Viewpoint over Skradinski Buk Waterfall

Intro to Krka National Park

Located in southern Croatia and situated along the Krka river in Šibenik-Knin County, Krka National Park is a must-visit during your trip to Dalmatia. It has a series of 7 waterfalls including the famous Skradinski Buk and Roški Slap, and is home to the Franciscan Monastery of Our Lady of Mercy (on Visovac island).

Rich in diversity, the national park covers a total of 109 square kilometers; there are over 1,000 species of plants as well as hundreds of animal species that call Krka their home. The hikes are gorgeous, the fresh air is plentiful, and the sounds of the rushing water throughout the park is so calming - I would highly recommend visiting! At just over an hour from Zadar, 1.5 hours from Split, and 3-4 hours from Zagreb and Dubrovnik, it makes the perfect day trip in Croatia. Also, lots of tours leave from each of these cities to go to the National Park!

Krka National Park Routes

The park has 5 main entrances and 21 separate named educational trails that are mostly short loops, viewpoints, and marked educational paths. The main entrances serve as the park's key gateways, with full reception facilities (ticket offices, often with info centers or staff for guidance), organized parking and transport (larger, often free parking lots, seasonal shuttles, buses, or included boat rides to major attractions), and connections to the park's highlights (iconic waterfalls, ruins or monasteries).

The trails are spread across different sections of the park, so not every trail starts directly at one of the 5 main entrances — some have their own smaller access points or parking areas that are targeted to specific spots like a single waterfall viewpoint (e.g., Manojlovac) or quiet hiking loop, without connecting to the broader park network. It's lower-profile with fewer amenities and no on-site ticket sales (you need a pre-bought ticket or full-park pass).

View over Krka river from the lesser-known Rogovo trail - photo by Jesper van der Pol on Unsplash

That being said, most visitors (especially first-timers) focus on the 5 main entrances:

• 1 Skradin - Trail featuring waterfalls (Skradinski Buk); boat (scenic and included in ticket April–Oct), hike or bike
• 2 Lozovac - Main car entrance for Skradinski Buk; hike or free shuttle (April–Oct)
• 3 Laškovica / Roški Slap – Quieter upper waterfalls (Roški Slap), old mills, and trails
• 4 Burnum / Puljane – Ancient Roman ruins and archaeological sites
• 5 Kistanje / Krka Monastery – Mainland monastery and access to boat tours for Visovac Island (the famous island monastery on the lake; boat excursions are extra, can combine with Skradinski Buk and/or Roški Slap)

Skradin vs Lozovac Entrances

Lozovac and Skradin are the two most popular entrances, both leading to the same stunning ~1.9 km circular boardwalk loop at Skradinski Buk. This loop is the park's highlight, with wooden paths over turquoise pools, smaller cascades, and the grand final waterfall. In high season (April–October), both offer free, easy transport options included with your park ticket (shuttles from Lozovac or boats from Skradin), making them accessible for those with mobility issues.

Skradin Entrance

This is a scenic river entrance. From the Skradin bridge/town, you can take an included boat ride (highly recommended—about 30 minutes upstream with great views), hike ~3.4 km along the river, or bike to the boardwalk start. Parking in Skradin town is paid and limited (private lots).

National park boat heading down the Krka river - photo by Tom Wheatley on Unsplash

Lozovac

We were looking for a short hike with waterfalls, so we chose Lozovac and it was perfect!

Lozovac is the main road entrance for Krka - get off the highway at the Šibenik exit and you'll see plenty of signs for the park. It has a large, free parking lot, an EV charging station, and restrooms. After buying/showing tickets, there's a ~875m downhill trail (rocky/stairs in parts) to the boardwalk start, or take the free seasonal shuttle bus straight down.

The full loop takes 1–2 hours at a leisurely pace, with tons of photo stops. It's mostly flat/elevated boardwalks once you're there - super immersive as you walk right over the river and falls.

Wooden boardwalks along the loop - photo Leopold on Unsplash

Note: Swimming is no longer allowed at Skradinski Buk (since 2021 for conservation). If you'd like to swim at Krka, head upstream to designated areas near Roški Slap.

Krka National Park Tickets & Pricing

There are different packages you can purchase tickets for based on which entrance you choose and which waterfalls or sites you want to see. Tickets can be bought online in advance (recommended to avoid queues) or at one of the 5 main entrances. There are two main ticket options on the Krka National Park official website ticket page: All Accessible Land Sites" (full park access) and a combined partial ticket for Roški Slap, Kistanje (Well of Life), Manojlovac, Burnum, and Krka Eco Campus. For Skradinski Buk, choose the full park ticket, then select your date and entry area (Lozovac or Skradin).

All prices listed are for individual adults and are updated as of 2026. Children under 7 are free. Discounts available for students, groups (min. 20, pre-booked), seniors, disabled visitors, and more — check the official site for full price lists!

There are also a lot of extra boat excursions you can go on from April–October (or exceptionally March/November if weather allows). There are multiple pick-up points, including both Skradinski Buk and Roški Slap. These excursions are to Visovac Island (to see the Franciscan Monastery of Our Lady of Mercy), Krka monastery, to Roški Slap, medieval fortresses (views from boat), or to Čikola canyon. This is an additional cost to your entry ticket, and prices vary from 10–20 € for individual adults. These prices and more information can be found on the official site linked above.

Visovac Island - photo by Hrvoje_Photography on Unsplash

Skradinski Buk Waterfall

What is Skradinski Buk?

The main attraction of the circular trail is Skradinski Buk—a stunning series of waterfalls that, at the time of our visit, was available for swimming during on-season months. We went during off-season so we couldn't swim anyway; attractions are sometimes limited when traveling off-season, but it's nice not having to deal with large crowds, and ticket entry prices are cheaper!

Skradinski Buk waterfall (final cascade)

It's the seventh and final major waterfall along the Krka River, and is the longest tufa barrier in Europe. A tufa barrier is essentially the rock formation that makes the water flow from lake to lake as a series of waterfalls. In the case of Skradinski Buk, tufa has formed to make seventeen 'steps' spanning ~800 meters long with a total vertical drop of ~45.7 meters across its steps (width varies 200–400 meters). The last 'step' or cascade is the broadest and most visually impactful along the loop - the one you see in iconic photos of Krka National Park. While it's undeniably one of the most iconic with its broad, fan-like width, it's not very tall by itself (5-10 meters) and not the largest in the park. Technically, Manojlovac (upstream) has the park's single tallest drop (~32m)!

Skradinski Buk waterfall (upper cascades)

Waterfall Accessibility & Amenities

As mentioned, from April to October there are free Krka National Park transportation services that take visitors to and from the loop, originating from Lozovac or Skradin. This is perfect for those who are mobility-impaired or only want to visit the famous waterfall and skip the hikes. Since it's a loop, when you get to the beginning you have a choice between two directions.

You can technically go either way, though signs often suggest one preferred direction (usually counterclockwise, starting upstream, longer walk before Skradinski Buk). I recommend this to build up the drama, passing small upper cascades, greenery and viewpoints before meeting the highlight. However, you can walk "down" or across the wooden bridge toward the lower river area to get almost immediately to the base of the waterfall (5–10 minutes). During off-season buses don't run so you'll have to walk along one of the trails to get to the loop, which I recommend doing anyway!

There are two restaurants at Skradinski Buk along with a large open area for sitting, eating, and relaxing. You can pick up some food, snacks, and most importantly water! The restaurants were open when we arrived during off-season, however they may have limited hours in deep winter—I'm not sure if it's weather-dependent or if they close during certain months, so come prepared if you're visiting in cold months.

Water Mills / Ethno Village

Near the start/end of the Skradinski Buk loop (depending on your direction), you'll pass the impressive remnants of the 1895 Krka Hydroelectric Plant (Jaruga)—one of the world's earliest large-scale AC power plants. It began operation on August 28, 1895—just two days after the Niagara Falls plant started generating power—and immediately transmitted electricity 11 km to light up the streets of Šibenik. This made Šibenik the first city in the world to have public lighting powered by a complete hydroelectric AC system (while Niagara's power didn't reach Buffalo for city-wide use until over a year later). It's bigger than you'd expect, with educational panels explaining its pioneering history.

Krka NP ethno village

Not far from the old plant, right at the loop's start, is the restored ethno village: a collection of preserved 19th-century water mills (with roots dating back as far as 1251) that you can explore inside and out. Some have been turned into small exhibition spaces (like on water power and industrial architecture), and in peak season, you might catch live demonstrations of traditional crafts—milling wheat, weaving, blacksmithing, cloth pounding, or old-fashioned cooking — all in folk costumes. It's a fun extra activity before starting/ending the hike to learn a bit more about the history of the national park. Bonus: there's a free restroom here!

Inside the old water mills at the ethno village

Exploring Skradin

Despite our choice of entrance (Lozovac), we still wanted to explore the charming town of Skradin (it looked so pretty in photos!), so we drove over after our hike for some well-deserved food and a wander. It was absolutely worth the detour!

Skradin is so unique - it's one of Croatia's oldest settlements, with a rich history dating back over 6,000 years (from prehistoric times through Illyrian Liburnians and Roman Scardona). With its quiet streets and historic buildings, it had a super serene, almost timeless vibe that we loved. We grabbed a relaxing meal near the marina with gorgeous water views before strolling the narrow streets.

(L) Street in Skradin; (R) The Church of St. Spiridon

While wandering, we stumbled upon the stairway leading up to Turina Fortress — a medieval ruin perched on the highest hill in the town center. Built between 1273 and 1312 on the site of an ancient city from the Liburnian tribe period, it offers stunning panoramic views over the Krka River, marina, and the whole of Skradin. We timed it perfectly and watched a beautiful sunset from the top before heading home!

View over Skradin and the Krka river from the Fortress of Turina

Krka National Park exceeded all our expectations — the turquoise waterfalls, wooden boardwalks winding right over the cascades, and that perfect mix of nature and history made it one of our favorite day trips in Croatia. Even though we visited off-season (and missed the swimming that used to be allowed), the quieter trails, cheaper tickets, and golden light made it feel like we had the place almost to ourselves.

Whether you enter via Lozovac for easy parking and a short downhill hike, or detour to Skradin for the boat ride and charming town vibes, you really can't go wrong. Add in hidden gems like sunset views from Turina Fortress, and you've got a full, memorable day.

If you're exploring Croatia's incredible national parks, pair Krka with Plitvice Lakes — another stunning waterfall wonder with elevated boardwalks, emerald lakes, and even more dramatic cascades (just a couple hours' drive north). We loved both for different reasons: Krka feels more intimate and historical, while Plitvice is grander in scale.

Put Krka high on your Dalmatia bucket list — just buy tickets online in advance (especially in summer), wear comfy shoes for the boardwalks, and leave time to linger. It's a lovely experience!