Key facts
Lika at a glance
Areas and places
Lika area by area
Each area has its own page, with its own character, plans and map.
Plan the trip
Lika, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Lika
May and June bring the waterfalls with the most water; September and October, fewer people and the forest changing colour. July and August are expensive and full. In winter entry to Plitvice costs €10 and the lakes, sometimes snowy, are seen almost alone, but there are fewer boats and some stretches close.
How you travel
Lika your way
The ways of travelling that suit Lika. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By carBy planeBy campervanCampingCar-free
Nearby
Near Lika
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
45.08° N · 13.63° E
Istria
By carBy campervanCampingBy bikeLuxuryBy plane
43.10° N · 17.10° E
Dalmatia
By carBy planeBy campervanCampingBackpackingCar-freeLuxuryBy bike
45.44° N · 12.34° E
Veneto
By planeCar-free
47.25° N · 15.20° E
Styria
By carBy planeCar-freeLuxury
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy the first time slot
First thing, the boardwalks of the lower lakes can still be walked without a queue.
- 2Choose the entrance by the route
From Entrance 2 you go down more than you go up; from Entrance 1 you begin with the Great Waterfall.
- 3Shoes with grip
The wood is wet from the waterfall spray and slippery in the rain.
- 4Leave the afternoon for Rastoke or Barać
The lakes are best seen in the morning. In the afternoon, the mills, the cave or the zip line.
Everyone sees it at the same time. Go first thing or with the cheaper afternoon ticket.
What is Lika?
Lika is the mountainous interior of Croatia, between Zagreb and the Dalmatian coast: karst, forest and water that runs between the rock and falls in cascades. Almost everyone passes through it on the way to the sea. It is worth stopping at least one night for what the water holds.
The main thing is the Plitvice Lakes, Croatia's oldest national park (1949) and a World Heritage site since 1979: sixteen lakes of turquoise water terraced over travertine barriers, linked by waterfalls, which you tour on wooden boardwalks, by electric boat on Lake Kozjak and on a panoramic train. The Great Waterfall, the highest, drops 78 m.
Around it there are three things that complete the day:
- Rastoke, in Slunj, half an hour from Entrance 1: a village of mills on the waterfalls where the Slunjčica falls into the Korana. The circular route costs €5.
- The Barać caves, twenty minutes from Entrance 1, in Rakovica. You enter with a guide, in 45 to 60 minutes, and inside it is 9 °C all year.
- The zip line over the Korana canyon, three kilometres from Entrance 1: a 300 m cable crossed at about 70 km/h. It suits the afternoon, after the lakes.
Which route should I choose at Plitvice?
The park marks its programmes with letters. From Entrance 1, A (3.5 km, 2–3 h) sees the lower lakes and the Great Waterfall; C (8 km, 4–5 h) covers almost everything. From Entrance 2, E (5.1 km, 2–3 h) goes to the upper lakes and H (8.9 km, 4–6 h) is the most comfortable full loop, because the train takes you up and then you walk down. The K routes, of 16.5 and 17.5 km, are for a whole day on foot. With small children, A or E, with a baby carrier rather than a pushchair.
Swimming is banned throughout the park, including in summer, and drones are not allowed. Dogs enter on a lead.
How do you get there from Spain?
By plane to Zagreb, Zadar or Split. To Zagreb, Croatia Airlines flies direct from Madrid and Barcelona and Ryanair from several Spanish airports.
- From Zagreb: about 130 km along the tolled A1 motorway to Karlovac, and then the free D1 road to Entrance 1. Rastoke is on the way.
- From Zadar: about two hours by car.
- Without a car: the scheduled buses between Zagreb and Zadar or Split stop at both entrances of the park, on the D1. At entrances 1 and 2 there is free left-luggage, so you can stop for a few hours on the way to the coast.
Croatia has used the euro and been in Schengen since 1 January 2023: an ID card is enough.
Where to sleep?
Next to the park, to enter in the first time slot. The Hotel Jezero is next to Entrance 2 and open all year; in Mukinje, fifteen minutes' walk away, there are cheaper guesthouses, such as Guesthouse Bor. With a car you have more hotels and campsites on the D1, such as Camp Korana, 6 km from Entrance 1, with a bus to the park. If you want to have dinner in a village, sleep in Slunj, next to Rastoke, half an hour away. If you sleep two nights in park accommodation, the ticket is valid for the whole stay.
When to go and how much it costs
May and June, with the waterfalls fullest, and September and October, with fewer people. In July and August the ticket is expensive and from eleven there is a queue on the narrow boardwalks. In winter the park is almost empty and snowy, with hours from 8:00 to 15:00.
2026 prices for an adult: €10 from November to March, €23 in April, May and October and €40 from June to September, falling to €25 if you enter after 16:00 (after 15:00 in September). Under-7s do not pay. The ticket is bought on the official website for one day, one entry and one time slot, and cannot be changed or refunded.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Lika?
One night is enough for Plitvice. With two you see the park over two mornings and add Rastoke and the Barać caves.
Do you have to buy the Plitvice ticket in advance?
In season, yes. It is bought on the official website with a time slot; only an hour's delay is allowed.
Can you swim in the lakes?
No. Swimming is banned throughout the park.
Can you go without a car?
Yes. The Zagreb to Zadar and Split buses stop at both entrances, and there is free left-luggage.
Is it worth it in winter?
Yes, if you don't mind the cold: it costs €10, there are hardly any people and the lakes partly freeze. Some stretches and the boat may close because of snow or ice.
Can you take a dog?
Yes, on a lead along the whole route.