During our 2-week holiday in Croatia, on the Dalmatian coast, we spent a week on the outskirts of Sibenik. Although we went on later to visit Split and Dubrovnik we wanted a week relaxing by the pool and sea. To get over the Summer term and the kids are much more open to a city break if they have had fun doing the things they wanted to first. We chose Sibenik as it was only a fifty-minute drive from Split airport. It wasn’t until I started researching things to do did I realise how convenient it is for Krka National Park and the Krka waterfalls including Skradinski Buk waterfall.
In fact, it was only about twenty minutes by car to the Croatian National Park and UNESCO world heritage sites. Sometimes overshadowed by the more popular Plitvice Lakes National Park. The photos I found on the internet of the beautiful waterfalls. Meant the national park with travertine waterfalls quickly found itself at the top of our must-see list. And it was the first-day trip we did during our stay. Although I will break it to you now. You are no longer allowed to swim in the Krka waterfalls. So if this is your only reason for visiting then you will be disappointed. As we were visiting at the end of July the temperature was forecast at 36 degrees. We knew that we would not be able to do the whole of the Krka National Park. On that basis, the kids and us would end up melting. So we chose the way we did it carefully. This means if you are travelling with kids this is suitable for you.
How to get to Krka National Park
I always find travelling by car is the best way when visiting these sorts of places with kids, especially when it is only a short drive away. We had hired a car before leaving the UK for the first week of our break. However, you can find car hire companies locally that you will be able to hire a car for just the day if needed.
Alternatively, you can use public transport. It is possible to catch a local bus to the National Park from both Sibenik or Split. To get to the Krka National Park from split, the public bus takes around an hour and a half. You pick it up from Split bus station. Or you can go on a guided tour to Krka National Park from Split. There are many companies that offer excursions. Although these can be quite pricey from what I have seen. Deciding to drive gave us the flexibility we needed with the boys and meant that we could still catch a couple of hours in the pool later that afternoon.
Once you have decided on how you are going to get there you need to decide on the entrance there are ten in total. Coming from Sibnek (or Split) the two closest are Lozovac and Skradin. We opted for the town of Skradin entrance as we wanted to catch a boat trip to the falls. Trying to save little legs in the heat.
Parking at Skadin for Krka National Park
As you drive into Skadin on the main road you go across a blue iron bridge – Skradin Bridge. After this, you will see some signs for a parking lot almost directly in front of you. Not really knowing whether this is the best place or not. We parked up an aid 50kn (£6) for the day. From here you can either walk into the park which is apparently 4km or you can take a short walk into the town to pick up the boat. The car park attendant only took cash and gave rather dodgy-looking car park tickets out. So I have no idea if this is legit or not! But if you are planning on walking then it looked to be the closest car park.
If you are planning on catching a boat then there is a much larger car park closer to where you catch the boat from. Just carry on into the town and you will see it on the left-hand side. This only takes cash too, and it costs 8kn (£1) an hour. But there is plenty of room. Visiting on a Sunday at the end of July the car park was probably only half filled. I am not sure if this is because there is free parking in the local streets. But when we visited we did not see anywhere obvious you could park outside of the car parks mentioned.
The only benefit of our not-so-legit car park was that it was very close to a beach-like area. So if you wanted to swim in the river then this is your best bet. There were some reed parasols, as well a bar and another place selling ice creams and soft drinks. There were even some trampolines under the trees. The bay is also roped off to keep people and boats separate and from what we could see it looked reasonable shallow at the edge. But the kids will need their water shoes.
The information and ticket office
Was quite frankly a little lacking when we brought our Krka National Park Tickets. The big glass building is easy to spot if you walk down towards the water and is the main entrance to the boat tour. It is on the right-hand side, here you can pick up a map of the Skradinski Buk area and buy tickets for the boat and entrance to the park. There is also a lady with a map which has more information on the whole National Park, but there was a long queue to speak to her when we arrived.
The lady that sold us our Krka National Park tickets did not make us aware of the other boat trips that operate (at extra cost) . I do not think we would have done much more than we did as it was so hot! And the boys did well as it was. With the other tours lasting 2-4 hours, it would have been a bit much for them. But we have decided we will return at a later date and perhaps in the shoulder seasons when it is a little cooler.
How much does it cost?
The Krka National Park ticket price depends on what time of year you visit. These are the prices we paid for our entrance ticket when we visited and so a good comparison with the cost of private tours. We visited in July, along with August these are the peak months of the season and so the most expensive. Our entrance with the boat from Skradin to Skradinski Buk cost 200kn for the adults and 120kn for Charlie. As Harry was under 7 he was free. If you enter at the Lozovac entrance then there is a boat excursion which also takes you to Skradinski Buk and this is also included in the price.
If you visit at another time of the year then tickets are cheaper. 110kn for April, May, June, September and October for adults, 80kn for children during this time. November through to March are considered the Winter months when the boats do not run cost 30kn for adults and 20kn for children. You will need to walk the 4km to the entrance of the National Park. Just to confuse things if you want to do other boat excursions in the National Park then you have to pay extra. The best place to check up-to-date prices and all your options when planning a visit is the Krka price list on their website.
Can you purchase food and drink at the National Park?
Yes! I was quite surprised by the number of different options for food that we found at the park. If you arrive via boat then you will come into the village area. Here there are numerous stalls selling food and drink, mainly of the snack variety. There was also a sit-down restaurant which was completely in the shade by the entrance.
If you walk around the park then by the water mills you will come across two restaurants. One looks like a snack bar and sells sandwiches and fast food. The boys had hot dogs and enjoyed them. They also sell ice cream and slushes. Which were needed in the 36-degree heat. If you don’t have time to sit there is a takeaway hatch further along. Although be warned 4 bottles of water cost 100kn (approx £12)
A little further on around the corner from the first restaurant is a second. It is hidden behind a building and so consequently when we visited quiet. From the looks of things, this sells more traditional food and less snacks.
As you climb to the initial lookout points across the Krka waterfalls you will notice little stone tables. On some of these, there are various little old ladies selling sugared almonds, dried fruit and fresh fruit. Specifically aimed at the tourists expect to pay between 20-50kn (£2.50-£6)
Our experience of visiting Krka National Park
Buying tickets
In theory, you can buy tickets in advance for the Krka waterfalls via the website but we could not get this to load. In fact, the website wasn’t very good in general. Despite it being a Sunday in July we had no problem buying tickets around 10 am. There was not much of a queue. And although the park itself was quite busy we managed to get all the photos we wanted and find somewhere to sit etc without being on top of other people. My advice would still be to get there early if you can. If nothing else it is cooler in the early part of the day in the high season.
Boat ride
The boats run every hour for Skradinski Buk but in peak season every half an hour. Meaning that the most you will have to wait are half an hour. There is no ‘booking’ system which I had read elsewhere so you just turn up and take a potluck on the number of people wanting to get on the same boat as you. There seems to be four different boats that run when we visited. Two modern-looking ones and two older wooden ones. Which looked a lot more traditional. Some had coverings to protect you from the sun and some didn’t. Our favourite was the wooden one. It is only a twenty-minute ride but the scenery is very striking and the river is very turquoise. The larger wooden boat we caught back sold a limited range of cold drinks on board.
Arriving at the famous waterfalls
When you get off the boat you will see a large map. If you did not pick up a paper version at the information centre then I would suggest taking a photo of it so you can navigate your way around the Krka waterfalls. Coming in at this end of the park you literally walk for a couple of minutes and you are within viewing distance of the main attraction – Skradinski Buk. Many people take photos in front of the falls here. Although you can get many better-uninterrupted views from the wooden bridge across the lower lake. Which has been widened at the best viewing point to allow for photos of the gorgeous waterfalls. It was busy but we still managed to get a couple without anyone else in them. This is always my goal for tourist attractions like this.
It is lovely walking across and seeing in the super clear water various species of fish in the center of the Krka river. On the way to the bridge, you will also pass several souvenir shops in the Ethno Village.
Eating and drinking
If travelling in the Summer months like we did stock up on water. It was 36 degrees when we visited in July. We found one water fountain on our route but there were plenty of places to pick up drinks. Food wise we got to the restaurant area around midday and it was still quite empty. Which meant that we could get a table. By the time we left, it was completely full. Price wise a hot dog cost 38kn and a bottle of natural water 24k. Full menu and prices are below.
Walking the circuit
After eating we decided to try out the whole walking trail in the leaflet around the Krka waterfalls and Skradinski Buk. There are little white arrows which show you the way to walk. Much of the route is undercover and you use wooden walkways meaning you are out of the sun. Even though it was Summer you walk over the water for most of the route. Giving you the opportunity to see the fish and marvel at how clear the water is. It is possible to walk in both directions when you come into the park. Although the majority of visitors went right to the entrance. Meaning there was very little traffic coming back the other way. Plus we managed to be in the shaded areas for the hottest parts of the day. And it was all downhill on the way back round to the entrance. Ideal for when you are doing these sorts of things with kids.
What else can you do?
As well as walking the route we did there are another 109 square kilometers to Krka National Park. There is a lot more to see and do. Including six more waterfalls, 388km of bike trails and 47km of hiking trails as well as various other boat trips. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to explore further. After all, there is only so much the boys will tolerate when it is so hot. But if we ever get a chance to visit again then there are two things we would like to see.
- Visovac Island – The tiny island of Visovac is an iconic image. Situated in the middle of Visovac Lake the Franciscan Monastery of Our Lady of Mercy, and the Church of Our Lady of Visovac, have stood here since 1445. Almost definitely on our list for the future. There is also the Krka monastery which you can reach by boat.
- Roški Slap Waterfall – Roski Slap Waterfall is also known as the ‘vast waterfall’, and is made up of a 22.5 m high main waterfall and countless backwaters and cascades.
Is Krka National Park worth visiting?
Is Krka National Park worth visiting? The answer is most definitely yes! It makes the perfect day trip from Split or Sibenik and is easy enough to manage yourself if you do not want to go on an organised tour. We did some amazing trips during our 2 weeks in Croatia. Yet this was by far our favourite adventure and it is kid friendly. The scenery is stunning and how often do you get to see the xxx largest waterfall in Europe. My only regret is not being able to see some of the other waterfalls that this amazing national park has to offer.
How long do you need at Krka National Park?
You really need a full day, especially if you want to do more than we did! We arrived in Skradin around 10 am and left about 3 pm. That was plenty for the boys. We also got really lucky as we did not need to wait long for the boat at either leg of the journey. Showing it is more than possible to visit in half a day. Especially if you get there early, during July the first boat leaves for Skradinski Buk at 8am and the last boat returns at 6pm. We only had a sit-down snack for lunch so I would add an extra hour if you decide to eat in one of the sit-down restaurants.
If you want to visit some of the other elements of the National Park then you would obviously need longer. I think to do this other element justice then you would need at least a day. As you will be dependant on when the boat trips run. We do plan to return at a later date and pick up some of the other sights. Although I think we will aim for a time of the year when it is not so hot. Perhaps visiting Croatia in the springtime instead.
Can you still swim at Krka waterfalls?
There is so much conflicting information on google about this. So many blog posts saying you can swim in the Krka waterfalls and Skradinski Buk. Well, you can not. You cannot swim at the Krka waterfalls. There are lots of no swimming signs at almost all parts of the park and the route around Skradinski Buk. The decision was made in 2021 to protect the area. And although it was disappointing I can completely see why they have done it. It is such a beautiful area and the damage that was being done by people and sun tan lotion to its natural beauty would have become irreversible. On the map, there is one swimming area indicated but we struggled to find it. However, there are several others at different areas of the national park we did not reach.
Instead, I would recommend heading back to Skradin and the beach there which is right on the Krka river. As it has a shallow entrance for kids. The water is so clear and there is plenty of shade. It also means that you do not need to carry around lots of swim stuff and water shoes with you. Just be mindful that many of the stalls only take cash. Something to account for if the kids want some water toys or a snorkel mask.
Related Blog Posts
If you have enjoyed this blog post about Krka National Park and are considering a visit then you may find some of the other things we got up to on our trip of interest. Depending on whether you are coming from Sibenik like we did or Split which is where the closest airport is.
- Sibenik offers some beautiful beaches and a more relaxing break – 8 Sibenik beaches to visit during your stay.
- Visit the National Park Kornati to spot some wonderful sea life among the beautiful islands which are very striking. Kornati & Telascica National Parks.
- The best things to do in Sibenik & top tips for your visit to this popular tourist destination.
- Coming
We combined our trip to Sibenik with time in both Split and Dubrovnik, something you may also want to consider doing. If you are planning on visiting with children then our tips for holidaying in Croatia may be useful.
Have you been to the Krka waterfalls or Skradinski Buk? Please let me know about your favourite waterfalls in the comments below.
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PIN for later – Krka Waterfalls including Skradinski Buk
