Zeljava Airbase: History and Adventure Tour/Plitvice

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. The tour will start in front of an abandoned airplane Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota. This wonderful piece of aviation history welcomes curious visitors open-winged. We will use this rare opportunity to climb ON the airplane and explore inside. We'll then proceed to the runways. As we drive cautiously on the endless runways, we'll try to imitate and imagine what it felt like for pilots to take off. Driving across runways, we begin to catch views of a plane-shaped hole in the hill. Reaching the entrance of the tunnels, we are in front of the highlight of the tour. While checking the flashlights, we will get to know the basic information about the object and the safety rules that we need to follow. During our 3-kilometer walk through dark tunnels, we will talk about construction, operational days and destruction of the base. We will cover personal stories and experiences of employees, relationships, and conflicts. The tour will end back at the airplane.

   2 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 95 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5An Unforgettable Journey into History – Antonio was awesome 👌

  Our tour of the Željava underground airbase with Antonio was a highlight of our time in Croatia, and weeks later we're still talking about it! His knowledge is incredible, but what sets him apart is his genuine passion. Guiding you through the vast tunnels, hidden rooms and corridors, he explains the scale, engineering and Cold War significance of the base in a way that leaves you in awe. What makes it extra special are the personal stories he's collected from people who actually worked there. They turn an abandoned relic into a place filled with real human experiences, a perspective you simply can't get exploring alone. With Antonio, every corridor has a story and every room has a purpose. He's also engaging, approachable and funny, which made the whole experience fascinating and enjoyable. Our advice? Don't visit Željava without a guide like Antonio. If you're in the Plitvice Lakes area, put this on your to-do list. Thank you, once again Antonio! 😁

  vanessakO1019PCOctober 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5One of a kind experience with a great guide!

  This turned out to be a highlight of our two week trip that included Oktoberfest, dinner in a 1200 year old restaurant in Austria, a mountaintop stay in the Alps and a day at Plitvice Lakes National Park, among many other things. It was an amazing adventure to to tour a site like this and Antonio made it so much better with his knowledge of the history of the airbase and also his personal stories. We spent a full two hours on the tour and were able to see pretty much every interesting area of the facility. We squeezed this into our schedule somewhat at the last minute and I'm so glad we did. If you're spending time at Plitvice or anywhere else in the area this is a must do experience.

  Tom_COctober 2026via Viator

• 5Highly recommended experience!

  A unique and very interesting experience! Antonio has a wealth of information about this place and he made the visit so very interesting! It was a highlight of our holiday in Croatia and I highly recommend it! Thanks Antonio for making this visit possible for us!

  eleonoracH4630ZSOctober 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Money spent well!

  Amazing guide - he had so many stories about the place and took us to the core of the airbase. I would not recommend going alone as it is not safe but this tour - amazing! He knows stories from people that actually worked there! Amazing!

  olga_I9181HFAugust 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Highly recommended

  Highly recommended! We are so glad we decided to book this tour. Without a guide, you would miss so much of the history and the experience. Thanks to this tour, we were able to explore large parts of the underground airbase that you simply wouldn't be able to see on your own. What we loved most is that everything has been left in its raw, authentic state, which makes the experience even more impressive. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the history of the region. Being from the area himself, he shared many fascinating stories and insights that really brought the place to life. This tour is absolutely worth the money. Visiting Željava without a guide would mean missing at least 80% of what makes this place so special. If you're interested in history or just looking for a unique experience, don't hesitate—book this tour! Five stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

  179sannesJuly 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5History inside a mountain air base

  This experience was amazing to say least, Antonio has so much to offer and his knowledge of the base is fascinating. Without him guiding us through the base we would have been lost and not known what we were even looking at, it is incredible the size of the interior of the base inside the mountain and the structure that was built just amazing. Thanks Antonio this was a great experience!

  Scott_SJuly 2026via Viator

Know before you go

How it compares in Plitvice Lakes National Park

• Its from-price is 29% below the median of the 33 experiences we list in Plitvice Lakes National Park.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 7 of 33.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice Lakes National Park, in central Croatia, is a forest of sixteen turquoise lakes joined by waterfalls and crossed by wooden boardwalks.

Plitvice Lakes lie in the hilly Lika region between Zagreb and the Adriatic coast, close to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sixteen named lakes step down a limestone valley, each held back by natural barriers of travertine that build up as the water deposits minerals on moss and plants. The lakes change from green to blue to grey with the light, and the park is on the UNESCO World Heritage list and is the oldest and largest in Croatia.

See all 33 experiences in Plitvice Lakes National Park