Krka National Park Entry Ticket All Sites Skradin

Skradin and the park boat up the Krka River

Skradin is a small riverside town at the point where the Krka River widens into the Prokljan lake before reaching the sea near Šibenik. Its stone houses, Venetian-era church tower and marina sit at the foot of a hill, about 15 kilometres from Šibenik and an hour's drive from Split or Zadar, which is why Skradin is the most popular gateway for a Krka National Park day trip. The park's ticket pier is on the riverfront, a short walk from the car parks and the bus stop.

With the default option your ticket includes the park boat from Skradin to Skradinski Buk. The ride takes about 25 minutes up a narrow green stretch of river between reed beds and limestone banks, and is itself one of the best parts of the day. Boats run from April to October; capacity is limited, so arrive for the time you booked. Return boats from Skradinski Buk leave every hour at half past.

Skradinski Buk waterfalls

Skradinski Buk is the longest and best-known waterfall on the Krka, a staircase of travertine cascades spread across almost a kilometre of river, where the water pours over mossy limestone barriers into clear green pools. Krka National Park was created in 1985 largely to protect this spot and the living travertine that keeps growing as the river deposits minerals. Old stone mills and a small hydroelectric plant, among the earliest in the world, stand beside the lower falls.

A loop of wooden boardwalks and paths, about 2 kilometres long, takes you over the pools, past the mills and up to viewpoints above the main drop; allow at least 1.5 to 2 hours. Swimming at Skradinski Buk is no longer allowed, so the visit is about walking, photographing and watching the water. Krka waterfalls opening hours change with the season, with longer days in summer, and your ticket is valid for the whole day.

Roški Slap and Visovac Island

Upstream from Skradinski Buk the river passes Visovac, a small island with a centuries-old Franciscan monastery set among cypress trees in the middle of a widened lake. Beyond it lies Roški Slap, a wide fan of low cascades with a main drop and a string of mill channels, known as the necklaces, that the river splits into above the falls. A boardwalk and old mill buildings make this a quieter, more rural counterpart to Skradinski Buk.

Your ticket includes entry to Roški Slap by road; the park is spread out, so you need a car or taxi to reach it, about 30 minutes from Skradin. The boat excursions from Skradinski Buk to Visovac Island and Roški Slap are not included in this ticket and are bought separately at the park. Anyone asking whether Roški Slap is worth visiting gets a yes from us if you have a car and a full day.

Manojlovac waterfall and the Roman camp at Burnum

In the wilder northern part of the park the Krka drops over Manojlovac, the tallest waterfall in Krka National Park, where the river falls in several steps through a canyon that only shows its full power in spring and after rain. A short trail leads to a viewpoint above the canyon; in late summer the flow is diverted for hydroelectric use and the falls can be almost dry, so visit early in the season for the best view.

A few minutes away, by the road to Kistanje, stand the remains of Burnum, a Roman legionary camp from the first century. Two tall arches of the headquarters building and the outline of a military amphitheatre survive in open fields, and finds from the site are displayed at the Krka Eco Campus in Puljane. Both are included in the ticket and are rarely crowded.

Krka Eco Campus in Puljane and the Well of Life in Kistanje

The Krka Eco Campus in the village of Puljane is the park's archaeological and education centre, where the finds from Burnum are shown alongside exhibits about the river's travertine, its fish and its birds. It is a good stop for families, with short films and models that explain how the waterfalls form. In Kistanje, a little further north, the Krka Well of Life visitor centre tells the story of the river from its source to the sea.

Both centres are included in your all-sites ticket and both are indoor stops that work well in bad weather or in the heat of the afternoon. Together with Manojlovac and Burnum they turn a visit that most people limit to Skradinski Buk into a proper Krka National Park tour by car, covering the whole length of the river in one day.