Split is located in central Croatia along the Dalmatian Coast and is known for beautiful beaches at many nearby islands. Spending time in this area will also allow you to explore some of the beautiful national parks nearby. Here is our guide for how to spend 4 days in Split, Croatia including what to do and how to fit it all in.
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Getting to Split
Depending on where you’re coming from there are a few different ways to get to Split. Coming from the east coast of Italy, we took an overnight ferry to Dubrovnik. Then from Dubrovnik we took a bus up to Split. The bus took about 5 hours because it made quite a few stops. It cost $19.50 USD per person and we bought tickets at the Dubrovnik Bus Station about 20 minutes before.
- We have loved taking trains throughout Europe with our Eurail Pass! But one important thing to note is that there is no train station in Dubrovnik, Croatia. If you’re flying in to Dubrovnik and then going up to Split, the cheapest option is a bus.
The Split Airport is about 25 km from the old town of Split if you’ll be flying. We also did notice that Uber was available when we visited!
Day 1: Arrive & Explore the Split Old Town
Because we had to take a bus from Dubrovnik we only had a few hours on our first day to explore Split. We stayed a little outside of the center area. It was about a 20 minute walk but was much more reasonable!
Make sure to walk through the old town area in Split. The most famous spot being Diocletian’s Palace, an ancient palace that dates back to the fourth century. It’s impressive given how old it is and you’ll see a lot of people sitting and having a drink on the steps of the palace.
There are so many restaurants and even to-go type food places within the old town. We love that we could find quicker and less expensive options in Split like sandwiches, pastries and lots of ice cream shops.
There is a large waterfront area called the Riva with rows of restaurants and a lot happening. Honestly we didn’t love this area of Split. There was a large stage set up with blasting music and it was just too loud. It didn’t feel authentic and felt a little too party scene for us.
We found the food had a big Italian influence with a lot of pastas and risottos as well as a lot of seafood. I had probably the best shrimp risotto ever in Split. Definitely do a little research before sitting down at a place. The old town is definitely a little touristy so we always like to look up a place first just to make sure it has decent reviews!
Read More: How to Spend 4 Days in Dubrovnik, Croatia
Day 2: Day trip to Krka National Park
National parks in Croatia such as Krka and Plitvice have been exploding in popularity in the last few years. Krka National Park is known for it’s cascading waterfalls within the park and is an hour drive from Split so it’s a really easy day trip. You can also take a bus if you don’t have a car. There are quite a few buses and tour options leaving from Split.
The Krka National Park ticket office is located outside of the park so an entrance ticket cost 200 Kuna (about $29 USD) and included in the ticket price is a ferry to and from the ticket office to the park. Ferries leave regularily and it’s a beautiful ride!
- Entrance ticket prices vary depending on the time of year. During peak summer season they are the highest at 200 Kuna and then decrease during shoulder season.
Skradinski Buk is the most popular waterfall in Krka National Park and most likely the one you’ve seen pictures of. It’s famous because you can swim in it. That’s actually part of what makes Krka National Park unique compared to Plitvice National Park where swimming is prohibited. But with that ability to swim comes a lot of crowds. On a Tuesday afternoon in the middle of September it was very crowded! We would recommend getting there early in the morning so it’s less crowded especially if you want to take pictures.
Read our post for everything you need to know about Krka National Park
Beyond the main waterfall are well made walkways where the crowds die down significantly. It’s like walking through a nature paradise with so many plants and small waterfalls everywhere. We really enjoyed this part of the park!
- Make sure to wear your bathing suit and bring a towel because the water is pretty chilly! The rocks in the waterfall were SO slippery. Most people wore water shoes like these and we really wish we had some!
Day 3: Enjoy a Split Viewpoint & the Beach
Make sure to dedicate at least one full day to exploring Split. There are a lot of amazing day trips nearby but there is also so much to do without leaving the Split area. It’s not overly huge so it’s easy to use walking as your mode of transportation!
We started the day by walking west and instantly we noticed once we got a few streets away from Diocletian’s Palace it got significantly less crowded. Continue walking up about 20 minutes to Prva Vidilica Na Marjanu. It’s a large viewpoint that gives beautiful views over Split!
Travel Truth: There are not a lot of signs to the viewpoint so make sure to download the offline Google Map for Split before you leave for the day. That’s one of our biggest travel tips and saves us every time we’re looking for something and wifi or service isn’t working.
At the top it’s a beautiful view of the buildings of Split along with the harbor and the blue water. The mountains in the background are something we didn’t expect but couldn’t get over! The viewpoint is free to walk up to and theres a restaurant, Vilidica, next to it that you can use as an address too.
- Prva Vidilica Na Marjanu is on the eastern edge of the large Marjan Park. If you have time it’s a really large park with quite a few more viewpoints as you continue west.
- There is a staircase going down that will put you back along the Riva. This is a beautiful walk along the harbor where you will see so many impressive yachts. We enjoyed walking west dreaming of which yacht we would want if we could have our pick!
There are quite a few beaches in Split that aren’t too far. Walk about 15 minutes along the water and you’ll hit Bay Ježinac. You will see people laying out on the rocks here and there. If you continue walking you’ll find a sandy area near a small jetty. There are changing rooms, showers and Kafić Obojena Svjetlost, a small cafe where you can get a drink or snack at the beach.
Towards the late afternoon head back to the harbor area to watch the sunset. We caught a really pretty orange and pink sky that was a beautiful way to end the day!
Day 4: Day trip to Brac Island
Split is known for its beautiful islands so we had to visit one! There are ferries running constantly to any island you could want to visit. We bought our ferry tickets the day of at the ticket office about 30 minutes before leaving. Ferry tickets from Split to Supetar, Brac cost us 28 Kuna (about $4 USD) on Jadrolinija Ferries.
There are a lot of islands to choose from. Some of the most popular include Hvar, Brac, and Korcula. We chose Brac island because the ferry ride isn’t too long, it’s a little less busy than some of the other ones and had what we were looking for.
- If you’re looking for a beautiful beach and small town, Brac is the island for you. From what we’ve read Hvar is for you if you’re looking for some glitz and more restaurant and bar options. Either way you can’t go wrong because the whole area is beautiful!
Read our complete post on a Day Trip to Brac Island in Croatia
The ferry from Split to Supetar, Brac took just under an hour. We spent some time exploring the harbor area of Supetar, had an amazing lunch at Vinotoka and then continued walking along the coast to a beach area near Foodica restaurant. In September it was very quiet and there were only a couple other people at the beach!
- Croatia has some of the clearest ocean water we have ever seen! Even in the port it is so incredible clear. We all enjoyed a dip in the water and then a subsequent nap on the beach!
