Best Day Trips from Zadar Croatia

Being centrally located on the Dalmatian Coast, there are many great day trips from Zadar, including famous national parks, scenic islands, and some off the beaten path destinations.

We had the pleasure of staying in Zadar, Croatia for a month in the Fall. Many of these day trips we were able to do ourselves. For others, we brought in the expertise of our fellow travel bloggers.

8 Best Day Trips from Zadar

One of the best benefits of staying in Zadar is the number and variety of day trips you can take.

If you’re staying for a short time, I would recommend prioritizing at least one of the National Parks: Plitvice or Krka. Both have beautiful waterfalls and unique above-water pathways, so you can’t go wrong with either choice.

Zadar is also surrounded by islands. The quickest and cheapest island to access near Zadar is Ugljan Island.

Other island options include: Kornati Island and National Park, Pag Island, and Dugi Otok.

Our favorite city to visit from Zadar is Sibenik – in fact, you may want to stay a night or two.

The tiny town of Nin also has interesting attractions for a half day trip.

Read on for more details about each of these awesome Zadar day trips, as well as other fun tours and excursions to try!

Last updated: 2023. Originally published: January 2020.

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Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitviče National Park is probably Croatia’s most famous natural wonder. Plitvice and Krka are two of the best Zadar day trips, in our opinion.

This is where you’ll see the unique beauty of inland Croatia, with waterfalls at every turn!

Plitvice Visitor Tips

One thing I never realized was that Plitvice is located up in the mountains, which means it is quite a bit colder than the Dalmatian Coast. It is also frequently rainy in Plitvice (outside of peak summer months) – but don’t let that deter you.

I highly recommend checking the official website for any closures. When we visited, there was a pop up message on the website announcing which park entrances were open at the time.

It’s also recommended to book your ticket on the website, which you can do a day or more in advance, once you know roughly what time you’ll be arriving.

We visited Plitvice Lakes in early December. Though the week’s weather forecast was rain and snow, we lucked out with a fairly clear day. Still, temperatures were just above freezing so bundling up was definitely necessary. 

We rented a car from the Zadar airport at 8am that morning, with a 10am ticket for the Flora Auxiliary Entrance in Plitvice. Being off season, we were able to park for free near one of the hotels and walk a short way to the gate where they scanned our e-tickets.

Downloading offline maps for the area and our e-tickets helped, as cell service was spotty.

Hiking in Plitvice National Park

From the Flora Entrance, we did the “H Program” (very similar to C Program), a loop through the upper and lower lakes which included hiking, bus tram, and boat ride. H and C are 4 – 6 hour programs.

Each park entrance has different routes you may follow, varying in length and activity types. This keeps the flow of visitors manageable in the park.

For the H Program (see map above), we waited at the Flora Entrance for the shuttle bus to depart. It leaves every 30 minutes in winter, and we were the only ones on the bus that morning. It drove us to bus station 3, at the West end of the lakes, with some glimpses of the falls along the way.

Signs at each intersection make it easy to follow the program you’ve chosen. For us, this started with hiking downhill for about an hour toward P2, a boat dock.

Parts of this hike are through forest and around the edge of the large lake. The waterfalls are more spread out in this area.

There were a couple sections of the wooden path near the misting falls that were icy. This required treading slowly and carefully to avoid slipping and falling into the water.

We waited a little over 20 minutes for a ferry boat to arrive, so we broke out our pre-packed lunches. The ferry took us from P2 to P3, letting us off around 1pm.

The ferry boats are open air, which made it the coldest part of the day. At P3, there was a cafe with hot drinks and food open, as well as restrooms. Having already eaten, we continued on foot.

Our second and final hike only took about 50 minutes. The East section of trails has some of the most spectacular views, in my opinion, with more falls closer together.

Until reaching this section, we had probably seen only 15 people on the whole trail. Now there were a couple tour groups.

The hike ends with a climb up to some scenic overlooks and bus station 1, which has a small cafe counter and outdoor seating.

A bus arrived shortly, taking us back to the Flora Entrance, station 2. We wrapped up our stay at 2:15pm.

Cost: 39.80€ to as little as 10€ per adult, depending on the season, plus parking. June through September is the most expensive for tickets and hourly parking.

How to get from Zadar to Plitvice Lakes:

Drive via E71 and A1 (under 2 hours) or avoid the toll road by taking D27 to A1 (adds 20-30 minutes).

There are also 7 daily buses running from Zadar to Plitvice, April through October. In winter, however, the limited bus schedule doesn’t work for a day trip.

You can also book a Plitvice day tour package, which includes transportation from Zadar, a guide, and box meal.

Want to make it an overnight trip? Here are highly rated accommodations nearby:

– Plitvice L&L Leisure Apartment – Top notch, modern apartment 1.6 miles from Entrance 2, sleeps up to 4 people
– Bramado Apartments – Cozy and clean studios or 2-bedroom apartments 3 miles from the park

Krka National Park

I personally enjoyed visiting Krka Park more than Plitvice (but that may be because I wasn’t freezing the whole time).

Plitvice is a bit further from Zadar than Krka, and the hikes tend to be longer there. If you’re on a real time crunch, then Krka National Park is perfect.

You can see the best side of the park on an easy loop hike in less than 2 hours.

Whereas Plitvice Park has lakes and the waterfalls are fairly spread out, Krka also has waterfalls but it’s on a rushing river.

There are other areas of the park you can visit, but nothing as spectacular as the loop around Skradinski Buk at the South.

In winter, Krka closes down many of its amenities, like cafes, ferry boats, and even some sections of the park.

For our first visit to Krka, we rented a car from Zadar for the day. We left Zadar at 11am and, avoiding toll roads, we arrived at the Lozovac Entrance at 12:30pm.

There is a large free parking lot, bathrooms, and cafes next to the ticket gate. In winter, the food places were all closed up. After buying a ticket, you can drive past the gate on a 4km winding road down to the river (outside of winter you would take a shuttle bus this way, or hike).

We parked in one of the few stalls by Reception, just a short walk from the start of the main attraction: the Skradinski Buk loop hike.

There were very few people visiting mid-day in mid-November and even fewer when we returned in early December at 9am. Walking on wooden walkways over the rushing water and admiring the various waterfalls was glorious without crowds!

Some corners of the pathway were flooded a bit, but it wasn’t an issue since we wore waterproof shoes.

Hiking in Krka National Park

The Skradinski Buk loop took us less than 90 minutes to complete. It’s not very strenuous, though there is an uphill section at the end to reach some look out points, the historic water mill, souvenir shop, and return to the parking.

We had just enough time before sun set to drive the 45 minutes further North to Roski Slap.

Arriving around 3pm, a ranger scanned our ticket once we parked and directed us to the Roski Slap viewpoint within a mini village – a quick out and back walk.

Then we made our way around the Roski slap circle loop trail, which included wooden bridges across the river’s “necklaces” and a couple side trails to climb up to overlooks. We were done in only half an hour, leaving the park by 3:30pm.

(We opted not to return to Roski Slap on our second visit, when my parents joined us. It might be more interesting to experience in-season when you can go by boat.)

We also enjoyed a quick wander through the little town of Skradin, Southwest of the Park. There is a separate entrance to Krka Park from the edge of town as well. I believe it’s primarily for taking boat rides, so it’s open in high season.

Cost: 20€ to as little as 6.64€ per adult per day, depending on the season. High season is June through September.

How to get from Zadar to Krka National Park:

Drive East via E65 from Zadar to Kirka (just over 1 hour), or avoid toll roads by taking D56. In season, there are direct buses from Zadar to Krka, however, during off season you would need to change buses in Sibenik and take a second bus to Lozovac. 

Want to make it an overnight trip? Here are highly rated accommodations nearby:

– Vicencin Place apartments – Two modern studios in the center of Old Town Sibenik, friendly owners (we stayed here twice)
– Scardona Park Luxury Accommodation – Queen and King rooms in Skradin, on site restaurant and pool

Plitvice vs. Krka in Winter

 You may be wondering which Croatia National Park with waterfalls should you visit? Since we experienced both in the off season, we’ll share that perspective:

Pros for Plitvice:

– Larger park and easier to see more in a day on foot
– Cafes and ferry boats stay open year-round (usually)
– Might have snow in mid-winter
– Closer to Zagreb

Pros for Krka:

– Not as cold in off season
– Less chance of rain
– Can see a significant part of the park in just 90 minutes
– Closer to coastal towns, like Zadar, Sibenik, Split
– Less than half the price of Plitvice in off season

Šibenik, Croatia

We loved Sibenik immediately. Sibenik’s Old Town starts at the water’s edge, framed by the Riva (seaside walkway), and continues uphill.

This beautiful, historic town remains relatively off the beaten path, seeing fewer crowds than even Zadar.

Just a little over an hour drive from Zadar, you can easily enjoy Sibenik in a day, though it’s worth staying longer if you can. 

For a quick self-guided tour, you can check out a bicycle from the NextBike Gat Krka station and ride along the Riva (street name: Obala Palih Omladinaca) Northwest to the Plaža Banj station.

As long as you return the bike within 30 minutes, it’s only 5 hrk ($0.75 USD). We recommend going through the app instead of trying to pay through the bike station.

From Plaža Banj beach, there’s a nice view back at Old Town. Next, return by foot on the waterfront path and take a left at the stairs that wind up into the little wooded park and the fortress wall.

Follow signs to St. Michael’s Fortress, an important historic monument as well as a modern concert venue. If you choose not to pay the entry, you can catch a glimpse of the view from the driveway gate on the North side, then continue walking around the back of the fort and start heading down hill.

Then enjoy winding your way through the ancient alleys of Old Town.

Be sure to stop through the square (Trg Republike Hrvatske on maps) and wander all the way around Saint James Cathedral (Katedrala sv. Jakova).

In the mornings, we recommend continuing on past the library and Gradski park to witness the vibrant outdoor produce market. And pop inside the fish market building, too.

If you  have a car and some spare time for a nature walk, you can drive out to Sv. Nikola beach. There’s a quiet playground and waterfront pathway that leads out to St. Nicholas Fortress on the water, though you can’t go inside the fortress from here.

Cost: About $12 USD by bus, or around $45 to rent an automatic car from downtown for 24 hours (cost is usually less from the airport or for manual cars)

How to get from Zadar to Šibenik:

The drive is slightly over an hour on E65 toll road, or avoid tolls and take the Jadranska Magistrala through the coastal towns (1 hour 15 minutes). There are also daily buses departing from each town’s central bus station.

Want to make it an overnight trip? Here are highly rated accommodations in Sibenik:

– Vicencin Place apartments – Two modern studios in the center of Old Town Sibenik, friendly owners (we stayed here twice)
– Heritage Hotel Life Palace – Rooms and suites set on a beautiful square in Old Town, breakfast included

Ugljan Island

Of the many islands near Zadar, Ugljan (sounds like oogly-yawn) is the closest and easiest to visit.

The island has a handful of little towns along its coast, an abandoned hilltop fortress in the middle, and plenty of unpaved roads criss-crossing through olive groves for mountain biking and long walks.

We enjoyed this self-guided bike tour of Ugljan island, compliments of Zzuum Active Vacation.

Getting to Ugljan Island from Zadar by Ferry

We picked up our two bikes and maps from their Old Town office at 8:30am. We biked to the ferry terminal in about 20 minutes, following roads and paths along the water most of the way. We waited in line with the cars for the 9am ferry to Preko and then parked off to the side of the boat’s vehicle deck.

The ferry’s second deck has an inclosed seating area, cafe, and bathrooms. The third deck offers more open air seating, which is great for the views. Zadar to Preko by ferry is about 25 minutes

Cycling around Ugljan Island

From the Preko terminal, we bought some pastries at Mlinar and then headed toward St. Michael’s Fortress.

There is one main, paved road that goes all the way from Preko town to the fortress. You can also bike unpaved roads if you feel more adventurous.

Either way, you’ll ride a short ways on and cross the 110 “highway,” which has no real shoulder. Then the ride is uphill, flattens out in the valley farmlands, and becomes uphill for the final climb to the peak.

We opted to lock up our bikes about 3/4 of the way up and hike the rest of the road to the fortress.

From the ferry to the fortress took us about an hour and was quite a work out.

As you approach the fort, instead of a stairway it’s more like a long pile of rocks you have to maneuver up. (If you drove up, you’d still need to traverse this section on foot.) But the view is definitely worth it. 

While the fortress is not maintained, and there is an ugly modern building built into it now, we felt it was a rewarding end to an aerobic climb.

We enjoyed our baked goods there, overlooking the water on all sides, with clear views out to many more neighboring islands.

On a whim, we decided to bike through the middle of the islands on more unpaved roads, heading North. Signs at each intersection directed us to the various towns. Then we returned to Preko along the coastal roads. We returned to Preko and caught the 3:30pm ferry back to Zadar.

Our self-guided bike tour was not as flat or easy as we anticipated, and we were not in very good biking shape. We definitely struggled.

If you’re like us, we recommend either conquering the fortress or the coastal towns, rather than attempting to do it all in one day. But it was a beautiful, fun adventure!

Cost: About $50 USD with Zzuum’s self-guided bike tour package (includes bike rental, ferry ticket, route map, instructions).

Ferry tickets alone were 15 hrk per passenger, plus 15 hrk per bicycle each way.

How to get from Zadar to Ugljan:

If you’re traveling to Ugljan as a pedestrian, you have the choice of taking a Jadrolinija ferry from either the Old Town terminal or the Gaženička terminal about three miles away.

If you’re crossing with a bicycle, motorbike, or car, you will need to take a ferry from Gazenicka. You can always stop in to the tourist information office in Zadar to check ferry times.

Nin, Croatia

Nin is a small, historic coastal town North of Zadar. The tiny town center is located on an islet connected to the mainland by stone bridges (both were under construction when we visited).

Nin’s Old Town is very charming with cobblestone streets, historic monuments, and churches. Being a tourist destination, there’s not much open in the off season. We mostly walked through the town and then around the islet on a waterfront walkway.

The Solana Nin salt shop seems to be open year round. There, you can buy various salt products and souvenirs. Next door is a museum, as this is where salt has been organically produced for 1500 years. You can see large rectangular pools or “pans” all around the factory from where the salt is extracted by hand.

Nin, being situated in a lagoon, also has nice, sandy beaches nearby. The water is fairly shallow, making Ninska Laguna and Ždrijac good beaches for families with kids.

How to get from Zadar to Nin:

Driving from Zadar to Nin takes about 20 minutes. There is a bike path along the way, which is not particularly scenic but a decent ride without too much change in elevation.

Daily public buses also go from Zadar to Nin. We couldn’t find real clear bus info online in English, but found Zadar’s tourist office to be helpful with bus time tables.

Be sure to download an offline map and tell the bus driver where you’re going, as Nin is not necessarily their final stop. For the way back, there is only one bus stop in Nin at the roundabout.

Cost: Around $2.50 USD per person each way by bus

Kornati National Park (islands)

Another set of islands near Zadar, Kornati Islands, also happens to be a National Park. The only way to get to Kornati National Park is by boat.

In addition to scenic boat rides through the maze of 100 secluded islands, Kornati is also great for swimming, snorkeling, hiking, and bird watching.

The park has two Reception Centers where you can purchase entrance tickets (though it may be more expensive than pre-purchasing), souvenirs, and permits for recreational fishing or scuba diving. There are also cottage rentals and several restaurants open in season.

If you don’t rent your own boat, you can charter a boat ride with a local service or take a day tour to Kornati National Park. This 9 hour excursion includes a guided scenic boat tour, a long swim stop, breakfast, lunch, and drinks.

How to get from Zadar to Kornati National Park: Private or chartered boat, or boat tour

Cost: Under $50 USD for a day tour package plus $14 park entrance per adult

Want to make it an overnight trip? Here are highly rated accommodations nearby:

– Long Island Olive Apartment – Modern 1-bedroom apartment in Sali on Dugi Otok island, friendly owners, beautiful terrace
– Festa Kornati Glamping Resort – Family-friendly luxury tents on the island of Žut, with breakfast, waterpark, fitness center

Pag Island, Croatia

Info about Pag Island was kindly provided by Emma Pamley-Liddell from Journey of a Nomadic Family

You’ll need to get up early and leave Zadar quickly for this amazing day trip up to Pag Island because it will take you nearly 2 hours in the car to get to some of these gem locations that most tourists haven’t yet discovered.

Head to the very north of Croatia’s 5th largest island and you’ll be presented with some of the clearest waters in Europe!

Although it has no natural sand beaches, they are small, rocky cove areas with shingle and stone, they’re an adventurers paradise. Make sure you take your snorkeling gear and a pair of shoes too.

Some of the beaches include: Plaza Lun, Plaza Tovarnele, Haluga, Crnika, Plaza Dudici, Plaza Puntine, Plaza Baracuda, Plaza Gajac, Plaza Orada, Galinec and Rucica Beach.

Top but lesser known restaurants include: Haluga Pizzeria & Restaurant Crnika, both bordering the water and serving mouth-watering cuisine.

P.S. Pag is also known for producing Pag cheese, which is made from sheep’s milk and aged, much like Italian pecorino.

How to get from Zadar to Pag Island: Drive about two hours North, crossing the Paški Most (Pag bridge).

Cost: Just fuel for car and meals.

Want to make it an overnight trip? Here are highly rated accommodations in Pag:

– B&B Marta and Tona – Comfortable accommodations and friendly hosts serving an exceptional breakfast
– Villa Natura luxury apartments – Well equipped, just 4 minutes walk from a beach

Dugit Otok Island

Dugi Otok is a large island West of Zadar, hidden behind a chain of other islands, including Ugljan (mentioned above).

It has a population of 1,500 and is home to vineyards, orchards, beaches, and Telascica Nature Park. The town of Sali to the South is a common place to stay when visiting the neighboring Kornati Naitonal Park (also mentioned above).

Dugi Otok is fairly off the beaten path, and it’s not likely you’ll run into crowds.

There are a couple of daily ferry and catamaran sailings year-round, so going there and back is doable within a day with careful planning. You may also wish to stay a night there if the return boat time isn’t convenient for you.

Once on island, you can enjoy the secluded Saharun Beach. Or explore the coves, islands, cliffs, salt water lake, and donkey sanctuary at Telascica Nature Park. You may also wish to use Dugi Otok as a base for organizing a visit to the islands of Kornati National Park.

How to get from Zadar to Dugi Otok island: Take a Jadrolinija car ferry from Gaženička terminal in Zadar to Brbinj or Bozava, or go by catamaran with G&V Line Iadera to Sali or Zaglav (1 hour and 10 – 30 minutes, one way). 

Alternatively, you can book a package tour to take care of transportation on your visit Dugi Otok. Browse tours to Dugi Otok here >

Cost: Ferry is about $4.50 per person or $27 per car each way. Or about $100 USD per person for a full-day guided tour package.

Want to make it an overnight trip? Here are highly rated accommodations in Dugi Otok:

– Long Island Olive Apartment – Modern 1-bedroom apartment in Sali on Dugi Otok island, friendly owners, beautiful terrace
– Apartment Ruza – Affordable studio in Zaglav with sea views, terrace, and garden

Paklenica National Park

Paklenica is an ideal day trip from Zadar for those who love hiking and nature. Swimming and rock climbing is also possible in this park. And it’s just a 45 minute drive from Zadar.

Peklenica National Park is part of the dramatic Velebit mountain range to the Northeast of Zadar. It features the area’s largest forest as well as caves, canyons, and karst formations.

Guided visits are available for the enchanting Manita peć cave. You can also do self-guided walks on several trails, even trekking to mountain huts for an overnight stay, if you want.

How to get from Zadar to Paklenica National Park: Drive East (about 45 minutes) or take a bus to Seline/Starigrad.

Cost: 2.60€ – 10€ Park entrance fee per person depending on the season, plus parking

Want to make it an overnight trip? Here are highly rated accommodations nearby:

– National Park campsites are available mid-March to mid-November, beds are available for hikers in the mountain hut year-round
– Apartments Paklenica – Nice self-catering apartments in walking distance to Park Entrance, helpful owner

Other Popular Zadar Excursions to Try

– Zadar 4-Hour Croatian Islands Boat Experience – Travel around Zadar’s closest islands on a 4-hour boat ride and enjoy a swim in the Adriatic Sea.
Click here to learn more and check availability of this Sailing Trip >

– Half-Day Sailing Tour – Half day excursion exploring the Zadar archipelago by sailboat with stops to swim, snorkel, and fish. 
Click here to learn more and check availability for the Half-Day Sailing Tour >

– Sunset and Nighttime Boat Trip – A 90-minute cruise during Zadar’s spectacular sunsets. Sparkling wine provided.
Click here to learn more and check availability for the Sunset and Nighttime Boat Trip >

– Zrmanja River: Full-Day Canoe or Kayak Trip – This is an award-winning adventure in a spectacular canyon, appropriate for beginners (Note: you must drive yourself to Kaštel Žegarski, 1 hour from Zadar)
Click here to learn more and check availability for the Zrmanja River Trip >

Where to Stay in Zadar

We think the best place to stay in Zadar is in Old Town, unless you’re purely there for the beach and have your own vehicle. We can highly recommend the lovely two-bedroom apartment where we stayed (offline since the pandemic), which is conveniently located on the main pedestrian street. 

For a traditional hotel experience, the nearby Art Hotel Kalelarga is a highly rated 4 star hotel also central to Old Town. It’s very modern and stylish, with continental breakfast included. 

Check rates and availability for Art Hotel Kalelarga >>

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