Plitvice Lakes is the most famous Croatia tourist attraction, alongside Dubrovnik.
It is hard to find a Croatia travel guide which would not include at least a day visit to Plitvice.
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How did I arrive to Plitvice
I decided to go by car. As usual, there are two options when travelling by car in Croatia: to take the highway A1, or take what's called "state road" D1 or D8. If you take highway A1, you will have to pay the toll, but you can arrive faster and have a more comfortable trip.
I took the state road and I must say I regret my choice. The trip from Split took more than four hours, and there were many curves on the road. That's why I highly recommend taking the A1 highway to arrive at Plitvice Lakes if going by car.
Plitvice is connected to all major Croatian cities by bus lines. That's the easiest way to reach the park.
Entrance to the park and the ticket price
I left my car at entrance 2 because it was the nearest entrance from the south side. You can actually take any entrance, it doesn't really matter. The price of the ticket was 8 euros, which I considered very cheap. The reason for such a low price was the season (ticket is much more expensive during summer, around 35 euro for adults) and part of the Lakes was closed due to maintenance and security reasons.
The Lakes tour
When you come to the Lakes Entrance, you can choose among a few proposed tour programs. It is best to choose one program and stick to it till the end of the tour because these tours have been carefully designed to include sightseeing as many attractions as possible. They differ by the length of the trail and time.
Unfortunately for me, during the winter season (which includes March as well), there was only one program offered. Others were unavailable due to maintenance. The available one was called program F, which included 2.5 hours walk, boat and train ride. I had no choice but to take it, although I expected a longer tour.
Electric boat drive
The first part of program F was ride by electric boat from places which are signed as P1 - P3. The ride took us about half an hour. It was a little bit colder than I expected. If you are visiting Plitvice outside the summer season, follow the weather forecast and warm yourself up if necessary. After we finished the boat ride, the weather got warmer and it was ideal for sightseeing.
Walking tour
After finishing the boat ride, it was time to start the walking part of the program. The walk took approximately 2.5 hours, with a distance of 3 kilometres. An important tip is to wear good shoes. I recommend sneakers or hiking boots. Do not wear flip flops since it may make your tour less comfortable.
Milinovacki slap
The first prominent natural attraction that could be seen from the walkway was Milinovacki waterfall. I believe it will be even more beautiful during late spring when vegetation is lush.
The next interesting sight is called Milka Trnina Cascades, a waterfall located a few hundred meters away from Milinovacki waterfall.
Next sight is called The Big Waterfall. Unsurprisingly, that's the biggest waterfall in Croatia, with a height of 78 meters.
After the Big Waterfall, it was time to walk towards the viewpoint. I consider this place as the most beautiful view of program F.
Train ride
When I saw the last program station, I couldn't believe it passed so fast. Three hours seemed like a minute to me. So much beautiful nature.
It was time to do the last part of the program F: the train ride back to the place of departure (Entrance 2).
I hope to get back to Plitvice during late spring when I will have a chance to enjoy the lush vegetation and full Park visit.
You can find all the necessary info about buying the tickets on Plitivce Lakes official site.
Zvonimir Peran 2023-07-18
I enjoy Croatia, beautiful country with interesting places, history, culture, and people. I want you to enjoy it as well.
Contact me on email info@croatia-tourism.com, or using the form below.
