5 Reasons to Never Visit Plitvice Lakes National Park (+1 Reason to Visit)

Plitvice Lakes National Park is a very popular destination in Croatia, and is considered as one of the most beautiful national parks in the world.

But should you really visit it?

Here are 5 reasons why you shouldn’t visit Plitvice Lakes National Park, and one reason why you definitely should.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Plitvice Lakes National Park Croatia
• 5 reasons why you shouldn’t visit Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia
• The 1 Reason you should visit Plitvice Lakes National Park
• FAQ for travelling to Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice Lakes National Park Croatia

Croatia has started to rise in popularity as a travel destination, and was in 2016 the 12th most visited country in Europe. One of the components of Croatia’s appeal is its National Parks, which are all extremely beautiful.

Of the 7 National Parks in Croatia, Plitvice Lakes National Park is the most famous one, and is the one with the most visits each year.

Plitvice Lakes is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. The park is made of 16 lakes (yes, sixteen!), that are all interconnected to make this beautiful place that is Plitvice Lakes National Park.
Add into the mix some waterfalls, cliffs, a boat to tour the area, a domain spanning over 296 km2 (114 square miles), and you have the recipe for the perfect travel destination.

How to get to Plitvice Lakes

The best way to get around in Croatia is with a car. The country is rather small, and you’ll have a lot of flexibility by driving your own car in the country.

Plitvice Lakes National Park is only a 2h drive away from the capital city, Zagreb.

And it’s also a short drive from Split, around 2h30 on the highway (by the way, you should really add Split to your must-see list in Croatia! Use this Split itinerary to plan ahead)

This article is obviously full of irony, and should be taken with a grain of salt. Keep reading until the very end ?

5 reasons why you shouldn’t visit Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia

Have you already heard a lot about Plitvice? Is everyone telling you you should visit? Well, here are 5 reasons to NEVER visit Plitvice Lakes National Park.

1- Every other place will seem lame

After you’ve visited Plitvice, and spent a day in awe of its natural beauty, its turquoise lakes and stunning waterfalls, it’s too late. You’ve crossed the line. Now every other place you’ll visit will seem dull in comparison. Yes, even this one

Do you really want to kill your wanderlust because of this one place? That’s what I thought. That’s one reason to never visit Plitvice.

2- TLC told you! « Don’t go chasing waterfalls »

You’ve been warned. Who am I to say it better than TLC? « Don’t go chasing waterfalls ».
In Plitvice Lakes National Parks, there are around 80 waterfalls scattered around the park. This would definitely be the perfect location to chase waterfalls, if that was a cool thing to do.

I guess you’ll have to skip Plitvice to avoid chasing waterfalls.

For those of you who didn’t get the reference, here it is:

3- If you go once you will HAVE to come back

Honestly going to Plitvice Lakes is such a pain in the ass. You know these destinations where you can go once, explore the area, and tick off your bucket list? Well, Plitvice is not one of these. Nope, not even close.

If you make the mistake to book your tickets to Croatia to explore Plitvice, I have bad news for you: you’ll have to buy tickets again in a very near future, because after seeing how absolutely amazing the place is, you’ll have to come back.
The place is so big that one day is not enough to visit it all at once. Save yourself the hassle and don’t bother coming once.

4- You need to wait for the boat to visit all of Plitvice Lakes National Park

Ugh… Seriously? Did you think you could just walk around and see the best places in the national park? Hmmm sorry but nope, not happening! Plitvice Croatia is made of 16 lakes: 12 upper lakes, and 4 lower lakes. If you want to see the 4 lower lakes, you’ll have to wait for the boat to take you there.

The second part of Plitvice National Park is also where you can see the highest waterfall of the park: Veliki Slap. Veliki Slap is a 78 meters (256 feet) high waterfall, but you can’t just walk there. How frustrating!

5- Turquoise Lakes are not that cool

Ok, let’s be honest here. Turquoise water and pretty lakes are so overrated, am I right? Yeah, you totally don’t need to waste your time coming to Croatia to see some stunning clear lakes in some random park surrounded by waterfalls. Right?

Alright, that’s enough reasons to never visit Plitvice Lakes National Park. Now let’s see why you should undeniably visit at least once in your life.

The 1 Reason you should visit Plitvice Lakes National Park

Enough lies: all of the reasons you shouldn’t visit Plitvice that I’ve listed above are bullshit. Come on, chasing waterfalls DOES sound amazing! I’ve enjoyed visiting this part of Croatia so much, I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time there.

If after I’ve tried to discourage you to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park with these 5 reasons you shouldn’t visit you still want to travel there, here are some tips for you. And check out this guide to avoid the crowds in Plitvice.

FAQ for travelling to Plitvice Lakes National Park

How much does it cost?

The Plitvice Lakes National Park entrance fee is around $39 for an adult one-day ticket.
The prices vary depending on the period (more expensive from July to August); you can also get a nice student discount.
Find all the prices here

What are the opening hours?

The park is opened all year-long (open 365 days a year), from 7am to 8pm.
However ticket sale booths close at 6pm.
Find all the opening hours info here: https://np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/en/plan-your-visit/hours-of-operation/

Can you swim in Plitvice Lakes National Park?

Plitvice Lakes swimming is a big topic.
Unfortunately, swimming in the National Park is strictly forbidden.
If you really want to swim, you can visit Krka National Park, another National Park in Croatia with waterfalls, where you can swim ?

How much is the boat inside the park?

I mentioned above that you need to take a boat to visit the entirety of the park.
There is no additional fee for the boat ride; it’s included in the entrance pass for Plitvice.

What is the best time of the year to visit?

The best time of the year to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park depends on what you’re looking for:

• for warm sunny weather and emerald waters, July and August are the best months as it is summer in Croatia
• to have a more private experience without the crowd, going between April and June is ideal 
• for a different mood, fog, and possibly snow, prefer October to March as it is winter in Croatia

Best time of the day to visit?

The best time of the day to visit Plitvice Lakes Croatia is when the park opens at 7am; you’ll have the park for yourself for a couple of hours. If you go from the end of November to February, you’ll even be able to watch the sun rise over the lakes and waterfalls.

Alternatively, you can also visit after 4pm. If you enter the park after 4pm, you get a discount on the entrance fee.

Can you eat in Plitvice?

They sell food in Plitvice, but it’s quite expensive, and not the best food you can find. I recommend packing food before going, and enjoying a nice lunch in the park watching over the waterfalls.

Where to stay in Plitvice Lakes

There are a lot of places to stay during your visit to Plitvice Lakes. Because the area is rising in popularity, there are more and more accommodations around the park. The closer to the park, the more expensive.

I recommend staying in an airbnb outside of the park and just driving to the park in the morning.

How much does parking cost?

Parking in Plitvice Lakes National Park is pretty cheap. It costs around $1 per hour to park your car.

How do I find my way in the park?

The park is pretty big, and there are several different areas that you can access by boat. To find your way in the park, you can either buy a map at the front desk (3€), or you can follow the signs and maps that you’ll see in the park.

Here’s a Plitvice Lakes map to help you:

Map source 

Now you have all the information you need to plan your trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park, if you still want to go after reading the 5 reasons why you shouldn’t visit Plitvice.

Is Plitvice high up on your travel bucket list? Let me know in the comments!

Planning your Croatia roadtrip? You can visit Slovenia and Croatia together! Check out these guides for the neighbor country, Slovenia:
Slovenia’s jewel: Lake Bled
15 things to do in Slovenia
Have you heard of Triglav National Park yet?