01How Much Does Paklenica Cost?
Paklenica is one of the cheaper national parks in Croatia. The base is the small coastal town of Starigrad-Paklenica, about 45 km northeast of Zadar. The main costs are accommodation, a rental car and food. The park ticket is a small share of the total.
Approximate daily budgets per person, assuming two people share a room:
| Style | Daily cost per person |
|---|---|
| Budget (camping, groceries, one konoba meal) | €45–60 |
| Mid-range (apartment, restaurant dinners, park, parking) | €90–140 |
| Comfortable (holiday home or hotel-style stay, rental car, guide) | €170+ |
Prices rise sharply in July and August. May, June and September are cheaper and better for hiking, because the canyons are less hot.
02Paklenica National Park Entrance Fees
Entry for adults has recently been around €10 per person. Children, students and seasonal rates differ. The park has charged different prices in the high season (May to September) and the low season (October to April), so check the official park ticket shop for the exact 2027 tariff before travelling.
Multiday tickets exist for climbers. Three-day and five-day tickets include a climbing permit. They are better value than buying day tickets if you plan to climb for more than one day.
Parking at the Velika Paklenica entrance costs about €5 per day. Arrive early. In summer the car park fills up, and cars end up on the road more than a kilometre from the trailhead. Park hours are long in summer, roughly 6:00 to 20:30, and shorter in winter.
Opinion: Most visitors worry about the ticket price, but it is the least important cost here. Buying the cheapest accommodation 5–10 km from the entrance and then paying for fuel and parking every day often costs more than a slightly dearer room within walking distance.
What Hikes Cost
Walking in the park needs no extra fees once you have the ticket. Typical free or low-cost options include:
- Velika Paklenica canyon walk
- a flat, shaded path for the first part, with a mountain hut at the end of the main track. About 2 hours return for the short version. Trail water and a snack at the hut add €5–10.
- Manita peć cave
- a separate attraction inside the park with its own timed opening and an additional fee. Confirm the schedule with the park office, as the cave is usually open only in the season and at set times.
- Anića kuk
- the best-known climbing wall in the canyon. Climbers need a permit, covered by the multiday ticket.
A private guided hike from Zadar is a very different price level. Offers have been listed at several hundred euros per group of up to 8–11 people. Independent hikers do not need this. The marked trails are straightforward, and the park is well signposted.
03Accommodation Costs in Starigrad-Paklenica
Starigrad is mostly private apartments, campsites and a few small hotels. Booking directly with owners is common and often cheaper than the platforms.
Camping
Simple pitches start from about €25 per night at family-run camps such as Camps Adriana. Camping Paklenica, a large seafront campsite, also rents rooms and mobile homes. Prices there range from about €60 to well over €100 per night depending on the date.
Apartments
Apartments in Starigrad generally start around €50–60 per night in the shoulder season. Mid-range apartments with a terrace and air conditioning cost €70–130. Examples at the lower end include Apartments & Room Masa (about €45–60) and Apartments Tonka (from €60). In July and August, a sea-view two-bedroom apartment often costs €120–150 or more.
Holiday homes
Whole houses start around €100 per night (Vila Mungo) and can reach €300 or more for beach houses sleeping larger groups.
Opinion: For two people on a hiking trip, a one-bedroom apartment with a kitchen is a better value than a hotel-style room. The kitchen cuts daily food costs by €15–20 per person, and the park is a 10–15 minute drive from most Starigrad addresses.
A tourist tax is added on top of most stays, usually a small amount per person per night. Many hosts also charge for short stays (one or two nights) with a surcharge, and add a cleaning fee of €10–30.
04Food and Drink Prices
Starigrad has a coastal strip of konobas and pizzerias. Expect these typical prices:
- Coffee: €1.50–2.50
- Pizza: €9–14
- Grilled fish or meat main course: €14–25
- Seafood platter or whole fish by weight: €50–80 per kg for premium fish
- Local beer (0.5 l): €3.50–5
- Glass of local wine: €3–5
- Groceries for a picnic lunch: €6–10 per person
Shops in Starigrad are small and stock the basics. A larger supermarket run in Zadar saves money if you are staying a week.
Local tip: Pack a lunch and fill reusable bottles before entering the canyon. Prices at the mountain hut at the top are higher, and you need more water than you expect on the warm sections.
05Getting There and Getting Around
Most visitors travel by car. Zadar Airport is roughly 45–50 minutes from Starigrad by road. A rental car costs about €35–60 per day in summer and less in spring. Fuel and tolls (A1 motorway, Zadar to Maslenica section) add to the total.
Buses run along the coast road between Zadar and Starigrad, with fares of roughly €4–7 each way. Services are fewer in winter and on Sundays. The bus stop in town is within a short walk of most apartments, but the park entrance is some distance away, so a bus-only trip needs a taxi or a long walk for the last stretch.
Money-saving tip: Share a rental car with two or three others. The per-person cost often drops below the cost of repeated bus and taxi trips.
06Seasonal Price Differences
| Season | Months | Price level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | November–March | Lowest | Many restaurants close, shorter park hours |
| Shoulder | April–June, September–October | Moderate | Best for hiking, mild weather |
| High | July–August | Highest | Hot, crowded, minimum stays common |
The park ticket office switches between its winter and summer schedule around the first of May and the first of October, so check the opening hours when planning an early-spring or late-autumn trip.
07Sample 3-Day Budget for Two People
Budget (about €280–330 total):
- 3 nights camping or a basic apartment: €120–180
- Park tickets (2 people x 1 day): approx. €20
- Parking: €5–15
- Groceries and two restaurant meals: €70–90
- Bus fares or shared fuel: €20–30
Mid-range (about €550–750 total):
- 3 nights in an apartment with a terrace: €240–390
- Park tickets and parking: €25–35
- Restaurant dinners: €100–140
- Rental car, fuel and tolls: €120–180
08Practical Cost Tips
- Book apartments for at least three nights. Many owners add a surcharge for one- or two-night stays.
- Visit the park on a weekday morning to avoid parking problems.
- Pay in cash at small konobas and local shops. Cards are widely accepted, but cash helps at tiny places and campsites.
- Take a swimsuit. The pebble beaches along Starigrad are free, so a beach afternoon after the hike costs nothing.
- Buy fresh produce, cheese and bread in Starigrad or Zadar markets rather than the beachfront cafés.
09Is Paklenica Expensive Compared with Other Croatian Parks?
No. Entry is much lower than at Plitvice or Krka, and accommodation in Starigrad is cheaper than in Split, Hvar or Dubrovnik. It is a good base for travellers who want mountains and sea without paying island prices.