Hike
Walking the Boardwalk Trails
Plitvice Lakes · Lika & Plitvice
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Hike
- COUNTRY
- Croatia
- REGION
- Plitvice Lakes · Lika & Plitvice
- DURATION
- 2 hours (shortest loop) to a full day (complete circuit).
- DIFFICULTY
- Easy to moderate — flat boardwalks with steps in the canyon section; no climbing.
- BEST TIME
- May–June and September for water flow and fewer crowds; arrive at opening time in summer.
ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE
Walking the boardwalks is the core Plitvice experience. The park is crossed by wooden walkways built directly over the water and between the falls, so you move through the lake system at water level — stepping over travertine barriers, passing behind waterfalls and crossing the lakes on narrow planks above the clear water. Four marked routes (A–H) of different lengths thread the Upper and Lower Lakes, the boat crossing and the train, so a visit can be anything from a two-hour Lower Lakes loop to a full-day circuit of all sixteen lakes.
WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE
What you’ll experience
You follow one of the marked routes from an entrance, walking boardwalks that run over the lakes and along the cascades. The Lower Lakes section drops into the limestone canyon past Veliki Slap; the Upper Lakes section winds through forest between the long travertine terraces. Most full circuits combine both sections with the electric-boat crossing of Kozjak and the panoramic train as the return leg. The boardwalks are narrow in places and can be crowded at peak times, which is why early starts matter.
THE EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL
What it’s really like
HIGHLIGHTS
Moments worth savouring
Boardwalks built directly over the lakes and between the waterfalls — the signature way to see Plitvice.
Four marked routes (A–H) from a two-hour loop to a full-day circuit of all sixteen lakes.
The canyon section of the Lower Lakes and the forested terraces of the Upper Lakes in one walk.
A circuit that combines walking with the included electric boat and panoramic train.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Good to know before you go
The boardwalks are wooden and can be slippery when wet; shoes with grip are essential. The routes involve steps, especially in the Lower Lakes canyon. In the high season the boardwalks are busiest from late morning to mid-afternoon — arriving at opening time gives a far quieter walk. There is no swimming anywhere in the park. Allow a half-day for a medium route and a full day for the complete circuit.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
The boardwalks are Plitvice — they are what make it possible to move through a living waterfall landscape at water level rather than viewing it from a distance, and they are the reason a visit here feels unlike any other park in the region.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
THROUGH THE LENS
From the road
MAP & LOCATION
Walking the Boardwalk Trails
Walking the Boardwalk Trails, Plitvice Lakes, Lika & Plitvice, Croatia
44.8654, 15.5820
ATTRACTIONS NEARBY
Pair it with these sights
MORE EXPERIENCES
More to do in Plitvice Lakes
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Lička Kuća — traditional Lika cuisine at the park entrance
Park restaurants and cafés at Entrance 1 and Entrance 2
Picnic spots along the upper trails
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Park hotels inside the reserve for early starts
Guesthouses in Rastoke, the watermill village nearby
Family hotels and apartments in the villages around the park
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
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PART OF
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