Dugi Otok and Sakarun Beach: Boat Tour or Ferry?
Updated October 20, 2026 · 6 min read
The answer first
For most visitors a speedboat tour is the practical way to see Sakarun from Zadar. The shorter one, 4 Jewels of Zadar, Dugi otok, sunken ship, tunnel, costs €55 and runs 4.5 hours; the full-day Paradise Dugi Otok trip costs €72 and is the better pick if you want time on the beach. The ferry makes sense only if you want to stay on the island or have a car.
Where Sakarun is
Dugi Otok is the long island south-west of Zadar. Sakarun is a bay on the north-west coast, with a beach of roughly 800 to 850 metres of white sand and fine pebbles, in a sheltered cove with shallow water. Beach guides mention two places for food and drink and loungers and umbrellas for hire; opening depends on the season. It is the island’s best-known beach, and the reason most boat trips head here.
By ferry: what it takes
The Jadrolinija car ferry from Zadar (Gaženica) to Brbinj takes 1 hour 40 minutes, according to the operator. Brbinj is in the middle of the island, and Sakarun is a drive from there of roughly 20 minutes, turning off near the village of Verunić. There is also a passenger catamaran from Zadar to Sali and Zaglav in the south of the island, which does not take you towards Sakarun.
This works if you have a way across the island: a car, a scooter or a taxi. The ferry has a limited number of departures a day, and the timetable changes in summer, so check Jadrolinija’s current timetable before you plan the return. If you want to bring a hire car, compare car hire for Zadar and read the rental conditions first: some contracts exclude ferry crossings.
As a day trip the ferry is tight: two crossings of 1 hour 40 minutes each, plus the drive across the island, come out of your day before you reach the sand.
By boat tour: what the price includes
| Tour | Price per person | Rating | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jewels of Zadar, Dugi otok, sunken ship, tunnel | €55 | 4.8 from 1,798 reviews | 4.5 hours |
| Zadar to Sakarun Beach Tour, Shipwreck Dive & Tunnel | €72 | 4.5 from 333 reviews | 4.5 hours |
| Paradise Dugi Otok Island, Discovery secret Snorkeling tour | €72 | 5.0 from 653 reviews | 8 hours |
| Best of Dugi otok - Saharun beach Blue Cave sunken ship | €89 | 4.9 from 406 reviews | 8 hours |
| Dugi Otok Shipwreck, Sandy Beach & Sea Cave Tour | €98 | 4.7 from 249 reviews | 8.5 hours |
The short speedboat is the most reviewed Dugi Otok trip by a clear margin. The listings describe a swim in clear water, a visit to a military tunnel and snorkelling around a sunken ship. The full-day trips add a sea cave to swim in (Golubinka, named in two of them) and more beach time; drinks are included in the Paradise trip. The €89 and €98 trips cost well above the €72 one for similar-length days, and the listings do not explain the difference, so compare the included lists on the booking pages.
One warning: the 4.5-hour trips spend a fair share of those hours in the boat, so they are a sampler, not a beach day.
Which one for whom
- Short on time or with a first-time sea traveller: the €55 half day.
- You want a full beach and swim day: the €72 Paradise Dugi Otok trip, with the highest rating of the full-day trips in the table.
- You want to stay on the island rather than return the same day: the ferry.
- Anyone who gets seasick: choose the calmest day, and ask a pharmacist or doctor beforehand; a speedboat is bumpier than a ferry.
Our recommendation
Book the Paradise Dugi Otok Island snorkelling tour for a proper day out, and the 4 Jewels half day if you only have a morning or afternoon.
See availability and prices for the Paradise Dugi Otok Island snorkelling tour
More trips are on the Dugi Otok tours page.
