Croatia is known for its stunning landscapes, waterfalls and beautiful coastline, and rich history. We stay in Croatia for a total of 13 days and visited as many places as we could in such little time. We visited to the island Korcula, the famous Plitvice Lakes National Park, the historic Dubrovnik, the iconic Split and of course Krka National Park.
Which park is better: Krka National Park or Plitvice Lakes?
We visited both parks, Krka National Park and Plitvice Lakes, in the same trip and to be honest they are BOTH worth visiting if you have the time and money as they are equally beautiful on their own way. If time or money is a concern then you will have to choose the best option for you and that is why we are sharing some information to make your decision easier.
Plitvice Lakes is an iconic destination within Croatia and it is also an UNESCO World Heritage for a reason. It has some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the country. I still remember the first time I saw a photo on the Instagram page of Beautiful Destinations, and I knew at some point in my lifetime I needed to visit this wonderland.
That said, I think Krka National Park is one of the most beautiful parks we have ever visited in the world. It has many colorful pools with beautiful waterfalls and unbelievable landscapes. Even though, both parks can get pretty crowded during the Summer, Krka receives less amount of tourists which means it is more relaxed.
A really interesting fact is that the lakes, the waterfalls and the cave inside the national park are made of limestone and only grow one cm each year. Also, the weather in Krka might be better than in Plitvice. The reason for that is that there is a range of mountains between the Dalmatian Coast and Plitivice, which affects how much sun or rain you can get. While, Krka is blessed with the mediterranean weather.
In conclusion, we think both parks are impressive and worth visiting but it all depends on your time, interest and budget. If you Are based on the Dalmatian Coast and you do not have enough time or money to make it to Plitvice Lakes, do not worry Krka National Park is as beautiful and closer. If you are in Zagreb then it might be best to go to Plitvice Lakes as it is almost half the distance.
What to see in Krka National Park Travel Video:
We invited you to see our time exploring Krka National Park in this travel video. If you like it please share it, comment or give it a like! It make us very happy when we hear back from you :)
How to get from Split to Krka National Park?
You can reach Krka National Park from Split by either taking a tour from Split or by going on your own. If you choose to go by yourself you will need to take a bus from Split to Šibenik and then another bus from Sibenik to Skradin, which is the small town outside Krka National Park.
We chose to take a tour to visit Krka National Park and of course the historic town of Sibenik. Dario, our tour guide, filled us with information of the places we drove by such as the city of Trogir and the Roman Aqueduct.
A quick stop to visit the charming town of Šibenik:
Šibenik is a small town about 20-minute drive from the town of Skradin, the gateway to Krka National Park. The town has a beautiful old town and an UNESCO World Heritage-listed cathedral.
The Cathedral of St. James, Sibenik
Did you know that Sibenik was the first city with electric street lights in the world? Our guide gave us an amazing amount of information before we even arrived to the cathedral.
We learned so much about the Cathedral of St. James (a UNESCO world Heritage Site) and how unique it is. The whole church is made of limestone and uses no glue material between the bricks. It is also a mix between gothic and renaissance style, as it took so long to build, the region’s style changed!
The entry fee the The Cathedral of St. James is 20 kunas. They also provide coverings for women if they are wearing shorter skirts.
➳ Read More: What to do and see in Split
Visiting Krka National Park
The entrance fee to Krka National Park ranges from 30 to 110 kunas per adult and 20 to 80 Kunas per student or children, but it was included in our tour price. Keep in mind that during the Summer, June through September, prices are the highest.
You can either explore the park on your own or you can continue with the tour guide. If you choose to do it by yourself it can take you around 3 hours to go around the park on the basic trail loop making several stops to enjoy the view or take photos, go swimming and have a picnic lunch. If you have extra time there are other trails you can explore.
If you are going with the tour guide it takes closer to four hours to explore the park. This is because there are frequent stops with information about the ecology and human use of the area.
What we loved about Krka is that you are allowed to go swimming! Unlike, Plitvice Lakes where it is strictly forbidden.
Besides the iconic waterfalls of Krka National Park, there is a small ethnographic area. The power of the Krka River has long been serving to the benefit of the local populations. The mills at Krka show the complete mill process along with the processing of wool for weaving. You can also get a glimpse into history with an old kitchen, weaver’s loom, carriage room and stables.
We decided to go by ourselves as we planned to make too many stops for photography and video recording. We do however recommend to take the guide tour because not only is included in the tour but it is also a good way to learn more about the national park. We boarded the bus back to Split arriving just in time for dinner.
What is the best tour from Split to Krka?
Our tour included the Krka National Park entrance fee and The Cathedral of St. James. The amazing tour guide Dario is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, happy to answer every question, including ones we did not even know to ask.
This tour to Krka is a beautiful day trip from Split. The entire tour tour took around 9.5 hours. We left Split at 8:00 AM and arrived back in the city at 5:30 PM. Tickets for the tour are 440 kuna per person, including the Cathedral of St. James and Krka National Park entrance fee, an amazing tour guide and round trip bus transportation.
We highly recommend visiting the National Park when exploring Croatia!
⇟ More articles from Croatia that might interest you:
➳ Read More: Visiting Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia
➳ Read More: Exploring the historic island of Korcula, Croatia
➳ Read More: What to do and see in Split
➳ Read More: The best things to do in Dubrovnik in 2 days
➳ Read More: An Island Hopper’s Guide to The Best Croatian Islands Near Split
More tours to enjoy in Croatia ⇟
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