Krka National Park Day Trip From Split: Your Questions Answered
So, you’re thinking of visiting Krka National Park as a day trip from Split in Croatia? Awesome – we think that’s a splendid idea!
Even though we were blown away by Plitvice Lakes during our first trip to Croatia, you could argue that Krka National Park has a more charming feel.
At certain points walking around Krka, it almost feels like you could be simply enjoying a woodland walk – albeit one with views of beautiful lakes and rivers and – of course – epic waterfalls.
If you have any questions about your visit, then I hope you find our blog post and Krka National Park tips helpful. We’ll also share a bit about our experience visiting Krka as a day trip from Split, which I hope you also find useful.
Happy reading and travel planning!
Krka National Park Day Trip From Split: Your Questions Answered
Is Krka worth visiting?
With seven lovely waterfalls to see and three short walking trails to follow, Krka National Park makes for a beautiful and relaxing day out in Croatia.
Krka is home to Croatia’s widest waterfall, Skradinski Buk, which is definitely the star of the show at Krka National Park.
There are also several viewpoints to enjoy the waterfalls from and the walking trails at Krka are tranquil and pleasant.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, so we’d say: “Yes, Krka is worth visiting!”
However, a lot of people also wonder which is most worth visiting out of Krka National Park and Plitvice Lakes.
As you’ll see from our detailed comparison guide, we think you simply can’t miss visiting breathtaking Plitvice!
That said, if you have time to see both Krka National Park and Plitvice Lakes during your trip to Croatia, then we’d definitely recommend visiting both.
RELATED: Plitvice Lakes Or Krka National Park – Which Waterfalls To Visit In Croatia
When’s the best time to visit Krka National Park?
Just like many other top travel destinations in Europe, the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn are considered the best time to visit Krka National Park.
While you should still experience pleasant weather for walking around and admiring the waterfalls, you’ll see far fewer crowds than in the peak summer months.
So, if you can, try and time your visit to Krka National Park for April, May, September or October.
How to get to Krka National Park from Split
Krka National Park is roughly an hour away from Split by car, which makes it one of the most popular day trips from Split.
If you decide to rent a car and drive, please note there are five entrances to Krka National Park.
The one at Lozovac has the largest car park, while the entrance at Skradin includes a ferry ride across the Krka River.
You can also catch a bus from Split to Skradin, which takes around 1.5 hours, operating year-round.
If you’d prefer a more relaxed way to get to Krka National Park, then you have plenty of tours to choose from to take you from Split to Krka.
Coach tours to Krka usually last for around 9-11 hours in total. We’d suggest looking for a tour that offers you plenty of free time to explore (like this one!) so that you can enjoy your time at Krka however you like.
Some tours even include free time within Skradin itself so you can marvel at all the medieval buildings there too. Here’s a great tour option to consider.
Or check out even more tours to Krka via Get Your Guide >>
How much time should I spend at Krka?
Ideally, you’ll want to spend at least a half day (3-4 hours) exploring Krka National Park.
This will give you ample time to enjoy the ferry ride, walking trails and waterfalls with time to rest for lunch as well.
How long does it take to walk around Krka National Park?
The walking trails at Krka range from 1.9km to 3.4km, so you’ll likely only need a couple of hours to walk the longest one.
It was reasonably quiet in the morning when we visited, so we’d walked the main loop (where most of the waterfalls are) twice by lunchtime.
And this was at a gentle pace with regular photo stops and pausing to admire the waterfalls from the various viewpoints.
Which walking trails should I follow?
You’re probably visiting Krka National Park for the waterfalls, am I right? If so, you’ll want to follow the main loop called Skradinski Buk (named after Croatia’s widest waterfall).
On your way to Skradinski Buk, you’ll see various waterfalls and lakes. This trail is such a pleasant and gentle walk.
If you have time, you might also enjoy the Roški Slap and Krka Monastery walking trails.
Other than walking, what else is there to do at Krka?
Aside from the waterfalls and walking trails, Krka National Park is also home to the remains of a hydroelectric power plant (the second in the world), as well as watermills.
You might also want to see Krka Monastery, which you can reach by boat from Roški Slap.
Sadly, you’re no longer allowed to swim at Krka National Park. Our tour guide explained that people were jumping from the top of the Skradinski Buk waterfall and getting hurt, so now you’re not allowed in the water at all.
In fairness, we swam there before the ban came into force and we enjoyed it more for the novelty of swimming near a waterfall than anything else. So you’re not really missing much.
Can you swim at Krka National Park?
As explained above, you’re no longer allowed to swim at Krka National Park.
Do I need to buy tickets in advance for Krka National Park?
Most people (including us!) recommend that you buy your Krka National Park tickets in advance (especially at peak times and during the summer months).
Otherwise, there’s a chance you won’t be allowed into the park at all.
Since 2017, 10,000 visitors are allowed in at any one time. But as most people stay all day, things can get tricky if you arrive late in the day and haven’t prebooked your tickets.
You can buy your tickets online.
Or, if you’re going there as part of a tour, the tour company should sort your entrance ticket for you.
Where should I stay when visiting Krka National Park?
Seeing as Krka National Park is an easy day trip from places like Split and Zadar, we’d suggest staying in one of these two cities.
When we visited, we stayed in Split for a few days and enjoyed day trips to Krka National Park and Plitvice Lakes and we even did some island hopping!
Of course, Split itself is also a very pretty and interesting city – especially within the Old Town.
RELATED: 3 Days in Split Itinerary For First Time Visitors
Here are a few places to stay in Split with good ratings that might be worth considering:
- Riva Royal View Luxury Apartments: Charming apartments with unparalleled views across Split’s harbour and promenade | Check prices on Booking.com
- Bed & Atmosphere Rooms: Sweet little rooms within Split’s Old Town | Check prices on Booking.com
- Palace Suites Heritage Hotel: Stunning rooms right next to Diocletian’s Palace | Check prices on Booking.com
Our Day Trip Experience and Krka National Park Itinerary
Hopefully, we’ve answered your most pressing questions about enjoying Krka National Park as a day trip from Split. If you still have questions, then please drop us a line down below and we’ll reply asap.
Alternatively, you might also enjoy reading about our experience joining this coach tour from Split.
We were staying in an apartment close to the Old Town, so the tour picked us up from near the promenade. The meeting point and time were prearranged, so we knew exactly where to go and when on the day.
The tour took us to the Lozovac entrance at Krka National Park and we arrived there just after 10 am.
By 10.15 am, we’d joined the main walking trail and about an hour later, we were standing in front of Skradinski Buk for the first time.
We walked at a gentle pace and had many photo opportunities along the way.
Given how much time we had left, we decided to walk the full trail again. This time, it was slightly busier than in the morning, but this was still nothing compared to what we experienced at Plitvice Lakes.
Please note we visited Krka National Park in early September, so the peak summer crowds had mostly dispersed by then.
When we visited, you were allowed to swim near Skradinski Buk, so we did that at about 1 pm for roughly 20 minutes each.
If I remember rightly, we were getting picked up from Skradin at about 4.30 pm, so we caught the ferry across at 2.30 pm. This gave us enough time to wander around Skradin and enjoy delicious milkshakes overlooking the Krka River.
In hindsight, we perhaps should’ve made time to see the other walking trails at Krka National Park, but we also wanted to enjoy an afternoon swim while we were still allowed to do so.
If we were to visit again, then we’d still do the main walking trail in the morning before it gets too busy and then we’d wander along the other trails after that. Especially as you’re now not allowed to swim anywhere at Krka National Park.
I hope you found this blog post useful and that you’re now looking forward to your Krka National Park day trip from Split. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, then please leave us a comment below and we’ll reply asap.
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Your article on Krka National Park is so informative and inspiring! You gave a lot of details and tips on how to plan a day trip from Split, including transportation, entrance fees and what to see and do. I especially liked your photos of the waterfalls and the wildlife. They are stunning! I hope you enjoyed your time in this beautiful country!