Krka national park is home to stunning waterfalls, incredible landscape and so much more – I guess it’s no wonder it’s the second most visited national park in Croatia! It’s one of the most breathtaking places I’ve seen in Croatia and certainly one that deserves a spot on all Croatia itineraries. From scenic boat rides, to waterfalls and museums, cafés & restaurants, I promise you won’t be bored. The main place of interest is Skradinski Buk, which is arguably the most beautiful waterfall in the park. You should plan to arrive there early in the morning if you’re visiting during high season, as it will get very crowded during the day. In this guide I will outline everything you need to know before visiting Krka national park, including opening hours, entrances (yes there are more than one) as well as how to get there.
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Practical information
Let’s start with some practical information about Kraka national park!
Krka national park opening hours
The national park is open all year round, only with the exception of the 25th and 26th of December. On the 24th and 31st of December the park closes at 12. Opening hours vary throughout the year, as well as having different opening hours for different parts of the park.
The main place of interest, Skradinski Buk, is open as follows:
June through August: 8AM to 8PM
September: 8AM to 7PM
October 1st through October 15th: 8AM to 6PM
October 16th through October 31st: 9AM to 5PM
November through February: 9AM to 4PM
March: 9AM to 5PM
April: 8AM to 6PM
May: from 8AM to 7PM
Note that the Krka monastery is closed from November throughout March.
Click here to see the complete opening hours
Entrances to Krka national park
There are five entrances to Krka national park, with the main ones being Lazovac and Skradin. Here I’ll go over what you need to know about each of the entrances.
Lozovac
This is the main entrance when arriving by car or in a tourist bus. At this entrance you have a ticket office as well as free parking for visitors. Tourist buses are allowed to transport visitors from the entrance to Skradinski Buk, and from April through October there is an organized transport for individual visitors from the entrance to Skradinski Buk. If you are visiting ouside of those months, you can enter with your vehicle. For those that like to hike, you also have the option to take the 875m (0.54 miles) hiking trail from the entrance to Skradinski buk.
Skradin
A part from being a picturesque town, Skradin is also the location of one of the five entrances to Krka national park. Those that arrive on a public you will likely enter through Skradin. There is parking available in Skradin, but it’s limited, so if you’re driving I’d recommend that you choose the Lozovac entrance.
Once you arrive in Skradin, head to the ticket office if you haven’t already purchased your ticket online. You then have the option of either heading to the pier and hop on a scenic boat ride that will take you to Skradinski Buk, or you can opt to for the equally scenic 3.4km (2.1 miles) hike. The boats run approximately every hour from April through mid November, you can see the complete schedule here.
Roski Slap/Laskovica
You can reach Roski Slap by road from Skradin, Knin and Drnis, as well as by one of the Krka excursion boats from the Skradinski Buk waterfall. Parking is available at this entrance and normally it has plenty availability. There is a ticket office where you can purchase tickets for the national park as well as for the boat excursions.
The boat excursions to the Krka monastery (note that it’s closed from November throughout March) and to Visovac Island are available from June through September, you can find the complete schedule here.
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Burnum/Puljane
Those that are interested archaeological sites will want to choose the Burnum entrance. It offers access to an archaeological site where you can see parts of Roman Burnum as well as artefacts that have been dug up, including weapons and daily use items. Burnum can only be reached by road and parking is available.
Kistanje/Krka monastery
Krka monastery can be reached by an organized boat excursion from Roski Slap waterfall during the months of April through October, as well as by car from Kistanje all year round.
From Kistjanje, follow the signs for the Krka monastery and head down the twisting road to the monastery, where you’ll find parking.
How much is the entrance fee to Krka?
The entrance fee to Kraka national park depends on the season, ranging from 50 kunas (7EUR) during winter to 300 kunas (40EUR) in the summer.
Click here for complete information on prices
Is Krka national park worth visiting?
Yes, Krka national park is absolutely worth visiting! The picturesque Skradinski Buk waterfall alone makes it worth a visit, not to mention the six other waterfalls and the beautiful landscape.
How much time do you need in Krka national park?
Krka national park can be explored within a day, and if you have enough time I’d recommend that you allow for a whole day at the park. Skradinski buk is the main sight, but the park also features six more waterfalls, a museum, a few cafés and restaurants, not to mention the stunning landscape. You can go on a boat tour (which I’d highly recommend), check out the souvenir shops as well as simply walking along the boardwalks and taking photos.
How to get to Krka national park?
Krka national park is easily accessible from coastal cities such as Split, Sibenik and Zadar. You can opt to rent a car, take a public bus or do a guided tour.
Getting to Krka by car
The most convenient way to get to Krka national park is by renting a car. This will of course give you the greatest flexibility, this is especially true during off season when public transport and tours run less frequently then during the summer months. Driving in Croatia is easy and the roads are in great condition.
Driving distances to Krka from the major towns:
Sibernik: 20km, approx. 20min drive
Zadar: 73km, approx. 1 hour drive
Split: 92km, approx. 1.15 hour drive
Zagreb: 325km, approx. 3 hour drive
I would recommend choosing the Lozovac entrance if you’re driving as it has the greatest availability of parking.
If you are looking to rent a car for your trip to Croatia, I’d highly recommend using RentalCars to compare prices between all the major car rentals to make sure you get the best deal!
Getting to Krka by public bus
It’s possible and relatively simple to get to Krka by a public bus from the major cities. Note that buses area much more frequent during the summer months, with only a few of departures a day during the winter months. The bus stop in Skradin is only a few minutes walk from the ticket office and the pier where you can take a boat to Skradinski Buk. The boats run approximately every hour from April through mid November, you can see the complete schedule here.
The bus ride from Sibenik takes around 30 minutes. There are 3-4 departures a day during off season while they are much more frequent during summer.
The journey from Zadar takes around an hour. During the winter months there are two departures per day, but up to eight in July and August.
The bus ride from Split takes around an hour and 20 minutes. There are around four departures a day during winter, but up to twelve in July and August.
Find your bus ticket to Krka here:
Visiting Krka on a guided tour
For those that prefer to go on an organized tour, you can do so from either Split, Zadar or Trogir. This is a great option for those that aren’t comfortable doing the trip on their own or those that simply want the convenience of having someone else organizing everything.
Note that entrance fee to the park is usually not included in the tour prices.
Day trips from Split to Krka national park
There are plenty of guided tours available from Split to Krka.
This top rated day trip includes a visit to a local winery where you’ll get a chance to taste local wines, cheese and olives.
For those that aren’t into wines, check out this highly rated tour that combines a visit to the Krka national park with visits to the picturesque towns of Skradin (pictured below) and Primosten.
Day trips from Zadar to Krka national park
From Zadar you have fewer options for day trips than from Split – I’d recommend checking out these two.
This trip includes pick up and drop off at your accommodation in Zadar and will take you to Krka in a minibus. You will have 6 hours to explore the park, which is plenty of time to see everything. Afterwards, the driver will be waiting for you and will drop you off at your accommodation.
For those that are into wines, I’d highly recommend checking out this trip that includes a visit to a local winery where you’ll get a tour of the winery and the procedures, followed by wine & cheese tasting!
Day trips from Trogir to Krka national park
This full-day tour from Trogir will allow you to see the famous Skradinski Buk, as well as the Roski Slap waterfall and the stunning Visovac Island. After visiting Krka national park, you will explore the small picturesque town of Sibenik.
Another option is this highly rated tour from Zadar that includes 5 hours in the Krka park, followed by a visit to a winery where you’ll learn about the production and taste some local wines!
Can you swim in Krka?
No, it is not allowed to swim in Krka anymore. It used to be possible to swim by the Krka waterfalls, but since 2021 it has been forbidden to swim there in order to preserve the waters of the park.
Final thoughts on visiting Krka national park
Visiting Krka was honestly one of the highlights of my time in Croatia! I visited on a beautiful autumn day at the beginning of November. I got to enjoy the park without hardly any other visitors, which really added to the experience. I’m sure it’s equally as stunning during the summer, just try to arrive early at Skradinski Buk to avoid the crowds. I would recommend doing a boat tour if you have the chance! Since I arrived by bus, I entered through Skradin and took the boat from there to Skradinski Buk, which was incredibly scenic. After having visited Krka, I can promise you won’t regret doing a day trip there!
If you are planning a trip to Croatia, you might also want to read:
- Getting around in Croatia: How to travel within Croatia
- 11 Things that surprised me about Croatia
- Best cafés to work from in Split
- 10 Things to do in Split
- Where to eat in Zagreb
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