DAY TRIP TO PLITVICE LAKES FROM VODICE
From Vodice: sixteen lakes and the Big Waterfall in one day — your driver waits at the entrance
Door to door from Vodice. You choose the start time.
Total driving over the day, on the scenic rather than the fastest route.
The driver waits at every one — stay as long as you like.
Per vehicle, up to four people. The full day is confirmed for your date — no deposit.
Day Trip to Plitvice Lakes from Vodice — a full day with your own driver
From Vodice it is about two and a quarter hours to Plitvice: inland to the A1, north through the Velebit and onto the Lika plateau. An early departure gives you the Lower Lakes and the Big Waterfall before the midday crowds — and no coach to share with forty other guests from the riviera hotels.
Your driver waits at the entrance until you are done, however long the walk takes, and you are back on the Vodice seafront in the evening.
Plitvice is Croatia's oldest national park and its most famous: sixteen terraced lakes stepping down a forested valley, joined by waterfalls and crossed by kilometres of wooden boardwalks. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and on a summer afternoon it can feel as if half of Europe has come to see it — which is why the time you arrive matters more than anything else.
With your own car and driver you choose that time yourself. We collect you early, drive you to the park and wait at the entrance all day, so you can walk the Lower and Upper Lakes at your own pace, take the boat across Kozjak and the panoramic train back, and sleep on the drive home.
What's included
- A private vehicle for your group only (1–4 passengers) — a new Škoda Octavia, air-conditioned
- A professional local driver for the whole day
- Waiting at every stop, for as long as you agreed — the car never leaves without you
- Door-to-door pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation
- Fuel, road tolls and parking
- A departure time you choose, and a plan you can change during the day
What's not included
- Plitvice Lakes National Park tickets (they include the boat across Kozjak and the panoramic train)
- Guiding — your driver is a driver, not a licensed tour guide
- Food and drinks
- Anything else you decide to buy along the way
Starting somewhere else?
The same day out from 8 towns — each page has the drive, the timing and the starting price per vehicle from there.
The itinerary
3 stops, one day, no schedule to keep. The times below are what most guests take — stay longer anywhere and we simply shorten the next one.
The Lower Lakes and the Big Waterfall
about 2 hours
From Entrance 1 the path drops into the canyon of the four Lower Lakes, and the view from the rim — water stepping down between limestone walls — is the one on every postcard. Below it the Big Waterfall, Veliki slap, falls about 78 metres, the highest in Croatia, where the Plitvica stream tumbles over the edge of the canyon.
The boardwalks then follow the Lower Lakes upstream, in places right across the water, to the shore of Kozjak. This is the busiest part of the park, so it is where an early start pays off most.
Across Lake Kozjak by boat
about 20 minutes on the water
Kozjak is the largest of the sixteen lakes, and the park's quiet electric boats carry visitors across it between the Lower and the Upper Lakes. After a couple of hours on the boardwalks it is a welcome rest, and the view along the lake — green water and forest on every side — is one of the best in the park.
The boats, like the panoramic train, are included in the park ticket. In high season expect a short queue at the jetty.
The Upper Lakes
about 2–3 hours
Above Kozjak the park changes character: the twelve Upper Lakes spread out through the forest, linked by wide cascades rather than one great fall. The trails are gentler and quieter here, and the cascades around Galovac are the stretch many visitors remember best.
At the top the panoramic train runs back towards the entrances, so there is no need to retrace your steps — your driver waits at whichever entrance suits the way you walked.
How the day works
The whole point of a private day is that you stop thinking about transport. Here is exactly what happens, so there are no surprises.
We collect you at the door
At the time you choose, from your hotel, apartment or villa in Šibenik, Skradin, Vodice, Tisno, Primošten, Trogir, Split, Makarska or Zadar. No meeting point, no walking to a bus stop.
The car is yours alone
A clean, air-conditioned vehicle for your group only. We pick nobody else up along the way and there is no group to keep pace with.
At every stop, the driver waits
He parks and stays with the car while you look around, for as long as you agreed — and you have his number if you want longer. Nothing leaves without you.
Back at your door
Whenever you are ready. If you want to change the plan halfway through the day, just say so — the itinerary is a suggestion, not a contract.
Things you will never have to think about on one of our days: parking, shuttle timetables, which bus goes back, whether the last connection has left, or how far the car park is from the entrance. You will need to buy your own entrance tickets and think about lunch — everything else is the driver's problem, not yours.
When to go, and how to beat the crowds
Plitvice is beautiful in every season, each in its own way. Spring brings the most water and the loudest waterfalls, summer the greenest forest and the biggest crowds, and autumn turns the beech woods red and gold. In winter the lakes can freeze and some trails close.
In the busiest months tickets are sold for set entry times and visitor numbers are capped, so buy your tickets online as soon as you know your date and tell us the time — we plan the departure around it. Arriving at opening time is the surest way to see the lakes without a crowd.
Swimming is not allowed anywhere in the park, and some boardwalks have little shade — bring water, a hat and good walking shoes.
Practical information
- Park tickets
- Bought by you, online in advance or at the entrance. Prices change with the season, and the ticket includes the boat across Kozjak and the panoramic train.
- Walking
- Most visitors walk 8–10 km over the day, on flat boardwalks and forest paths. The park marks its routes with letters; the long loops from Entrance 1 or 2 take four to six hours.
- Food
- There are snack bars inside the park and restaurants near the entrances serving Lika lamb, trout and cheese. Ask the driver for a proper lunch stop on the way home.
- Swimming
- Not permitted anywhere in the park.
- Weather
- Lika is cooler and wetter than the coast, so bring a layer even in summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Plitvice day trip from Vodice?
From 440 € per vehicle for up to four people — the price of our Vodice–Plitvice return transfer with waiting. The park ticket, with the boat and train included, is bought separately.
What time should we leave Vodice?
Around six in summer. The early start buys you the quiet hours on the boardwalks, and with timed tickets it lets you choose one of the first entry slots.
Are Plitvice tickets included?
No. The price covers the vehicle, the driver and the waiting. You buy the park ticket yourself — online in advance in summer — and it already includes the boat across Kozjak and the panoramic train.
How long do we have at the lakes?
As long as you like. Most guests spend five to six hours walking the Lower and Upper Lakes with the boat and the train; we wait at the entrance and leave when you are ready.
Which entrance do you use?
Entrance 1 if you want to start with the classic view and the Big Waterfall, Entrance 2 if you would rather begin at Kozjak and the Upper Lakes. Tell us which your ticket is for, or let the driver pick the quieter one on the day.
Is this a guided tour?
No — it is a private car and driver for the day. You walk the park on your own, at your own pace. If you would like a licensed guide with you, a group tour is the better fit.
Ask for a Price — Day Trip to Plitvice Lakes from Vodice
Price on RequestGive us your date and where you are staying, and Stipe will come back with a firm price
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