Split Travel Guide 2026

Split is often overlooked in favour of Dubrovnik — which is exactly why it's better. Croatia's second city has a 1,700-year-old Roman palace that people actually live inside, a thriving waterfront promenade, excellent restaurants and bars, cheaper prices than Dubrovnik and better ferry connections to the islands than anywhere else in Dalmatia. Most travellers who visit both cities end up preferring Split.

Diocletian's Palace

The most remarkable thing about Diocletian's Palace — built by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in 305 AD — is that it's not a museum. It's a living city. Some 3,000 people live inside the walls in apartments built into the Roman foundations. The basement halls (where the palace's service area once ran) are now galleries and shops. The Cathedral of Saint Domnius occupies what was Diocletian's mausoleum. The Peristyle square — the palace's central courtyard — is now an open-air café. No other city in the world has a 4th-century Roman palace as its city centre.

Walking through the palace's Golden Gate, Silver Gate, Iron Gate and Bronze Gate (the four cardinal entrances) takes 30 minutes. The basement halls are the most complete Roman basement structure in the world — allow an hour and book a guided tour for full context.

Island Day Trips from Split

Hvar (1–2 hours by ferry): Croatia's most glamorous island — lavender fields, a spectacular hilltop fortress, a beautiful old town and some of the Adriatic's best beaches. Busy in summer but stunning. Ferry and catamaran services run from Split harbour.

Brač (50 minutes): Home to Zlatni Rat — the famous horn-shaped beach that changes shape with the current. Bol town on the south coast is small, beautiful and much quieter than Hvar. Excellent for swimming and windsurfing.

Šolta (1 hour): The quietest of Split's nearby islands — fishing villages, olive groves, almost no tourist infrastructure. Perfect for an away-from-it-all day or a sailing trip.

Book island ferry tickets through Jadrolinija or local speedboat tours that include multiple stops, swimming and lunch.

Klis Fortress & Game of Thrones

The dramatically situated medieval fortress above Split served as Meereen in Game of Thrones — and even without that connection it's one of Croatia's finest fortresses, with sweeping views over Split, the islands and, on clear days, to the Italian coast. 30 minutes by bus or taxi from the city centre. Entry is affordable; guided tours explain the fortress's extraordinary history of repelling the Ottomans for over a century.

Split vs Dubrovnik — Which to Visit?

Split is larger, more local and better value. Dubrovnik is more dramatic and more polished. Most visitors to Croatia include both — they're 4 hours apart by bus or ferry and complement each other well. If you can only choose one: Split for a more authentic, local Croatian experience; Dubrovnik for the pure visual drama of the Old Town and Adriatic setting.

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