Catamaran or car ferry: for Božava the choice matters. Jadrolinija's car ferry on line 434 leaves Gaženica for Brbinj, and AOLPP puts the crossing at 1 hour 35 minutes; you then still have to get from Brbinj to Božava. The catamaran on line 9404 carries no vehicles but lands in Božava itself, leaving Zadar at 14:15 from Monday to Thursday and on Saturdays and arriving at 15:35.
The timetable is built around island residents. From Monday to Saturday the catamaran leaves Brbinj at 05:30 and Božava at 05:50, reaching Zadar at 07:15, and goes back out in the afternoon. For a visitor based in Zadar that means an afternoon outward trip and a very early return the next day; only on Sundays does the pattern allow a same-day return.
On the way the catamaran links three small islands that lie between Zadar and Dugi otok: Rivanj, Sestrunj and Zverinac. The car ferry on line 433 from Gaženica serves the same three, with vehicles, before continuing to Molat and Ist.
Off the island before dawn, back from Zadar after lunch
Monday to Thursday, 28 September – 31 December 2026
| From Zadar city harbour (old-town peninsula) | From Božava harbour, Dugi otok |
|---|---|
| 14:15 | 05:50 |
Friday, 28 September – 31 December 2026
| From Zadar city harbour (old-town peninsula) | From Božava harbour, Dugi otok |
|---|---|
| 16:30 | 05:50 |
Saturday, 28 September – 31 December 2026
| From Zadar city harbour (old-town peninsula) | From Božava harbour, Dugi otok |
|---|---|
| 14:15 | 05:50 |
Sunday and public holidays, 28 September – 31 December 2026
| From Zadar city harbour (old-town peninsula) | From Božava harbour, Dugi otok |
|---|---|
| 08:15 | 16:50 |
| 18:30 |
AOLPP and Jadrolinija off-season timetable, 28 September to 31 December 2026; no 2027 timetable yet. Checked 29 September 2026. AOLPP – line 9404 Brbinj – Božava – Zverinac – Sestrunj – Rivanj – Zadar, 2026 timetable (PDF) · 2026-09-29
€4.20 whether you stop at Zverinac, Božava or Brbinj
An adult single from Zadar to Božava is €4.20 for the rest of 2026, the same as to Zverinac or Brbinj; Rivanj and Sestrunj, closer in, are €3.50. The summer price that ran until 27 September was €7.70 to Božava, so off-season travel is much cheaper on this line.
Short hops between the islands, such as Brbinj to Božava, cost €2.80. You pay the same coming back, with port dues and VAT already in the fare.
| Adult, off-season | € 4.20 |
| Adult, summer season (29 May – 27 September) | € 7.70 |
| Child aged 3 to 12 | € 3.20 |
| Adult, off-season | € 3.50 |
| Child aged 3 to 12 | € 2.50 |
| Adult, off-season | € 2.80 |
| Child aged 3 to 12 | € 1.80 |
Off-season fares 28 September to 31 December 2026, from the AOLPP/Jadrolinija 2026 price list AOLPP / Jadrolinija – line 9404 price list 2026 · 2026-09-29
Zadar's old-town waterfront and the harbour at Božava
Zadar city harbour (old-town peninsula)
Jadrolinija lists this line simply as leaving from Zadar, whereas every one of its car-ferry lines from the new port is labelled Gaženica. The passenger lines stayed on the old-town peninsula when the ferries moved out in 2015, so this is almost certainly where you board, but the berth is not published. Ask at the Jadrolinija desk on Liburnska obala (number 4), open from 06:00 on weekdays, before you set off.
Božava harbour, Dugi otok
Božava is the second-last stop, near the northern end of Dugi otok. Almost every sailing calls in both directions; the exception is the second Saturday trip, which leaves Brbinj at 16:05 and runs straight to Zadar. Jadrolinija's small office in Božava opens half an hour before departure. The line's terminus is Brbinj, which is also where the car ferry lands.
North-west from Zadar through three small islands
The catamaran heads north-west from Zadar, calling in turn at Rivanj, Sestrunj and Zverinac before Božava, near the northern tip of Dugi otok, and finishing at Brbinj. Jadrolinija gives the full run from first to last port as 1 hour 45 minutes, which matches its timetable.
Choosing between the catamaran and the ferry
- Bringing a car means the ferry
The catamaran carries passengers only. Cars go on line 434 from Gaženica to Brbinj; line 433, also from Gaženica, takes vehicles to Rivanj, Sestrunj and Zverinac.
- Plan to stay the night
Except on Sundays, the catamaran reaches Božava in the afternoon and does not leave again until 05:50 the next morning, so coming from Zadar you will be sleeping on Dugi otok.
- Tickets
Buy from Jadrolinija's office on Liburnska obala in Zadar, on Jadrolinija's website, or at the island offices, which open thirty minutes ahead of sailing in Božava and an hour ahead in Brbinj.
- Friday's later boat
On Fridays the afternoon catamaran leaves Zadar at 16:30 rather than 14:15, arriving in Božava at 17:50.
- Pack light
The boat is a small, fast passenger craft, and its price list has no fare for bicycles. If you are travelling with a bike or anything bulky, check with Jadrolinija first or use the car ferry to Brbinj.
Sunday turns the week round. The catamaran leaves Zadar at 08:15, arriving in Božava at 09:35, and again at 18:30, while the island departure is in the afternoon: 16:50 from Božava from 12 October, and 18:30 from Brbinj until 11 October. That makes Sunday the one day a Zadar-based visitor can go out in the morning and come back the same evening.
Jadrolinija's other fast line from Zadar goes south-west to Iž and Rava, with a single weekday departure at 10:30. The two catamarans cannot be combined in one day, but if you are working through the Zadar archipelago island by island, the catamaran to Mali Iž and Veli Iž has its own page, and so does the car ferry to Bršanj and Rava for drivers.
Reaching Božava from Zadar: common questions
Can I take a car to Božava?
No: the catamaran carries people, not vehicles. Cars travel on the line 434 ferry from Gaženica to Brbinj, and you continue across the island to Božava from there.
When does the catamaran leave Zadar for Božava?
Under the winter timetable, running to the end of December: 14:15 Monday to Thursday and on Saturdays, 16:30 on Fridays, and 08:15 and 18:30 on Sundays and holidays (20:30 instead of 18:30 until 11 October).
How long is the trip from Zadar to Božava?
The 14:15 from Zadar reaches Božava at 15:35, and the 05:50 from Božava reaches Zadar at 07:15.
How much is a ticket?
Off-season fares, valid until the end of 2026, are €4.20 for an adult and €3.20 for a child of 3–12. Summer pricing, valid to 27 September, was €7.70.
Is a same-day return to Božava possible from Zadar?
Only on Sundays. Take the 08:15 from Zadar, arriving 09:35, and come back on the afternoon boat: 16:50 from Božava from 12 October. On other days the next boat to Zadar is at 05:50 the following morning.
Does every catamaran stop at Božava?
All but one. The second Saturday sailing leaves Brbinj at 16:05 and runs non-stop to Zadar.
Which Zadar quay does the catamaran use?
Jadrolinija does not label this line with Gaženica, as it does its car ferries, and the passenger lines stayed on the old-town peninsula in 2015. Ask Jadrolinija's staff on Liburnska obala 4 or ring +385 72 30 33 37 for the berth.