covered in snow as well!
In short, it does not matter when, just go there, don’t miss the chance! 🙂
Whatever the season, hiking shoes are not necessary because the road is nicely done and you will be just fine wearing regular shoes. But remember, as Plitvice National Park is located in a mountain area, it gets pretty cold in the evening, so don’t forget to take warm clothes!
8. Can you swim in Plitvice Lakes?
Are you in the mood for some Plitvice Lakes swimming? Unfortunately for you, swimming has been forbidden in the park since 2006. But I have some good news, too! In case you really want to swim in some wonderful, turquoise water, you can do so in Krka Waterfall National Park in Dalmatia. This park is only 2 hours away from Plitvice and you can soak there for however long you please, although you can’t actually swim under the waterfalls.
So, Krka or Plitvice? My answer is: both, if you have the time!
Both parks have stunning waterfalls, views and nature, but different atmospheres. If you really want to swim, then you should add Krka to your itinerary as well 🙂
| ✈️ Cost of traveling: | budget |
| 📅 How many days: | 1-2 |
| 👶 Family friendly score: | great |
| 🍽️ Dinner for 2: | €29 |
| 🏞️ Entrance price: | ~€25 |
| 🚕 Average taxi price: | €10 |
| ☀️ Best time to go: | summer |
Where can you stay in Plitvice Lakes National Park?
UPDATE: In case you are searching for hotels near Plitvice Lakes, I have written a blog post about the Best hotels to stay at around Plitvice Lakes – they are all hand-picked, have fabulous reviews are sorted by price for your convenience – enjoy! 🙂
There are getting to be more and more accommodations around the national park and home-stays are popping up like mushrooms after the rain!
I stayed in Villa Mukinja, which I can definitely recommend; it is one of the best places to stay in and the perfect Plitvice accommodation!
This family run hotel has been open for more than 30 years. It was there even before the tourist boom and it is a great value for the money! My room was spacious and clean, all amenities needed were provided.
Dinner is an extra option, but you will miss so much if you opt out since local food is a part of the Plitvice experience! You will get an AMAZING dinner that you will remember for a long time! What I had for my dinner was an appetizer (could have been easily a dinner by itself), a salad, a soup, one of the 3 local specialties of your choice (fresh catch of the day, meat dish or a vegetarian plate) and a dessert. Crazy!
All I wanted to do afterwards was to melt in the Jacuzzi and relax in the sauna, which is free of charge for all Villa Mukinja guests.
The breakfast was another huge meal. I don’t think I have ever had a bigger breakfast anywhere else! Just to give you an example – me alone, I had 5 pitchers of different types of drinks – a pitcher of milk, tea, coffee, water and juice. Did they seriously think I could drink it all by myself?
The owner told me that if their guests stay for 2 days or longer they get used to the amount of food offered, but at first it comes as a shock.
Oh, and by the way, the place is located a 10-15 minute walk from the park. It is an enjoyable walk through the forest. I loved the location!
If you arrive by bus, just give them a call or tell them in advance what time you arrive, and they will pick you up from the bus station.
Here are the other Plitvice Lakes National Park hotels, all rated fabulous:
NOTE: There are 3 hotels located inide the National Park: Hotel Jezero, Hotel Bellevue and Hotel Plitvice. Out of all three of them, Hotel Jezero is the only one that stays open all year round. Bellevue and Plitvice hotels are closed in December, January, and February. More about them below.
- Luxury hotels (US $100 and up):
Hotel Jezero is a great hotel in Plitvice that is actually located inside the park, which is a great advantage!
Villa Lika has better room decor in my opinion and the reviews are outstanding! - Medium price (US $ 50 – US $ 100):
Another great hotel located right inside the park is Hotel Bellevue – the rooms are very cozy and clean and the entire accommodation offers a peaceful experience!
Hotel Plitvice is another awesome choice, located right next to the entrance to the National Park and close to Hotel Jezero!
Pansion Breza is a perfect choice and one of the best Plitvice Lakes hotels, although it is located 1 km away from the park! It only has 7 rooms, so hurry up if you want to book it!
Guest House Nenad is also located minutes away from the park entrance and offers a quiet setting and clean rooms! - Budget accommodation(up to US $50):
The closer you get to the park, the pricier it is. Thus, if you want to stay on a budget, you will have to walk 4-5 km, or have a car.
House Dado is great if you are searching for something close – private bathroom, nice surroundings, book in advance to get that price!
If you are driving, Guest House Bruna and Guest House Kolić would be great choices for you – nice prices and amazing reviews!
In case you don’t want a hotel near the national park, you should know that there is also the option of Plitvice camping! There are six campsites near the park and all of them are different in terms of comfort and interests. Here you can find a list with the recommended campsites and details for each of them that I hope will help you make the most out of your Plitvice Lakes camping vacation!
Well, after Iceland, I got spoiled so it is hard to amaze me with waterfalls yet Plitvice Lakes still dazzled me with its beauty. Its turquoise waters are a totally different experience! I really want you to visit this Croatia waterfall park if you are in the country! It would be such a pity if you just passed by!
To get an even better (visual) idea of what Plitvice Lakes are all about, watch this video:
Conclusion
I have answered some of the most popular questions above, but if you did not find the answer to your question here, be sure to ask me in the comments below. I will be happy to tell you everything I know about it! 🙂
P.S. Even though Plitvice is one of the best natural parks in Croatia, the natural appeal of this country is breathtakingly beautiful. I wrote about my experience in Split here.
If you are heading to the Istrian coast, start with this post, as it is my favorite region in Croatia – simply amazing!
Disclaimer – I was invited to Villa Mukinja as their guest, all opinions are my own!
Have you been to Croatia? What do you think about adding Plitvice Lakes to your Croatia itinerary?
Feel free to ask me questions in the comments below, I love talking to my readers!
Yulia
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Hi Yulia, thank you for your advices! I am here at the hotel in Jul 20 and the stairs to go to the “secret spot” are still closed. We went by car and enjoyed very much the view. Thanks a lot!
Thanks so much for the update, Denise, this is super useful for our other readers! Hope they will open it again soon though!
Hello Yulia,
Your blog is a great starting point for figuring out how to get to and from the National Park and what to do there and it gave me some good ideas.
About the “secret spot” – I was a bit confused by the directions and when I read some of the other comments I figured out why.
Firstly the Great Waterfall is in the Lower Lakes area of the park not the Upper Lakes There are 4 lakes that make up the lower lakes section and 12 lakes that make up the upper lakes section.
Secondly people should note that the map provided on the blog is rotated 90 degrees so that North is where East usually is. The same occurs on the maps on the official park website. If you look at google maps the orientation is correct.
It’s also confusing because people naturally associate North with being “up” and “south” with being down. However in this case the Lower Lakes are in the North as is Entrance 1 and the Upper Lakes are in the South as is Entrance 2.
By far the easiest way to get to the Great Falls is via Entrance 1 – particularly if you have limited mobility. Once at the falls then just follow the instructions.
There are now more accommodation options inside the park however not all are open due to covid
You shared some awesome tips for Plitvice, congratulations! I have been there three times and I always like to come back. Great post! 🙂
Yulia, I am so grateful for all your hard work putting together these amazing guides to Croatia. I am planning our entire trip to N. Croatia from your experiences. You’ve just made me aware that if I want to swim in the Lakes I’ll need to go to Krka! And of course we’ll visit Plitvice for the stunning nature. Thanks again. I’m going back to planning now.
Hi I went to the lakes a few weeks ago and we started at entrance 2 but couldn’t find the secret spot at all, however the next day we started at entrance 1 and found the waterfall straight away as it’s nearest to entrance 1.
There is a sign by the stairs saying wrong way but if you go up the stairs anyway then you can find the spot but I couldn’t have found it without your instructions once I was at the top of the stairs so thank you for that
Hello Yulia!
My husband and I went to Plitvice Lakes about a month ago. Thanks to your blog (I studied it before travelling to Croatia) I was able to see the view of the upper lakes! One word: BREATHTAKING! I could’ve stayed there for hours if I had had the time. We would have never even known this view was available if it wasn’t for your blog. And very few people up there was exactly what I found to be the case. At times, I had the view all to myself while down below was packed with tourist. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I do want to give a heads up: we were told to get to the view of the upper lakes we could either take the “shortcut” up the stairs or drive “all the way” around. The shortcut consisted of 420 stairs (one way)! Not only would that have taken me forever to reach the top but I’m pretty sure I would’ve die before making up the stairs! Hahaha! Anyway, for us, 11 minutes was not too far for us to drive. (This was our last stop before leaving the park anyway.) Especially, given the backed-up lines of tourist in every direction, it probably would’ve taken us 15 minutes to get to the entrance of the staircase.
Again, thank you so much for your blog. It helped us create memories to last a lifetime!
Hello Stephanie,
Thank you so much for your nice comment! I’m glad you enjoy your visit to Plitvice Lakes! And thank you for the heads-up too, I’ve updated the info :).
Hi Yulia,
Will be going to Plitvice in couple of days, saw your blog and excited to go to the secret spot. We will be going through entrance 2, so after doing the secret spot how would it be the easiest to reach the biggest water fall, you have mentioned many times ? or other way round, Doing the waterfall first and then going to the Veliki slap from entrance 2 ?. as i have booked from online tickets for entrance 2. Thanks a lot .
Ashish
Hello Ashish,
In order to reach the secret spot you will pass the Big Waterfall, then you go up the stairs, and a couple more minutes following the way I have detailed in the post and you’ll reach the secret spot! Afterwards you can just go back on the same road you came. 🙂 Personally, I recommend checking out the waterfall first!
Have fun!
Yulia
Hi Yulia, we are planning to get there beginning of September, looks like the high season is still on as tickets are 250Kn/1day and 350/2days. We will do camping at Brojce or Korana. Can you please tell us if the 1day ticket works by 24hours or by the date ? We are hesitating to take the two days ticket as we may go from 3-4pm to 3-4pm the following day. Any idea of the closing time? Sunset there must be stunning! Thanks for what you’re doing to help all of us 🙂
Hi Jainil and thank you for your nice comment!
The 1-day ticket is available on a certain date only, so for your plan, you would require a two-day ticket.
The working hours depend on the season you’re going, but for September the park is open from 7 AM to 7 PM. You can check the opening times for all seasons here.
Hope this helps and I wish you a great time in Plitvice!
Thank you so much Yulia! As for the secret spot you mentioned to go through entrance 2 and take the short boat to cross the other side then climb next to the Veliki slap big waterfall, however I am a little confused as Veliki slap seems to be at the extreme eastern tip of the map, rather close to the entrance 1…?
Thank you for your last confirmation :-).
Jaï
PS: How is Romania!?
How can this be a “secret spot” anymore? 😉 hehe…well done Yulia. Ging there tomorrow…lets see how it goes 🙂 (when will you write such beautiful things about my home country, Sweden? 😉 )
You wont believe it, but people still report that they are almost alone there when they reach the place!
Yes, I have been to Sweden and I even have a couple of posts about it, including the amazing Swedish Lapland! 🙂
https://misstourist.com/category/europe/sweden/
Hello, Thank you for your post. It is so helpful for my planning. I am going to Plitvice Lakes National Park in Sept 2019. We plan to visit the ‘secret spot’. I saw you mentioned it can be reached by car if follow google map. Need your help to confirm if this is the right location in google map? https://goo.gl/maps/vHoEqUGp7Sk5nyrw6
Thank you.
Hi, Estrid, thank you!
Yes, this is the location – “Veliki Slap”. Make sure to follow the instructions in the article and you’re sure to find it!
So glad I found your blog post on Plitvice Lakes National Park. We never would’ve known to go to the ‘secret spot’. It truly is a post-card view. Just a couple of small suggestions to explain how to get there in advance: there are a lot of stairs – about 250- to get to the top. Also, once you turn right after the bridge, you have to walk a few minutes in until you get to the opening for that most breathtaking view. We almost turned around, thinking we were wrong, but thankfully asked a biker and he told us to continue going. As you said, hardly anyone was there. What a shame for people not to know about this gem of a spot. There should be signs letting people know about it. Had I not found your post, we would’ve missed out on the most gorgeous spot in the whole park. So thank you soooo much for this Best Tip!
Hi Harriet,
Thank you so much for your comment, I’m extremely glad my tips have been useful to you! The secret spot is, indeed, a special place to discover 🙂
I’ll add the extra info to the article, so it would be clearer for all future readers.
Thank you once again for taking the time to write this comment!
Hi Yulia thanks for your post. The big waterfall is near entrance 1, not entrance 2.
Hi, Bill! You’re welcome, thank you for your comment! I think I mention in the article that the Big Waterfall is a short walk away from Entrance 1! 🙂
Hi Yulia,
Thank you and thank you for the advice!
Enjoy your travels in Romania!
Hi Yulia,
Awesome post on the lakes!
I am travelling to the lakes this coming Saturday and have planned to propose to my partner. We only have the one day there and wondered if you had any suggestion for a beautiful spot to propose? I was considering the secret spot you mentioned, as it seems like the route from the waterfall has been repaired now. Thanks, Scott 🙂
Hi, Scott! Thank you!
Wow, proposing at Plitvice Lakes is such a wonderful idea, congrats! 🙂 The secret spot would be perfect for this and yes, the route is repaired now. Other than the secret spot, you can pretty much follow your heart and propose when you feel you have found the perfect place – there are many wonderful spots at the lakes!
Congratulations once again and I hope you will have an unforgettable vacation in Plitvice!
Hello Yulia
we would like to visit Plitvice Lakes in August . but my husband can’t walk very far, can you give us advice please? or any tour we can joint?
Thanks Siew
Hi, Slew!
Even though Plitvice Lakes requires quite some walking, it can still be visited by people who cannot walk very far, no problem! The Great Waterfall, which is the main attraction in Plitvice, can be seen after a little bit of walking from Entrance 1. There is also a bus there that can take you on a panoramic ride in some parts of the park, no walking involved!
I can also recommend a guided tour – this one sounds great for what you need. It combines walking and getting around by electric boat, then you will return to the starting point with a panoramic train. You can choose from a 3-hour guided tour or a 6-hour one, so I believe the 3-hours one might be good!
I hope this helps and have a great trip in Plitvice!
Hello,
Thank you for a great blog! I am staying here for 2 nights and was wondering if I should do the park in one day and go and explore something else around Plitvice area? We are driving.
Also when I buy the tickets online do I buy entrance 1 or entrance 2 or can I buy entrance 1 for one day and entrance 2 for the second day? I don’t really understand how it works on the website? Thank you! 🙂
Hi, Alex! Thank you so much!
So, while Plitvice is doable in only one day, I feel like your visit would be a bit rushed. 2 days are just perfect in my opinion! But, as I mentioned, in case you want to visit something else as well, you can do Plitvice in one day and something else on the second day. Or, if the entrance price is not a problem, you can do the following: buy the ticket for the first day, see how much you get to explore and how you feel about it and then, at the end of the day, decide if you want to do Plitvice again and buy another ticket or proceed to somewhere else! 🙂
As for the tickets and entrances – the ticket can be used for any entrance you want.
I hope this answers your questions! Have a great trip!
Hi! Found your blog yesterday and today when we went to Plitvice Lakes we went to the secret spot and had lunch there. It was spectacular!! Not many people at all. Thank you for the recommendation!!
Hi, Patricia! Thank you, I’m so, so glad I could help! 🙂
Yulia, Thank you so much for the clear instructions on how to see the beautiful view of the lakes, which I saw today! The directions were straightforward but the only thing I got confused about was the 2 minute boat ride from Entrance 2. I’m not sure, but I think you mean to say take the 15 min boat ride to the nearest drop off point of the Big Waterfall. You probably know better than I do, so maybe I just misinterpreted your instructions =) One more thing – I know you recently updated the instructions (which was really helpful), this is just a suggestion, but something else you may want to add to your last step: “then turn right after the bridge. [follow the path for 1-2 min until you see a viewpoint deck,] and, voila!, you will see THE view!” I only say this because for your other instruction, you gave a time estimate. But for the last one, I thought I would immediately see it after I turned onto the path. However, because no one else was on the secret path, I thought I was going the wrong way! After hesitantly continuing on, I found some others and was relieved to finally reach the beautiful viewpoint. Thank you again for such great tips! I truly appreciate it! Best of luck with your travels!
Hi, Connie!
Thank you soooo much for your nice comment and for the useful information, I have updated the last step with your suggestion – I am sure this will help other travelers as well! 🙂
Also, regarding the boat ride – I remember it was a very short boat ride to get from one part of the river to the other one.
Best of luck with your travels as well and I’m so glad you enjoyed Plitvice! 🙂
Thanks so much for the advice regarding the secret spot, it was helpful! I just went there today and maybe to add to your steps, between Step 1&2:
1a: at the top of the stairs from Big Waterfall, choose the direction to the right.
2: follow the road for about 5 mins….
While I was looking for the spot, I asked a couple who just turned around because they got confused on this fork road.
Just a suggestion, but thanks again!
Hi, Carol!
You are welcome! Thank you so much for the nice words and for the indication, I have updated the article with the step suggested by you! 🙂
Is it possible to visit the park as a wheelchair user. My partner uses the wheelchair so we are well used to getting so far and then he waits while I go and explore the parts the chair can not get to.
Hi, Pauline!
Even though Plitvice Lakes is not veeery wheelchair-friendly, it can still be visited. For example – The Great Waterfall (one of the main attractions of the park) can be seen soon after you enter Plitvice Lakes using Entrance 1, so this is totally doable. There is also a bus that can take you on a panoramic ride in some parts of the park.
But there are some spots that cannot be seen because of steps or high water levels during some periods of the year (make sure to check the forecast before going).
You can find more information about this subject, as well as a guide on how to see as many things in the park with a wheelchair here.
Hope this helps and have a safe travel! 🙂
We are planning a trip to Croatia and would like your help in planning…We are in Germany Essen and We would definitely like to Visit Plitvice lakes…We are around 5 adults and 1 Infant at the Moment. We like to Visit in the Month of June. Either between 6th June to 10th June. Can you please recommend Hotels (With Kitchen Prefered) to stay?
Hello! Because you are traveling in a group, I think renting a house or an apartment in Plitvice would be the best idea for you. This way you will be staying in the same place, even though you will have different rooms.
Here are my recommendations:
Holiday Park Fenomen Plitvice – different options that you can choose from (chalet, two-bedroom apartment, one-bedroom apartment etc)
Guesthouse Family Bosnic – different room options as well
Apartment Rosie – a more budget-friendly option
Green lakes house – a nice house with a garden
I hope one of these will fit your needs! 🙂
hi Yulia, my husband and I plan to visit Croatia in may for about 12 days. Which cities should I visit (Dubrovnik and plitvice is already on the list) and what transportation do you recommend to use to get to this places
Hi, Maria,
I can definitely recommend Split and Pula as 2 nice towns to visit! You can check out my article about 8 charming towns to visit in Istria, Croatia if you need some more inspiration! As for the transportation, I think renting a car is the best way to explore the country because of all the freedom and flexibility it gives! 🙂
Hi, nice article!
I’ll be traveling at the end of month to Plitvice but only for the day.
I saw there’s a bus to Split at 23 40, can I stay somewhere until that time?
Best regards,
Emilio.
Hi, Emilio,
Maybe you can stay in a restaurant and enjoy dinner until the bus departs? Bistro & Caffe Plum (closes at 11 PM) or House Katarina might be two good choices for you!
I am a trained limnologist; scientist who studies lakes and streams. I am 74 years old and I am deciding whether to visit the lakes. Since I walk with the hep of a cane, would it be possible to get around enough to make this side trip valuable? To me it looks like there is a lot of up and down walking to get to the best viewing sites.
Hi David,
I had a food poisoning on the day that we were going to the park( we stayed outside but within 15 minutes drive), and was not able to go with my family. They started at 7:30 am and returned around 2 :30 pm. Feeling woozy, I still decided to go inside and spend only 30 minutes there after 4 pm, walking a short distance from the entrance #1. And still, it was unbelievably beautiful and completely different from many other sites and lakes that I have seen( including lakes in Canadian Rockies, in the Great Caucasian Mountains, Caspian, lake Tahoe etc.).Even, if you are not able to go to all the little lakes that they say are the most clear and colorful, you might enjoy it.
Hello David,
you will love it there in Plitvice, i am sure!
It really depends on you, there are indeed quite many little bridges that you would need to climb up and then down, but if you are ok walking with a cane, I think you would be able to do it!
If still in doubts, I recommend reaching out to the park directly
Hi Yulia. There are two other hotels inside the park right next to Hotel Jezera. They are the Bellevue and the Plitvice Hotels. Jezera is the only one that stays open all year. The other two close in December, January and February. It is 31 October today and I am staying at Plitvice Hotel.
Thanks Tina, we have updated the post thanks to your comment!
more details.Most impoprtant point is choosing words
what other details do you need?
Yulia,
Thank you for your enthusiastic review of Plitvice. I greatly enjoyed reading it and made me more excited in visiting the place. We are scheduled to visit Plitvice in mid October.
you are welcome!
Hello! I was in Plitvice NP august 8th 2018 and the path to the secret spot was till closed with 2 differents big warnings signs and it seem that it will be closed for a long time for construction. I didnt reach the spot by the road because I didnt have a car but had a wonderful time in the park.
Hi. Do you know if the eating places in the park cater for gluten free?
I dont know, sorry, you may want to ask the park direcly
Anyone got an update about the secret spot? Is it still close by the stairs?? I’m going in 2 weeks and I would like to know! Thanks!
I just visited the park last week. The stairs are still closed. I was able to access the spot by driving to it just as others mentioned above.
Hi Jen,
How did you get there by car: I mean, what did you enter in your GPS as the endpoint?
Thanks
Hi, we are planning to visit the park next week. Anyone got an update about the secret spot? Is it still close by the stairs? We don’t have a car, and would love to see it.Thanks!
Hello Tanya,
The place can be reached by going up the stairs, they’re a bit steep, but usually people don’t have problems using them and the view definitely worth the trouble!
Have fun!
I just typed in Veliki Slap as I was leaving the car park. It took me up the mountain and there was an area right before a small bridge where i parked my car. There was a foot path next to the bridge and I followed that to get one view of the lakes from above. Then I went back up the path and over the bridge and found another path. This path led me to Veliki Slap and the stairs that aren’t accessible from below Veliki Slap.
After coming up the mountain by car, I parked right before the bridge. There was foot path immediately to my left right before the small bridge- a few steps away. I followed that just for a few minutes before I found the viewing point. Then I walked back and over over the small bridge, and there is a other foot path on the left. Neither of the paths looked as if they were kept up by the park, just more that so many people have walked this area and created the path.
Hi Jen. I will be there soon and i don’t want to miss this secret spot. How far (meters) does the correct foot path from the small bridge?
Thank
Thank you Jen !
Great detailed information! We are planning on going in September but we have a 3 year old in tow. How long would you say it took you from Entrance 2 to get to the viewpoint?
15 minutes max from the waterfall on the pic, +5 minutes from the entrance
PS If you can pls update us weather it is open, we all would highly appreciate it! 🙂
You wrote a really nice post with a ton of info and great pictures!
Hey Hi,very helpful blog.Thanks for sharing
I’m wondering if soemeone can show me with a map how to now get to the secret spot? I’m looking at the map but am quite confsued. We will be there next month (June, 2018). Thanks.
Craig
You can just ask one of the employees how to get there, that is what I did! 🙂
Hi, after reading your blog I checked the park’s website; however I’m a little bit confused. The Lake tours programs (A, B, C programs and so on) are guided or you can do it by your own?
Also what do you think is a must see?
Hi! This is so helpful! Are there places at the entrances to leave bags? I’m going early next month and plan to go from Zagreb to the lakes to Zadar in the evening. Thank you!
I am not 100% sure, but I think there is, there are many people stopping by, like you, for one day. I would double check with the official website just in case though
Hi Yulia, thanks for your blog. We are thinking on travelling to Croatia this summer and I found your words snooping around.
We make our trips by van, could You tell me about our possibilities to enjoy that beautiful place by driving?
Hello Einyel,
Even if I havent rented a car during my trip in Croatia, I have heard so many things about how beautiful it is to drive those coastal roads!
The next time I come back, I will definitely do it!
If you haven’t booked your car yet, check out this site, they are basically a skyscanner for car rentals (including the local companies).
Have an amazing trip!
Hi!
I’m going to Croatia/ Montenegro this month and wanted to ask if it’s cheaper/ easier to buy tickets online for buses (including to Plitvice) or in person at bus stops?
Let me know and thanks for posting!
Eden
Hello Eden,
talking about Croatia, it is fine to buy tickets at the cash register as there are no lines usually and i did not encountered any miscommunication problems.
As for money saving, I believe Autotrans provides 10% discount if you book tickets online, so it might be a better option in this sense.
Its very easy to reach that secret spot by car. I was there last week and indeed the stairs are closed. So I looked it up in Google earth and voila, by car no problem
Is it still possible to get there WITHOUT a car?
Thanks so much for your update!!
I will update the post and I hope that change is temporary
The stairway to the secret spot was damaged in the recent mudslides and is closed. 🙁 (24 April 2018)
Oh no!! I hope they will fix it as soon as possible.
if anyone who is there could update us on that, that would be great 🙂
Hi! thanks for your blog. If we started at Entrance 2 and had 4-5 hours, which way do we go? The map is quite confusing which is the upper and which is lower lakes. Which way do you recommend? What are the trail numbers?
If you take entrance 2 , once you are downstairs at the river, take the boat to the other side(2 minutes) by boat.
Once on the other side just follow the path upstairs, can’t miss them. These are the upper lakes and the most beautiful waterfalls
Hi! Do you have any recommendation for combining these lakes with other cities/places in croatia? We are planning a holiday to Croatia for about a week-10 days and we definitely want to visit Plitvice lakes, but we don’t know what other places not too far away (but we will have a car so a few hours drive is no problem) are a must see!
Yes, please check my other posts on Croatia.
I would definitely recommend Split and Istria region, both are so beautiful!
We are heading to Plitvice over Easter and this has been amazingly helpful – thanks! Can’t wait to see it in person!
Awesome! Do not forget to climb to the secret spot I described here! 😉
Hi
Fantastic blog and v helpful for us. Good work! Can you advice if my elderly mother (age 83) would be able to walk on the paths and if there a wheelchair service avaialble at the park?
Also would you recommend 2 days to see the park and any nice house to stay nearby for 6 people in last week of July 2018?
Thanks very much.
I am sorry, I can’t really advice on this. I think there must be some path accessible with a wheel chair, but I remember some path having small bridges and steps, which would be inconvenient for your mother.
I recommend calling the park directly and asking them about this, hopefully they will be able to help!
As for the hotel, i stayed in Villa Mukinja and I loved it, such a great hospitable place with Huuuuge breakfasts.
It is about 10 minutes walk from the park if I remember correct.
If you would like a hotel right inside the park, Hotel Jezero is a great choice!
Hope this helps,
have a wonderful vacation and I hope your mother will be able to see those beautiful spots!
I’ve read some reviews stating that it is extremely crowded to visit during the month of June. I plan to go there end of June, do u think it is worth it ? And also how do u suggest getting to Plitvice from Split.
Thank you
Great blog, yulia….and beautiful pictures. many thanks you recommend to spend at least 2 days in the park, and i agree that i want to do it at leisure.
So… how would you recommend to split the visit between the 2 days in the park – lower lakes in the afternoon of arrival, and upper lakes the next morning? or???
also – from a photography point of view – when is it best to visit the “secret” lookout – in the morning sun, or the afternoon?
thx and happy travels.
i just arrive from Plitvice, beautifull place i will returt to
Will be visiting the lake on 25th october. Your post is very useful. Thank you so much.
How was the weather in October last year? We will be there at the same time this year!!
Would love to visit Plitvice lakes but what’s the nearest coastal area to stay in please?
Hi,
So good I’ve found your blog. Thank you for being able to find Veliki Slap. I’m sure we’ve never knew and found it without you. Beautiful lookout. We climed up at the big waterfall and really there was no sigh at all to show this sightseeing pont. We tried to persuade people not to miss it.
Thank you.
tx for tips,ill be there in 6 sept…
Thank you so much for this post! My family and I just visited Plitvice Lakes one week ago. We followed your directions to the secret lookout spot over Veliki Slap and loved the view there!
❤️
how about visiting in december?
Should be different, but beautiful nevertheless!
Thank you so much for the directions to the most amazing view in the park! My boyfriend and I were the only ones there for about 30mins and it made up for the extortionate entry costs and lack of a free map! Thanks again!
happy it was useful!:)
Going in August – so looking forward to it. This place looks so spiritual – paradise on earth……..
Thanks for the tip to the secret view! I’m writing to you from the now 🙂
Hi how about going in month of august Ll it be moe crowed and we cannot enjoy ??? We are early in the morning
come as early as possible and it will be fine!
Heading there in September 2017, can’t wait!!
Safe travels, Denise!
Is it possible to take a bath in the lakes?
No, unfortunately swimming is forbidden in Plitvice lakes (you can swim in Krka lakes though)
We are thinking of visiting Croatia, but we have lots of kids, so that would be a totally different experience. Thanks for the review, Юля.
Hey Eva! Не за что! 🙂
I actually think that Plitvice lake is one of the most ideal places for traveling with kids! It is not difficult at all, the pathes are built, no climbs and lots of breathtaking nature to enjoy for your kids. Try and you will have an amazing time, promise! 🙂
We have often thought of going back to Croatia to visit these lakes. Your gorgeous photos have convinced me that we must!
You surely should do it! 🙂