Split Croatia Waterfalls: 11 Best Waterfalls Near Split (2024)
Wondering what the best waterfalls are near Split Croatia?
You’ve come to the right place as I’ve visited Split and taken lots of day trips to discover all of the best waterfalls nearby.
Croatia and waterfalls go hand in hand, and you couldn’t take a trip to Split without checking out some waterfalls.
And since Split is a city so there aren’t any waterfalls in the city itself, you’ll need to take a day trip somewhere.
Luckily for you, I too love chasing waterfalls, and I’ve put together a list of my favourite waterfalls near Split in Croatia.
Waterfalls Near Split Croatia
As Split is a city, you will need to travel to reach any waterfalls. Most of these waterfalls are at least an hour outside of Split.
You may wish to rent a car but I recommend taking tours instead, and I will recommend relevant tours to take throughout the post.
So without further ado, let’s start exploring some waterfalls.
1. Skradinski Buk
By far the best waterfall to visit near Split is Skradinski Buk. It’s the most famous waterfall in Krka National Park and one of the most popular in all of Croatia.
I’d say there’s a fair chance that you might have even had Skradinski Buk in mind when searching for waterfalls.
Before I visited Croatia, Krka and Skradinski Buk were on my bucket list for years and I was so happy to finally see the waterfall in real life and I promise you, it does not disappoint.
Unfortunately, you are no longer able to swim in Krka, but it’s still worth the trip as it is absolutely stunning.
Getting from Split to Krka is really easy – it’s the most popular day trip people take when visiting the city.
I recommend taking the Krka Waterfalls Trip with Boat Cruise and Swimming, as it includes the coach to the park, a boat cruise in Krka, free time in Krka, and then it takes you to a small village called Primošten which has gorgeous swimming spots.
It makes for the perfect day out, and if you can visit one waterfall in Croatia, make it Skradinski Buk.
➡️ Book your tour from Split to Krka National Park
2. Manojlovac Slap
Krka National Park is more than “just” Skradinski Buk though, there are so many waterfalls on offer. In fact, there are 17 different waterfalls throughout the park.
Manojlovac Slap is the tallest waterfall in Krka, and while it’s not as popular as Skradinski Buk, it’s definitely worth the visit.
It’s in the north of the national park, so it’s not quite as easy to get to (Krka is huge), but if you take the same Split to Krka Waterfalls Trip I recommended above, you should be able to spot it from a distance if nothing else.
Taking a trip to Krka will allow you to tick off a good few waterfalls on this list – but don’t worry, I’m not like the other posts which include 7 different waterfalls in Krka, I will give you lots of other options to choose from too.
That being said, I definitely recommend making the trip to Krka. It has the best waterfalls near Split, Croatia.
➡️ Book your tour from Split to Krka National Park
3. Roski Slap
Roski Slap is the best alternative to swimming at Skradinski Buk. Since it is no longer allowed, you are instead recommended (by Krka themself) to go to Roski Slap.
And to be honest, it is slightly misleading as you can’t get anywhere close to the waterfall, you are only able to swim in the lake at the bottom of the waterfall.
But still, it’s incredible, and Roski Slap is beautiful. It’s definitely not the biggest waterfall in the world, or the prettiest you’ll ever see, but it’s still nice and swimming in the lake at the bottom makes for a unique experience.
Again, the best way of getting there is by taking a tour. But you might need a little more time as Roski Slap is out of the way compared to Skradinski Buk.
➡️ Book your tour from Split to Krka National Park
4. Veliki Slap
Moving on from Krka to another national park in Croatia in Plitvice Lakes. Plitvice Lakes is a must-visit destination in Croatia – it’s one of the most breathtaking places I have ever seen.
Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t kind to me the day I went, but that didn’t make it any less impressive. But please excuse the grey clouds in the photo.
The most popular waterfall in Plitvice Lakes is Veliki Slap, also known as the Great Waterfall.
It’s beautiful both up close and from a distance – take a look at this view below!
Plitvice Lakes is a bit further away than Krka National Park, as it takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes compared to 1 hour to Krka. But it’s worth the drive.
Again, the best way of getting there is by taking a tour. From Split: Plitvice Lakes Fully-Guided Day Tour includes a guided tour of the park so you can be assured you won’t miss anything and you’ll get all of the best views guaranteed.
It’s a long day, but it also goes quickly. Nothing about seeing picturesque lakes and waterfalls ever gets boring, so time flies. And don’t worry, the drive is scenic too, it’s not a boring drive.
Note that you can’t swim in Plitvice Lakes either.
➡️ Book your tour from Split to Plitvice Lakes
5. Cetina Waterfall
If you’re looking to see a waterfall near Split and have an adventure, then I recommend considering Cetina Waterfall.
Unlike the options I have given so far, a trip to Cetina Waterfall includes more than just a bus journey.
The best way to see the waterfall is by taking a tour called “Extreme Canyoning on Cetina River” which leaves from Split. And yes, it lives up to its name.
Not only do you get to see a waterfall and beautiful river, but you also get to have loads of fun by canyoneering including jumping, diving, swimming and hiking along the river.
If you love getting active, then the Cetina Waterfall is the option for you. It is still possible to see the waterfall without taking the tour, but you would need to rent a car as there is no other easy way of getting there as it’s quite remote.
➡️ Book your canyoneering tour of Cetina River from Split
6. Rošnjak
The last waterfall I am including from Krka National Park is Rošnjak – but trust me, it deserves a place on this list.
It’s also in the north of the park, near Manojlovac Slapovi, so it’s unfortunately a little bit out of the way from where most people visit in Krka.
You can’t really get that close to it, but it can be admired from a distance and let me tell you, it’s worth admiring that’s for sure.
To me, it kind of looks like a beaver dam, as there are trees at the top of the waterfall which the water runs through, so it’s pretty unique in that sense too. But at the same time, it’s not top of my list either.
Like with all of the other Split, Croatia waterfalls in the national park, I recommend taking the same tour from Split.
➡️ Book your tour from Split to Krka National Park
7. Kravice Waterfall
If you’re familiar with geography in the Balkans, you might know that Split isn’t too far away from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In fact, one of the best waterfall trips from Split which I recommend is to Kravice Waterfall, which is actually in Bosnia.
It only takes an hour and a half to reach the waterfall from Split, making it closer than Plitvice Lakes, for example.
I recommend taking the Mostar and Herzegovina Tour with Kravica Waterfall from Split which shows you a bit of what Bosnia and Herzegovina has to offer, and includes a trip to the waterfall too.
➡️ Book your tour from Split to Kravice Waterfall
8. Velika Gubavica
Velika Gubavica offers one of the most unique ways to see waterfalls from Split, Croatia. This time you won’t just be taking a bus, you won’t be canyoneering and you won’t be canoeing, instead, you’ll be riding an ATV.
If you aren’t familiar with the abbreviation ATV, it stands for “all-terrain vehicle” or in other words, a quad bike.
The From Split: ATV Quad Tour Adventure with Swimming & Picnic is one of the best tours you can do from Split in my opinion.
It’s such good value for money and creates unbelievable memories. And if you were wondering, the swimming part of the tour is at the waterfall Velika Gubavica.
➡️ Book your ATV tour from Split to Velika Gubavica
9. Veliki Prstavac
Veliki Prstavac is the second most popular waterfall in Plitvice Lakes, and the second-highest waterfall in the park too.
You can get pretty close to it and there is a viewing platform at the bottom where you can take lots of good photos.
Again, sorry for the doomy skies but I visited in September and I had one day without sun during the 10 days I was in Croatia. Guess which day has grey skies? Yup, just my luck.
But the waterfall itself didn’t disappoint, and if you take the trip from Split to Plitvice Lakes, be sure to do a route which includes Veliki Prstavac.
Remember that Plitvice is further away than Krka, so it takes a bit longer to get there. I recommend the Plitvice Lakes Fully-Guided Day Tour.
➡️ Book your tour from Split to Plitvice Lakes
10. Slap Krčić
Slap Krčić is a 22-metre-high waterfall just 90 minutes from Split. The name “Krčić” means “mini Krka” so if you ask me, that speaks to how impressive the waterfall is.
There aren’t any tour options from Split, unfortunately, so this is only an option if you decide to rent a car. I wouldn’t recommend renting a car just to see the waterfall, but if you are renting a car anyway, it could be worth taking a trip to see Slap Krčić.
I would go as far as to consider it a “hidden gem” in Croatia, as very few people visit it compared to the main waterfalls, but it’s just as beautiful.
For reference, when I’m writing this blog post, it has 194 reviews on Google, and Skradinski Buk has 9000.
There is also a boardwalk here, so it does have a very similar feel to Krka, but nowhere near as popular. It’s much quieter and more secluded.
11. Slapovi Zrmanja
Last but by no means least of these waterfalls near Split, Croatia is Slapovi Zrmanja. Slapovi Zrmanja is a waterfall found along the Zrmanja River, and it too provides an opportunity to get active.
In fact, you can get on the river and get up close and personal with the waterfall as there are tours which include canoeing and rafting. Unfortunately, the tours do not leave from Split, so you will need to make your way there yourself.
But if you do opt for a rental car during your time in Split, then you should consider Slapovi Zrmanja for sure as it’s less than 2 hours away.
The picture above is just a snippet of how the waterfalls actually look. The waterfall is very long, as in, it’s a lot wider than it looks in the photo. There are lots of small waterfalls and it’s a panoramic view of mini waterfalls. Like something straight out of a fairy tale!
➡️ Book your Zrmanja River Canoeing/Rafting Tour
Split Croatia Waterfalls: FAQ
Below are some questions related to waterfalls near Split Croatia along with my answers to each question.
The famous waterfall near Split is Skradinski Buk in Krka National Park, which is roughly 1 hour away from Split. There are lots of tour options to take you there as it is the most popular day trip from Split.
Krka National Park is about 1 hour from Split. It’s the most popular day trip to take from the city, as the waterfalls are beautiful, and one of the most visited places in all of Croatia.
The best way to get from Split to Krka is by taking a tour which includes round-trip transport. It takes just over an hour to reach the national park from Split, making it a really popular choice for a day trip.
Final Thoughts: Split Croatia Waterfalls
And there you have it, a complete list of the best waterfalls near Split in Croatia.
The best way to see the most waterfalls from Split is to visit Krka National Park and Plitvice Lakes where you can tick off many of the best waterfalls on this list.
And if you prefer to get active, remember there are lots of options for that too.
Now that you know where to find the waterfalls, you might need to choose between Krka and Plitvice. Luckily, I created a guide comparing the two.