Plan the perfect trip to Split

Tips for planning the perfect trip to Split Croatia

1. When to go 

Be aware that Split is seasonal. Activities and businesses slow during the month of November. After November 1st 80-90% of the tourist infrastructure will shutter until the spring. Many of the smaller islands will be all but deserted. The weather will also change for the worst. By early December you can expect howling winds, short grey days, and lots of humidity. 

2. How to get there

The airport is located about 30 minutes from town. If you take a taxi, simply grab your bag and head outside the terminal. There will be about a dozen taxis waiting. If you are thrifty and have time to spare, take the bus. Service to the city runs every 20-30 minutes (dependent on the time of day). It costs €3 to take the bus to Split, or €2.50 in the other direction to Trogir. 

What to expect? A regular taxi should cost €30-35, you may pay a premium for a large van on occasion.

3. Where to stay:

The Split old town is built around Diocletian's Palace. After the fall of the Roman empire people literally just started living in the ruins. Today there are apartments, businesses, and shops located throughout the former palace. Avoid staying right around the palace if you hate congestion and cruise ship tourists.

Roughly anywhere in this shade area will have you within a 5 minute walk from most of the major tourist attractions.

What to expect with the accomodations?

There is simply no place to centrally locate large hotels with hundreds of rooms. There are larger hotels, they just tend to be located away from all the action. On the other hand, it means there are a variety of lovely smaller properties available. AirBnB and Booking.com are two of the best places to find a roof. 

4. Where I’d stay in an AirBnb/ Booking rental

This area is quiet, walkable, and close enough to the center that it is good for families. 

Varos is also a good choice. Be aware it is a bit hilly and not all the streets are not all accessible by car so you may end up lugging a suitcase up the stairs… 

What to do? 

1. Go Visit the Islands

It’s very easy to get on a ferry in Split and head to an island for a day/morning. In order to do this, simply walk up to the ferry terminal here. You will see signs that have the departure times listed and can buy tickets straight from the kiosks here. Don’t bother buying ferry tickets from the resellers in town.

If I were in my 20s, I would advise that they sell beer and wine on the ferries so it’s possible to pregame. Instead I’ll point out they sell snacks and things as well and the ferries have decent bathrooms.

If you have 1 week in town, I would make Supetar / the Golden Horn my 1 ferry trip. It's a 45 minute ferry ride from Split and is located on the island of Brac. The Golden Horn Beach near Bol (the opposite side of Brac) is probably the most “instagrammable” spot nearby. 

How to get there from Supetar:
1. Take the bus - 90 minutes (I think its 5-6 euros but cannot remember)
2. Take a taxi - 45 minutes. I did this. I made friends with 4 strangers from Bristol on the ferry and we pooled money / got a taxi and it ended up cheaper across the board than taking the bus.

The bus/taxi will both drop you off at a fire trail head (seen above): 

• There are cafes / places to chill under the tree cover as well as restrooms. 

• The beach itself is rocky, bring shoes. It was also quite windy (just a bit too much that I did not pull the drone out for many shots)

2. Find cats to pet 

You can find cats all over the city. Here are some hot spots:
On the way to Marjan there is a lady who has 2 dozen cats around here. They are easy to spot on the way up and all very friendly. There is also a cat hotspot around the Zara where someone has built cat houses. You can also find cats in the cellars of Diocletians Palace.

3. Walk through Diocletian’s Palace

The cellars and wall are free to see. You need a ticket to visit the other areas such as the excavation in the cellars, the temple to Jupiter, etc. You can buy a combined ticket for these and have 2-3 days to see them. Usually I suggest buying the ticket and doing a couple per day early in the morning before the cruise ship docks so you don’t have to wait in line. 

4. Visit the ruins of a Roman Aqueduct

located here. Not much to say about it, I just think Roman ruins are cool. 

5. Eat at Konoba Fetivi

Konoba means “tavern” and is the equivalent of a Croatian restaurant / pub. This one is still fairly authentic and the food is very very good. Traditional Croatian cuisine, listed in the Michelin guide, and fairly inexpensive. On average I spent about $50 for 2 with wine, steaks/seafood/appetizers. Make reservations. You will not get a table otherwise. 

6. Pretend you’re in your 20s and hitup the Hostel bar scene. 

Just head to the “back right” corner of the old town in the area above. There are several dive/ hole in the wall / hostel style bars selling food. Many only take cash!

7. Hike around, or up to the viewpoint at Marjan Park 

Marjan Park is considered the “lungs” of Split. Hiking to the top is a nice workout, the view is absolutely incredible! Most mornings I would also use the park as a large loop to just get an hour or so of exercise in. There is fitness equipment spaced around the outside loop of the park.

Be aware, if you walk the outside loop, there is 1 area that does not have a sidewalk and has 2-3 blind corners. Drivers often drive 50+ kph around these curves so be cautious when walking here!! 

8. Go to the beach

Go here for the “sandiest” beach w a Communist era vibe 

Locals hang out at beaches like these around Trogir and the surrounding areas.. They can be hard to reach w/out a car and have no infrastructure but will be quiet.

These are the chill beaches where mostly locals and Croatians on holiday hang out

My favorites (usually pretty quiet, and very beautiful) 

9. A morning trip to Trogir 

There are several buses that can take you to Trogir from Split in about 45 minutes, or you can go door to door in a taxi ($30-40). Express busses from the main terminal are fastest. Several of the Promet busses also get there, but they stop often. 

What to do in Trogir?
The bus/ taxi will drop you at the same place. There is only one bridge to cross into the old town. It’s very easy to see from the bus station. The green market is also located right here. It’s smaller than Split’s and sells basically the same things. 

The old town is on an island with a loop outside. There’s no explanation needed here… once you walk in it’s another Game of Thrones like scene with stone streets and narrow walkways (and lots of cats). 

10. The Green Market 

Bring cash and shop for fresh produce at the Green Market. It closes by lunch time and almost no English will be spoken. Prices are not cheaper than going to the supermarket, but it’s still fun. The artisanal stuff is not a terrible price, but there is also cheap chinese stuff mixed into the kiosks surrounding. 

11. Visit Krka (or Plitvice Lakes) National Park 

To get to Krka, go to the bus station and ask for the bus to Skradin. There is usually 1 every 60-90 minutes. It takes about 80 minutes on the bus to get there. You can walk from the bus station to the ticket office here. Your ticket includes a boat ride into the park down the river pictured above. You can also walk to the park…. But it’s worth taking the boat ride. 

12. Shopping 

If you need to buy anything (groceries especially) the Mall of Split is the best option. There is a free bus to get there from the old town. Pickup is right around here. The mall is similar in scope / offering to the Diagonal Mar mall in Barcelona.