Finetuning our Balkan trip and wonder if anyone has a tried and true plan for seeing the park in two 1/2 day segments. We will be coming from Saravejo and anticipate arriving about 3pm. We will be leaving the next day around 2pm for Ljublyana.
I have read posts and also looked at maps but find it utterly confusing trying to map out the park for the 1/2 days.
Thank you very much for any thoughts.
I think of Plitvice as having two distinctly different zones. The first day, as the daytime crowds subside, visit the zone with the wooden footpaths and numerous waterfalls. It will be an easy and relaxing way to end a travel day. In the morning, when you're fresh and it's still cooler and less crowded, visit the other zone which is mostly footpaths and a large waterfall. Hike down the far side of the park and back up the near side (assumes you'll enter the park near the hotels). This will take much longer than the footpaths, but you should be done in time for lunch before heading to Ljubljana.
Your plan of attack is ideal for getting the most out of the park by avoiding as much as possible the busiest, day-tripping hours.
There are walks of different distances marked out, with guideposts, so most people don't worry about a map at all. I suspect you're going to have time to do a bit more than the longest walk, so a map would be helpful if not absolutely essential.
When I last visited the park (2015), one could buy a large map at the little shop not far from the ticket window. All you got with your entry was a minute sketch on the ticket itself. I think I paid the equivalent of $3 or $4, but I had a bus to catch and wanted to be sure I kept tabs on where I was at all times.
We chose Croatian National Day (unknown to us at the time) to visit in 2011. We arrived at the park at the opening time. The guide at the gate said "Everyone will get on the bus!!" That sounded highly unlikely unless the bus was bigger than any we had ever seen. So we decided to walk up to the top of the park on the waterfall lake and take the bus down, which is "counter-traffic". Worked fine. We finished the park, at a modest pace, by 1:30 or so, and drove on to Split.
Great answers to my question and also allieviates my anxiety about having enough time to see the park. Thank you.
when do the crowds subside and how late is is open ? we are either going to drive from Zagreb on a saturday afternoon in june ( or get a private cars ( double the price but it seems stressful to have to go to the airport and rent a car from there ??)
what time shoud we get there on saturday ? then we are staying close by and how much time would we need on sunday morning ? and then head back to zagreb ?
thanks
Tammy
