Unforgettable Plitvice & Rastoke: Private Croatia Water Paradise

Plitvice Park was spectacular; however, our guide, Karlo, made our day truly phenomenal. Karlo allowed us to take the day at our pace and he customized the activities and conversation to fit our interests and desires. He's personable, flexible, kind, and sincere in his interactions. He's someone you would want to share a meal with!

I had a perfect day with an experienced guide Karlo who helped me out with everything I needed. He suggested leaving earlier than originally scheduled to avoid the crowd and the heat, and this was a very wise idea. We left at 6:00AM and got to the park before the big crowd arrived (much later, there was a long line of people waiting for admission) and I was able to enjoy the scenery, the fresh air, and everything I saw. I am glad I chose this tour because I think this is something that would be difficult for a group tour to offer. Karlo was very knowledgeable, explained about the history of Croatia while we were driving, and gave all the information on the park and the surrounding areas. I also want to mention about a picnic lunch Karlo packed for us, cheese and homemade prosciutto, and all the goodies. He not only guides but also bakes bread and roasts almonds! I highly recommend this tour especially for those people who want to enjoy the time on your own pace!!

This was our first trip to Croatia and we started our travel in Split. My wife found Karlo's tour of Plitvice and suggested we take the 2 hour 40 minute ride from split to this GOEGEOUS UNESCO world heritage site. Honestly the kids were not thrilled about the duration of the trip. However, Karlo made this so easy for us. He sent a van to collect us from our Airbnb. The. Van arrived 15 minutes early but was happy to wait until we were ready. The trip was smooth and a gorgeous ride all the way to Plitvice. Our driver was AMAZING. He engaged us as much as we wanted to and from the national park. Once we arrived the park Karlo greeted PS us and took us on one of the most AMAZING days we had in Croatia. The national park is stunning and Karlo went above and beyond to make our experience truly memorable He engaged our 17, year old in the history of Croatia while keeping our 15 and 12 year old entertained along the way. In the middle of the tour, Karlo fed us some of the most amazing food straight from his family's farm. We indulged in an amazing lunch and conversation while we took a break from the tour. We have spent 10 days in Croatia and I can honestly say out of all the tour guides we have had Karlo has been the absolute best. Not only does he guide through Plitvice but he explained he has many other options for our next. Trip to Croatia. He mentioned truffle hunting as an alternate excursion. I really can't say enough about Karlo. Really wonderful person. So kind generous informative and caring. If we come back we will definitely give him a call for another amazing adventure. Karlo thank you from the bottom of out hearts!! PS - there are better photos but I cut the ones of our family out of this posting. Again what an amazing day!!

From initial communication to the tour itself all our interaction with Karlo was spot on. We were a group of six and asked to be picked up from Split airport and transferred to our accommodation in Zagreb via Plitvice NP. Although Karlo was unable to meet us at Split due to prior engagements, he kindly arranged for a colleague, Ana, to transport us to the lakes. Ana was lovely and the transport was comfortable, roomy and air conditioned. Karlo was waiting for us at the NP and knowledgeably toured us around the lakes, avoiding the crowds and ensuring we saw all the sights. He provided a delightful picnic and had thought of everything, including umbrellas and cushions in case of bad weather. The whole day was fantastic and we would highly recommend Karlo.

Carlo’s been amazing! My girlfriend and Carlo decided that we had a very early start at 6am. Turned out the right thing to do as we beat the traffic and the crowds. We had a pick up straight from our apartment and then it got really exiting. Being a bit of history nerd myself, Carlo gave us an amazingly detailed breakdown of 3000 years of history of Croatia. I’ve been absolutely fascinated while the amazing one managed to get a few minutes extra sleep. After arrival, we jumped straight into the national park. It’s been incredible from the start. Carlo offered to take pictures of us which was really kind. Looking at those later we realised that he’s surely done it before, just part of the amazing service we received. We had plenty of time to look at all the different lakes and very much benefited from the fact that Carlo has been about 1000 times before. He just knew how to beat the crowds getting through the whole set up without missing anything. A massive bonus was of course the opportunity to learn about the history of the national park from someone really knowledgeable and experienced. Next was lunch. Again, just incredible. Carlos comes from a family who’s been farming and curing their own meats for generations. So we had a proper charcuterie picknick at a resting area in the park. Self baked bread as well. On the way back we stopped at another pretty village where my partner and me had another 45 mins of sight seeing. Then we talked more generally about other nice things in life like food and music and enjoyed a Spotify jam together. Overall, it’s been an unforgettable day out. My partner and me wanted to see that place for ages and Carlo’s expertise just made it extra special. Highly recommended. Feels like we got so much out of our private tour and in comparison to a coach trip with lots of annoying people it wasn’t that much more expensive. We found at all a new friend in Carlo.

Incredible experience! Karlo is a great guide. He knows how to navigate the park and other tourist well to make sure you have a great experience! Highly recommend taking a tour with Karlo.

Really enjoyed our tour today with Karlo. I have a lot of anxiety with new people but Karlo put us at ease right away and was very friendly and easy to talk to. He created a really nice relaxed environment for the day and was very knowledgeable about history and the area. He also provided a picnic lunch for us (catering for my many food intolerances) including things he had made and ajvar (a Croatian relish) his mum had made. Both my partner and I had a fantastic day, and really feel that Karlo helped us to get the most out of seeing the lakes (which were stunning and certainly worth the visit). The experience was more than worth the money and we'd recommend it to anyone else considering it!

Karlo is an amazing guide and host. We greatly enjoyed his commentary during the drive to the park, a brief history lesson when I inquired about serbian vs croatian relations, general culture, etc. He wisely arranged our park walk to avoid long lines for boats and bus shuttles as well as the bulk of crowds who were mostly going the opposite direction. We didn't need any special accommodation but it is clear he's very considerate of clients' needs and desires. We highly recommended his services and will book him again for other future Croatia outings! Aside from being very professional he's just a really nice guy.

First overseas trip in over 30 years — and what an unforgettable way to spend it! My sister and I had the pleasure of experiencing a private, personalized tour of Rastoke and Plitvice Lakes National Park with Karlo — and it was nothing short of amazing. Karlo is not only an incredibly knowledgeable and professional guide, but also a genuinely kind and thoughtful person. His communication was flawless from start to finish, and the personal touches he added throughout the day made all the difference — from his perfectly timed planning (we largely avoided the crowds!) to the homemade picnic lunch and snacks, prepared with care from his own garden. The day felt tailored just for us, and Karlo’s deep knowledge of the area brought every stop to life. We were so impressed that we trusted him to organise two additional tours for us — and both were just as magical and memorable as our visit to Plitvice and Rastoke. If you're looking for a truly standout travel experience, I can’t recommend Karlo highly enough.

Karlo was the perfect guide. He was punctual, extremely knowledgeable about Croatian history and current events, courteous and very pleasantly entertaining. I highly recommend Karlo