Croatia is famous for its natural beauty, and most people want to visit either Plitvice Lakes or Krka National Park once they arrive to Croatia. Often, tourists do not have the time or the budget to visit both Croatian National Parks, so they need to choose one according to their preferences. This blog post will compare the two most popular and most loved Croatian national parks, so you can read this blog post and decide for yourself.
As a Croatian native, I’ve visited both and although both are stunning, I do have a favourite which I’ll tell you at the end of the post. If you want more detailed guides on these two parks, read Plitvice Guide here, and Krka Guide here!
All photos in this blog post were taken in the off-season – Krka in March and Plitvice in October. The crowds in the summer months are huge and photos like these are very unlikely!
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PLITVICE LAKES OR KRKA NATIONAL PARK: Location
These two parks are not that close to each other, and both are easily reachable from certain big cities in Croatia, so depending on where you plan on staying, one park will have an advantage to the other.
Krka National Park is located in central Dalmatia, near the city of Šibenik and fairly close to bigger cities like Split and Zadar. If you’re staying in any of these cities, Krka is definitely a better (or easier) option out of the two parks, because you need at most one hour of driving to reach Krka National Park.
If you don’t have a car, all of these cities also offer tours to the national park so you’ll have no problem organizing your day trip to Krka. Plitvice lakes, on the other hand, are a bit further away, so the ride would be a bit more tiresome, but it’s not impossible if you want to visit both parks.
Plitvice Lakes National Park is situated in central Croatia, closer to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s located about 2 hours from Zagreb and Rijeka, so it’s a great destination to stop at if you’re travelling by car from Zagreb to the coast. You can also easily get a guided tour from Zagreb since there are many of them.
Plitvice Lakes National Park is truly stunning though, so I would say that no matter where you’re staying, try and find a way to include it in your itinerary.
PLITVICE LAKES OR KRKA NATIONAL PARK: natural beauty
When choosing which park to visit, natural beauty is one of the main characteristics you’ll be considering. Both national parks are incredibly beautiful, but they’re quite different. Let’s see how!
Krka National Park takes up a huge part of Krka River and the park spreads over 142 square kilometers. It has stunning greenery and many waterfalls throughout the park, wih the two most notable being Skradinski Buk, one of Croatia’s most famous falls, and Roški Slap.
While Krka is lovely to see, it’s much smaller than Plitvice Lakes and the waterfalls are much less impressive than those at Plitvice. That doesn’t by any means mean that it’s not worth seeing, it’s just not as awe-inspiring as the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Plitvice Lakes National Park is home to stunning 16 terraced lakes which are connected by a series of waterfalls. The park’s lakes are known for their various shades of blue and green, depending on the minerals and organisms in the water. Along with beautiful lakes and waterfalls, the park has many landscapes, including forests, caves, and meadows.
The park has several breathtaking waterfalls, but the most famous one is Veliki Slap (the Big Waterfall), which is around 78 meters tall. You cannot swim in Plitvice, in order to preserve the pristine nature of the lakes. However, that doesn’t lessen your experience in the slightest. Plitvice Lakes are absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and with every right a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
PLITVICE LAKES OR KRKA NATIONAL PARK: Hiking Trails
Krka National Park offers both shorter, family-friendly paths and longer, more challenging routes. The main trail goes from Skradinski Buk waterfall to Lozovac entrance. This short trail is perfect for anyone who wants to see Krka in a swift day trip.
It will take you around 2.5 hours to do this trail with breaks and various stops for pictures. The longer trails are more open and unrestricted, and go through the forests and meadows around the Krka River. Additionally, if you want a longer tour, you can take a boat up to the Visovac Monastery and Roški waterfall.
Plitvice Lakes National Park has an extensive network of well-marked trails, so you can explore the park as you prefer. There are eight different routes available, from a few hours to full-day hikes.
You also have options to combine hiking with boat rides across the lakes. Plitvice Lakes NP is much bigger than Krka NP, so if walking and exploring untouched nature is your priority, choose Plitvice. My favourite trail is path C as you get to experience Plitvice in great detail, but it’s not overwhelming.
PLITVICE LAKES OR KRKA NATIONAL PARK: Crowds
If you’re visiting either of these national parks in the summer, prepare for huge crowds. People love both parks and there’s often crowds from the early mornings until early evenings. Here’s a short overview of the crowds:
Krka National Park gathers quite a crowd during the high season (June to August), especially around Skradinski Buk. If you’d like to experience Krka NP without the crowds, your best option is to come during the off-season. The best months would be March/April or September/October.
Additionally, you can enjoy Krka without crowds in the summer if you visit paths away from Skradinski Buk. Since that’s the most popular spot of the NP, most people gather there.
Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of Croatia’s most popular tourist destinations, so it’s usually very crowded during peak season. Crowds are managed with a ticketing system that limits the number of visitors per hour. That definitely helps, but it can still feel busy.
There are certain times when the crowds are so big you’re just walking in lines. If you hate crowds, that could definitely hinder your enjoyment. I would highly recommend visiting Plitvice in the off-season. However, if your only option is during the summer, prepare yourself and be very patient.
PLITVICE LAKES OR KRKA NATIONAL PARK: Cost
Both Krka National Park and Plitvice Lakes National Park are quite pricey during the peak season. A single adult ticket to both NPs during summer is 40 euros. If you’re a student visiting Plitvice your ticket is 25 euros, and for children it’s 15 euros. At Krka NP both students and children pay 15 euros per ticket.
Both NPs are much cheaper in the off-season. If you’re on a budget, it might be best to try and come visit in the shoulder-seasons at least. Get Plitvice tickets here, and Krka tickets here!
PLITVICE LAKES OR KRKA NATIONAL PARK: Summary
Krka National Park is easily accessible from many major cities in Dalmatia, and it will be a quicker and less complicated day trip. It’s smaller, so you’ll need half a day at most to explore the national park completely. Additionally, you can use a boat to explore some historical and cultural sites. The entrance fee is 40 euros (same as Plitvice Lakes) and in my opinion a bit overpriced.
Plitvice Lakes National Park has some of the most iconic waterfalls in Croatia, and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has extensive hiking trails and it’s much bigger than Krka, so you’ll need at least 1 full day. It’s easily accessible from Zadar and Zagreb, but it takes a bit of time and careful planning to reach it from other cities. Finally, the crowds are crazy in peak season and it’s quite pricey (40 euros) but absolutely worth the money.
I prefer Plitvice Lakes by a landslide, but Krka NP is still worth visiting. Visit Krka especially if you cannot reach Plitvice Lakes easily. If you’re on a budget and can’t afford to visit both parks, I would recommend splurging on Plitvice Lakes. The ticket is worth every cent.
