Plitvice as a day-trip out of Split?

We had rooms at a Sobe (Bed & Breakfast) near Plitvice one night, then drove to Split, arriving mid afternoon, so we didn't do it as a day trip out-and-back. The shortest route, via the D1 road looks like more than 4 hours one-way, without making any stops for gas, bathroom breaks, etc. A slightly longer but faster route, via the A1 highway, will still take about 3 hours one way, but it would be faster.

Four hours each way sounds about right. You have to take the slower D1 part of the way to get to the park entrances. No, I wouldn't do it as a day trip, personally.

We took the A1 from Split to Zagreb and it's fastest way to drive north. It's not the shortest route, but having two lanes on each side of the highway really helps to cut down the time. However, I don't know which road is the best connector from the A1 to Plitvice. Still, I would think you'd be able to get there in about 3 hours.

Thanks for the confirmations.

We were originally planning to do it as a side trip on our way from Split to Ljubljana. We have 4 nights in Split and thought that if it was a reasonable "day trip" that might be an option. But, no -- driving 8+ hours isn't our idea of a relaxing hop out to any place!! Think we'll stick to the original plan.

I've done this day trip with a tour group out of Split (Portal Travel agency). I don't remember the drive being all that bad. Maybe 3 hours each way max, but I thought we had a good amount of time with our guide at Plitvice. We were able to see most of the park and even get to ride one of the boats. But it all depends on how much you really want to explore there. In the 5-6 hours we were there I felt I got a good exposure to the park and was able to take lots of pics.

We might reconsider, based on the weather forecast. It is raining today, heavily this morning and projected on/off during the day. Friday (on which a bus trip to Plitvice is offered) is projected to be sunny, but rain is shown for Saturday (our driving day). So the weather might be the more immediate consideration!