Zadar National Park Tours: Our 8 Favourites

1.Kornati National Park and Telascica Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 788 reviews · from $64Our pick

Spend nine hours cruising from Zadar through Kornati National Park’s 89 islands, then stop at Telašćica for swimming, hiking, cliffs, and its salt lake. Breakfast, lunch, wine, aperitif, water, park fees, and an English-speaking guide are included. Expect a large boat, long scenic rides, and limited time ashore.

“Locations were beautiful, the ride well planned. The food filling and the wine hitting. The time at each area was more than enough to enjoy the sites.”

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2.Kornati National Park & Telašćica Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 582 reviews · 9 hours · from $57

From Zadar, spend nine hours cruising to Telašćica Nature Park and Kornati National Park. Swim at Salt Lake Mir, snorkel in clear water, enjoy breakfast and a simple Dalmatian lunch with wine, and return by boat. English and Croatian guides, including highly praised crew member Yelena, lead the day.

“Very good activity. Covered some of the most beautiful spots in the sea. Fortunately we saw some dolphins too. Food and Rakija were also fine.”

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3.From Zadar/Bibinje: Kornati National Park Cruise with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 380 reviews · 9 hours · from $55

Spend nine hours on the Adriatic, sailing from Zadar or Bibinje to Telašćica Nature Park and Kornati National Park. You get breakfast, a Dalmatian lunch of fish, chicken, and salad, free wine, water, juice, a guide in several languages, and two swim stops. Bring cash for optional park entry fees and expect a busy boat in high season.

“It was a good day on the Boat. I visited beautiful places and swam in crystal clear waters. All was good besides that the crew could give us more information about visited places. Food on the boat was ok. The music was too loud.”

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4.Plitvice Lakes National Park Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 282 reviews · 8 hours · from $53

Travel from Zadar by air-conditioned bus to Plitvice Lakes National Park for a guided walk among terraced lakes, wooden paths, waterfalls, and forested cliffs. You will cross Kozjak Lake by electric boat and ride the park train. Guides speak English and German. Park admission costs extra, and sturdy shoes are essential.

“The limestone rock and crystal clear water make a great partnership for creating the beautiful hues from azure to deep blue. Water cascades over rocky ledges and through gravel races and a variety of fish entertain along the walkways. Just a bit too crowded in mid July for my liking.”

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5.Excursion to Kornati National Park from Zadar

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 273 reviews · 9 hours 40 minutes (approx.) · from $96

Join Aninka and Ivan for a roughly 9-hour-40-minute boat trip from Zadar to Kornati National Park. You’ll have breakfast, coffee, fruit, drinks, snorkeling gear, three main stops, a swim at Lojena Beach, a short walk to Tureta Fortress, and lunch on Kornat. The boat holds up to 22 people.

“I definitely recommend this tour! We went on a medium sized boat, I believe there was about 12 people on board. It has a lower and upper deck, toilet etc. The captain was a great driver and the tour guide was very nice and relaxed, she served us coffee and we had a great lunch on a small island. We got to levranka beach before a large crowd rocked up and the island we swam at during/after lunch had no one else around. This seemed much better than some of the bigger boats we saw going around with many more people.”

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6.Krka National Park and Waterfalls Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 255 reviews · 9 hours · from $48Best value

Travel from Zadar by air-conditioned bus or van to Krka National Park, where a licensed English or German-speaking guide introduces you to Skradinski Buk, old water mills, local plants, and wildlife. A boat cruise links Skradin with the waterfalls. Depending on the date, you also visit Šibenik or Skradin. Park admission costs extra.

“The place was beautiful. Wish I done the boat in the lake. Bus was late because people can't get out of bed on time so delayed everyone else. Supprised a company is happy to upset all their customers because of people not honouring their commitment be getting their buts there on time. Mostly Germans on trip so info was mainly for them.”

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7.Private Speedboat tour to National Park Kornati Islands

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $205Top rated

You’ll spend about eight hours with a private skipper exploring northern Kornati National Park from Zadar. Swim and snorkel in Lojena Bay, visit Mana Island’s fortress, and set the pace for your day. Skipper Ivan is praised for finding quiet places away from the busiest beaches. Telašćica Nature Park is an optional extension.

“Ivan was a great driver / guide and took us to quiet places to hike / swim / snorkel away from the tourist masses. We started early so we got time at the popular beach while it was still quiet. I would recommend this trip.”

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8.Full-Day Private Tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park from Zadar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $240

Travel from Zadar to Plitvice Lakes in a private air-conditioned vehicle with a guide such as Terezija or Marta. You get about four hours in the park, a packed lunch, and a route adapted to your schedule. Cruise passengers can be collected at the port, while hotel and apartment pickup is available in Zadar. Entrance costs extra.

“What a beautiful National Park! Hard to describe the vibrant color of the water unless you see it in person. Terezia was a wonderful guide driving us to and from the park along with guiding us through the park. This is definitely a must see if you have time while in Croatia.”

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