Krka National Park from Zadar

How long does the drive to Krka actually take?

The drive in a hire car from Zadar Airport to Krka (Skradin) is 62 km and takes 50 minutes. Sibenik is 75 km and 1 h 00 from the airport.

A visitor guide from the Krka park authority says most tour-agency visitors go to Skradinski buk in the morning. It suggests Roški slap straight after the 8:00 opening and Skradinski buk later in the day.

Which entrance should I use?

Krka National Park has four entrances: Lozovac, Skradin, Roški slap (Laškovica) and Burnum (Puljane). Lozovac and Skradin are the two entrances to Skradinski buk, the park's most famous waterfall.

From Skradin, park boats take visitors to Skradinski buk from April to October. A 3.4 km walking and cycling trail also runs from Skradin Bridge to the falls.

Lozovac is the park's main road entrance. In season, park buses take individual visitors down to Skradinski buk, and an 875 m walking trail leads to the falls. In winter, visitors can drive in with their own cars.

Visitor parking at Lozovac is free, as it is at every other park entrance and site. In the town of Skradin, where the boat leaves, the parking spaces are privately owned and charged.

Skradin

Park boat to Skradinski buk from April to October, a 3.4 km trail from Skradin Bridge, privately owned paid parking.

Lozovac

The main road entrance. Park bus in season, an 875 m trail to the falls, free visitor parking.

Krka or Plitvice, if there is only one day?

Plitvice is two and a quarter hours away, 145 km from the airport. Krka (Skradin) is 62 km and 50 minutes from Zadar Airport.

Return trips from the airport to both parks add up to 6 h 10 of driving: 1 h 40 for Krka and 4 h 30 for Plitvice.

Swimming is not allowed at Skradinski buk. At Plitvice, the park authority says summer crowds peak between 10:00 and 14:00, when the park may close for short periods.

What kind of car suits this drive?

Rental cars in Croatia are allowed only on paved public roads. Transmission, seats and the deposit are shown on each car in the search before payment, so a car with a third row can be picked out by its seat count. The driver's minimum age and driving experience are listed on each car's page.

A passenger car in Croatia must carry a warning triangle, a first-aid kit and a reflective vest, and the driver must wear the vest when doing things beside the car on the road.

When is the drive worth making?

Krka National Park is open all year except 25 and 26 December. On 24 and 31 December it opens from 9:00 to 12:00, and on 1 January only the Lozovac entrance is open.

Skradinski buk and Roški slap are open every month, from 9:00 to 16:00 between November and February. Skradinski buk is open from 8:00 to 20:00 from June to August. The Manojlovac waterfall, Burnum and Stinice are not open in January, February, March, November and December.

Swimming is permitted only in designated areas at Roški slap, Stinice and Pisak, from 1 June to 30 September, at the visitor's own risk and depending on weather and water levels.

From 1 November to 31 March, cars in Croatia must drive with daytime running lights or dipped headlights on in daytime.

What do the rental terms mean for this trip?

Rental cars are allowed only on paved public roads. The car must be returned with the same fuel level it was collected with. Fuel, parking, fines and tolls are the renter's cost.

The contact phone number given at booking must be reachable on the day before pick-up and throughout the rental. Phones on networks from other EU countries pay domestic rates for calls, texts and data in Croatia, within the operator's fair use policy. The other clauses are in the conditions the rental runs on.

Krka is inside Croatia, so the trip needs no permission for travel abroad. Taking a rental car on a ferry between the islands and the mainland needs prior arrangement, made before the booking is completed.