9 Best Things to do in Split, Croatia for First-Time Visitors
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Split was one of those places I wasn’t sure about visiting—and ended up enjoying much more than I expected.
I’d read mixed reviews when planning our first trip to Croatia and decided to leave it off the itinerary. It’s a busy port city and a convenient starting point for exploring the islands, but I wasn’t sure how much time I wanted to spend there. On our second visit, we were passing through on the way to Hvar, so we made room for a couple of nights to explore. I’m really glad we did.
What won me over was Diocletian’s Palace. Built as a Roman emperor’s retirement residence, it’s now a neighbourhood filled with homes, cafés, shops and restaurants. We stayed in an apartment inside its walls, and wandering back through the lanes each evening felt a little like coming home to a living museum.
Exploring the palace, walking up Marjan Hill and spending an evening in the Peristyle were some of my favourite things to do in Split. Below, you’ll find nine suggestions, with practical tips from our stay to help you decide what to include. Many also work well if you’re visiting Split for the day on a cruise.
1. Explore Diocletian’s Palace on a Walking Tour
Hands down, the highlight of Split is Diocletian’s Palace. The Roman emperor chose this spot on the Dalmatian coast for his retirement home. Diocletian was the first Roman emperor to actually retire, moving into his palace here in AD 305.
Over the centuries, people moved in and adapted the palace to their own needs. Today, homes, shops, cafés and restaurants fill its lanes, with Roman remains woven into everyday life. A guided walking tour is a great way to understand how it all fits together.
Group tours run throughout the day, but in the warmer months, an evening tour is a smart choice. The heat is easing and the cruise ship crowds have usually thinned out. We booked a 6 pm tour and had just nine people in our group, which made for a relaxed experience.
Learning about Diocletian and the purpose of the buildings gave us a much greater appreciation of the palace. When we returned to the Peristyle that evening, knowing the emperor once appeared before his subjects there made sitting among those Roman columns even more special.
If you’d like to do the same tour, you can check availability and prices here.
2. Visit St Domnius Cathedral and Climb the Bell Tower
Diocletian’s retirement palace came complete with his own mausoleum—which later became the Cathedral of St Domnius. It’s described as the world’s oldest Catholic cathedral still in use in its original building. Ironic that the resting place of an emperor who persecuted Christians became a Christian cathedral.
You can visit the cathedral and, if you’re comfortable with heights and stairs, climb the bell tower for views over the palace rooftops and harbour. They’re separate experiences, so you can enjoy the cathedral without committing to the climb.
Before you climb: The bell tower has around 180 steps. Visitors report particularly high, steep stone steps near the beginning, followed by metal stairs further up. Consider how comfortable you are with heights and awkward stairs before tackling the climb.
We didn’t go inside or climb the tower on this visit, but they’re worth considering if you’d like to explore more of the palace’s historic buildings. Check the ticket options before buying, as combinations cover different sights, including the cathedral, tower, treasury, crypt and baptistery.
3. Head up Marjan Hill for Views over Split
Marjan Hill offers amazing panoramic views over Split’s rooftops, harbour and islands beyond. Getting there on foot involves an uphill climb with plenty of steps, though, so it’s worth deciding how far you’d like to go before setting off.
We climbed up through the lanes of Varoš on a cool, overcast day and still found it quite a workout in places. The first viewing terrace, Prva Vidilica, is beside Teraca Vidilica café. This is where you’ll find that familiar view over the terracotta rooftops, Riva and harbour—and plenty of people hoping to photograph it. It was quite competitive to secure a spot when we visited.
The Teraca Vidilica café looked like a perfect spot to linger over breakfast, lunch or dinner with that view. We didn’t eat there, but I will definitely keep it in mind for a future visit.
If you have the energy, I’d recommend continuing uphill. We found fewer people beyond this busy terrace. We passed a small church before reaching the summit, known as Telegrin, with its Croatian flag and large cross.
Prefer to skip the climb?
An Uber or taxi can take you close to the first viewpoint beside Teraca Vidilica café.
An electric park bus also runs from the Marjan Visitor Centre at Trumbićeva obala 18, with Telegrin among its stops. Check the current timetable and ask how much walking remains from the stop.
If you’re climbing, wear comfortable shoes and take water. In warmer weather, I’d aim for early morning or later in the afternoon.
4. Wander the Old Town and Browse the Morning Market
Allow some time to explore beyond the palace walls. People’s Square (Pjaca), Fruit Square and Republic Square (Prokurative) are worth a look, with plenty of smaller lanes to wander through between them. Pick up a gelato and take your time.
In the morning, head to Pazar, the open-air market beside the palace’s eastern wall. Aim to arrive before 10 am, when the produce stalls are busy and there’s a good selection of fruit, vegetables and local food. You’ll also find clothing and souvenirs.
5. Stroll Along the Riva
The Riva is Split’s expansive pedestrian promenade, lined with cafés along the waterfront beside Diocletian’s Palace. It’s a perfect spot to sit with a coffee or a drink, watch the harbour traffic and do some people watching.
We were advised locally to eat away from the Riva, as restaurant prices tend to reflect the waterfront location. But for a coffee or drink with a view, I’d happily pay a little extra.
6. Spend an Evening in the Peristyle
The Peristyle is the central courtyard of Diocletian’s Palace, surrounded by Roman columns beside St Domnius Cathedral. Sitting here with a drink in the evening was one of my favourite things to do in Split.
Lvxor Café sets out cushions on the stone steps, with small tables for drinks. You pay more for the location, but we enjoyed it enough to return both evenings. There was live music each time, and plenty to watch as the evening light changed on the buildings and people came and went around the square.
One evening, we were lucky enough to have two little girls perform their impromptu, interpretative dances to the music, revelling in the applause from the crowd.
7. Visit the Ethnographic Museum
If you want something beyond the Roman palace and enjoy learning about the culture of the places you visit, the Ethnographic Museum is worth considering. Its displays of traditional clothing, jewellery, furniture and crafts give you an insight into everyday life in Dalmatia.
Our walking guide recommended it, although we didn’t get there ourselves. The museum stands on the site of Diocletian’s private quarters, so the building is part of the interest too.
You can also climb the stairs to the terrace above the Vestibule for views over the old town, the cathedral’s bell tower and the sea. Allow around an hour for a look through the collection and a visit to the terrace.
Check the Ethnographic Museum website for opening hours and admission details.
8. Try Croatian Food on a Guided Food Tour
One of our favourite things to do when we arrive in a new country is take a food tour. It’s a good way to try dishes we might otherwise overlook and learn a little about the food and the people who make it.
We didn’t manage one in Split—the 11 am departure that we looked at didn’t fit into our plans—but the Do Eat Better walking food tour looks like an option we’d enjoy.
Over about three hours, you visit at least four stops to sample Croatian dishes, with enough food to make a full meal. Tastings can include black risotto, burek and traditional pastries, with a local guide explaining the food and sharing some of Split’s history along the way.
Groups are limited to 12 people, and reviewers regularly praise the guides and generous portions. I’d arrive hungry.
Check availability and prices for the food tour here.
9. Spend Some Time at the Beach
If you’d like to fit in a swim, you don’t have to leave Split to find a beach. Bačvice is the most convenient option from the old town, just beyond the ferry port. It’s sandy with shallow water, although it gets busy in summer. You might also see locals playing picigin—a game that involves keeping a small ball in the air while standing, running and occasionally diving in the shallows.
For a different setting, Kašjuni is a pebble beach beneath Marjan Hill, with the wooded hillside behind it. It’s further from the centre, so a taxi is an option if you’d rather avoid the walk. Take water shoes if you find pebbles uncomfortable underfoot.
Visiting Split for the Day on a Cruise?
If you’re visiting Split on a cruise, you can combine several of these suggestions. I’d prioritise Diocletian’s Palace and the Old Town, with time for the cathedral or a browse around the morning market, then a drink along the Riva.
A guided walking tour is a good starting point, but check that its departure time and meeting point fit your arrival arrangements. If you have longer and feel like a climb, you could also head up to the first Marjan viewpoint.
Before booking an excursion outside Split, check the full duration and return time against your ship’s all-aboard time, leaving a comfortable buffer. Don’t be like us in Korea when we had to do a sprint at the end of the day!
Split for Game of Thrones Fans
Game of Thrones fans might recognise parts of Split as Meereen, particularly the cellars beneath Diocletian’s Palace, where scenes involving Daenerys’s dragons were filmed.
The Game of Thrones & History Walk with Basement Entry combines the palace’s real history with its connection to the series. It’s an alternative to a general history tour if you’d enjoy seeing the filming locations and matching them to scenes from the show.
Outside Split, Klis Fortress also appeared as Meereen. That’s a separate outing from this city walking tour—see the day-trip options below.
Check availability and prices for the Game of Thrones and history walking tour here.
Day Trips and Island Trips from Split
Split is one of the most convenient bases for exploring the Dalmatian islands, especially without a car. The bus station is beside the ferry port, and both are within walking distance of Diocletian’s Palace. We arrived by FlixBus from Zadar, walked to our apartment inside the palace walls, then walked back to catch the ferry to Hvar after our stay. That convenience takes a lot of the stress out of travelling between places.
If you’d prefer to stay in Split and take day trips, here are a few options for history, waterfalls and island visits.
Krka Waterfalls, Food and Wine Tasting
The Krka Waterfalls, Food and Wine Tasting Tour combines the national park with a river cruise, time in Skradin and local food and wine tastings. Swimming may be possible in Skradin, but not beneath the waterfalls inside the park.
Trogir and the Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon and Three Islands Speedboat Trip combines a visit to Trogir with swimming and snorkelling stops at the Blue Lagoon and Labadusa. At around five hours, it’s a shorter alternative to a full-day island tour. Consider whether speedboat travel suits you before booking.
Blue Cave, Vis and Hvar
The Blue Cave, Mamma Mia, Hvar and Five-Island Tour visits the Blue Cave, locations around Vis and Hvar Town. Expect a full day with substantial speedboat travel and shorter stops at each destination.
If Hvar is your priority, consider a ferry trip independently or staying overnight, as we did, to give yourself more time there.
Salona and Klis Fortress
The Salona and Klis Fortress Day Trip combines ancient Roman ruins with a medieval fortress overlooking Split. Klis also appeared as Meereen in Game of Thrones. Check your chosen booking option for entrance fees and lunch inclusions.
Can You Visit Plitvice Lakes from Split?
Yes—organised trips generally last around 12 hours, but the long return journey means it wouldn’t be my first choice.
We stayed overnight near the park, which I’d recommend if your itinerary allows. Zadar or Zagreb is more practical for a day trip. If you’re heading north, another option is a one-way transfer from Split to Zagreb via Plitvice.
How Many Days Do You Need in Split?
I’d allow two nights in Split for the palace, Old Town and Marjan Hill, with time to enjoy the evenings rather than rushing off after sightseeing. That’s how long we stayed before heading to Hvar, and it worked well for us.
One full day is enough for the main sights if you’re short on time. If you want to add a food tour, museums or beach time, give yourself another day. Any day trips outside Split need extra time on top of that.
Where to Stay in Split
We stayed in a studio apartment inside Diocletian’s Palace and loved the location. Tucked away down a little dead-end lane, it felt like a quiet haven despite the busy streets nearby. We could step out into the middle of everything, then retreat to our peaceful apartment whenever we wanted a break.
It also meant we could explore early before the streets became busy and enjoy the Peristyle in the evening without a long walk home.
Staying inside the palace does mean walking the final stretch with your luggage, as cars can’t access the lanes. If you’d prefer to stay outside the historic centre, Bačvice is another area to consider.
My Where to Stay in Split guide compares the palace and Bačvice, with accommodation suggestions and practical advice to help you choose.
Planning a Croatia Itinerary?
If you’re visiting Split as part of a longer trip, you may also find these guides helpful:
👉 10-Day Croatia Road Trip Itinerary from Zadar (North to South Route)
👉 14-Day Croatia Road Trip Itinerary from Zagreb to Dubrovnik
👉 10-Day Croatia Itinerary: Zadar, Split, Hvar & Dubrovnik by Public Transport
👉 Croatia Travel Costs: What Our 10-Day Trip Actually Cost
👉 Where to stay in Split for First-Timers
👉 Where to stay in Zadar, Croatia for First-Timers
FAQs About Visiting Split
I enjoyed Split much more than I expected to. If you like history, wandering through old towns and sitting with a drink watching the world go by, it’s definitely worth a stay. We spent two nights before heading to Hvar and were glad we did.
You can see the main sights in one full day: Diocletian’s Palace, the Old Town and the Riva, plus the cathedral or a climb to the first Marjan viewpoint. Two nights gives you more breathing room and a chance to enjoy the evenings, which were a highlight for us.
No, you don’t need one to explore the centre. We arrived by bus from Zadar, walked to our apartment inside the palace, then walked to the ferry when we left for Hvar. It was very straightforward.
Yes—the streets and public squares are free to wander through. You’ll need tickets for individual sights such as the cathedral, bell tower and parts of the cellars. Guided tours are an additional cost.
