Sail from Zadar into the Kornati archipelago — the "Tears of God" — on full-day boat trips that combine the dramatic Kornati crowns with swim stops, snorkelling, and visits to nearby Telašćica Nature Park. Most tours run 8–10 hours and include breakfast, lunch, and drinks on board.
Free Cancellation 9h 40min small-boat day trip from Zadar to Kornati with snorkeling, hike, lunch and drinks included.
Free Cancellation Full-day 8-hour boat trip from Zadar to Kornati and Telašćica with two swim stops, breakfast and lunch.
Free Cancellation 9-hour boat trip from Zadar to Telašćica and Kornati, with breakfast, grilled lunch, and swim stops.
Free Cancellation 10-hour family-run boat trip from Zadar with 2 hours on private Mana Island and a Dalmatian lunch with wine.
Free Cancellation 10-hour fast-boat trip from Zadar: Lojena beach swim, Mana island cliffs, and a stop in Kukljica village.
Free Cancellation 9-10 hour boat tour from Zadar covering both Kornati and Telašćica parks, with lunch and swim stops.
Free Cancellation 9.5-hour boat cruise from Zadar to Telascica Nature Park and Kornati, with lunch and swim stop.
Free Cancellation Full-day 10-hour boat trip from Zadar or Bibinje with stops at Telašćica and Kornati, meals and drinks included.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Kornati National Park — from practical tips to personal highlights.
A full-day boat trip from Zadar puts you on the water for 8 to 10 hours, crossing roughly 15 nautical miles to an archipelago of 89 treeless limestone islands. Most tours run the same rhythm: breakfast on the crossing, a slow pass beneath the white cliff 'crowns', a long swim stop, and a grilled lunch with wine on board. The good ones add Telašćica's cliffs and salt lake on Dugi Otok before the run home.
The outer islands drop away in sheer white walls — over 80 m above the waterline and another 90 m continuing below it. Boats slow down here so everyone can photograph the fault cliffs from the deck. This is the single image the archipelago is famous for.
Levrnaka's pale pebble crescent and turquoise shallows are the classic stop, and most Zadar tours give you an hour here for swimming and snorkelling. Gear is usually on board, so you don't need your own. It's a rare soft landing on islands that are otherwise bare rock.
Several trips spend two to three hours at the neighbouring nature park on Dugi Otok, where cliffs rear over 160 m and the shallow Mir salt lake sits warm behind the clifftop. You can swim in the lake and climb to the viewpoint over the cliffs. Off-season departures sometimes skip it — check before you book.
Expect grilled fish or chicken with salad, and free wine during lunch on most boats. Breakfast — usually a sandwich and coffee — is served during the morning crossing. Vegetarian meals are available on request with several operators.
Kornat island holds the ruins of a 6th-century Byzantine fortress with the church of St. Mary at its foot. Some tours stop nearby long enough for a short climb. The panorama over the southern islands and open Adriatic is worth the effort.
Below the waterline the park hides 353 algae species and wide Posidonia seagrass meadows. The calm coves around Levrnaka and Lavsa are the easiest snorkel wins from a day tour. Snorkel stops usually happen in the same bays as the swim breaks.
Zadar tours run from about $51 to $93 per person, and the differences between them are bigger than the price gap suggests. Here's what to sort out before you pay.
All Zadar options are guided group boat trips — no audio tours exist, and the nearest private option is a family-run 22-person boat or a chartered RIB (around €950 for up to 11 guests from the wider region). Everything is full-day; there's no short hop from Zadar, since the park sits 15 nautical miles out. Expect 8–10 hours door to door.
July and August departures fill up days in advance, and island konobas book solid at lunch. Late May, June and September give you the same warm sea with a fraction of the boats. In shoulder months tours run mainly for joinable groups — email the operator ahead to confirm a seat.
Some listings include the Kornati National Park fee in the price; others charge roughly 100 kn (about €13) per person at check-in. Read the exclusions line before comparing prices, because a $51 tour with a separate fee lands close to a $63 one without. Telašćica entry is also excluded on several combo trips.
Boat trips get rescheduled or cancelled in rain or strong wind, and the bura can write off open-water crossings entirely — winds of 6+ Beaufort blow about 37 days a year here. Operators notify you the day before with meeting instructions. Keep a spare day in your itinerary if you're travelling in shoulder season.
The largest tour runs commentary in seven languages, including English, German, Italian and Spanish. Smaller boats offer English and Croatian, one adds Polish, another Hungarian. If language matters to you, check the listing — on some trips the 'guide' is mostly a route announcement.
Large excursion boats from Zadar accept strollers and infants on laps, and most say they suit all fitness levels — the day is seated cruising with swim stops. Small speedboats and RIBs are not wheelchair accessible. Boarding involves steps at piers, and the open crossing can be bumpy, so seasickness-prone travellers should take tablets.
Every tour listed allows a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. Park tickets bought separately are stricter: no cancellations at all, and one date change per season, requested by email by noon the day before. The operator's own dog-food donation gimmick doesn't change the refund terms.
Swimsuit, towel, hat and high-SPF sunscreen — the park gets 2,600–2,700 sunshine hours a year and has almost no natural shade on the karst. Add a wind layer for the crossing in spring and autumn, plus non-slip shoes if you plan to walk on shore. Bring cash for any konoba stop.
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| Kornati-Only Full-Day Tour | Kornati + Telašćica Combo Cruise | Fast-Boat Excursion | Family-Run Boat Trip | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 9h 40min | 9h – 10h | 10h | 10h |
| Best for | Swimmers and photographers who want maximum time among the islands, with three stops inside the park | First-timers who want the cliffs, Mir salt lake and the archipelago in one day | Anyone who hates long transits — the fast hull cuts crossing time and adds a third swim stop | Travellers who prefer a small 22-person boat, a local crew of 30 years' standing, and lunch on a private island |
| Includes | Breakfast, lunch, snorkel gear, Wi-Fi, drinks, park fees, guide in 7 languages | Breakfast, lunch with wine, drinks, guide; Telašćica entry and park fee sometimes extra | Breakfast, lunch, drinks, guide in English and Polish, 3 swim and panorama stops | Breakfast, lunch, alcoholic drinks, snorkel gear, government fees |
| Price from | $92.84 | $50.94 | $63.83 | $87.03 |
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The park itself is open year-round — there are no gates, no closing hours, and access is by boat at any time. What actually runs on a schedule is the tour fleet.
Typical Zadar tour day: departure between 07:45 and 09:00 (one operator leaves Dražanica Bay at 07:45 and Foša Harbour at 08:00), return between 17:15 and 18:00. Total time on the water: 8–10 hours.
Day tours and the island taverns operate mainly April to October, with daily departures guaranteed in July and August. From November to March almost nothing runs from the mainland.
If you're sailing in on your own boat, a one-day ticket bought between 00:00 and 24:00 stays valid until 12:00 noon the next day. Three-day tickets run until noon on the fourth day, five-day tickets until noon on the sixth.
Zadar sits about 15 nautical miles (28 km) from the park — roughly a 90-minute to two-hour crossing each way on a standard excursion boat.
There is no bridge and no scheduled public ferry into the park. Ever.
Late May, June and September are the sweet spot: the sea is warm enough for swimming, the weather is settled, and far fewer boats compete for the bays.
July and August bring the warmest sea (around 25 °C) and 22 sunny days in August, but also peak crowds, the highest tour prices and the year's hottest stretch — about 17 of the park's ~40 days at or above 30 °C fall in August. Book summer departures days ahead.
Skip November through March. The tour fleet shuts down, the konobas close, and the bura — the park's most frequent wind, blowing 19.4% of the year — peaks in winter, with storm winds most often in December.
April and October work, but only weather-dependently; tours then run mainly as joinable group departures, so email operators first.
Access is by boat only, so everything depends on the vessel. Large excursion boats out of Zadar accept strollers (folded on board on some ships) and infants on laps, and all the listed tours state they suit every fitness level — the day is seated cruising with optional swim stops.
Wheelchair users should stick to the big excursion boats; small speedboats and RIBs are not accessible. On shore there are no paved paths — trails are rough stony karst and the coves are pebble or rock — so land visits generally require assistance.
Elderly travellers manage well aboard the large boats: one or two swim breaks, a long lunch stop, and shade. Boarding involves steps at piers. If you're prone to seasickness, take medication before the 15-nm crossing and pick a calm-forecast day.
Don't expect infrastructure. The islands have no permanent residents, no shops worth the name and no drinking water supply.
Buy provisions on the mainland and bring cash.
On an organised tour, the operator handles most compliance — but a few rules apply to you directly.
Fines for operators misreporting passengers run €1,000–4,000, so crews take the paperwork seriously.
Expect a full day of 8 to 10 hours, including roughly 90 minutes to two hours of crossing each way — Zadar sits about 15 nautical miles from the park. Tours leave between 07:45 and 09:00 and return by around 18:00. If you want less transit time, Murter departures are only 7 nm out.
Sometimes. The top-rated 9h 40min excursion includes the park fee in its $92.84 price, but several cheaper listings exclude it and charge about 100 kn (€13) per person at check-in. Telašćica entry is also excluded on some combo tours. Read the inclusions and exclusions carefully before comparing prices.
Combo cruises pairing Kornati with Telašćica start around $51 for a full day with breakfast, lunch and drinks included. The trade-off is more time in transit and fewer in-park stops than the $92.84 Kornati-only trip, which includes three park stops and snorkel gear. Check whether the park fee is extra before booking the cheaper options.
Yes. Most tours build in one to three swim stops totalling one to three hours, usually at Lojena beach on Levrnaka and in sheltered bays. Many boats carry snorkelling equipment free of charge, though one operator asks you to bring your own. Swimming is banned only in the four strict-protection zones, which tours don't visit anyway.
Several do — combos spend two to three hours at Telašćica Nature Park on Dugi Otok, where you can swim in the shallow Mir lake and climb to a viewpoint over 160-metre cliffs. Note that off-season departures may follow a route that skips Telašćica entirely, and entry to the nature park is often excluded from the price.
Yes — all listed tours state they suit every fitness level, infants ride on laps or in strollers, and the day is mostly seated cruising with optional swim breaks. Bring strong sun protection for kids: the islands have almost no shade and the park gets 2,600–2,700 sunshine hours a year. There's no medical facility inside the park.
Boat trips can be rescheduled or cancelled in rain or strong wind — the bura is the one to watch, with 6+ Beaufort winds blowing about 37 days a year. Operators contact you the day before with meeting instructions and any changes. All listed tours give a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead.
Almost always. Standard inclusions are a breakfast sandwich or fruit on the crossing, a grilled fish or chicken lunch (vegetarian on request with some operators), plus water, juice and wine — often free wine at lunch only. Coffee, beer and Coke cost extra at the bar on some ships.
Only with your own or a chartered boat — there's no scheduled ferry and no bridge. Independent skippers buy a per-boat ticket (€45 per day in season for boats under 7 m, bought in advance) and may anchor overnight only at 16 designated bays. Guests at ACI marina Piškera get the ticket included with the berth.
Swimsuit, towel, hat and high-SPF sunscreen — the karst is treeless and summer days hit 11 hours of sun. Add a windproof layer for the crossing in spring and autumn, and non-slip shoes if you'll walk on shore. Bring cash for extras at the bar or any konoba stop, since cards aren't reliable out there.
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A 22-person boat out of Zadar runs this full-day trip — 9 hours 40 minutes total — with three stops inside the park. First comes a slow pass by the Kornati crowns for photos from the water, then an hour of swimming and snorkeling at Lojena beach on Levrnaka. Gear is on board, so you don't need your own. Stop three is a one-hour hike up to a panoramic viewpoint, so bring real walking shoes — the path isn't flip-flop territory. After that, two hours on the island of Kornat for lunch. You meet at a single point in Zadar (map link provided at booking); there's no hotel pickup. Almost everything is covered in the price: breakfast on board, lunch, fresh fruit, coffee, water, soft drinks and wine, snorkeling equipment, park fees, Wi-Fi, and a local guide. Guides work in Croatian, English, German, Russian and Italian. You only need swimwear, towels and shoes. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
German, Russian, English, Croatian, Italian, French, Spanish
This 8-hour boat trip runs from Zadar through Kornati National Park — locals call the archipelago the "Tears of God" — and ends with a 2-hour stop at Telašćica Nature Park. Along the way you pass the karst-limestone cliffs of the Kornati islands, with two separate swim stops totalling about 3 hours. At Telašćica Bay there are 25 small beaches, and the cliffs of Dugi Otok rise up to 161 meters above the sea and drop to about 90 meters below it. Salt lake Mir sits nearby. Bring shoes you can walk in — the terrain is rocky. A local English-speaking guide gives live commentary on board, and breakfast, lunch, wine, aperitif and water are all included, plus taxes and fuel surcharges. The Kornati National Park entrance fee is not included — you pay it at check-in before departure, so bring cash. Note the park fees cover Kornati; the Telašćica stop is included in the tour price. There's no hotel pickup for this trip; you board at the departure point in Zadar. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
A 9-hour boat day out of Zadar that splits its time between two parks: a 3-hour stop at Telašćica Nature Park, then a slow panoramic run through the Kornati islands. At Telašćica you can swim in the salt lake Mir and climb to the park's highest viewpoint, which looks out over 166-meter cliffs. The Kornati leg is a boat ride past some of the 120 islands rather than a shore stop — lunch is served on board during it. Breakfast (a sandwich) and lunch are included. Lunch is grilled fish or meat with salad and a drink; vegetarian is possible with prior notice. Water, wine, and an aperitif are also included, along with a local English-speaking guide and live commentary on board. The fuel surcharge is in the price. Two things to know before booking. Park entrance tickets for both Kornati and Telašćica are not included, so bring cash or a card for those. And there's no hotel pickup for this trip — you'll get the exact departure details one day before, so watch for that message. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
Departure is at 07:45 from Dražanica Bay or 08:00 from Foša Harbour in Zadar, with breakfast and drinks served on board during the cruise to Kornati National Park. The crew is a local family that has run these trips for 30 years, guiding in English and Croatian. Return lands at 18:00 (Foša, Old Town) and 18:15 (Dražanica), so plan for a full 10-hour day. The boat docks at Mana Island, where the operator has exclusive access, and you get two hours to swim, snorkel (gear provided), or cliff jump. A short climb up the hill leads to an abandoned movie-set village and views across the archipelago. Dolphins are sometimes spotted on the crossing. Lunch is a traditional Dalmatian meal with local wine, served at the family's Captain's House among olive trees on the island. Included are breakfast, lunch, alcoholic and soft drinks, snorkeling equipment, and government fees; coffee, tea, and bottled water are not. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Croatian
A 10-hour fast-boat excursion from Zadar that spends about two hours cruising out through the archipelago before entering Kornati National Park. Coffee and breakfast are served during the crossing. Because the boat is fast, less of the day goes to transit and more goes to time in the water. The first park stop is Lojena beach, with roughly two hours of free time for swimming in its turquoise shallows. Next comes Mana island, a photo stop known for its cliffs and the remains of an old movie set built into the rock. The final stop is Kukljica, a fishing village at the southern end of Ugljan, where you get about an hour for sightseeing or one last swim before the run back to Zadar. Guiding is in English and Polish. Breakfast, lunch, and drinks (soft and alcoholic) are all included, along with three swimming and sightseeing stops. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Polish
This full-day trip runs from Zadar aboard the ship Sveti Šime II, departing at 8:00 a.m. and returning around 6:00 p.m. — roughly ten hours on the water. The route sails out through Zadar's channel past Ugljan, cruises along Pašman island, and passes under the Ždrelac bridge into the channel where the Kornati islands begin. From there the boat does a slow panoramic run through the Kornati archipelago's islets before stopping at Katina Island for an hour: swim, or hike up a nearby hill for a view over the park. After lunch on board (freshly prepared, with breakfast, bottled water, and alcoholic drinks included), the boat continues to Telašćica Nature Park for two hours of free time. You can swim in the Salt Lake Mir, walk its shores, or head to the Klif cliffs on foot. Guides run the tour in English, Croatian, and Hungarian. The boat has WiFi and restrooms; coffee, beer, and Coca-Cola at the onboard café bar cost extra, and you'll need to bring your own snorkeling or swimming gear. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Croatian, Hungarian
This full-day cruise departs Zadar at 08:30 and returns by 18:00, pairing two hours at Telašćica Nature Park with a 90-minute swim stop in Kornati National Park. It runs 9 hours 30 minutes in total, with an English-speaking crew. The first stop is Telašćica, the largest bay on the Adriatic, from 10:30 to 12:30. After that comes lunch on board — grilled fish or chicken with salad, and wine included with the meal. From 13:40 to 15:10 the boat anchors at a sandy beach in Kornati for swimming, with snorkeling equipment available. Breakfast is served on board, and water and juice are free throughout the day, along with on-board WiFi. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
The boat leaves Zadar at 08:00 and Bibinje at 09:00, returning by 18:00 in Zadar (17:15 in Bibinje) — a 10-hour day on the water. From 10:30 to 12:30 you're in Telašćica Nature Park, with two free hours in the Adriatic's largest bay. Lunch on board runs 12:30 to 13:40: grilled fish or chicken with salad, and free wine with the meal. From 13:40 to 15:10 the boat sails through Kornati National Park's 89 islands, islets and reefs. Guides speak English, German and Italian. Breakfast, lunch, on-board WiFi, plus free juice and water all day are included. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
German, English, Italian