SPLIT, CROATIA – COMPLETE GUIDE

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Marjan Park is the perfect spot to work up a sweat and get a great view of the city. It’s a quick 20 minute walk to the top of the hill for a view of Split. You can either make a quick trip to the top to enjoy the view or go for a run/walk through the park.

How to get there: To get to Marjan Park, make your way to Solurat Street. The street is located between Buffet Fife and a Wine Shop. From there walk up the street for a little bit until you reach a large staircase on your right hand side. Go up the stairs until you reach the first lookout point. After you reach the lookout point, follow the incline up until you see a small church. From the church, you will follow another stair case up until you have reached the park.

Another great vantage point of the city of Split is anywhere on the water. There is nothing like viewing a city on the water and Split is no different! There are a number of boat tours, ferries, and water activities to do in Split. Ferries run throughout the day to a number of surrounding islands and cities such as Dubrovnik – which is the best way to travel to Dubrovnik, in my opinion! If you have time, check out the blue caves. Here is a tour with great reviews on google! There are also a number of shops in town with paddle board rentals which would be a great way to see the city.

(Technically the photo below is Hvar but being on the water in Split is just as pretty!)

Diocletian’s Palace was built for the Roman Emperor Diocletian. It’s centered right in old town and actually forms over half of old town. The palace is massive! While I was in Split, the central square of the palace was constantly busy. Take your time at Diocletian’s Palace, there is so many little alley’s and different areas that must be explored!

As I just mentioned, the majority of old town is actually built within Diocletian’s Palace, making it such a unique old town. It’s the spot to be! Personally, my favorite thing about Europe is the Old Towns. I always make a point to be in walking distance of the Old Town because they are all so unique from one another. Like many places in Europe, the streets are filled with cobblestone, restaurants, and small alleys making it such a great spot to explore!

The Promenade in Split was constantly bustling with both people visiting as well as people going about their daily lives! The Promenade overlooks the water and is filled with a number of restaurants and street vendors. It’s a great spot to eat, drink, and enjoy the view! You can either grab something from one of the street vendors or take a seat at one of the many restaurants.

There is an amazing market just outside of Diocletian’s Palace called the Pazar Green Market. The market is along Hrvojeva Street which is on the east side of Diocletian’s Palace. It is filled with fruit and vegetable stands as well as inexpensive clothing and other goods! Generally, it is pretty inexpensive however, during the high season, everything is a lot pricier.

As I mentioned earlier in my post, if you’re looking for a base to stay while exploring Croatia and the surrounding countries, Split is the place! There are SO many places you can travel to from Split however, here are a few of the most popular options.

While I highly, highly recommend at least a night on Hvar Island, it can totally be done in a day if you’re pressed for time! It takes about an hour via catamaran to travel from Split to Hvar and ferries leave pretty regularly throughout the day making for a doable day trip. There are so many things to do in Hvar as the island is filled with restaurants, markets, and a great lookout point!

If you only have a day in Hvar, start your day at the Spanish Fortress. You can get a taxi to the top for about 100 Kuna or you can walk up. The hike is relatively quick and is shaded along the way. Enjoy the fortress for a bit as the view is spectacular! After the Spanish Fortress, enjoy the waterfront and maybe go for a swim.

How to get there: I recommend going to a tour agency once you arrive in Split. Since there are a number of ferries that go from Split to Hvar, the agency can give you a current schedule of departures and arrivals throughout the day. A ferry will take about 1 hour and 40 minutes whereas a catamaran will take 1 hour.

Also located in Dalmatia, Trogir is one of the easiest day trips from Split. It’s a quick 30 minute drive from Split to Trogir and the town is small and absolutely adorable. The trip can be done in a half day giving you plenty of time to enjoy Split as well. As a bonus, it is really inexpensive to travel between the two cities, making Trogir a great option!

Trogir is an adorable seaside village home to the Kamerlengo Fortress. Start your morning by exploring the Kamerlengo Fortress. There are great views from the fortress so have your camera ready.

Cost: 10 Kuna Entrance Fee
Hours: Daily from 9 am

After exploring the fortress, head to St. Lawrence Cathedral for more great views of the town! Unfortunately, the Trogir Cathedral was closed when I visited since it was a Sunday but it’s supposed to be a beautiful view.

End your trip to Trogir by wandering through the town!

How to get there: Buses run frequently between Split and Trogir. Click here for the most current prices.

Plitvice Lakes Croatia is about two and a half hours from Split so this will make for quite a long day. If you want to visit Croatia waterfalls but this is too far, skip to my next suggestion! There are a number of ways to go from Split to Plitvice Lakes. You can either take a tour or do a self guided tour. If you’re doing a day trip, I recommend going on a tour since it’s such a long day.

We rented a car for a portion of our trip to Croatia so we actually drove to Plitvice on our way from Zadar to Zagreb. We spent a few hours walking around the lake and it’s honestly spectacular! If you have time in your schedule, I would stay at least 1 night in Plitvice. There are a lot of trails so it’s impossible to see everything in a day.

Tour Options:

• Plitvice Lakes Tour from Split – please note this does NOT include the entrance fee to the park
• Plitvice Lakes Tour from Trogir or Split – includes entrance fee to the park

If you want to see waterfalls while you’re in Croatia but Plitvice is too aggressive, Krka waterfalls is a great option! It’s about an hour from Split making it a great day trip. Krka National Park can either be done as a self guided tour as a group tour. If you don’t have a car, I recommend taking a tour. I haven’t personally been to Krka National Park but several of my friends have been on tours and absolutely loved the park!

Tour Options:

• Krka Waterfalls & wine tasting from Split or Trogir – please note this does NOT include the entrance fee to the park
• Krka Waterfalls & Sibenik from Split – more expensive but lunch & entrance fee to park are included

Omiš is about 35 minutes from Split; it’s a beautiful town surrounded by the mountains! The Old Town of Omis is pretty small so it doesn’t take long to explore. One of the best things to do in Omiš is hike to the Fortress Starigrad. The hike overlooks the Sea so as you can imagine the views are incredible! Aside from hiking you can do everything from ziplining to climbing.

How to get there: There are multiple buses that travel between Split and Omiš throughout the day. For the most current times and prices click here.

Brac Island is the closest island to Split! It is a popular spot amongst both locals and tourists. Ferries run frequently so Brač is a great stop while in Split. We spent a day in Supetar which is adorable. There are a ton of local shops and restaurants. There’s actually a lot to do on the island so I recommend renting a car to get outside of Supetar.

How to get there: Again, I recommend going to a tour agency upon arrival in Split for a current ferry schedule. The catamaran will be a quick 25 minute ride whereas the ferry is approximately 50 minutes.

While there is SO much to try in Split, I enjoyed the sweets! Below is my favorite in the city :)

I was honestly so surprised as to how much I loved Split! The Old Town is absolutely adorable, it’s on the water, and there are a number of day trips close by. I hope you enjoy exploring Split as much as I did!

I love traveling to Croatia, there is so much to see between the coast and the north! If you’re going on a Croatia trip, here are a few articles to help you plan your trip!

• Most Adorable Small Towns in Croatia
• 24 Hours in Dubrovnik

Safe Travels,

Sarah :)