National park Plitvice lakes guided tour from Zagreb

In the oldest National park in Croatia, Plitvice lakes, nature has created 16 lakes and connected them by amazing travertine waterfalls. The area belongs to Dinaric karst and due to its specific geology, geomorphology and hydrology it truly is one of the most impressive karst entities in the world. Apart from dolomitic rock, mesosoic limestones with dolomite inserts prevail.

The National Park covers 29685 hectares, where lakes take up to 200 hectares and forest covers the rest of the park. In this area you can encounter different species that have been living here since before the arrival of humans.

Starting point is at the north entrance of the park (Entrance 1). Sightseeing is circular and includes the Lower and Upper Lakes area, and a combination of walks and electric-boat rides, while the return to starting point will be mostly by panoramic train. Enjoy the beauty of the waterfalls (“Great Waterfall”, “Veliki Prštavac” to name a few), as well as the lakes.

 

Meeting your driver and guide at your accommodation or previously arranged pick-up point, board a climate-controlled vehicle for the trip towards Lika, where the first stop of the day is the village of Rastoke, a historic community at the confluence of the Slunjčica and Korana Rivers. Walk through the village to see traditional watermills and old fashioned, riverside houses built from limestone and wood.

We can insert in between a visit to Turanj fortress from the 18th century as well as Homeland war museum right next to it.

Continue to Plitvice Lakes National Park for a guided, 5-mile (8.5-km) hike that explores some of the Plitvice's 16 lakes, which are linked by waterfalls. You’ll see the lower and upper lakes on foot, then board a train for a brief ride. The last Plitvice Lakes adventure is a boat cruise across Kozjak Lake, which is surrounded by thick evergreen forest (train and boat service are suspended from November through March, when tours of Plitvice Lakes National Park are on foot since the snow is very heavy in this area).

At the end of your day in Plitvice Lakes National Park, you are taken back to Zagreb and droped-off at your original departure point.