There are many tours that will take you there or renting a car is certainly an option.  But going from Zagreb to Plitvice by bus for a day trip is completely doable, quite easy to do, and incredibly cost effective! So, if you’re up for an adventure, read on! I’ll give step-by-step instructions on how to go from Zagreb to Plitvice by bus.

1. Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes by Bus

Buying bus tickets from Zagreb to Plitvice is easy enough.  A roundtrip ticket on Arriva, was 112 kuna | < $18 USD  | 15 EUR.  My 5:45 am departure (which arrived shortly after 8 am) meant that I’d have to leave my Airbnb around 5 am, in order to arrive early enough to figure things out…just in case.  My ticket was emailed to me as a PDF and included the platform number (#405), and sure enough, there it was.  Large luggage will cost you 10 kuna to put underneath the bus. My large 50 L backpack was fine as a “carry on.”  And then we were off! From Zagreb to Plitvice by bus!

There are 2-3 ten minute stops along the way, but I never left the bus fearing a) losing my seat, and b) the bus leaving without me.

Along the way, you drive through small villages and if you look closely, you can see sprays of bullet holes covering the village houses.  Rising ethnic tensions between Croatians and Serbs sparked with the death of a Croatian army commander.  The result was the Croatian War for Independence, which began in Plitvice, late March 1991.  Both sides had only 1 death each, during the “Plitvice Incident” or the “Plitvice Bloody Easter”, with over 20 wounded and 400 tourists evacuated.

2. Arriving at Plitvice Lakes

After a little over two sleepy hours on the bus, we finally made it from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes. So excited!

Plitvice Lakes has been a national park since after WWII, and became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1979.  After the Croatian War for Independence, the parks were swept for mines and all of the remaining mines were removed.  Over 1 million people visit the park annually.

When I went to Plitvice in June, the cost of admission for adults was 150 kuna | < $24 USD | 20 EUR.  In July and August (the country’s high season), that jumps to 250 kuna | $40 USD | 34 EUR if you enter before 16:00.

2.1 Entrances to Plitvice

There are two entrances to Plitvice, smartly named Entrance 1 and Entrance 2.  The bus driver will call out the entrances to the passengers.  Depending on what you want to see in the park, different entrances lead to different attractions. The side of the road where you exit the bus is the same side of the road as the entrance to the NP. 

And remember, that means at the end of the day, when you’re waiting to catch the bus back to Zagreb, the bus stop is on the opposite of the road.

2.2 Hiking Plitvice Lakes – Choose your walking program!

You can go hiking in Plitvice Lakes either for a leisurely walk, or an immense (almost) 20 km hike! The national park has 8 different “lake tour programmes”, with the “K” programme being the longest at 18.3 km, with an estimated completion time of 6-8 hours.  I was able to finish in about 5 hours, with breaks in between.

EXPERT TIP: MAKE SANDWICHES AND BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND WATER.  
There are long stretches with no food or water.

3. The Long Hike – “K programme”

It’s always strange going on a long hike on your own.  Granted, there were other people around, because most of the various lake programmes criss-cross each other and overlap.  But I guess not many people wanted an ambitious “Hiking Plitvice Lakes Day.” There were very few people on the “full K programme.” Most of the trail was on wooden planks along or over the water, and when the K goes off into the green wooded area, there are easy to follow paths.

From P3 (around the middle of the map), I had to take off my shoes and cross over a small section in the water.

And from there towards where it continues well into the green, I met one person and one dog on the K trail.  (The dog did not belong to the person). 

4. Not alone at Plitvice anymore!

At some point, hours later, I met C and K, who were two travelers from Canada and they graciously agreed to let me walk with them.  They were also doing the K programme, but started at Entrance 2. Hiking Plitvice Lakes alone – mmm, ok on the fun level. Hiking Plitvice Lakes with fun people – even better!

5. Thoughts on Hiking Plitvice Lakes

The hike ended with a short 5 minute ferry across the water (gushing towards the finish line!) Ok, maybe not such an exciting finish. But, I will say hiking Plitvice Lakes was an amazing way to see so many of the waterfalls. Plus, being off the beaten path was a great way to avoid the mass of tourists. 

Small warning, though… every time you are about to come across a waterfall, the crowds increase and the pace slows, as everyone tries to pose for a picture.  It can get mildly overwhelming.

I finished the hike around 13:30, and was able to catch an earlier bus back to Zagreb.  In the morning, the bus from Zagreb to Plitvice dropped me off next to the entrance. The bus going back is on the opposite side of the road.

Luckily, I had some time to buy an ice cream before the bus arrived. The bus left around 14:45, and I was able to make it back in Zagreb for a shower and amazing dinner.

So in the end, if you love to walk, enjoy waterfalls and crystal clear waters, PLITVICE IS THE PLACE FOR YOU.  Especially if you’re alread in Zagreb, the bus to Plitvice is easy and a completely manageable day trip!

Add it to the bucket list!

6. Resources on going from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes by Bus

Bus tickets and schedules
Sample Zagreb to Plitvice bus departure/arrival times (weekend schedules differ):

• 5:45 am – 8:08 am
• 6:30 am – 8:40 am
• 7:30 am – 9:45 am
• 8:30 am – 11:07 am
• 9:15 am – 11:30 am

Sample Plitvice back to Zagreb bus departure/arrival times (weekend schedules differ):

• 2:45 pm – 5:05 pm
• 3:45 pm – 5:55 pm
• 5:18 pm – 7:50 pm

Information on Hiking Plitvice Lakes National Park and entrance fees:

• Lake walking programme description and maps
• Price list

REMEMBER BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND WATER

Recap on my Zagreb to Plitvice Day

5:45 am Bus leaves from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes
8:10 am: Arrival at Plitvice, Entrance 1
<< walk walk walk walk walk walk walk >>
1:30 pm: Make it back to Entrance 1
2:45 pm: Bus to Zagreb
3 pm: Rain, and feeling thankful to be on a bus and on the way home.  The man I encountered on the K trail, with the dog that was not his, went back to Zagreb on the same bus.
5:15 pm: Arrive in Zagreb
6:30 pm: Finish shower and eat amazing food at Pri Zvoncu
8:30 pm: Sleep.

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

A few years ago, your average American would likely not have heard of Slovenia or considered it as a holiday spot.  However, with the rise of Instagram, Lake Bled has become a magical destination – even for destination weddings!  You could even be like my friend Steven, who had a magical wedding at Lake Bled.

As a part of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia is nestled between Austria, Italy, Croatia and the Adriatic Sea.  The landscape has rugged mountains (as part of the Julian Alps), glacial lakes, and beautiful wooded areas.

1. Train from Vienna to Lesce-Bled

Vienna is the perfect base to take a long weekend in Lake Bled. I began my journey in Vienna, where I took the 8:20 am train from Wien Hauptbanhof to Villach. There is a quick and easy switch from Villach to Lesce-Bled. Truthfully, I almost missed the stop at Lesce-Bled. Too busy admiring at the beauty out the window!  I arrived at Lesce-Bled around 1:50 pm.  From the Lesce-Bled train station, I took a bus into Bled town.

1.1 Bus to Bled town

I didn’t realize it at the time, but public transportation buses in Bled, and perhaps Slovenia, are actually what we would consider charter buses.  While there was a luggage compartment below the bus, I didn’t know this at the time.

Lugging a rolling luggage (with backpack and purse) onto a charter bus is the most miserable thing I can think of.  If you find yourself in this situation, do yourself a favor and just open the lower compartment yourself before you board. There is an unforgettable, unusual, “Dino Park” on the way into town.  And yes, it is everything your imagination thinks it would be. I couldn’t take a picture of it, as I struggling with my luggage and half-sitting in my seat.

In three words, my Airbnb is

Bled itself is a small town that surrounds the beautiful Lake Bled.  Lake Bled is more or less famous for the island, with a church, in the middle of the lake.  For 10 EUR, a tourist boat can take you onto the island so you can tour the church.  During my time there, I did not end up doing that, more or less because my purpose was to photograph the island and surrounding areas.

2. Ojstrica – Sunrise Hike Lake Bled

There are several hiking trails in and around Bled, which can offer you views of the lake and the island.  Most easily accessible is the Ojstrica, which is on the southwest side of the lake.  I went up to this viewpoint one morning for sunrise.  Sunrise was scheduled for 5:15 am that morning. According to Google Maps, it was a 45-50 minute walk from where I was staying on the opposite of the lake. Before 4:30 am, I was out the door.  I was in Bled in late May, early June, and it rained quite a bit. Be prepared!  Accuweather said it would rain at 7 am, so I had some time.

I mostly followed Google Maps. The path is mostly flat, around the circumference of the lake.  Towards the end, you veer off into a wooded, forested area, where a slight incline begins.  There are a lot of eroded and slippery stones (slippery from the rainfall the night before) along the way, so be careful.  Before Google said I arrived, I found this sign.

This is where you stop with your app and follow the sign.  This is where it begins to get steep. Basically, you begin to climb upward, but only for less than 5 minutes, until you reach the peak.

2.1 Sunrise

I arrived right around 5:17, and though shrouded by clouds, daylight was about to break.  There were a few people already enjoying the sunrise, and in a strange irony, the 6 people up there, including myself, were all Americans – one couple toasting with champagne, part of a family, and then me.

Watch this video on YouTube.

I would have said that it was peaceful up at the top, but for some reason, somebody down at grown level was doing some heavy gardening. All we could hear was the revving of a weed whacker, from about 5:30 to 6 am.  Things don’t always turn out exactly the picture-perfect way you want it to.

I stayed until about 6:45, when I realized I should get moving because of the aforementioned rain forecast.  And as a testament to the greatness of the Accuweather app, at 6:56, I felt the first drops of rain.  I rushed to grab my rain jacket and put the rain cover over my backpack to protect my camera. 

Getting caught in the rain is probably one of the more lighthearted things in life. Everyone I passed along the way gave each other an acknowledgement and a little chuckle. Basically, “Yep, I’m caught in the rain too.”

I got back around 7:30 am, exhausted and starving.  Why didn’t I stop along the way to get food?  Because when you pack your bag at 4 am, you think to yourself, “Why do I need money?  I am going to be in a forest.”  You bring money because you’ll be starving on your way back otherwise.

3. Well deserved breakfast

Luckily, Bled town is small. From my Airbnb, I can reach everywhere within five minutes.  I stopped by Caffe Peglez’n, which has a very adorable indoor area and an outdoor seating area.  The interior was decorated with a kitchy, vintage vibe.

I had a simple ham and cheese panini.  It was simple but bigger than I imagined, and perfect for refueling.  Things happen slowly in this part of the world. By 9 am, I finally finished and headed back.  After a shower, I took an amazingly long nap.  I haven’t done many sunrise hikes in my day. Even after my nap, I couldn’t recover from the exhaustion of the day.

4. Dinner and rain…again…

Later in the day, I agreed to meet J. I met her the day before at lunch, when both of us sat alone at neighboring tables. And we decided to eat together.

The following day, J and I decided to take a day trip to Lake Bohinj, in the Triglav National Park.

Read all about the fantastic day full of waterfalls, glacial valleys, and stunning hikes!

Of course, I knew it was going to rain (thank you, Accuweather).  But silly wardrobe choices. My rain jacket wouldn’t match with the dress I was determined to wear. Therefore, I was woefully unprepared for the inevitable downpour that came.  Why a dress you say?  I’m a firm believer that if you feel terrible, but you look nice, you will start to feel better… unless you are caught in the rain, and then … well, I’m just stupid.

Although J and I both ate almost an entire pizza while waiting for the rain to subside, it never did. After about an hour, enough was enough.  Don’t get me wrong, the pizza was delicious. However, my energy level was declining. I desperately needed to get back to my bed.  So, thank you to the tourist shop next door, and the 5,50 EUR umbrella that I bought.  There was a foreign woman looking at umbrellas too. When we made eye contact, we both started laughing both at ourselves and at each other.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Rain can bring good humor, if you let it.

And for an existential note on rain to finish the post, rain brings life, but it also takes away.

5. Information on your Sunrise Hike, Lake Bled

Train

• OBB: One-way, second class ticket: 39 EUR | $46 USD
• Wien Hbf to Villach Hbf: 8:20 am to 12:46 pm
• Villach Hbf to Lesce-Bled: 12:53 pm to 1:50 pm

Bus

Lesce-Bled to Bled main station bus fare: 1,30 EUR | $1.50 USD

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

In total, I spent 5 full days here. With action packed days, it was enough to eat, see, and do almost everything. This time, I was so lucky to have a travel buddy and super planner with me, who took the reigns of planning and execution and I just toddled along for the ride. It was a welcome change for someone who has gone at it alone for, at least, the last 9 countries. So, thank you Stef for being a super researcher, patient translator, and great friend!

So without further ado, here is my list of how Oaxaca melted my heart.

1. Visit Oaxaca for the People

Without a doubt, a city is only as welcoming as their people and Oaxaca is filled with warm and kind people. Let me just give you a few examples, which I just find so heartwarming and delightful

• the guard at the stamp museum who showed us how to open each of the vintage post boxes,
• the server at TacoVilla who went through the whole menu to make sure we understood each item (and then gave us a complementary order of sopapillas at the end of our meal!),
• all of the lovely locals who always greeted us with a smile and a Buenos Dias (good day!) either on the streets or in a restaurant,
• and even making sure to ask if we were enjoying our food, even if they were customers themselves!!! They wanted to make sure we were enjoying ourselves in their great city!

2. Quality of Life, also related to the people

Some of my fondest memories of this trip involve how local Oaxacans take time to enjoy life. During the day, the Zocalo is a lively square near the center of town filled with street vendors, shoe shiners, and elotes. On a Friday night, there were musicians and people dancing to the music while others were just sitting or standing around enjoying the evening.

One night, we took an hour and a half bike ride around the city, through an organization called Mundo Ceiba. Even though it was a little confusing at check in and the start of the ride, the organizers did an amazing job corralling and leading at least a hundred people. It wasn’t a hundred tourists though. Mostly they were locals of all ages with their families, enjoying the evening and the city they call home.  

The route went outside of the city center (Centro) and made its way into the smaller neighborhoods. The organizers kept cars at bay (with people holding up traffic) and through a loudspeaker and music, kept everyone engaged and their spirits high. For 70 pesos (approximately $4 USD) per person, it was a great way to get to know the city.

Another night, we ran into a wedding in town, which included a large procession with puppets, music, and dancers.  It was wonderful to see and be a part of.  Also, a warm congratulations to Adriana and Omar, who had a beautiful wedding in town that week

3. Wonderful Places and Spaces in Town

Oaxaca is just an amazing town center, with lots of character and charm everywhere you turn.  Looking into doorways and windows were a favorite activity of mine, because you never know when you will stumble on an art gallery, modern art exhibit, or restaurant.

3.1 Ethnobotanical Garden – Jardin Etnobotanico de Oaxaca

The Ethnobotanical Garden (Jardin Etnobotanico de Oaxaca) is a wonderful space in town, directly next to the main church. 

They offer English tours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 11 am (2 hours) for 100 Pesos | $5.55 USD.  The tours give you an introduction to plants native to the area and a history of its domestication.  We were told that the tour usually sells out, and there are often people waiting in line before the garden opens at 11.  It’s true, there were people lined up, but the week we were there was an off week, and the town was unusually quiet.

3.2 Stamp Museum

Down the street from the garden, is the local stamp museum.  It’s very cute, and has a bigger and more interesting collection than you’d imagine.  It has a nice cafe and sitting area in the back and a cute gift shop in the front.  It’s free, so it’s worth a short stop on your way in or out of the gardens.

3.3 Amate Books

When roaming around town, you’re bound to come across Amate Books, which is a charming, local bookstore near the center.  So colorful and the decorations celebrate the indigenous local cultures.

3.4 Museum of Textiles

While walking around town, you’ll also come across the Museum of Textiles (free admission).  The museum is a charming space with rotating exhibitions of modern and traditional textiles, including textile-related art.  It closes at 8 pm, so there’s plenty of time to stop by.  There was a little. party going on when we stopped by one evening,

4. Visit Oaxaca for the Fun Day Trips!

We took two day trips out of the city, and they were both well worth it and easy to do!

4.1 Monte Alban

On the first trip, we went about half an hour outside of town to Monte Alban, which is a UNESCO heritage site known for its post-Classical archaeological ruins.  Monte Alban was built atop a mountain, with its architecture drawing inspiration from the hills and mountains.  It was the political and economic center for the Zapotecs.  Monte Alban is also featured on the back of a 20 Peso note.

We took a round trip bus from Oaxaca city to Monte Alban.  There were several providers, which could all be the same company.  The one we took was outside the Hotel Rivera del Angel, on Francisco Javier Mina (street), near the November 20 market.  The bus left Oaxaca on the half hours, in the morning, and returned from Monte Alban on the hour.  The journey takes about half and hour, winding up a mountain and through small villages.  The roundtrip ticket cost 55 Pesos |~$3 USD.  Alternatively, you could sign up and take a guided tour.

Please note that some products or referrals in this post are affiliate links (in green) and if you go through them to make a purchase or booking, I will earn a commission. I share these product and booking links because they are related to the post and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours whether to click through and make a purchase through these links.

Entrance into the site cost 70 Pesos, and tickets can be bought via credit card using a digital kiosk.  There is a small museum with some artifacts and history, in Spanish only, and a small cafe.  We spent between 2-3 hours here, which was plenty of time to walk through each station and to read the corresponding plaques, which gave information in Spanish, English, and Zapotec. 

But be aware, there is little shade and the distance between buildings and structures can be harsh under the midday sun.  There are locals selling hats and umbrellas outside the entrance, in case you forgot yours.

4.2 Mitla, and the surrounding areas

It’s possible to see a bunch of really interesting places with a day trip outside the city.  It’s not that far, distance wise, but the countryside is vastly different from town and is worth making arrangements to go.  From research, I understand that hiring a private driver is fairly normal and easy to do. Had our Airbnb host not offered to shuttle us around, we would have found our own.   

Our full day tour took us to Arbol del Tule, Mitla, Hierve el Agua, and Mercado de Tlacolula.  Visiting Teotitlan del Valle (a textile, artisan village) would have been possible as well, but we took our time with a long breakfast and an extra visit with an artisan mezcal producer. 

Read all about the day trip to Mitla and surrounding areas

5. Visit Oaxaca for the FOOD

I know I consider myself a food expert, but in reality, I just like eating it. And enjoying it! And boy did I enjoy eating food in Oaxaca!

My fellow blogging friend will do better at explaining all the Oaxaca Street Food we ate. Considering she is an expert chef, I won’t describe everything we ate in detail. But, I will say – the freshly made tortillas were amazing!  You could smell the corn as you took each bite. 

Everything was made with fresh tortillas of varying thicknesses, colors, and levels of softness or crispiness.  These tortillas were often accompanied by beans, cheese, guacamole, meat, mole, and other veggies.  The google map has each spot we ate at marked down.  The real winner was Itanoni, which is known for its corn and tortilla products.  A little bit outside of the center of town, IT WAS SO WORTH IT!

All the places we ate at are listed on the map at the bottom of the post! Try them all!

Parting Thoughts on Oaxaca

So even though this post is more pictures than words, there is just so much to love and to share about Oaxaca. There’s just too much, especially on the food front, to do a proper recap, but everything worth mentioning is included in the Google Map below. 

In short, Oaxaca is a magical place that will capture your heart and soul.  Throughout your whole stay, you’ll probably comment about 10 times a day how charming a place is, how lovely that place is, and what a wonderful quality of life they have there.  And then you’ll know – you’re hooked on Oaxaca too!

I hope I’ve given you a few reasons to visit Oaxaca or at least to put it on your radar for the future. It’s delightful, the people are warm and lovely, and it’s absolutely delicious!

Please note that some products or referrals in this post are affiliate links (in green) and if you go through them to make a purchase or booking, I will earn a commission. I share these product and booking links because they are related to the post and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours whether to click through and make a purchase through these links.

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/