Plitvice Routes A to K Explained

How the lettered routes work

The park groups its lake walks into lettered programmes, each a circular route with a set length and a set use of the boat and panoramic vehicle. Routes that begin at Entrance 1 are marked in green on the information panels, and those from Entrance 2 in orange. You don't need a guide: you follow the markings for your letter. Your ticket is validated at the entrance you chose when you bought it, so pick your route first and the entrance second. The two main entrances are about 3 km apart, so it pays to decide before you book.

From Entrance 1: routes A, B and C

Route A is a circular walk of 3.5 km through the Lower Lakes canyon past the Great Waterfall, which the park describes as the largest fall in Croatia. Route B, at 4 km, adds an electric-boat ride across Lake Kozjak, a panoramic vehicle ride and a walk along the top of the canyon's east side. Route C, at 8 km, covers the Lower and Upper Lakes with a mix of walking and boat rides, and returns mostly by panoramic vehicle. It passes the Great Waterfall, Veliki Prštavac and Mali Prštavac.

From Entrance 2: routes E, F and H

Route E, at 5.1 km, is the Upper Lakes loop. A short boat ride across Lake Kozjak is followed by a walk upstream to Lake Prošćansko, and a sightseeing train brings you back. Route F, at 4.6 km, crosses Kozjak by boat, walks the Lower Lakes canyon to the Great Waterfall, then climbs a steep serpentine path to viewpoints on the east side. A panoramic vehicle returns you to the start. Route H, at 8.9 km, links both lake groups and takes in the park's entire lake area.

Route C or H for a full day

Both routes see the whole lake system, so the choice is mostly about where you start. C starts at Entrance 1 and returns mostly by panoramic vehicle. H starts at Entrance 2 with a short walk and a panoramic vehicle ride, then goes on foot along the Upper Lakes, across Kozjak by boat and down the Lower Lakes canyon to the Great Waterfall. It follows the canyon's top edge and takes a vehicle back at the end. The park lists C at 4 to 5 hours and H at 4 to 6 hours, and H is the longer walk at 8.9 km against 8 km. Pick the one that starts where you are parked or dropped off.

The long walks: K1 and K2

Routes K1 and K2 are the park's longest, at 16.5 km and 17.5 km, and the park lists both at 6 to 8 hours. K1 starts at Entrance 1 and K2 at Entrance 2, and otherwise they follow the same plan. You walk through the Lower Lakes canyon and along the west shore of Lake Kozjak, then past the Prštavci waterfalls. The route includes the Tomićevo Pogledalo viewpoint. You return along the east shore of Kozjak, reached by a short boat ride, and above the Lower Lakes canyon. Take food and water for a full day, and check that the Upper Lakes are open.

Read next: Plitvice Tickets: Tour or Direct?

How the boat and panoramic vehicles fit in

The electric boats and the panoramic vehicles are included in your ticket, within the programme you have chosen. The boats cross Lake Kozjak on a short route and a long route. The panoramic vehicles run between numbered stops, Both run on a schedule that changes by season, and the park says rides operate according to schedule, so plan your day around them. Check the park's current conditions page on the day you go. Dogs are allowed on a lead, including on the boats and vehicles.

Winter, weather and closures

The park is open all year. In winter the Lower Lakes are usually open and the Upper Lakes are usually closed, reopening in early April depending on the weather. That affects the routes that include the Upper Lakes, which means C, E, H, K1 and K2. Route A stays within the Lower Lakes, so it is the likeliest winter choice, but check whether the boats and vehicles are running. Weather can change quickly, and individual trails may be closed temporarily or vehicles stopped. The park recommends adequate footwear, rain and sun protection, and checking the forecast before you set out.

What you will pass

The park has 16 named lakes in two groups. The 12 Upper Lakes sit on dolomite rock and are larger, with gentler shores. The four Lower Lakes, Milanovac, Gavanovac, Kaluđerovac and Novakovića Brod, sit in limestone and are cut into a deep canyon. The Great Waterfall, Veliki Slap, drops about 78 metres. Kozjak, one of the two largest lakes, is about 47 metres deep. The barriers between the lakes are tufa, a porous rock built by moss, algae and bacteria, and the park says they are still growing.

Read next: How the Plitvice Lakes Formed — and Still Are

Rules on the trail

All visitors have to follow the park's rules of conduct on every route. Swimming has been banned since 2006, and the park lists it among the things strictly prohibited. The same list covers walking off the marked footpaths, feeding animals, picking plants and dropping litter. Cycling and drones are banned, and dogs have to be on a lead. The rules exist because the lake barriers are fragile and easily damaged. The park also has separate forest hiking trails, which are not part of the lettered lake routes.

Who this isn't for

If you have under two hours, even Route A will feel rushed, and you may do better on a short stretch of one lake group. If you need step-free access, the park says its regular tour routes and the lake locations don't allow wheelchair access throughout, though staff at the entrance can suggest the most accessible route. If you want to swim, this isn't the place. And if you are on the guided day trip from Split, the tour follows its own itinerary and doesn't name a lettered route, so ask your guide which parts you will cover.