Plitvicka Jezera National Park Travel Answers

It definitely means there is no entry after 5 pm but also it might mean that shortly after that time trains and boats inside the park stop operating. Which means you wouldn't want to be too deep inside the park and then walk (even swim ?) to the exits. I don't remember Park actually being "closed" at 5 pm (it is natural park after all - not that it has a fence and gates). And I don't think boats and trains stop running at 5 pm sharp, but I'd definitely go earlier and try to end my visit around the closing time. (Sorry if this wasn't more helpful - maybe someone has more details about this subject?)

Enter at your own risk, ha ha, I can imagine getting lost in there, forever! But, I agree, there is no physical barrier to entrance after 5. My husband and I were dropped off the bus at the wrong entrance (not the one with the private accomodation office), and after a tram ride and walk to the correct entrance, saw the employee lock up and drive away as we approached (at 5 till 5!). So, with the sun setting, and no time (or even the slightest idea how) to get back through the park to the other entrance where the hotels are, we frantically paced in the parking lot while everyone ignored our not-so-subtle requests for a ride. The road is too dangerous to walk along. Finally, we hitched with a nice croatian man. The hotel was more than we wanted to spend, but I've never had a finer bath or been more thankful. You may try befriending a waiter at a hotel restaurant to try and get a guided tour of some other trails. We received an offer, but the weather turned cold and rainy so we left. Give it at least one full day, it's so amazing!

Just to make things more clear: this natural park is huge (300 square kilometres) and well organized. There are two entrances and there you can choose between several trails. All trails are clearly marked (color-coded). The short ones take 2 hours, the longest up to 6 hours. All trails also include rides on small trains and crossing of the largest lake by an electric boat. Sometimes the boat crossing is the only place where your ticket is inspected. Otherwise you walk freely around. So, it is not that you will be "locked inside" and it is even hard to get lost with all those marks on the trails (your ticket also has a small map of the lakes). You don't have to follow one trail from the beginning to its end - you can always do other combinations (turn around at one point, leave the trail at mid-point where it is combined with the trail of another color etc...) You must also know that opening times vary according to the time of the year. I doubt now when the sunset is around 8pm that you have to leave the park at 5. But if you don't have enough time you can for instance visit only the Lower lakes (the Big Waterfall, Novakovica Brod, Kaludjerovac, Gavanovac and Milanovac. This is easily accessible from the Entrance 1 and it's within the walking distance - you won't be lost even without the trains running any more).

Thank you very much valdelphia and diolectianvs for your answers and useful information :). Visiting those lakes (and Crotia) has been my dream for 2 years but our plans has always cancelled by work or something else. I really hope this summer we finally get there. And maybe its better to stay overnight if we come there quite late.