A half day guide to visiting Krka National Park

group photos in front of Skradinski most krka national park croatia
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  3. A short guide to Elaphiti Islands
  4. An adventure in Mljet National Park
  5. What to see in Split Croatia in one day
  6. 5 things to do in Zadar Croatia
  7. Day Trips from Split: 5 islands boat tour
  8. The Ultimate Guide to Pula, Croatia
  9. Kamenjak National Park – seeking Dinosaur footprints
  10. My top 3 meals in Croatia
  11. A half day guide to visiting Krka National Park
  12. Split to Plitvice Lakes: a self-drive road trip
  13. What to do in Zagreb? Here are 29 things (eat + see + hike)

The less famous sister of Plitvice National Park, Krka National Park is situated between the ancient Roman town of Split and the town of Zadar and much easier to visit. There are many confusions regarding how to enter the Krka National Park, and truth be told after hours of research online the only thing I had learned is that there are many unofficial car parks trying to lure you in and pay for parking. It wasn’t until we got there that the magnitude of the problem truly appeared before my eyes so I want to share my advice.

Contents

Split to Krka National Park

skradinski most viewed from the bridge with me on it krka national park croatia
Hi there – you want to be here, too, right?

The drive from Split to Krka is about 1.5 hours long. The two most common ways to enter the park from the south is either through Skradin or Lozovac town. However, the real entrance is at Lozovac which is about ten to fifteen-minute car ride from Skradin.

Skradin is the point where many were lured to park and take a ferry across. Although a boat ride is more scenic, one must bear in mind that timings are scheduled and it will undoubtedly take longer than driving up (and costing you a few extra bucks).

Need to rent a car? Check car rental 8 for the best price. We rented ours at Split and returned it in Zadar

krka national park official parking lot free croatia

Armed with the advice we read from Tripadvisor’s page and directions from a kind ranger, we drove up the meandering mountain road to the official entrance at Lozovac where we found the long sought-after free parking which is severely lacking at Skradin.

ticket booth krka national park croatia

The entrance was not hard to miss, with clear signposts indicating the direction leading to the national park along the D56. Although the ticket booths look suspiciously like parking entrances.

tickets to krka national park croatia

The ticket includes the free shuttle ride from the entrance down a winding path to where the trails actually begin. Despite stating that it’s a 800 m walk from the official entrance, it’s definitely more than that – so be sure to take the shuttle rides offered or you will be doing some extra trekking alongside large buses. P.S. remember to keep them for your return journey.

What to do in Krka National Park

krka national park waterfall cratia

The Krka national park can be divided into three parts:

  • In the south is the most famous Skradinski Buk waterfall at the base with a scenic trail looping around it and where I spent my half day at Krka National Park.
  • The middle portion consists of the Franciscan Monastery of Our Lady of Mercy and the Church of Our Lady on the Visovac Island, which is about 2 hours boat ride away and the top.
    A little further up from it is the Roski slap waterfall, one of the most beautiful trails in Croatia.
  • The northernmost part of the Krka national park consists of the archaeological site Burnum, an ancient Roman military camp that was the seat of the XI Legion.
    Nearby is the Manojlovac slap with a height of 59.6 meters surrounded by lush vegetation. There are many more caves, ruins of fortresses and churches within the national park but as we are short on time, hence we decided to stick to Skradinski Buk which was the one we had all heard of and seen in photos.

Skradinski Buk (the southernmost part of Krka National Park)

blue dragonfly spotted in krka national park croatia

Some pretty awesome wildlife.

Though less famous than Plitvice, the sceneries at Krka is analogous to its sister park. Bright turquoise water teeming with fishes, mini waterfalls, and rapids flowing over rocks and through vegetation and fairies-like blue dragonflies dancing around makes you feel like you have stepped into another world.

*Ignore this entrance and continue on if you want to head to the waterfall quickly.

fishes in the stream krka national park croatia


Enticed by the natural beauty, we spent a good two hours strolling through the well-maintained path and stopping for photos every few minutes (if not seconds). The routes are clearly mapped on the leaflet they give you, although a scale would be immensely helpful.

The area is very walkable even in flip-flops. The path has a generally circular shape with a few dead ends along the way to reach the scenic spots that’s easy to double back to the main route. I particularly like the intermittent educational plaques they put up around the park about the national park’s flora and fauna.

The final destination was nothing short of stunning, and from afar, we could already spot people in swimwear spreading across the little grass patch opposite shops on the shore of the lake and the unmistakable sound of a plunging waterfall. If you are extremely short of time and only wanted to visit the waterfall – you can do so quickly by heading straight ahead towards the hydropower plant and straight across the bridge.

Krka National Park Swimming

me in front of skardinski most krka national park croatia


After finding a good spot to set a base, we took turns to set off into the crystal waters of the lakes, in hopes of taking some good photos and being able to say that we have taken a dip at this stunning locale. What we did not expect, however, was how cold it was and how difficult it is to swim against the sheer force of the water current. Most people tread carefully on the elevated limestone ridges against the strong current, trying to reach the end of the roped off area or simply just to swim. To say we were all struggling would be an understatement – especially when you try to take a photo which requires both parties to be standing or at least non-moving.

Swimming in the Krka National Park
(One of our member nearly getting swept away)

The water also smelled reminiscent of fish tanks, and truth be told I much preferred swimming in the ocean. However, that didn’t mean I didn’t appreciate the lack of stinging my eyes and throats received when I swum there. A word of advice – if you have wet shoes, pack ‘em and bring ‘em because it will protect your feet and allow you to walk faster around. The same goes for a waterproof camera or action camera – so you can take some selfies.

group photos in front of Skradinski most krka national park croatia


So here you have it – my little guide to Krka. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to visit the entire national park. But sometimes you just got to make a choice and be grateful that you get to be there in the first place.

How to Visit Krka National Park

Direction: follow the D56 road and you will find it. Alternatively, set your GPS to find Vrata Krke Hotel Zadar which is right outside the entrance.

Price: Krka ticket prices differ according to the season. During peak season Jun- Sept the price for adults is kn 110 and kn 80 for students and children. Children under seven go free. For ticket information, visit hereFor any more information, go to their official website. 

8 thoughts on “A half day guide to visiting Krka National Park

  1. Isu says:

    Beautiful photos and very informative. I’m going there this June so super excited! Where did you keep your clothes/bags/camera while you were in the water? Is there a place you can leave it?
    Thanks!

    • Nam Cheah says:

      I am glad you find it helpful! We ended up taking turns to go into the water, although we did saw plenty of people leaving their stuff by the shore (with a lock). There’s a large open space with some trees and grass where everyone spread out!

  2. Emily says:

    Hey I was just wondering was there somewhere safe to leave your belongings (phone, camera) when swimming in the waterfalls? thank you x

  3. Karen says:

    Thank you for sharing your experience. We are traveling to Croatia next week with my in-laws. They are pretty immobile – can they see most of the Krka park by riding the boats to the waterfalls and Visovac island? thanks for your advice.

    • Nam Cheah says:

      Hi Karen,

      The walk to the Skradinski waterfall involves wooden walkway and some stairs and minimum 20 minutes, and can’t be reached by boat. So you might just want to take the boat to Visovac island! Krka national park is VERY big and what I saw in this guide is only the southernmost part!

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