9 Best Day Trips From Split Croatia 2025
Wondering what are all of the best day trips from Split? You’ve come to the right article.
Split is the second largest city in Croatia, and home to the famous Diocletian’s Palace. I spent 7 days in Croatia, and although there’s not much to see in Split itself, it’s a fantastic base for day trips.
To help you escape the crowds, this article will cover all of the best day trips from Split. From nearby cities and national parks, to hidden islands, there’s something on this list for everyone!
Here are the 9 best day trip opportunities from Split.
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Best Day Trips From Split
Krka National Park
Krka National Park is a stunning national park with waterfalls, turquoise blue lakes, and hiking trails, less than an hour’s drive from Split. To get to the park, you can either join a tour, or book a bus to Skradin.
The national park’s main ticketing office is located in Skradin, where you can buy tickets, and hop on a short boat ride to reach the park. It only takes a few hours to hike around the park, and it’s the perfect half day trip from Split!
This group tour covers roundtrip transportation to Krka National Park from Split, and a stop for a wine-tasting in the nearby village of Plastovo.
Hvar
Hvar is Croatia’s most popular island to visit, and is accessible by a short 1-2 hour ferry ride from the marina. Hvar has beautiful beaches, a promenade lined with beach bars and seafood restaurants, a medieval fortress, and more.
Although it’s known as the party island, it’s a nice picturesque island to wander around, and enjoy views from the fortress. You can purchase tickets for the ferries online, or at their ticketing office in Split’s marina.
For full details, check out our Split to Hvar day trip guide.
I found a cheap Jadrolinja ferry ticket to Stari Grad (~18 euros roundtrip), and hopped on a 30 minute bus ride (10 euros roundtrip) to get to Hvar town. This was the cheapest option, but it’s most convenient to go directly to Hvar’s town.
The ferries to Hvar town cost 50 euros roundtrip, and you may be able to find cheaper tickets for early morning/afternoon departures.
Zadar
Zadar is a charming old town with ancient roman ruins, churches, beaches, and nice restaurants, less than a 2 hour drive from Split.
The old town’s cobblestone streets are lined with bakeries, cafes and gelato shops, and the marina has this interesting sea organ art installation where you can hear the ocean make music!
It was one of the most unique places I visited in Croatia, and I found that it was slightly cheaper than Split.
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Plitvice Lakes is Croatia’s largest and most famous national park that’s a 3.5 hour drive from Split. It’s nestled in the countryside, surrounded by stony mountains, and home to these gorgeous turquoise blue lakes and waterfalls.
I took a Flixbus from Zadar to Plivice Lakes, which dropped me off directly at Entrance 1’s ticketing office. I spent a few hours hiking around the park, and it was one of the highlights of my trip.
There’s buses that run regularly from Split to Plitvice Lakes, as well as group tours if you don’t want to rely on public transportation. This full day group tour includes roundtrip transportation from Split, a guided hiking tour, and a sightseeing cruise at the park.
Pakleni Islands and Blue Cave
If you want to enjoy the full European island-hopping experience, go on a tour to Hvar, Pakleni Islands, the Blue Cave, and more. You’ll get to travel from Split to over 5 islands, explore hidden caves, and swim in the most incredible beaches in the country!
There are speedboat tours, as well as relaxed catamaran cruises that depart from Split and Hvar. Here are some of the best options.
- 5 Island Speedboat Tour (from Split): Full day speedboat tour to five islands including Hvar, the Blue Cave, and Pakleni Islands, with free use of snorkel equipment
- Luxury Catamaran cruise (from Split): Relaxed cruise to Hvar and the Pakleni islands with food and free drinks
- Blue Cave Tour (from Hvar): Speedboat tour from Hvar to the Blue Caves and Pakleni Islands, with free use of snorkel equipment
Mostar Bosnia
Mostar Bosnia is an incredibly charming town in Bosnia, with beautiful bridges, mosques, and architecture that looks straight out of a fairytale. It’s a 2 hour drive or 3.5 hour bus ride from Split, and there are a variety of group tours available.
I rode a bus from Split to Mostar, which took 3.5 hours, and we stopped at the Bosnian border to show our passports. In Mostar, I wandered around the main street bazaar, shopped for souvenirs, and tried Bosnian coffee for the first time.
It ended up being much cheaper than I had expected, and it was one of the most memorable aspects of my trip.
If you want to make it a day trip from Split, you can join a group tour. This group tour includes roundtrip transportation to Old Town Mostar, and the Kravica Waterfalls in Bosnia from Split.
Brac
Brac is another popular Croatian island, located in between Split and Hvar. It’s accessible by a short one hour ferry from Split, and it’s known for its excellent seafood restaurants, wineries, olive oil museum, and unique Golden Horn (Zlatni Rat) beach.
Similar to Hvar, you can book your ferry tickets online at Jadrolinja, and there are multiple departures throughout the day.
Korcula
Korcula is one of the furthest islands from Split, but worth visiting if you love charming Dalmatian old towns, and a more local authentic feel.
It’s rumored to be the birthplace of Marco Polo, and has an old town lined with restaurants, museums, wineries, and more. It’s the ideal place to visit if you want to escape crowds of tourists, as it’s 3 hours from both major cities (Split and Dubrovnik).
There are multiple companies including Jadrolinja that operate this route throughout the day.
Trogir
Trogir is a historic old town on an island, located only 30 minutes from Split. It was founded in the 3rd century BC by Greek colonists, and is surrounded by medieval architecture, from stone castles to bell towers, and churches.
If you want to wander around an ancient city, check out historic sites, and stop at a cozy cafe, this is the place to go. It has a similar vibe to Zadar but is much closer to Split, and there are regular buses that connect the cities.
Summary
Split is the perfect base for all of the popular day trips in Croatia, whether you want to island-hopping, marvel at ancient cities, or visit the national parks.
If you have limited time, I recommend visiting Krka National Park, Trogir’s Old Town, or going on an island-hopping tour from Split. And if you have more time on your trip, I highly recommend crossing the border into Mostar, Bosnia.
Mostar Bosnia is surprisingly cheap, has gorgeous architecture, and a wonderful place to shop for souvenirs to bring home on vacation.
Split Day Trips Map
Split FAQs
Is it better to stay in Split or Dubrovnik?
I recommend staying in Split, as it’s within a 2-3 hour drive of all of the country’s top attractions. I flew into Split, and used it as a base for day trips, before flying out of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is the most expensive city, and you only need a few hours to walk the city walls, and see the main highlights.
Do you need to rent a car in Split?
Renting a car is the most convenient way to get around Croatia, but it’s not necessary. Split is well connected to all of the nearby cities by bus, and I spent 7 days relying on the buses to get around.
However, bus prices aren’t necessarily cheap in Croatia, and you often have to walk far to get to your accommodation. For the most flexibility and convenience, it’s definitely worth renting a car.
How far is Split from the national parks?
Split is less than an hour (1.5 hour bus ride) from Krka National Park, and a 2.5 hour drive (3.5 hour bus ride) from Plitvice Lakes National Park.
What is there to do in Split?
Split is home to the famous Diocletian’s Palace, an ancient ruin built at the end of the 3rd century by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site located right in the center of town, and it takes less than an hour to see.
Other fun things to do in town are getting gelato, walking along the beach promenade, and taking a taxi up to Forest Park Marjan to enjoy sunset views over the islands.