Plitvice lakes formed part of our Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro trip. We couldn’t have travelled there without paying a visit to this Great Park of Plitvice. We have heard praising comments about this place, but nothing  compared to experiencing it  ourselves. It was unbelievably  beautiful. There are several routes to opt for, according to your physical state or prefference. These are the routes:

1. Starting from the north entrance (Entrance 1), Route A offers a circular tour showcasing the iconic “Great Waterfall” – Croatia’s largest waterfall. The path meanders through the picturesque “Lower Lakes” area, passing by stunning areas before ascending towards the eastern side of the canyon. Duration: Approximately 2-3 hours.
2. Also beginning at Entrance , Route B provides a circular journey through the “Lower Lakes” canyon, featuring an electric boat ride on Lake “Kozjak”, a panoramic vehicle ride and a walk along the canyon’s east side. Duration: Approximately 3-4 hours.
3. Like the previous routes, Route C starts from Entrance 1 and offers a circular tour encompassing both Lower and Upper Lakes. Visitors will enjoy walks and electric boat rides, with the return enjoying panoramic scenery. Highlights include the largest waterfalls like “Great Waterfall”, along with numerous smaller waterfalls and lakes. Duration: Approximately 4-6 hours.
4. Commencing from the south entrance (Entrance 2), Route E explores the “Upper Lakes” section in a circular tour. Visitors will experience a short boat ride across “Kozjak Lake”, followed by a walk. Highlights include the tranquility of the “Upper Lakes”. Duration: Approximately 3-4 hours.
5. Starting from Entrance 2, Route F combines a walk and an electric boat ride across Lake Kozjak, followed by a stroll through the “Lower Lakes” canyon to the “Great Waterfall”. Duration: Approximately 3-4 hours.
6. Also commencing from Entrance 2, Route H includes a walk, panoramic views, and a boat ride across Lake Kozjak. Visitors will explore both Upper and Lower Lakes, with highlights like the “Great Waterfall”. The circular program offers a comprehensive experience of the park’s lake area. Duration: Approximately 4-5 hours.

7. Beginning at Entrance 1, Route K1 encompasses a large part of Plitvice Lakes, featuring the “Great Waterfall”, Lower Lakes canyon, western shore of Kozjak Lake, and the stunning Prštavci waterfall. The return journey includes a boat ride across Kozjak Lake and a walk along the eastern side of the Lower Lakes canyon. Duration: Approximately 5-6 hours.

8. Starting from Entrance 2, Route K2 takes visitors on a tour of Plitvice Lakes, passing through the eastern shore of Kozjak Lake, Upper Lakes canyon, and the breathtaking Great Waterfall. The return journey involves a boat ride across Kozjak Lake and a walk along the Upper Lakes. Duration: Approximately 5-6 hours.

Routes   A and B are  perfect to do with children. In any case you  know your child better. However, going with a baby stroller is going to be difficult as there are so many steps, wooden paths and going up hill. There are many places with no barriers so please be conscious of this.

We opted for  route B to do with our 6 year old twins as we thought route A was a bit  short and the remaining route rather long, but obviously you know your child better.

I had prepared sandwiches and dry snacks for the children in advance to be on the safe side. They ate it but also tried the ice creams at the resting area before taking the boat. Toillets are also located there.

In regards to clothing:

Layers , layers  and more layers. Especially in the winter, the weather is very cold, the climate is continental, so winters are hard. Have a warm jacket.

Waterproof trousers or rain clothes should be always in your backpack especially if you visit the largest waterfall.

Antislip shoes. This is very important. You will go  up and down and on wooden paths situated on top of water.  They can get wet from time to time and could become slippery.

Sunscreen sunscreen  and more sunscreen.  Absolutely necessary especially in the summer.

Our day:

We arrived just before 9 in the morning and it was perfect as later in the day larger groups of people started  entering the park. There are parkings just before the 2 entrances of the park.

We chose to stay in a B&B in a village close to Entrance 1 which turned out to be great, as we had a lovely walk to the forest the day before and tasted the  delicious dishes that our B&B owner had prepared. We liked it so much so we opted to have a late lunch after the end of our day in the park and had a lovely goulash. Our B&B had also a garden that our children really enjoyed playing  in.

How to get there:

We had flown to  Zadar and then rented a car to take us to the Lakes. It was an almost 2 hour drive from the Airport, with impressive change of scenery starting from the sea shore  and ending up in the mountains.