How to Get to Krka National Park from Split, Šibenik and Zadar
The part of Krka National Park most people come for, the Skradinski buk waterfalls, has two entrances: Lozovac and Skradin. By the distance table in the park’s own brochure, Split is about 89 km from Lozovac and 94 km from Skradin, Zadar about 81 km and 76 km, and Šibenik about 15 km and 20 km. The A1 motorway has an exit for each entrance, so from anywhere on the central Dalmatian coast this is an easy drive.
What catches people out is the last stretch. From April to October you cannot drive to the falls: at Lozovac a park bus takes you down, at Skradin a park boat does, and both are included in the ticket. You can also walk in on a trail from either side. Without a car, your options are a regional bus to Šibenik or Skradin, a coach day tour, a private driver, or a boat trip from Šibenik or Vodice. This guide covers each one, and the one ticket rule that decides how you plan the day.
Lozovac or Skradin: which entrance to use
Skradinski buk sits at the bottom of the Krka canyon. Lozovac is on the high ground above it; Skradin is the small river town downstream. The park lists four entrances in all (Lozovac, Skradin, Roški slap / Laškovica and Burnum / Puljane), but only the first two lead to Skradinski buk.
| Lozovac | Skradin | |
|---|---|---|
| A1 motorway exit | Šibenik | Skradin |
| From Split | about 89 km | about 94 km |
| From Zadar | about 81 km | about 76 km |
| From Šibenik | about 15 km | about 20 km |
| Parking | Free, all year | Private and charged in town; about 10 free spaces at Skradin Bridge |
| Down to the falls, April to October | Park bus, included, or an 875 m trail | Park boat, 20 minutes, included, or a 3,400 m trail |
| Down to the falls in winter | Drive the 4 km road yourself | Walk or cycle the trail |
The short version:
- Driving yourself: Lozovac is the simpler choice. It is the park’s main road entrance, parking is free, and the bus does the rest.
- Arriving by public bus or by boat from the coast: Skradin. Buses from Split and Zadar run to Skradin, and private boats from Šibenik and Vodice tie up there.
- Wanting to arrive by water: Skradin, for the 20-minute boat ride up the canyon.
Whichever you pick, plan to leave the same way you came. The one-day ticket lets you visit each locality only once, and the park states plainly that if you arrive at Skradinski buk via Lozovac you cannot return by boat to Skradin, or the other way round.
Distances from the coast
These are the park’s own road distances, from its visitor brochure. They are the figures to use when comparing a base on the coast.
| From | To Lozovac | To Skradin |
|---|---|---|
| Šibenik | 15 km | 20 km |
| Vodice | 23 km | 28 km |
| Trogir | 56 km | 61 km |
| Zadar | 81 km | 76 km |
| Split | 89 km | 94 km |
If you also want to see Roški slap, the second big waterfall further upstream, note that the same table puts it 105 km from Split. Šibenik and Vodice are the natural bases for a slow visit; Split, Trogir and Zadar all work as a day trip.
Driving: the A1, the D8 and the brown signs
Krka National Park lies just off the A1 motorway. There are two exits on the 8.9 km stretch between Skradin and Šibenik, and the park says it takes five to ten minutes from either exit to reach an entrance.
- For Lozovac, take the Šibenik exit.
- For Skradin, take the Skradin exit.
The other way in is the Adriatic main road, the D8, which also leads to the park from Zadar and from Split. From Šibenik itself, head towards Drniš and then follow the brown tourist signs to the locality you want.
Two practical points for drivers:
- Trust the signs over the satnav. The park’s own FAQ deals with visitors whose navigation took them into the fields instead of to an entrance; its answer is to follow the tourist information signs, which lead to every locality open to visitors.
- Electric cars: there are charging stations at Lozovac and at Laškovica, the visitor centre for Roški slap.
The park itself recommends coming by car if you want to see more than one locality, because the sites along the river are far apart and only some are linked by boat.
The Lozovac entrance
Lozovac is the park’s main road entrance, used by coaches and by individual visitors. Parking is free all year, for cars and coaches alike, and there is a free toilet here as well as one near the ethno village at the falls.
From the entrance, a paved road 4 km long winds down to the start of the walking trail around Skradinski buk. How you use it depends on the season:
- April to October: the road is open to buses only. Park buses take individual visitors down to Skradinski buk and back, and the ride is included in your ticket.
- November to March: the road opens to cars, and you drive down yourself.
If you prefer to walk, an 875 m trail starts next to the main reception and drops through pine woods to the falls. It is gravel and descends steeply towards the river, so it is easy on the way down and harder on the way back up. You can walk down and take the bus back up, which is what the park itself suggests.
If you already hold an online ticket, you do not need to queue at the reception: you can go straight to the bus stop.
The Skradin entrance
Skradin is a small town on the river below the falls. From April to October park boats run from here to Skradinski buk during park hours, and the ride takes about 20 minutes. It is included in the ticket.
How it works on the day:
- Without a ticket, you buy one at the park office in Skradin before boarding. The office opens half an hour before Skradinski buk opens and closes when the falls close.
- With an online ticket, you board directly and show a printout or the barcode on your phone.
- Parking in Skradin is privately run and charged. The park’s own parking at its other entrances is free.
You can also walk or cycle. A 3,400 m trail for walkers and cyclists runs from Skradin Bridge up the right bank of the river to the falls, and tickets for it are sold at the reception at the bridge. There is free parking for about 10 cars near the bridge; otherwise you park in Skradin, 10 to 20 minutes from the start of the trail. If you cycle, leave the bike at the marked place near the reception at the falls and ride back the same way: bicycles are not allowed on the boat to Skradin.
One detail matters if you are thinking of a boat from the coast: the park says the only boats that sail the canyon between Skradin and Skradinski buk are its own. Ask any independent operator how that last stretch to the falls is handled.
Getting to Skradinski buk in winter
The park is open all year, but the park boats and buses to Skradinski buk do not run in winter. From November to March the arrangement is:
- From Lozovac, drive down the 4 km road in your own car.
- From Skradin, walk or cycle the trail from Skradin Bridge.
Winter hours are short. On the park’s current timetable Skradinski buk is open 9:00 to 16:00 in January, February, November and December, and 9:00 to 17:00 in March. On 1 January only the Lozovac entrance opens; on 24 and 31 December the park is open 9:00 to 12:00, and it is closed on 25 and 26 December. The low-season ticket is far cheaper: €7 for an adult on the 2026 price list.
What you get in exchange is water. The park’s FAQ describes winter as the season when the volume of water takes centre stage and the travertine shapes are easiest to see. What you give up is the boat excursions, which only run in the warmer months. Check hours before you go.
By public bus from Split, Zadar and Šibenik
The park’s brochure says there are regular bus lines from Split and Zadar to Šibenik and to Skradin, and that the timetable is seasonal, so you should check it before travelling. It points visitors to the county bus operator’s site, sikbus.hr.
On that network, line 54 runs from Šibenik to Skradin. A new county timetable came into force on 3 September 2026, so any departure times you found earlier in the year may no longer apply. Check before you go.
The bus to Skradin pairs naturally with the park boat. You arrive in town, buy your ticket at the park office (or show your online one), and take the boat up the canyon. Coming back, you take the boat down and pick up a bus from Skradin.
Lozovac is harder without a car. The brochure names Šibenik and Skradin as the places the regional buses serve, so if you are relying on public transport, Skradin is the entrance to plan around.
Day tours from Split, Trogir, Zadar and Šibenik
Coach and minibus day tours to Krka leave from all the main bases on the coast, and they are the simplest way to see the falls from Split or Zadar without driving. They are not all the same product, and the differences are easy to miss in a listing. Before you book, check:
- Whether the park ticket is included. On the 2026 price list an adult ticket is €40 from June to September and €20 in April, May and October, so it is a large part of the cost. If it is not included, budget for it.
- How long you get at the falls. The park’s ticket shop allows 2 hours to tour Skradinski buk, not counting the time it takes to get there. A tour that gives you less will feel rushed.
- Which entrance the tour uses. It decides whether you arrive by boat from Skradin or by bus from Lozovac.
- What else is in the day. Check whether the price covers other stops, such as Šibenik, or a boat excursion to Visovac, which the park only sells on site.
As a guide to the length of the day, the tours on our tours page run from 8.5 to 10 hours from Split and about 9 hours from Zadar, door to door. That page lists the products that genuinely differ, with what each includes.
Private driver or transfer
A private driver makes most sense in two cases: a group that would otherwise pay for several coach seats, and a day that combines Skradinski buk with Roški slap, which is a separate drive upstream.
Arrange the pickup where you are dropped. Because each locality can only be visited once a day on the ticket, a driver cannot drop you at Lozovac and collect you in Skradin after you have taken the park boat down: the boat from Skradinski buk to Skradin is not open to you if you came in through Lozovac.
By boat from Šibenik or Vodice
Independent operators run boat day trips from the coast, and they are a pleasant way to arrive: you sail up the Krka estuary to Skradin rather than driving.
Two listings give a sense of the format. A speedboat trip from Šibenik runs to Skradin with the park ticket and brunch included in the price. A trip on a historic boat from Vodice allows 2 to 3 hours in the park and also includes the park ticket.
Because only park boats sail the canyon above Skradin, ask how the final stretch to the falls works on the trip you are looking at, and how much time you will actually have at Skradinski buk. Our guide to Krka boat trips compares these trips with the park’s own boat excursions.
Roški slap, Visovac and the middle course by road
Every locality in the park except Visovac Island can be reached by car. The middle course of the river is where Roški slap and the shores facing Visovac are:
- Roški slap is reached by road from Drniš, Knin and Skradin, or by park excursion boat from Skradinski buk. In summer you park at Laškovica or Bogatić Miljevački and take the shuttle bus to the falls. The shuttle is free, and the 2026 price list includes the Laškovica bus in the ticket from 1 June to 30 September.
- Stinice is reached by car from Miljevci, and Remetić from Dubravice–Rupe. Both have free parking, and from either a 5-minute boat crosses to Visovac Island.
If you want both big waterfalls in one day, the order that works is Skradinski buk first, then the drive upstream to Roški slap. The park boat from Skradinski buk to Roški slap is a 4-hour round trip, so it is a day in itself; see the boat guide for the details.
Arriving with a ticket already bought
Queues at the receptions in Skradin and Lozovac can be long in summer. The park’s answer is to buy online: with an online ticket you skip reception and go straight to the dock at Skradin or the bus stop at Lozovac.
Two things you cannot do online: book a boat excursion, which is only sold in the park, or change the rule that each locality counts once. Our guide to Krka tickets, hours and trails sets out the prices by season, what the ticket covers and the opening hours month by month.
Planning the day around one ticket
The single ticket covers every land locality in the park for one day, but each only once. That makes the shape of the day simple:
- Skradinski buk only: pick one entrance, go down by bus or boat, walk the circuit, come back the same way.
- Skradinski buk and Roški slap by car: Lozovac in the morning, then drive to Laškovica and take the shuttle.
- Skradinski buk and Roški slap by water: Skradin or Lozovac in the morning, then the 4-hour excursion boat from Skradinski buk, which stops at Visovac on the way.
In the busy months, arriving early pays off. Skradinski buk opens at 8:00 from April to mid-October, and from June to September the ticket drops from €40 to €30 for adults entering after 15:00. Check hours before you go.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Krka National Park from Split?
By the park’s own distance table, about 89 km from Split to the Lozovac entrance and 94 km to Skradin. Both are reached from the A1: the Šibenik exit for Lozovac, the Skradin exit for Skradin.
Can you get to Krka by bus from Split?
Yes. The park says regular bus lines run from Split and Zadar to Šibenik and Skradin, on a seasonal timetable. From Skradin the park boat takes you to Skradinski buk; check the county timetable before you travel.
Which entrance is better, Lozovac or Skradin?
Lozovac if you are driving: parking is free and a park bus takes you down. Skradin if you arrive by bus or boat, or want the 20-minute boat ride up the canyon. Either way, leave by the entrance you came in through.
Can you drive all the way to Skradinski buk?
Only from November to March, when the 4 km road from Lozovac opens to cars. From April to October it is open to park buses only.
Is the boat from Skradin included in the ticket?
Yes. The 2026 price list includes the boat Skradin–Skradinski buk–Skradin and the bus Lozovac–Skradinski buk–Lozovac, both from 1 April to 31 October. Excursions further upriver cost extra.