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Zagreb to Split: Plitvice Lakes Day Trip & Transfer

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/10

Duration12h

GroupUp to 53

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Sixteen lakes, one waterfall that stops you cold

You get picked up in Zagreb, driven to Plitvice Lakes, guided through both the Upper and Lower Lakes with a train and boat ride included, walk to the 78-meter Veliki Slap waterfall, have the option to eat lunch at a local restaurant, and are dropped off in Split or Trogir by evening. The guide handles the route and timing, so you don't navigate the park alone or miss the main stops.

12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Pick up in Zagreb
Guided walk through Plitvice Lakes
Train and boat ride inside park
See Upper and Lower Lakes
Visit Veliki Slap waterfall
Optional lunch at local restaurant
Continue to Split
Drop off in Split

The Experience

The Veliki Slap hits you before you've processed the scale of it — a 78-meter drop of water that sounds like weather, not a single cascade. You're standing at the end of a full day that started in Zagreb and will finish in Split or Trogir, but right then it's just you and the roar. The tour picks you up from your Zagreb hotel in the morning, loads you into a minivan with a small group, and drives south toward Plitvice Lakes National Park. The road takes about two hours. Your guide speaks English and knows the park well enough to move you through the crowds and into the quiet parts, which matters because this is a UNESCO World Heritage site and people come.

Once you're inside the park, the walking starts. You'll cover roughly five kilometers across uneven ground — boardwalks over water, stone paths between the Upper Lakes and Lower Lakes, the kind of terrain that needs proper shoes and a moderate level of fitness. The guide leads you through both sections, stopping to point out the travertine formations that build the lakes themselves, the way the water changes color from turquoise to deep green depending on the light and the minerals underneath. Somewhere in the middle of the day, the tour includes a train ride through the park and a boat ride across one of the larger lakes, which breaks up the walking and gives your legs a rest. Lunch is optional — there's a local restaurant near the park where you can eat regional dishes, or you can bring your own food and eat by the water.

After you've seen the Veliki Slap and walked back out, the minivan picks you up again and drives you to Split or Trogir, depending on which one you chose when you booked. The whole day is roughly eight to nine hours from door to door. Road tolls and parking are included in the price, so you're not paying extra at checkpoints. The vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters on a hot day when you've been walking in the sun. You can bring one suitcase and one piece of hand luggage — they stay in the van while you're in the park, so you don't have to worry about your bag while you're on the boardwalks.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup in Zagreb, one-way transfer to Split or Trogir in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan, an English-speaking guide throughout Plitvice Lakes National Park, entry to the UNESCO site, a train ride and boat ride within the park, and all road tolls and parking fees.
Lunch at a local restaurant is available as an optional add-on.
You can bring one suitcase and one piece of hand luggage, which are stored safely in the vehicle during your time in the park.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Tours in Croatia

Is this one for you?Book this if you're traveling between Zagreb and Split or Trogir and want to see Plitvice Lakes without arranging separate transport, park entry, and a guide — the fixed itinerary and included pickup handle all three, so you arrive in your final destination having already seen the main attraction.