The Ten Best Things to do in Split, Croatia, the Perfect Holiday Base

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Split is Croatia’s second city and only more recently arrived on the tourist radar. In all honesty it wasn’t somewhere I had planned to go (although I was certainly headed back to Croatia at some point!) I happened to find cheap flights and took a closer look and discovered the perfect holiday destination!

A harbour curved in a perfect bay, bags of history and a lively atmosphere make Split the ideal choice for a summer getaway. Not to mention there’s so much to see and do in the surrounding area! Think island hopping, National Parks and picturesque nearby towns. Another fantastic thing about Split is that most of the best things to do are completely free! Save your Kuna for all the seafood and wine!

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Split is such a busy thriving place and there’s so much to do! You can pick from so many possible day trips too. To help you narrow it down, these are my must do’s.

1. Explore the Diocletian Palace

Don’t worry about finding it, you’ll find yourself wandering it’s narrow old streets soon enough! You don’t need to queue up or pay to get in (although there are some bits you have to pay for), because the Palace is the Old Town, with shops and restaurants nestled inside.

Find the Golden Gate on the opposite side to the Riva (waterfront) and rub the toes of Grugur Ninski for good luck! I challenge you to do it without feeling silly!

Areas of the palace you have to pay to explore include the Basement Halls (40 kuna) and the Cathedral of St Dominus and Jupiter’s Temple (25 kuna) I paid for the Cathedral, then remembered that Cathedral’s never actually interest me that much. I think the Basement Halls make for a more unique experience.

Wander the narrow streets, sample lunch at one of the many konobas and spot the Roman Soldiers who are everywhere. You might even happen upon them marching and chanting at some point!

There’s also Game of Thrones shops as some scenes were filmed inside the palace and at the nearby Klis Fortress!

Sadly the Bell Tower is having a refurb so you can’t go up it at the minute (June 2019). But add it to your list when it re-opens for some wonderful views over Split.

2. Hang out in Peristyle Square

Yes we’re still within the Diocletian Palace but the square deserves its own spot simply because it becomes a homing beacon as a place to chill and watch the world – and hundreds of tourists – go by.

Go early morning for sneaky shots of the palace without any crowds. Have a coffee on the steps of the square on one of Luxor’s comfy cushions and watch as the walking tours swell. And above all head there in an evening for a spritz, listen to the live music and soak up the relaxed atmosphere!

3. Take a Walking Tour

To really get under the skin of the Palace a walking tour is a must do. There seemed to be loads of different tours! But if you have your eye on a particular tour or time make sure to book in advance because they fill up quick as I sadly found out!

Yes I was really sad to miss out on a walking tour – I had planned so many other things to do whilst in Split I didn’t have time to fit it in elsewhere. But I have no qualms recommending it to you. Especially after having wandered the streets so many times by the end of the trip – having that extra layer of knowledge makes everything come to life more!

Book yours in advance here – don’t miss out!

4. Stroll Along the Riva

Split has a fantastic waterfront with a great atmosphere. Admire the long line of boats, people watch and sample an expensive spritz at one of the lovely restaurants (just once!) And of course take obligatory photos!

If your hotel is on the Marjan Hill side you’ll get the chance to stroll along the Riva on your first night in Split if you bus it from the airport. Split knows how to make a good first impression!

5. Walk Marjan Hill

If all the people get too much head up pine clad Marjan Hill for a dose of nature. There’s still plenty of people but you get to throw a few trees in between you which is nice.

Don’t worry if you’re not big on walking, you really don’t need to go far to find incredible views of Split. In fact the best views are from the viewing point just up a few steps. If you’re short on time but you want a dash of gorgeous scenery and a quick photo op its ideal! There’s also a cafe, Vidilica, next to it – if you can hog one the tables right on the edge with the best views you’re some kind of genius – they were never free!

If you’ve time and energy you can explore further up Marjan Hill. St Nicholas Church is a peaceful spot, a nice spot to sit and dream or read for a moment. The steps next to the church lead to Teregrin Peak, the highest point on the hill (watch out for all the yellow butterflies). Or you can continue on the outer path to find St Jerome Church and Marjan’s beaches.

There’s some lovely quiet beaches on the shores of Marjan. Perfect if the hustle of Bacvice beach is too much for you. Although not sandy Bene beach is a serene spot, well sheltered by the pine trees. Perfect for a late afternoon dip after all the walking! If you’re ready to collapse the number 12 bus from Bene will drop you back in Split.

6. Eat Ice Cream from Luka’s

Deeper into Split and just outside the Palace walls is Luka’s Ice Cream and Cakes, a much loved favourite! Try the lavender and honey one.

Top Tip: If you enjoy cat-spotting on holiday this is the place to be with a gang of cats lazing in the sun and eyeing up my ice cream.

7. Go on a Pub Crawl

Split really is a fun, youthful place and the pub crawls come highly recommended. Great if you want to try something different. As a solo traveller the evenings are rarely exciting so organised fun is the way to go! I must admit I felt awkward at first (being incurably shy doesn’t help) but I had a great time by the end. Just make sure not to plan any full on day trips the day after!

Click here for more info or to book a place (not an absolute necessity)

8. Visit Trojir

Only half an hour away by bus and one hour by boat Trojir makes the perfect half day trip from Split. It’s so picturesque and charming, it’s like a daintier version of Split.

In fact if you prefer a quieter stay Trojir would be even better for you. It’s a prime beauty spot with less hustle and bustle, but naturally it will be quieter and less buzzing in the evenings so it depends what you’re after!

It is smaller than Split and only takes a couple of hours to explore. Wander, enjoy a leisurely lunch and pop up the castle for views over the town. (Just beware there are some very steep steps to get up the tower! Don’t wear a floaty maxi skirt like I did and have a heart attack trying to get up and down!)

One of my favourite restaurants of my whole trip was Konoba Toma – fantastic service, so friendly, and I had a delicious Pasticada, a traditional Croatian dish of beef marinated in wine vinegar, cooked in a red wine sauce and served with homemade gnocchi, mmm! If you go in the evening you can sit on a lovely upstairs terrace.

I recommend getting the bus one way and the boat one way. Buses run every half an hour, whereas the boat times are much more infrequent. Bus there for convenience and speed and take a relaxing boat ride back for experience! Just make sure to check the boat times!

For bus times check out – getbybus.com

Boat Times – Bura Line

For more information read – Six Reasons to Visit Trogir

9. Island Hop

Split is the perfect base to explore lots of Croatia’s gorgeous islands. The choice is almost overwhelming! Hence why in the end I opted for an organised tour which selects the highlights for you. If you have more time you could easily check out lots of islands by yourself but I couldn’t figure out the logistics of trying to see lots of places in one day myself!

I definitely recommend the Blue Cave and Five Islands Tour. It offers a little bit of everything, from the surreal Blue Cave on Bisevo to stunning swim spots like the Blue Lagoon and beautiful towns to wander like Komiza on Vis and Hvar Town.

Book the tour here! (yeah it’s pricey but definitely worth it!)

You can read my full review of the tour here – Island Hopping from Split: Tour Review

If you’d rather island hop to your own tune then there are lots of ferries you can jump on. Some of the other islands you could visit include Brac which is the closest island and features the famous Zlatni Rat beach that juts out into the sea, quiet Solta, the Paklinski islands or Korcula, which is the furthest away island.

I think if i was going back again I would head back to Vis and try Brac as well (for proximity and that beach!). Hvar Town didn’t wow me personally. It could have been because it was the last stop of the day but it just seemed busier and less picturesque.

There are also ticket booths lining the waterfront in Split offering all sorts of excursions if you don’t organise anything ahead of time.

10. Krka National Park

If you do one day trip from Split you have to go to Krka National Park. It’s one and a half hours by bus from Split and it’s amazing! Go as early as possible to have the waterfall to yourself (nearly). Plitvice Lakes is also doable from Split but it is a lot further away so it might be worth leaving that for another time. Gives you an excuse to go back to Croatia! Plus you can swim in the waterfall at Krka so it’s an even more fun experience!

It’s nature at its most sparkling and vivid. And you can say you’ve swam in a waterfall – it doesn’t get much better than that!

Just be careful not to drop your phone in the water getting those incredible pictures! And I’ll warn you in advance it isn’t a swimming pool or an open sea… there’s slippery rocks everywhere, tree trunks… it’s also quite awkward getting in and out. It’s so worth it of course but don’t expect handrails!

You can book tickets online and avoid queuing – not really necessary but if you’re a planning ahead queen like me go for it!

Krka Tickets

Top Tip: Buses to Trojir, Krka National Park (Skradin) and the airport all leave from Split main bus station on the harbour.

Read my full post on the wonders of Krka with all the practical info you need here – A Day Trip to Krka National Park from Split

My Favourite Split Moments

There’s no need to worry about finding enough to do in Split – the hardest part is figuring out what not to do! To break it down even more for you these are my absolute highlights.

Beauty Spots

• Swimming in the waterfall at Krka National Park.
• Wandering the paths around the waterfall at Krka.
• Just Krka basically- I was enchanted
• Wandering the fishing village of Komiza, Vis. I want to live there.
• Taking in the views of Split from Marjan Hill and exploring the pine clad hill.

Food Moments

• My first taste of Pasticada at Konoba Toma in Trojir
• Lavender and Honey ice cream from Luka’s
• Sea bass at Buffet Fife

Unique Memories

• Pub crawl partying- the opposite to my usual quiet solo traveller evenings
• My first speedboat experience on the Island Tour – the verdict sometimes fun, sometimes arghh! Maybe not one for a windy day!
• Chilled evenings in Peristyle Square – hard to forget spending your evenings with a view of an old roman palace with music and couples dancing.

Looking for a place to stay in Split? Check out the best hotels on booking.com.

What was your favourite Split moments? Share your experiences in the comments below!

More on Split…

Island Hopping from Split: Tour Review

A Day Trip to Krka National Park From Split

Six Reasons to Visit Trogir – The Perfect Day Trip from Split