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Krka National Park is a must experience for nature lovers, history buffs and tourists alike. Here you’ll find: showstopping waterfalls, rich biodiversity, crystal clear waters, cultural artifacts and a slice of unbelievable history and engineering achievements which continue to impact our world today.
Don’t have time to read the whole article? We’ve got you covered! If you already know you want to visit Krka National Park and are looking for the best way to do so, this Krka Waterfalls, Food & Wine Tasting, Boat Ride & Zadar Old Town tour is the way to go, because you can’t beat the stress-free transportation, local guides and additional stops to Skradin and a winery!
Where you can find Krka National Park and how to access it
Krka National Park is nestled in the heart of central Dalmatia, Croatia, just a few kilometers northeast of Sibenik (a city on the Adriatic coast known as a gateway to the Kornati Islands). It’s named after the Krka River, which runs through the park and is one of six Croatian rivers belonging to the Adriatic Sea basin. About 75% of the Krka River’s length is fresh water with the remaining 25% being brackish (aka a mix of fresh and salt/sea water).
To access one of the park’s entrances, we took a popular boat ride from the small town of Skradin along the Krka River. There’s a certain thrill about hopping on an open-aired boat, leaving behind lingering crowds and enjoying a 25-minute ride through lush greenery and clear river waters. Plus, this round-trip boat ride was included in our entrance ticket to the national park (30 Euro per ticket) and landed us back in Skradin – an excellent spot for lunch, wine and a swim after a few hours of hiking and exploring in Krka.
To learn more about Skradin and fun things to do there, check out our Wine Tasting in Skradin blog post.
What Krka National Park is known for
A unique, defining feature of Krka National Park is the travertines. Travertines are deposits made of calcium carbonate – aka limestone – which collects and gathers into a variety of geomorphological forms like dams and barriers deep in the waters. The main attraction at Krka National Park is Skradinski Buk, the largest and most famous waterfall in the park. This waterfall is in fact an impressive collection of travertines that are about 7,000 years old. Skradinski Buk is known as a “living travertine” because it continues to grow and morph with the addition of new limestone developments. It’s the largest travertine cascade in Europe with a total drop of 150 feet (approx. 46 meters).
Hiking
You’ll also find 22 stunning hiking trails, 5 lookout points and educational walking trails throughout the park. Our favorite trail was the Skradinski Buk trail. It is a one-way, 1.2-mile (1900 meter) trail on a wooden boardwalk which is largely accessible. It offers stunning views of smaller waterfalls and the park’s rich wildlife. On our hike, we encountered colorful dragonflies, European frogs and countless chirping birds. You’ll also get spectacular views of the clear blue, Supukovo lake which the Skradinski Buk flows into. At one time you could swim in this lake below the waterfalls but swimming is no longer allowed at this location in order to protect and preserve the beauty of this unique waterfall.
We really enjoyed this trail because it allowed us to get very close to the ecosystem. If you hike this trail, please remember to leave behind only footprints and to stay on the designated path while hiking.
Learn more about hiking trails at Krka National park.
Other sites within the park
While Krka National Park is worth visiting solely to admire the power and natural beauty of Skradinski Buk, there are plenty of other waterfalls, historic sites and serene landscapes to explore throughout the grounds.
Within the park you’ll find several cultural and historical sites of interest including:
- Krka Monastery which dates back to the 14th century and houses a small museum
- Old watermills that showcase traditional milling techniques
- The Ethno Village & Museum which is tiny but loaded with interesting artifacts that provides you with deep insight into the area’s cultural heritage and significance in the region especially in the world’s development of hydroelectric power. To buff up on your hydroelectric power history, visit www.hydropower.org (it’s interesting stuff!)
How to get to Krka National Park from Zadar
You can rent a car and drive about 1 hour from Zadar to the national park.
You can take the bus from Zadar to Skadin but if you plan to return the same day, know that the buses leaving Skadin are limited.
If you prefer to join a guided tour, we recommend this one, which also includes a wine tasting and free time in Skradin. We went on this tour and were very happy with the entire experience from start to finish. Bonus! You can enjoy free WIFI on the bus. Just ask the tour guide to share the WIFI password.
These are a few top-rated tour options to Krka National Park, and most include transportation not only to and from Zadar but also from Split.
Know Before You Go
- There are 5 different entrances to the park. If you arrive via the Skradin entrance, you will not have to hike far into the park to see the park’s crown jewel aka the Skradinski Buk waterfall and the fee includes a boat ride there and back (the boat ride is offered April through October). We paid 30 Euro each when we visited in June 2023.
- If you arrive via the Skradin entrance, you will find toilets nearby an informational booth but there is a fee to use these facilities. If you walk about 10 minutes into the park you will find toilets, you can use for free. There is also a nice water fountain perfect for refilling a water bottle. We love to travel and hike with a Nalgene water bottle which can be looped around a bag or belt bag or a Camelback. Both keep you hydrated but your hands free!
- A good portion of the park is wheelchair accessible including the well-trodden Skradinski Buk trail.
- Your entrance tickets include access to all entry points for the day. You can also leave and re-enter the park at any time throughout the day you purchased your entrance ticket for.
- There are 388 km of bikeable routes within the national park and 47 km of hiking trails.
We highly recommend a visit to Krka National Park especially as a day trip from Zadar, Split or if you’re road-tripping along the Dalmatian coast! Drop us a comment or question if you’d like more information.
– Alyssa + Justin
We loved it here, went on a day trip from Sibenik. Drove there but then took the boat the rest of the way. There was a lovely litter village where we left the car and boarded the boat…can’t quite remember the name at the minute but it was very picturesque!
So glad you had a chance to experience and explore this national park! If you took the boat to the park entrance you likely picked it up from Skradin! We believe that is the only village boat ride pick up and drop off into the park.
Yes, now you mention it, I think it was! Lovely little place, anyway.
I’m glad you liked it. It’s very beautiful
Just a spectacular place and we loved the discovering the historical significance of the NP too!