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My husband and I visited Krka National Park as part of our two week holiday in Croatia. We drove to Krka following a visit to Plitvice National Park with a detour to visit Zadar along the way.
Most people have heard of Croatia’s famous Plitvice National Park, however, the lesser known Krka National Park is equally as beautiful and you get to swim right next to its amazing Skradinski buk waterfall. However, this isn’t the only highlight of Krka, it has many other amazing sights to visit as well including a cave that people have lived in since Neolithic times, Roman ruins, an island with a monastery and lots of breathtaking waterfalls. You can easily spend several days exploring all the amazing sights.
It was a beautiful sunny day when we arrived in Skradin, a picturesque town with a marina on the river Krka that is one of the entry points into the park. It’s one of the oldest Croatian towns with its history dating back to the time of the Illyrians and received its name ‘Scardona’ during the Roman rule. After it was ruined, it was rebuilt by the Slavs and renamed Skradin. Its authentic stone town centre makes it a very pretty town and as the boat to Skradinski buk leaves from its marina, it was the perfect base in which to explore the area. There’s even a small beach a short walk from the town centre to relax at as well and lots of restaurants serving delicious Croatian food and wine.
Krka National Park’s Must See Sights
Your park ticket will get you into all of these sites for free and also includes the boat or bus to Skradinski buk. Boat tours are extra.
Skradinski Buk
Get there by boat, bus, bike or on foot.
Swimming beside the Skradinski buk waterfall is one of the most popular things to do in Krka. There are two ways to enter Skradinski buk, either from Skradin or nearby Lozovac.
If you are leaving from Skradin, the boat leaves from the marina in front of the restaurants. It’s hard to miss because it’s only a small marina and the boat sits in front of a large sign which also directs you to the ticket office, a few steps around the corner in a modern glass building. The office will provide you a ticket which includes entry and boat ride to Skradinski buk. They also have additional boat tours available to book.
If you don’t want to take the boat to Skradinski buk, then you can either walk the 4km trail that runs along the road, or hire a bike in Skradin and cycle there.
From the Lozovac entrance there is a bus to Skradinski Buk which runs from April to October and is included in your ticket. The bus only takes 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can walk there via the 875m trail.
As this park is becoming more popular, in an effort to preserve Skradinski buk they have had to limit the number of visitors to a maximum of 10,000. This shouldn’t be a problem outside of the peak months of July and August, but if you are planning to visit during this time, then I would suggest purchasing your tickets in advance online.
As we were staying in Skradin, only a few minutes’ walk from the boat, we got up early to try and beat the crowds. It was a lovely sunny day so we had our swimwear on ready for our waterfall swim (don’t forget your beach towel!). The boats leave regularly during the warmer months so we didn’t have to wait very long for one going in either direction. It only took about 15 minutes to get to from Skradin to Skradinski buk and it was a very picturesque boat ride. Personally, I recommend leaving from Skradin because the boat ride was so pleasant.
When we arrived, we headed down to the waterfall. The toilets are located on the path from the boat to the falls, but be prepared, you have to pay for the toilets, so make sure you have some coins on you. It was only a short flat walk down to the beautiful Skradinski buk waterfall where we found a few keen people already swimming, even though it was only just past 9am. Before jumping in with them, we decided to walk the short 1900m trail around Skradinski buk. The walk starts at the falls, crosses the bridge and leads you up the hill path which offers beautiful views from the top of the falls.
The path was well maintained and there was even a drinking fountain at the main viewing point. The walk also provides visitors with information about the remnants of the Krka Hydropower plant which began in 1895.
After enjoying the walk, we headed down for a swim as we could see it was beginning to get busy. Some people had swimming shoes, but we managed just fine without them, it’s mostly just large rocks and hard clay. The water was rather refreshing, which was nice after getting hot on the walk, but I have to admit that I am a bit of a wuss so I took some time to gather the courage to take the plunge. My husband on the other hand never seems bothered by the water temperature and was already under before I even got knee high. The swim was really a wonderful experience. The water was so clear and the setting couldn’t have been more picturesque.
On a practical note, there are plenty of restaurants at the bottom of the waterfall area and also one at the top of the waterfall viewing point. There’s also a really nice area to enjoy a picnic lunch after your refreshing swim.
Roski Slap and Ozidana Pecina Cave
Get there by car or an organised boat tour from Skradinski buk.
As we wanted to explore more of the park, after our swim we headed back to Skradin to hop in our car for the rest of our sightseeing. The roads around the park were well maintained and surprisingly quiet. Our next stop was at Roski slap. When we arrived, we had to drive across a very narrow and windy single lane bridge to get to the parking. It was OK though as there wasn’t much traffic and there were a few points along it where you could pass but as we weren’t expecting it and as I was doing the navigating, I did wonder what I had gotten us into.
There are two areas to visit at Roski slap. First, we headed down the path to see the waterfall, Roski slap. Alongside the waterfall viewing point, there was also a cluster of buildings which house several restaurants, a gift store and an old mill. One of the restaurants even had tables in the water so you can cool your feet whilst enjoying your meal. There is also a designated swimming area here if you want another swim. You also get a sense of the people that lived here many years ago as the old mill is set up as an exhibit to demonstrate how the mill would have worked and how the family lived above it.
On the other side of the car park is a really beautiful walking trail that takes you in a loop. Whilst we were there the fig trees were fruiting everywhere and they made for a delicious refreshing snack along the way. Along this path you will find the stairs to the Ozidana pecina cave. Make sure you have plenty of water with you as there are 517 steps to get to the cave! But if you can’t manage them, you can drive up to the parking lot at the top and walk the shorter 99 steps down to it. The cave was worth the walk as it also provides lovely views of the area. The cave was really interesting with a long and fascinating history of people living in it from 5000 to 1500 BC. Make sure you have you ticket with you as this cave is manned by staff.
Manojlovac Slap
Only reachable by car.
After enjoying Roski slap, we drove on to the magnificent Manojlovac slap, the tallest fall of Krka national park. Not only was the drive to get there filled with amazing views, the falls were also spectacular. Nestled in a majestic canyon with yet another large fall behind it, this was our favourite of all the falls we saw in both Plitvice and Krka. I was surprised to find we were the only visitors there when Skradinski buk had been so busy, but I guess it’s because you need a car to get to it.
If you are planning to visit Manojlovac slap be aware that during the hot, dry parts of the year the falls are dry as the water is channeled into the reservoir of the nearby Mijacka hydroelectric plant. So, if you plan to visit, check at the ticket office whether the falls are running.
Burnum, Roman Military Camp
Only reachable by car.
Only a short drive from Manojlovac slap are two interesting Roman archaelogical sites at Burnum. During the Roman time a military camp was located here and allowed for control of the passage across Krka river. The arches of the command building and the military amphitheater remain and artefacts recovered from this area are displayed at the Puljane Eco Campus.
Additional Sites We Did Not Get To
There are also two other sites to see in Krka National Park, Visovac Island and Krka Monastery, but unfortunately, we did not get time to visit either. If you want to comfortably visit all the sights of this park, then I would recommend 2 days here.
Visovac Island and Monastery
Get there by organised boat tour from either Skradinski buk, or drive to Stinice and Remetic and take the 5 minute boat ride.
The Franciscan Monastery of our Lady of Mercy and the Church of our Lady of Visovac has been on Visovac since 1445. Visovac can only be visited by boat tour. You can either take a longer tour from Skradiniski buk, or you can drive up to the harbour in Stinice and take a boat from there. The boat ride includes a 30 minute tour of the Island.
Krka Monastery
Get there by car or an organised boat tour from Roski.
The Krka monastery was erected on the foundations of an earlier Eremite monastery which was first mentioned in records on 1402. The church was built in the Byzantine style and sits beside the monastery. There are also early Roman catacombs which were found under the church and are open to visitors.
Practical Tips for Visiting Krka National Park
Practical Tips for Visiting Krka National Park- Krka National Park ticket office and information centre: Zagrađe 15, 22222, Skradin, Croatia. This is where you purchase your tickets for the boat rides and get helpful tourist information for the Krka National Park.
- How to get there: Either hire a car and drive there or during peak season you can get a bus from Split or Zadar to Skradin, or a local bus Sibenik to Skradin. In my article above I’ve identified which sites can accessed by car only.
- Park entry: Information on opening times and entrance fees, which vary depending on the time of the year, are posted on the Krka National Park website. Try to get to Skradinski buk waterfall first thing in the morning before everyone else turns up.
- Toilets: You will need to pay for the toilets at Krka National Park, so keep some Croatian Kuna coins handy.
- Food: There are lots of good food options at Skradin and Skradinski buk.
- Swimming: Swimming is allowed at Krka National Park, but only in approved areas.
- How long should I visit Krka National Park for? I recommend spending an entire day at Krka National Park if you can.
- Language: Croatian. Although most people we came across spoke some English, do try your hand at a few Croatian words:
- Yes = Da (da)
- No = Ne (ne)
- Please = Molim (MOH-leem)
- Thank you = Hvala (HVAH-lah)
- Hello = Bok (bohk)
- Currency: Croatian Kuna. Take some Croatian Kuna to buy yourself a much needed ice cream and a cold beer!
- Tipping: Not required, but people usually round up.
- Electricity: The electrical current is 230 volts AC. Wall outlets generally take the European two round prong plugs. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor that can be used in Croatia as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
- Navigating: We used Google’s free Offline Maps. Google Offline Maps allows you to access free maps for navigating that can be used offline i.e. you don’t need WIFI, data, or roaming to be able to use them. Follow this detailed guide on how to use Googles Offline Maps. Using your phone as a GPS will drain your battery quickly, so use a portable battery charger which you can use to charge your phone and any other USB chargeable devices. If you prefer a paper map, then purchase a Croatian road map before you go. At least it’s reliable and won’t run out of battery or malfunction like the electronic options!
Accommodation Options in Krka National Park
Search available accommodation in Krka National Park in Skradin or Lozovak
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