Planning Your Visit to Krka National Park in Croatia

Last updated on November 22nd, 2022 at 12:55 pm

If you are in Croatia, a visit Krka National Park should be high on your list of things to do. This is where the places that we thought only existed in dreams actually exist. Here you will discover fantastic landscapes, impressive waterfalls, and more.

***Disclaimer: Be sure to check the entry restrictions and regulations for Croatia as well as any activities you would like to participate in before booking any part of your journey!

Krka National Park Information

This is a stunning National Park in Croatia. While Krka National Park is smaller compared to nearby Plitvice National Park, but that does not make it any less beautiful or worth the visit. The park is 109 sq. meters large and has lots of walking trails and places to discover. The most beautiful and iconic waterfall in the park (and probably all of Croatia), the Skradinski Buk, is an incredible 45.7 m waterfall. It is composed of a series of travertine barriers which is what gives it its distinctive appearance. There are more waterfalls as well as a monastery, mills, and other local history to discover throughout the park.

Planning Your Visit to Krka National Park

Ticketing Information:

You can buy your tickets ahead of time (I absolutely recommend this), or you can buy your tickets at the ticket offices in Skradin or Lozovac. Please note that the standard ticket includes the ferry ride from Skradin to and from the park. Or, if you are entering at Lozovac, it includes the bus fare.

Buying Additional Tickets

There is also the option to buy additional ferry tickets to other parts of the park: Torak Lake, Visovac Island, Roški slap waterfall, Krka monastery and the medieval fortresses of Trošenj and Nečven. We did not choose to go on any of these additional journeys, but you can find out more about them and the ferry schedules on the official Krka National Park Website.

**Please note that there are also options to hike to or drive to some of these locations as opposed to taking the ferries. Some are still only accessible by boat. For example, if you want to visit the monastery, you will have to take the ferry.

Getting to Krka National Park

Guided Tour

From my research, I have gathered that most people who visit Krka are part of an organized group day trip from Split, which is just under 90 km and just over an hour away. In my opinion, its shorter distance and more manageable size makes it more ideal for a day trip from Split compared with Plitvice. You can find options for a group trip on popular sites such as: getyourguide.com, viator.com, and tripadvisor.com.

By Car

If you are planning to drive here, there are multiple entrance points to choose from. Since my husband and I had made hotel reservations in Skradin, we didn’t have to worry about figuring out where to put the car. If you plan on driving, no matter where in the world it is, I always recommend looking for places that include parking.

If you are not planning to spend the night in Skradin, you can park in any of these parking lots and walk about 5 min to the ferry.

When parking at Lozovac, there is a large, free parking lot, but you will want to be sure and arrive early.

***If you are interested in booking the same place we did, I have included a link in the “Skradin” section below.

Please note: that the ferry from Skradin does not run year round. Be sure to check the Skradin-Skradinski Buk schedule ahead of time.

If you will be visiting in the winter months, you will want to park at the Lozovac Entrance and transportation is arranged for visitors by bus. If you are wanting to go on any of the additional journeys mentioned above, be sure to check the ferry schedules for those as well!

As far as public transport goes, there are buses from Split that can take you to Skradin and Lozovac. You can check out other options from wherever you might be staying on the Rome2Rio website. Please note that you may end up having to take a taxi from the bus stop to the Park Entrance.

Distances From Nearby Cities

Split: 87 km, about 1 hr

Zadar: 77 km, just under 1 hr

Zagreb: 328 km, just over 3 hrs

Dubrovnik: 276 km, about 3.5 hrs

Explore Krka National Park

We arrived fairly early in the morning because we were hoping to beat the crowds. After parking the car at our lodging, it was a quick 5 minute walk to the Krka National Park Ticket Office to buy our tickets. There wasn’t a very long line and we were able to get everything purchased. I would still recommend buying tickets ahead of time online.

Catching the Ferry and Skrandinski Buk

Luckily, the ticket office is just right around the corner from were the ferries dock to take visitors to the park. While the line did appear long at first, the ferries are quite large. I was glad that we did not have to wait nearly as long as we had though. After a 20 minute ferry ride, we arrived at the entrance to the park. From there, it was about a 5 minute walk to one of the most photogenic waterfalls I have seen in my life: Skradinski Buk. There is a boardwalk you can cross and this is the best location to snap your own photo from.

From there, you can continue on a loop around the main part of the park which took us about 1 hour. You will cross more boardwalks that take you past more, smaller cascades, and to a nice high point that overlooks the waterfall. You can see the photo below on the left, of the waterfall and the main boardwalk that passes in front of Skradinski Buk.

Explore the Gornja Kuća and Hiking Trails

One thing that is really fun to explore along the route is the Gornja Kuća or Upper House at Skradinski buk. Here you can explore the history of mills along the Krka River. According the the official website, these water mills on the Krka River were particularly important for the entire Adriatic coast during the 14th and 15th centuries. Wheat was milled here for numerous towns, from Dubrovnik to Istria in addition to making woolen cloth through the process known “fulling”. This is a process by which the woven cloth is beaten to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities. Currently, you can see six of the mills in operation including the grain mills and those used for the fulling process.

For more trails, check out the Krka National Park Website.

Visiting Skradin

If you are planning your visit to Krka National Park, I definitely recommend spending at least half a day exploring the cute, little village of Skradin. For most, this is the entry point to Krka and nothing more. But, I definitely b

Some History of Skradin

Since we stayed the night in Skradin, we had an opportunity to explore this little village which has been inhabited by people for at least 5,500 years. Once the capital of the Šubić bans, the village served as a place of prominence. You can still see evidence of the Šubićs as they are the ones who built the the harbor and the Turina fortress at the top of the hill. Over the years, the town was governed by Liburnian, the Romans, the Goths, the Venetians and the Turks. Eventually, the power shifted to nearby Šibenik and Skradin fell into a decline. Today, it stands as a living testimony of its long and important history.

Where we Stayed in Skradin

We really enjoyed our lodging at Apartments And Rooms Formenti in Skradin. The location was super convenient, parking was included, the price was reasonable, and the rooms were nice.

Exploring Skradin

While we were here, we wandered the narrow cobble stone streets. We came across a farmer who was selling some of the freshest produce I’ve ever had as well as home-made olive oil. Additionally, there were little souvenir shops to explore. Popping in these gave us a chance to talk to some of the locals. We also walked up to the Turin Fortress (which is in the process of being restored). Here, you can enjoy the best view in the village. We also meandered down by the harbor where swans were floating gracefully about. Overall, we found that Skradin was a very peaceful and calm place to be.

Restaurant Hopping

One fun thing we did (and you can actually do this in any city or place you visit) was restaurant hopping. You start in one restaurant and have drinks. Then, you go to another where you have an appetizer. After that, enjoy your main entree before finding another for dessert. Everywhere we went was fantastic. I can’t recommend the seafood in Skradin enough, especially at Konoba Dalmatino. And, if you are looking for a refreshing summer cocktail, we particularly liked those at Konobo Evala.

In Conclusion

I hope that this post has inspired you to consider a visit to Krka National Park in Croatia. It truly is a magical place that will inspire you.

Happy Travels,
<3 Christine