Kayak and Hike Croatia in a Weekend
Paddle remote turquoise waters and hike in Paklenica National Park on this wild, long weekend adventure
What's Included?
Activities & Certified Guides
All itinerary activities with expert, local, English-speaking guidesCamping
3 nights campingMeals
All breakfasts and dinnersTransfers
To and from the airport (or Zadar main bus station) and everything in betweenEquipment
Kayaking and camping equipment (not including sleeping bag)Small Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 8 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
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What's it like?
Kayak down the majestic canyons and cascades of the Zrmanja River, cooling off in idyllic waterfalls along the way
Hike the tranquil trails of the Paklenica National Park, traversing forested valleys and a dramatic gorge
Pitch up beside the river and spend each evening relaxing around the campfire, tucking into hearty Croatian dishes
Key Information
Day 1
Kastel Zegarski
Meet your host in Zadar, then drive to the small village of Kastel Zegarski. Set up camp, relax and enjoy a BBQ dinner around the campfire whilst getting to know your fellow adventurers.
Day 2
Kayak the Zrmanja River
Kayaking
Spend the day paddling, swimming, jumping off waterfalls and enjoying the wilderness as you kayak a particularly scenic section of the beautiful Zrmanja River. Take a short hike to an eight-metre high waterfall for lunch and a refreshing swim, then return to the river to negotiate some Class II and III rapids, while floating through limestone canyons and past lush vegetation. Head back to camp for the evening and enjoy a traditional Croatian meal around the campfire.
Day 3
Hike the Paklenica National Park
Hiking
Today you'll hike a beautiful path that will first take you through a wild and impressive canyon, and later through the gentle, forested valley of Velika Paklenica National Park. The trail starts uphill, following the course of the river crossed by small bridges, and along rocky walls carved by water and time. Continue on through beautiful beech and pine forests before reaching Paklenica mountain hut, where you'll stop for an optional hearty lunch before descending back to your campsite.
Day 4
Kayak to the Adriatic and then head home
Kayaking
Continue your expedition down the Zrmanja River to the Adriatic Sea via a deep and spectacular canyon in the Velebit Nature Park. Finish off with some sea kayaking in the quaint village of Meka Draga ('Soft Valley'), where you'll have the opportunity to relax in a local beach bar, change into dry clothes and then head back to the airport in time for your flight home.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Zadar Bus Station or Zadar Airport
17:30 or 18:00
Ends
Zadar Bus Station or Zadar Airport
16:30 or 17:00
Transfers
You can be met either at the main Zadar Bus Station at 17:30, or at Zadar Airport at 18:00 – however, you may decide to arrive a day or two early to suit flight times and explore more of Croatia. Your host will be in touch before the trip to finalise the details. At the end of your trip, you will be dropped off at Zadar Airport around 16:30 (in time to catch flights that depart after 18:00), or at Zadar Bus Station at 17:00. Alternatively, you could leave a day or two later and explore some more of Croatia.
Travel options
There are regular flights to Zadar from airports across the UK and Europe.
If you wish to travel between the main coach station and the old town in Zadar, there is a public bus which takes 20-25minutes and costs Eur5pp (luggage included): https://www.zadar-airport.hr/en/public-transport
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Meals tend to be based around meats and sausages, bread and pastries and pasta and dumplings. If you have any special dietary needs, please let your host know when booking. Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements and allergies can be catered for, but we do recommend that you bring some of your favourite protein snacks along with you. Please let your host know of your dietary requirements by requesting it on your passenger info form. You'll need to buy a lunch each day so please budget approximately €7-10 for this. Your guide will make suggestions about where to buy this from during the trip (likely to be a mixture of the supermarket, a restaurant and/or a mountain hut).
What is the accommodation like?
Camping
You'll stay in a wild and beautiful location beside the river, in the lovely village of Kaštel Žegarski, on the Zrmanja river - perfect for swimming, diving and relaxing. You'll normally participate in setting up camp on arrival and sometimes packing down the camp at the end of your trip (although if you are tight on time then your guides may do this after your departure). There are some basic facilities at the camp such as a large wooden table, some benches, pillows and a cold shower and toilets are available a short walk away. Your host will provide a tent and sleeping mat as well as all communal equipment for eating, but please remember to bring your own sleeping bag or contact your host if you would prefer to rent one for a charge. Solo travellers get their own tent at no additional cost.
Trips in September 2024 will stay at the Zrmanja Camping Village instead, which is about 4km from the river. There are shower and toilet facilities on site as well as a swimming pool.
If you would like to arrive early or depart late, your host recommends staying in Zadar at the Hostel Forum.
This trip has been rated as Moderate
You need to have a reasonable level of fitness and an adventurous nature for this trip, but no previous experience is required.
On the Dalmatian Coast, the weather is a little warmer and drier than in Zagreb. Spring and autumn temperatures range from 9 to 21°C with roughly 10 days of rain per month. Summer temperatures range from 16 to 30°C, with just six days of rain each month.
A fantastic 3 days
Excellent organisation and communication prior to the trip. Kit information was spot on although you could probably manage with trainers or trail shoes on the hike rather thank lugging walking boots about. Our guide Roji (sorry if I spelled that wrong!) was lovely - informative, helpful, knowledgable and one of the group joining in with everything. . With a cross section of ages from 26 to 60 our group gelled instantly and we had lots of fun. The camp site was well equipped and food very good. The scenery was spectacular. The weather was perfect except for a huge thunderstorm on the first night so make sure your tent is secure! All in all highly recommended
My first trip with Much
My first trip with Much Better Adventures will certainly not be my last. It was great. I enjoyed both the kayaking and the hike. Our guide, Eugen, was excellent, in both his advice and helpfulness.
Memorable Adventure
Three great days with a lovely group of people. Our guide, Eugene, is an absolute star and so is the cook who fed us delicious breakfasts and dinners. The kayak down the canyon to the sea was beautiful and truly memorable.
Brilliant weekend on and around the river
Having made a last-minute booking and not sure what to expect, I was really impressed with the trip. The camping is basic but being next to a river to swim in, and with toilets, showers, a fridge and electric points 100m away, was really nice. Definitely bring bug spray and a torch.
The first day kayaking was great fun, with little "waterfalls" to go over on the kayak, and a detour to a larger waterfall to swim in/jump off. Eugen was a fantastic guide, not in a hurry, happy to help and enjoy the trip with us, including feeding us some fresh figs. The inflatable kayaks were pretty much impossible to tip, so it all felt very safe and relaxed.
Despite the heat in August, the walk was great as it was through a canyon so out of the hot sun. Not too hard work either, if you're used to a bit of walking in the countryside.
The last day kayaking from the town to the sea offered something different to the first - amazing views, salt water, 16km kayaking. It was definitely less exciting in some ways, but Eugen again made it a fun trip and gave us opportunities to stop and relax on the edges of the canyon or swimming in the water. Very exposed this day, so loads of sun cream was needed.
Food was great - there was so much breakfast that we tended to take some for lunch too. Everyone brought more snacks than they ended up eating!
Beautiful waterfalls and swimming spots
Such a great trip. This was my first MBA trip and my first time solo travelling in years - I needn't have worries. Group dynamics were great and we discovered many beautiful swimming spots as we kayaked. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and nothing was too much trouble. The stars at the campsite were incredible.
Great guide (Eugen) lovely small
Great guide (Eugen) lovely small group and the kayaking was fantastic. Amazing scenery. Loved swimming in the rivers and waterfalls. The canyon kayak on the last day was spectacular.
Waterfalls and swimming bliss
Really lovely weekend trip with swimming, waterfalls and kayaking. So relaxing
Great trip, food, kayaking and
Great trip, food, kayaking and hiking were fab.
Highly recommend
Amazing experience
First time solo traveller and this experience was perfect for that. Everything was organised for us, food was amazing and the guides were knowledgeable and friendly.
Fantastic few days
Highly recommend this trip and will be looking at other Much Better Adventures in the future. From start to finish, getting picked up, the site, the food, the activities, couldn't fault it. We had a lovely group of people and friendly guide and had an amazing time.
Wonderful trip…
Such a great trip… We were a small group of four and it was perfect. The hiking was really enjoyable, beautiful scenery and the chance to take a dip in the mountain stream… ‘refreshing’, though well worth it! The two days kayaking were outstanding. One day paddling down a stunning ravine towards the sea, the second some river and whitewater paddling. Both fun and relaxing - the perfect antidote to a busy life at home. The food was amazing - freshly cooked, hand-made breakfast and dinner in the sunshine with a camp fire to end the evening. Our guide, Rene, supported by the equally lovely Eva, was a real star. Knowledgeable, interesting and thoughtful. He read the group so well and nothing was too much trouble. I’ll certainly look to book future trips with MBA in the future… thank you for a fantastic break! Jon
Awesome "Hiyaking" long weekend, in a beautiful country!
Travelled as a group of 3, and we had an amazing time. Croatia is beautiful, the trip takes you to some amazing place, we loved the kayaking and hiking, and the camp site was lovely. Great wood fire, nice that tent was set up, fun to shower in the river, unique to have your own spring, grateful there was a charging point. Level was pretty easy the (although we three are pretty active). Food, breakfast and dinner, was really good and plentiful. Guide was funny.
Very happy I went
I was lucky with the people in the group, they were fun. The Croatian hosting company is also just great, their guides are really friendly, as well as the programme is very good and the right balance of pleasure and difficulty.