Plitvice from Zagreb

Pretty impossible to see the park in 3-4 hours.

Be sure to watch a YouTube video of the crowds at Plitvice National Park before committing to a daytrip there from Zagreb. The park’s boardwalks gets so crowded with visitors between 10:30am and 3 pm that many think it’s not worth going if you don’t overnight at a hotel at the park. You can visit until 8pm in July & August (7 pm in September) and again the next morning at 7 am when the park first opens on a special admission ticket covering 2 days.

You’ll get to enjoy Plitvice in more sane circumstances by staying overnight.

Plitvice is a tough proposition as a day trip under the best circumstances. You have laid out a pretty tight window, and one that requires as much time in transit than you’ll have on site. That’s assuming the bus runs as you expect it to. It’s at least a 20min walk at either entrance before you see a waterfall, and by the time you reach the valley floor you might be turning right around. If you must do this as a day trip (and I’m not diametrically opposed) it’s absolutely worth a paid excursion that’s running you door to door with a plan and a guarantee you’ll get back.

Ideally, spend the night. I would try very, very hard to do an overnight or then not go at all and make a point to plan around it on a future trip.

Thank you! We will look at one or maybe even two nights in Plitvice and then will travel on to Split. Now to navigate the logistics without a car.

Flixbus is fastest taking from 1:45-1:50 from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes NP. Public buses taking about 2:30 depart from Zagreb’s central bus station for Plitvice Lakes NP at about half the cost.

Do they still give you a second day at the park when you stay at a local hotel?

When we visited we first went in the late afternoon. Then back at the hotel they stamped our park ticket, and we could visit it a second time, which we did early the next morning. That was a good choice, as there were not crowds that early. We then continued our trip...

Yes, an overnight stay where you arrive in the afternoon and leave the following afternoon is kind of best practice. I did this via bus in the opposite direction and it really worked great. You can see one half the afternoon you arrive and then get in early to see the other half in the morning. Late in the day was fairly empty. There was not a solitary soul on the trail when I went in the morning. It was amazing. As incredible as the place is, if you manage the visit this way then the one night is all you need.

If you stay in a park hotel they’ll validate your arrival day ticket for the next day as well. The park hotels are decent if pricey, but that extra day ticket and the proximity to the park take the sting out of it. I stayed at Jezero. The “park facing room” was unnecessary, but the buffet was lifesaver. All the park hotels are a short walk down (and along) the road from the bus stop. The entrance ticket is timed, YMMV but they didn’t seem to pay much attention when I was there.

Looks like Plitvice Lakes now simply calls the admission ticket covering two days it’s “Two-Day Ticket.” During the summer, it’s €60 on Plitvice’s official website. The ticket good for one day is €40.

Those staying at one of the park hotels should check with their hotel befor buying a two-day ticket, because we've had multiple reports that the park hotels endorse the ome-day tickets to allow re-entry the next day.

To echo the others, definitely plan an overnight there. Staying at the park has its own charms as well. Where else can you simultaneously experience "first-class" hotel and a Tito-era pink bathroom?