Krka National Park Guide for 2026: Prices, Opening Hours and Best Routes
Visiting Krka feels like stepping into a film set of emerald pools, timber boardwalks and thunderous cascades. The good news is it’s easy to do in a day from Split, Zadar or Šibenik, and it’s friendlier on the feet than you might think. This guide keeps it real: how to pick the best entrance, when to go, the exact costs 2026, and which trails and boat trips are actually worth your time. I’ll weave in quick wins and calm-the-crowds tactics so you can enjoy the waterfalls without the faff. Ready for wooden walkways, island chapels and a few proper views that will live rent-free in your head? Let’s go. 🌿
Krka National Park Guide: At a Glance
Here’s the snapshot you can skim on the bus.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Where | North Dalmatia, near Šibenik |
| Best entrances | Lozovac for drivers, Skradin for the scenic boat |
| Ticket includes | Skradin–Skradinski buk boat in season, Lozovac shuttle in season |
| 2026 adult price | €7 winter, €20 shoulder, €40 peak Jun–Sep. After 15:00 in peak: €30 |
| Opening hours | Shorter in winter, longest in July–August. Peak days often 08:00–20:00 |
| Trails | Around 47 km of marked routes across the park |
| Swimming | Not permitted for visitors since 1 Jan 2021 |
| Good bases | Šibenik, Split, Zadar |
Quick Q&As for Krka National Park
-
Which entrance is best? Lozovac if you’re driving; Skradin for the scenic boat.
-
How long for Skradinski buk? About 1 hour for the 1.9 km boardwalk loop.
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Can I swim? No, visitor swimming isn’t allowed.
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Are boats on a timetable? Daily departures set on the day, not a fixed public schedule.
🔹 Tinker’s Tip: If you only remember one thing, make it this: arrive early or after 15:00 in peak months for softer light and, handily, a cheaper ticket. 🌅
🔥 My Recommended Tour to get you started: From Split: Krka National Park, Food, & Wine Tasting Tour
Tickets, Costs, and when to go 💶💷💵
Krka keeps pricing simple with three seasons. Children up to 7 go free. Youth 7–18 and students pay reduced rates. After 15:00 in peak months there’s a useful discount for everyone. Your ticket includes the Lozovac shuttle and the Skradin boat when they operate.
| Category | Jan–Mar & Nov–Dec | Apr–May & Oct | Jun–Sep | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | €7 • £6 • $7.70 | €20 • £17.20 • $22 | €40 • £34.40 • $44 | After 15:00 in Jun–Sep: €30 • £25.80 • $33 |
| Youth 7–18 / Student | €4 • £3.44 • $4.40 | €12 • £10.32 • $13.20 | €15 • £12.90 • $16.50 | After 15:00 in Jun–Sep: €11.25 • £9.70 • $12.40 |
| Roški slap area only (adult) | €7 • £6 • $7.70 | €12 • £10.32 • $13.20 | €20 • £17.20 • $22 | Smaller area ticket |
| Under 7 | Free | Free | Free |
Popular boat add-ons in season (pay on top of entry)
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Skradinski buk → Visovac return, 2 h: €15 • ~£12.90 • ~$16.50
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Skradinski buk → Visovac + Roški slap return, 4 h: €20 • ~£17.20 • ~$22
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Skradinski buk → Čikola canyon cruise, 45 min, no stops: €10 • ~£8.60 • ~$11
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Roški slap → Nečven and Trošenj fortresses, 2 h: €15 • ~£12.90 • ~$16.50
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Stinice/Remetić → Visovac, 35 min: €10 • ~£8.60 • ~$11
Opening Times, Seasons and When to Go
Krka is open year-round, with hours that change month by month. In July and August, main sites typically run something like 08:00–20:00. In spring and early autumn, you’ll usually see 08:00–18:00 or 19:00. Winter trims back to around 09:00–16:00 and services are limited. Some localities such as Stinice can be closed in the deep off-season.
Spring and early autumn are sweet spots for comfortable temperatures and lively flow. Summer offers long days and punchy greens. Winter brings drama and near-empty paths, though you’ll plan around shorter hours.
- Check the day’s hours the evening before.
- Boats and shuttles generally operate 1 April to 31 October.
- 24 and 31 December often see reduced hours.
💡 Fact: That after-15:00 discount in peak months isn’t just marketing. It’s the park’s nudge to spread visitors across the day, and it saves you money while landing better light.
📍 Official Website: Krka National Park
🗺️ For a closer look at Split: Split Travel Guide
Getting Your Bearings: Entrances and How It Works
First things first. Krka has multiple entrances, but most visitors use Lozovac or Skradin. Lozovac is the main road entrance with a large free car park. From April to October a park shuttle runs down to the Skradinski buk area. In winter, you may be able to drive closer to the trail start. Skradin is a little riverside town where boats shuttle you upriver to Skradinski buk in season, and that ride is included with your ticket. Parking in Skradin is paid and privately run, so bring coins or a card.
Lozovac highlights: free parking, efficient shuttle, short forest path option.
Skradin highlights: scenic approach by water, cafés for a pre- or post-walk drink.
👉 Good to know: Toilets run by the park are free. Some facilities in Skradin charge a small fee, so keep change handy.
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The Classic Loop: Skradinski buk Walk
This is the headline circuit and the one you’ve seen in photos. A one-way 1.9 km boardwalk loops through terraced cascades, wooden bridges, mossy tufa and an ethno-village of restored mills. Most people spend around an hour on the loop itself. Build in extra time for photos, coffee and short detours to viewpoints. You can reach the start from Lozovac by shuttle or the short forest trail, or arrive from Skradin by boat and follow signs from the dock.
Expect a few stair sections, railings over rushing water and a gentle one-way system that keeps everything flowing. Toilets sit near the ethno-village and at Lozovac.
🔹Tinker’s Tip: In winter the shuttle doesn’t run. When conditions allow, staff may direct drivers down from Lozovac to a lower car park to start the loop without a long descent.
🗺️ Fancy Plitvice as well: Plitvice Lakes National Park: A Guide
Boat Excursions: Visovac, Roški slap and Čikola ⛵️
If you have time for one add-on, make it Visovac. The island sits in a widening of the river and hosts a Franciscan monastery with a small museum and manicured grounds. Most visitors join a 2-hour return trip from Skradinski buk with a 30-minute island stop. It’s serene, photogenic and feels like the park exhaling.
The 4-hour combo to Visovac + Roški slap gives you the fuller picture. You’ll see the long, lacy cascades known as the Necklaces, plus traditional mills along the water. The shorter Čikola canyon cruise runs about 45 minutes without stops, focusing on geology and big river bends.
- Boats usually run April to October.
- Individual departures are set daily by staff.
- Buy add-ons on the day so you can match weather and flow.
👉 Good to know: Aim boats for late morning or mid-afternoon. You’ll avoid peak queues on the Skradinski buk loop and catch softer light on the water. 🚤
🗺️ Recommended Read: Discovering Korčula: The Jewel of the Adriatic
Recommended Tours from GetYourGuide
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Roški slap and the Necklaces 🌊
Upstream from Skradinski buk lies Roški slap, a long, lace-like series of shallow cascades called the Necklaces. It’s calmer than the main loop, with a short circular educational trail of about 1.36 km and photogenic stone arches on the old Roman-era road. There are cafés in season and restored mills that show how the river powered local life.
If you’re self-driving, you can pair a Roški slap wander with the short climb towards Oziđana pećina for views that stretch across the valley. Bring grippy shoes and water.
🔹Tinker’s Tip: Between Roški slap and Oziđana pećina there are 517 wooden steps. Take your time and reward yourself at the top with a slow look back at the Necklaces.
Oziđana pećina Cave: Steps, Views, Prehistory
Part natural wonder, part time capsule, Oziđana pećina shows human presence from roughly 6000 to 1500 BC. Displays in situ tell the story without overwhelming you. You can approach from Bogatići Miljevački with 99 steps, or tackle the famous 517-step climb from the Roški slap side. The cave is typically open April to October, with visits by arrangement in winter.
Surfaces vary between timber stairs, rock and gravel. It’s a short outing that adds a dose of prehistory and a big view over the Krka valley.
💡 Fact: The full Stinice–Roški slap–Oziđana pećina route runs about 8.5 km end to end. It isn’t a loop, so plan transport before you set off.
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Northern Highlights: Burnum and Manojlovac
Ready to leave the crowds? Head north. Burnum is the only preserved Roman military amphitheatre in Croatia, with remains of a legionary camp and a small museum nearby. A short drive away sits Manojlovac, the park’s tallest waterfall at roughly 59.6 m. Short paths lead to viewpoints used by imperial visitors, and the light can be spectacular after rain.
Parking is simple and free in this sector. Facilities are basic, so bring water and snacks. It’s a great add-on to a full day or a focused alternative if Skradinski buk is heaving.
🔹 Tinker’s Tip: Pair Burnum with Manojlovac in one neat outing. You’ll get archaeology and a big-ticket view with minimal walking.
Hiking Options Beyond the Waterfalls
Krka is more than boardwalks and boats. The park lists around 47 km of marked hiking routes, from easy family paths to more rugged river-canyon sections. Favourites include the Lozovac forest path down to Skradinski buk, the Skradin Bridge approach at roughly 3.4 km, and trails around fortresses that watch over the Krka and Čikola confluence.
Wear decent shoes, especially after rain. Trail surfaces range from timber and packed earth to steps and loose gravel. Shade improves in the late afternoon, which is useful on warm days.
- Family-friendly: Lozovac forest path and Skradinski buk loop.
- Longer leg-stretcher: Skradin Bridge approach.
- Advanced feel: sections near Roški slap and towards the cave.
👉 Good to know: Waymarking is solid near headline areas and sparser in the north. Offline maps are handy if you stray from the main loops.
Getting There from Split, Zadar and Šibenik
Driving is the simplest option or doing one of the tours shown above (We did a tour). From Split it’s roughly 1–1.5 hours to Lozovac, from Zadar about the same, and from Šibenik it’s a short hop inland. Buses run to Skradin, which is ideal if you want the included boat to Skradinski buk. If you’re keen on Lozovac by public transport, check regional services to the junction then taxi the last stretch.
- Driving tip: Set “Lozovac entrance” in your map app to land at the free car park.
- Public transport: Aim for Skradin to keep things simple with the boat in season.
Food, Facilities and Paying
Inside the park you’ll find seasonal cafés and kiosks, plus watermill-area food at Roški slap. Prices vary by location. Park-managed toilets are free, although some facilities in Skradin are paid. Cards are widely accepted at main receptions, but small satellite points such as Remetić (Visovac docks), Oziđana pećina, Burnum and Manojlovac may be cash-only, so carry a little euro cash.
Bring a refillable bottle in summer and a couple of snacks for kids. Bins are limited away from hubs, so pack out what you pack in.
🔹 Tinker’s Tip: For a proper sit-down meal, plan it in Skradin before or after your visit. Inside the park, keep it quick and simple so you don’t lose time to queues.
🗺️ More guides to this beautiful country: Croatia’s Beaches: The Ultimate Traveller’s Guide
Rules and Safety
For the park’s health and your safety, stay on marked paths and don’t swim. (DON’T BE THAT GUY!) From 1 January 2021, visitor bathing has been prohibited to protect fragile travertine. Dogs are welcome on a lead. Drones, fishing and stepping onto tufa barriers are not allowed. Follow staff instructions, especially around the one-way flow on boardwalks.
Keep children close on bridges and stairs. In summer, sun protection and water trump everything. In winter, a warm layer helps for breezy viewpoints.
Sample Itineraries That Work
Half-day hit from Lozovac
Shuttle down to the trailhead → Skradinski buk loop → coffee near the ethno-village → optional 2-hour Visovac boat if timings align → shuttle back.
Full day via Skradin
Boat upriver → Skradinski buk loop → late-morning Visovac + Roški 4-hour combo → short Necklaces trail → steps towards Oziđana pećina if you’ve got the legs → back via Skradin for dinner.
Quiet north by car
Burnum amphitheatre → Manojlovac viewpoints → late-day swing to Roški slap for golden light on the cascades.
Photography and Light 📸
Expect mist over the water in the first hour, dappled shade late morning and warm backlight in late afternoon. Tripods are fine if you don’t block the path. The Visovac crossing suits wide-angles. The Necklaces at Roški slap love a standard or short-telephoto lens for patterns. Manojlovac looks best with side light that sculpts the tufa shelves.
If it’s bright and harsh, lean into reflections and textures. If it’s overcast, you’ll get colour saturation and silky water without filters.
FAQs
Can I swim at Krka in 2026?
No. Visitor swimming has been banned since 1 January 2021 to protect the ecosystem. Plan for a walk-only visit and enjoy the views from the boardwalks.
Which entrance is better for first-timers?
Lozovac for drivers. There’s free parking and a shuttle in season. Skradin is best if you want the scenic boat included in your ticket.
How long do I need?
A half day covers Skradinski buk comfortably. With a full day you can add Visovac and Roški slap, or head north to Burnum and Manojlovac for quieter viewpoints.
Are boats on a fixed timetable?
For individual visitors, daily schedules are set on the day. Check times on arrival and be flexible. Weather and water levels can affect departures.
What are the typical opening hours?
Expect something like 08:00–20:00 in peak summer, trimmed hours in spring and autumn, and roughly 09:00–16:00 in winter. Always confirm the day before you go.
Now, over to you…
Been to Krka recently? Share your route, crowd levels and top photo spot in the comments so other readers of The Travel Tinker can plan a smooth day. Got a hidden café in Skradin or a favourite viewpoint on the loop? Pop it below. This Krka National Park Guide is better with your real-world tips. 👇🗣️
If you loved this, keep an eye on The Travel Tinker for more Croatia ideas that pair with Krka, like a Zadar coast day or a Gorski Kotar forest loop.
Adventure on,
The Travel Tinker Crew 🌍✨
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Hi, I am Nick! Thank you for reading! I created The Travel Tinker as a resource designed to help you navigate the beauty of travel, allowing you to tinker your own travels! Let's explore!
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