The best hikes and national parks in Croatia

Croatia's walking is concentrated in a handful of places: the karst lakes of Lika, the canyons behind Zadar, the waterfalls near Šibenik, and the islands. The list below is ranked for a first or second trip, with the time each one actually takes and how to reach it without a car where possible.

Plitvice is the headline and the only one most travellers should plan a night around. Paklenica is the best pure hiking. Krka and Mljet are the easy half-days that fit an existing coastal route.

We ranked by what changes your trip: whether the place justifies a night nearby, whether you need a car, how long the walking actually takes, and how bad the summer crowds get. Parks with timed tickets or limited road access are flagged, because turning up without a booking can cost you the day.

We left out single viewpoints and town strolls that are not hikes, and we did not include parks where the main activity is a boat trip with no walking ashore.

April to June and September to October are the months to aim for: cooler walking, thinner crowds and working ferries. July and August are hot on exposed karst, the boardwalks at Plitvice and Krka fill from mid-morning, and timed entry slots sell out — book weeks ahead if you must travel then.

Winter closes or limits some parks and mountain roads. Spring melt can raise water levels and close lower sections; check the park's own site before you travel.

Go early. At Plitvice, entrance 1 at opening puts you on the lower lakes before the coach groups arrive, which is the single biggest difference you can make to the day.

Plitvice sits between Zagreb and Split on the main bus corridor, which is why it fits almost any itinerary. Buses stop at the park entrances; staying in a nearby guesthouse means you can walk in at opening rather than arrive with the day-trippers.

Paklenica and Krka are easiest with a car, though buses from Zadar and Šibenik get you to the gateway towns. Mljet needs a ferry from Dubrovnik or the Pelješac peninsula. For Kornati, the boat is the transport.

If you are combining parks with the coast, hire a car for the Zagreb–Istria–Plitvice–Zadar stretch, drop it in Split, and use boats from there.

The parks run in a line down the karst: Plitvice in Lika, Paklenica and Krka in Dalmatia, Mljet and Biokovo further south. Coordinates below are approximate park or trailhead points — use them to plan the order, not to navigate on the day.