Plitvice Lakes National Park
Plitvice Lakes is a chain of 16 lakes that step down through forest in central Croatia, linked by cascades and waterfalls. Visitors come for the lake colors and the tufa barriers that shape them.
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Plitvice Lakes National Park sits in the wooded karst highlands of central Croatia, near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the country's largest, oldest and most visited national park, with recent annual totals of around 1.5 million visitors. The 16 lakes step down in a chain, linked by cascades and waterfalls, and the water falls about 133 m from the first lake to the last. The tallest waterfall, Veliki slap, is about 78 m high.
Trails use wooden paths and bridges, and swimming in the lakes has been banned since 2006. Stay on the marked routes, because the tufa barriers are fragile. The lakes shift from azure to green, grey or blue as the minerals in the water and the angle of the sunlight change. In summer the park caps entry at 12,000 visitors a day, a limit in place since 2019, and August is the busiest month. Snow falls from November to March, and the lakes often freeze in December and January.
Plitvice Lakes National Park in five
- Buy your ticket online for one entranceTickets from the park webshop are valid only at the entrance you choose when you buy. In summer they can sell out, so buy before you drive in.Park price list
- Know the seasonal priceAdults pay €10 in winter, €23 in April, May and October and €40 from June to September. From June to August the price drops to €25 after 4pm.
- Start at openingThe boardwalks are narrow and fill with groups from mid morning. Entrance 1 by the Lower Lakes is busiest; Entrance 2 serves the Upper Lakes and the boat.
- Do not swim or fly a droneSwimming, drones and walking off the marked paths are all banned. Rangers enforce it on the boardwalks.Rules of conduct
- Pay for parking by the hourThe car parks at the entrances charge about €2 per hour in summer. Buses from Zagreb and Zadar stop at both main entrances.
Things to do in Plitvice Lakes National Park
See all attractions in Plitvice Lakes National Park
Need to know
- Entrance
- Day ticket €10–40 by season; €40 June–September Read more
- Permits
- None; the day ticket is valid at the entrance you chose
- Season
- Open all year; lakes greenest May–October, snow in winter
- Nearest town
- Villages by Entrances 1 and 2; Korenica about 15 km south
- Getting there
- Bus from Zagreb about 2–2.5 hours, from Zadar about 2 hours
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Snowy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryRain13 rainy days4 snowy daysHigh6°Low-2°Snow, frozen fallsJanuaryRain
Poor
- High
- 6°
- Low
- -2°
- Precipitation
- 120 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 4
- Days with storms
- 0
Snow, frozen falls
- FebruaryPartly cloudy11 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh9°Low0°Snow, quietFebruaryPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 9°
- Low
- 0°
- Precipitation
- 115 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 3
- Days with storms
- 0
Snow, quiet
- MarchRain13 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh12°Low2°Thaw, high waterMarchRain
Mixed
- High
- 12°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 127 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 2
- Days with storms
- 0
Thaw, high water
- AprilRain13 rainy daysHigh16°Low5°Full falls, coolAprilRain
Good
- High
- 16°
- Low
- 5°
- Precipitation
- 108 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Full falls, cool
- MayRain17 rainy daysHigh19°Low9°Green, fewer groupsMayRain
Good
- High
- 19°
- Low
- 9°
- Precipitation
- 187 mm
- Rainy days
- 17
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Green, fewer groups
- JuneRain12 rainy daysHigh26°Low14°Green, warmJuneRain
Best
- High
- 26°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 108 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Green, warm
- JulyClear10 rainy daysHigh28°Low15°Hot, busiestJulyClear
Best
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 99 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, busiest
- AugustClear10 rainy daysHigh28°Low15°Hot, busiestAugustClear
Best
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 90 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, busiest
- SeptemberPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh22°Low11°Calmer, clearSeptemberPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 22°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 126 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Calmer, clear
- OctoberPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh17°Low7°Autumn colorOctoberPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 17°
- Low
- 7°
- Precipitation
- 108 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Autumn color
- NovemberRain14 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh11°Low4°Wet, quietNovemberRain
Poor
- High
- 11°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 162 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Wet, quiet
- DecemberRain13 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh7°Low0°Snow possibleDecemberRain
Poor
- High
- 7°
- Low
- 0°
- Precipitation
- 131 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 3
- Days with storms
- 0
Snow possible
Average daily high and low in Plitvice Lakes, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Plitvice Lakes National Park
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
6
- Feels like
- 3°
- Humidity
- 99%
- Wind
- 12 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 100%
Plitvice Lakes National Park
09:47 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today5°4°100%Monday: Rain. High 5°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Tue4°3°100%Tuesday: Rain. High 4°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Wed5°3°100%Wednesday: Rain. High 5°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Thu5°2°16%Thursday: Drizzle. High 5°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 16%.
- Fri4°0°3%Friday: Cloudy. High 4°, Low 0°. Chance of rain 3%.
- Sat4°1°10%Saturday: Rain. High 4°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 10%.
- Sun11°2°15%Sunday: Rain. High 11°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 15%.
Updated 07:01 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Before you go to Plitvice Lakes National Park
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Rules for Plitvice Lakes National Park, checked
- Swimming, fishing, drones, camping, cycling and walking off the marked paths are banned in the park.Checked Oct 1, 2026 · Source
- Webshop tickets must be shown on a phone or printed and validated at the entrance chosen when buying.Checked Oct 1, 2026 · Source
- Dogs must stay on a leash, and feeding or disturbing animals is not allowed.Checked Oct 1, 2026 · Source
Plan around Plitvice Lakes National Park
Coast, islands, Zagreb, rail and entry rules
Read the guideZagrebThe usual start, 2–2.5 hours away by bus
Read the guideZadarThe coast city with direct buses, about 2 hours away
Read the guideKrka National ParkThe other waterfall park, down the coast near Šibenik
Read the guideGetting aroundBuses, rental cars and long-distance transfers
Read the guideTravel insuranceCover for wet boardwalks and cancellations
Read the guidePlitvice Lakes National Park FAQ
Do I need to book Plitvice tickets in advance?
In summer, yes. Buy on the park webshop and choose your entrance; tickets can sell out. In winter you can usually buy at the gate.
How much is the Plitvice entrance fee?
For adults, €10 from November to March, €23 in April, May and October and €40 from June to September, with a lower late-afternoon price in summer.
Can you swim at Plitvice Lakes?
No. Swimming is banned everywhere in the park. Krka National Park restricts swimming too; use the coast instead.
How long do I need at Plitvice?
Four to six hours covers the main loops of the Upper and Lower Lakes, including the boat across Kozjak. A two-day ticket lets you split them.
What is the best time to visit Plitvice Lakes?
May, early June and late September give green lakes and smaller crowds than July and August. October has autumn color and lower fees. Falls run strongest after the spring thaw; winter is quiet and snowy, and some paths can close.