Kornati and the Šibenik islands

Can you do a Kornati day trip from Šibenik?

Yes. The Full-Day Kornati National Park Boat Tour leaves Šibenik by speedboat, with up to 11 guests and the park ticket included, from US$146.

Kornati National Park has no road access: every visitor arrives by boat, and each person needs a park ticket for each day. Excursion boats sail from Šibenik, Vodice, Murter, Zadar and Biograd na Moru. From Šibenik, a small speedboat is the quick option: the outer islands are about an hour away.

What does the Kornati boat tour from Šibenik include?

The speedboat and skipper, the national park ticket, and water, beer and juice on board. Lunch at a tavern on Smokvica is at your own cost.

The day starts at the pier in front of the D-Resort hotel (Obala Jerka Šižgorića) and runs out through the channel past the military bunkers, a wartime sea tunnel and St Nicholas Fortress. On the way you pass Bavljenac, an islet whose stone walls look like a giant fingerprint from above. After about an hour you enter the outer Kornati, where steep rock faces drop into the sea, and stop to swim, snorkel or jump. Lunch is at a tavern on Smokvica, the return runs through the inner Kornati past the Tarac fortress, and a last stop at Prvić Luka gives time for coffee or ice cream.

Guests rate it 5.0 from 19 reviews: "Swimming in different spots, each one more unusual than the last, with stops at cafés and restaurants" (José, Jul 2025). Another found it "much better than renting a boat because we would not have known where to go (it's very big!)" (Cailliez, Aug 2024). Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a windbreaker, and leave large bags behind. The tour does not suit people with limited mobility, and the route can change with the weather.

Through the channel past St Nicholas Fortress, then swim stops in Kornati by speedboat, with the park ticket and drinks included and up to 11 guests.

★ 5.0 · 9 hours · from $146

Explore the Kornati boat tour → Tour details

How many islands are in Kornati National Park?

89, according to the park. Kornati National Park covers 217 km2, about three-quarters of it sea, and the largest island, Kornat, measures 32.5 km2.

The park was proclaimed in 1980 and is run from an office in Murter. The islands are bare limestone, criss-crossed with old dry-stone walls. The cliffs on the seaward side are the famous sight. Private boats pay park fees by length, cheaper when bought before entering the park; on an excursion, the ticket is part of the tour price.

Kornati or Krka? They are very different days. Krka is rivers, waterfalls and boardwalks, 20 to 30 minutes inland; Kornati is open sea and swimming. With two free days, do both, and read the Krka from Šibenik guide for the inland one.

Which islands can you visit from Šibenik?

Zlarin and Prvić are the easy ones, by ferry or speedboat; Kaprije and Žirje are further out; Krapanj is a short hop from Brodarica.

The Šibenik Tourist Board lists five inhabited islands for visitors. Ferry times are approximate and timetables change by season, so check Jadrolinija's current timetable before you go.

Is Zlarin worth visiting?

Yes, for a half day. It is car-free, has sheltered pebble beaches and a coral tradition with written traces from the 15th century.

Zlarin is the closest island to Šibenik and the easiest day out: the ferry takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and small tractors do the hauling instead of cars. Fortress of Culture Šibenik, which runs the island's Croatian Coral Centre, says there is not a single car on the island, and points to its pebble beaches, sheltered from the wind. The coral centre presents the island's red coral harvesting tradition and won a Europa Nostra Award in 2026 for citizen engagement. Coral jewellery is sold in the shops along the harbour.

The island speedboat tour starts here, with time to swim and visit the coral museum before moving on to Prvić and Tijat. A guest's verdict: "Good activity; nice islands and nice lunch" (Bernard, Jul 2023).

What is Prvić known for?

Faust Vrančić, the inventor associated with the parachute, who grew up and is buried here. The memorial centre in Prvić Luka shows models of his inventions.

Prvić has two villages, Prvić Luka and Šepurine,. Faust Vrančić (1551 to 1617) designed the "Homo volans", a flying man under a square canopy, and the European Commission, which co-funded the centre, says it displays models of his inventions, including the parachute, an olive mill and a chain suspension bridge, with an interactive multimedia exhibition. His grave is in Prvić Luka.

The ferry from Šibenik takes a little over half an hour. Both the island speedboat tour and the Kornati tour stop at Prvić, the first for lunch and the second for a coffee on the way home. The listing for the island tour says Šepurine has one of the island's best beaches.

How do you get to the Šibenik islands by ferry?

Jadrolinija line 505 runs Šibenik, Zlarin, Prvić Luka, Šepurine and Vodice; line 532 runs to Zlarin, Obonjan, Kaprije and Žirje.

Line 505 is passenger-only and stops at Zlarin, Prvić Luka and Šepurine on the way to Vodice. Line 532 is the car ferry out to Kaprije and Žirje, about 1 hour 40 minutes to Žirje; the Miatours catamaran 9502 does Šibenik, Kaprije and Žirje in about 1 hour 5 minutes. Ferries leave from the Šibenik waterfront, and Jadrolinija publishes a summer and a winter timetable.

A ferry is the cheap way to one island. A speedboat is the way to several in a day, with swim stops in between, and it keeps to your schedule, not the ferry's.

Is there a sunset boat trip from Šibenik?

Yes. The Sunset Sailing in the Šibenik Archipelago runs 2 hours on a sailing yacht from Jadrija, from US$77.

The sunset sail meets on the Jadrija waterfront (Jadrija VIII 9), heads out along the coast and among the islands, and switches the engine off when the wind allows. Food and drinks are not included, and it is not suitable for people prone to seasickness. Bring sunglasses and sunscreen. The skipper guests name is Josip, and it has 5.0 stars from its first 7 reviews.

"We saw dolphins and enjoyed a fantastic sunset in a beautiful sailing area" (Kirstin, Oct 2026). First-timers like it too: "As sailing novices, it was just right for us!" (Michael, Oct 2026).

Two easy hours under sail among the Šibenik islands as the sun goes down, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

★ 5.0 · 2 hours · from $77

Explore the sunset sail → Tour details

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