Three Days in Split, Croatia – the ultimate itinerary

I visited Split as part of a 10-day trip to the Balkans (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro) to celebrate my 30th birthday.

The first thing I thought about the city was how come I postponed visiting Croatia this long?! It offers everything I expect from a summer destination: delicious food and a perfect mixture of historical sites and beautiful bays. It was love at first sight!

In this blog post, I will share how to spend three days in Split, Croatia. I have also included all the valuable tips, where to stay, where to eat, and mistakes to avoid.

Although we visited Split as part of a larger trip, you can also use this itinerary for a weekend getaway.

Table of Content

How to Get to Split

Split is well-connected and accessible by several modes of transport. The most common way to reach Split is by air. Split Airport (SPU), also known as Zračna Luka Airport, serves numerous direct flights from major European cities. The airport is about 24 kilometers from the city center, and you can reach downtown Split in 25–30 minutes by shuttle bus, local bus, taxi, or private transfer. 

We had a direct flight from Rotterdam Airport to Split via Transavia Airlines.

If you are traveling in Croatia without car, you can also check local train lines. Trains run between the capital city, Zagreb, and Split, with both day and overnight options available. The journey is scenic and costs around €15, but relatively slow, taking about 6 to 7 hours. The central train station in Split is conveniently located next to the bus station and ferry port, just a short walk from the old town.

Disclaimer: some of the links are affiliate links, meaning that, if you use them to book your hotel or purchase a product or service, I will receive a small amount of commission with no additional cost to you

Getting Around Split

We decided to rent a car as we were planning to visit various countries and cities during this trip, and a car is the most convenient option for us. After arriving to Split Airport, we picked up our rental car via Hertz. It was around a 30-minute drive to get to our stay.

If you are planning to visit only Split, you do not need a car, as the city centre is pedestrian-only, and finding a place with private parking can be a challenge. You can choose one of the other options to get to the city centre.

1. There is an airport bus that runs daily and costs only 8 euros.
2. You can use the Bolt app to get a taxi to your stay at a better price compared to airport taxis.
3. If you are a group of seven people, instead of booking two taxis, you can book a luxury private transfer to €33 via Viator.

Once we arrived in Split, we didn’t even use our car for two days. It is a very walkable city, and for a bit longer distances, taking Uber or Bolt is more beneficial than driving a car and spending time to find a parking spot.

Where to stay in Split

I would highly recommend staying in the Old Town or within walking distance. Split is a very vibrant and lively city, and even at night, you will want to go out on a whim and enjoy the live music in Peristil Square.

If you are traveling Croatia by car, staying in the Old Town is not optimal, as there are no parking places. Also, when searching for a hotel or apartments, if they mention free parking, make sure that it is private parking and not street parking. During the peak season, it can be very challenging to find available street parking.

I also short-listed other options with parking. They were all booked during our dates. If you are traveling by car, reserve your stay and parking space way in advance:

• Hotel Ambasador – Luxury stay with stunning view of the city centre
• Splendida Palace – Rare finding within walking distance to Diocletian’s Palace
• Dioklecijan Hotel & Residence – Stunning hotel with a rooftop pool looking over the city (ps. parking costs extra)

Even when a hotel or apartment mentions that they have private free parking, make sure to double-check. Reach out to them and get a confirmation that during your stay, they still have an available parking spot. Then book your stay and text them to reserve the parking as well.

Day 1: Diocletian’s Palace, Marjan Hill, and Kasjuni Beach

Explore Diocletian’s Palace

Google Maps is my best friend when I travel, and I created this map to save your time when it comes to planning a trip to SPLIT. If you find it useful, you can thank me with a cup of coffee. Thank you for your support!

Enter the Diocletian’s Palace through the Brass Gate (it is hidden next to Aroma Gelato). If you are hungry, head to Caffe Bar @noon, a family-owned sandwich bar, and try their famous Caprese sandwich.

If not, then take your time to discover the Diocletian’s Palace. When you think of a palace, you probably imagine a single grand building, something you tour in an hour or two. But in Split, Diocletian’s Palace is the city itself.

The palace was built as a retirement residence for the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the 4th century. Today, it is not just a historic monument, but the heart of Split’s daily life. Within its ancient walls lie a maze of narrow stone streets, hidden courtyards, lively cafés, local homes, boutique shops, and bustling markets.

The next stop is the Peristil Square, the central square of Diocletian’s Palace. For €15, you can get access to all key places to visit in the Palace – Split Cathedral, Bell tower, Treasury (Temple of Cybele), Baptistery (Temple of Jupiter), and the Crypt. They are all located next to each other or within a very short walking distance. If you are visiting Split on Sunday, please note that most of these places will not open until after 10 am, and the Cathedral will not open until after 1 pm.

If you ask me to pick one or two, I would say the Cathedral and the Bell Tower are must-visit. The 360-degree city view from the tower is stunning.

The rest of the Palace is free to wander and get lost in narrow alleys. I spent some time shopping as well. I had planned to buy a red coral bracelet before coming to Split. Red coral jewelry is crafted from coral found in the Adriatic Sea and has been part of local tradition for generations.

For lunch, we stopped at one of the vibrant restaurants of the Palace, Fig Split. We ordered Quasedilla, Burrito, and Sweet Potatoes to share. During our stay, we ate here twice, and it quickly made it to our list of favorites.

You can walk through the Golden Gate to leave the palace. Then you will see the statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski). The statue commemorates the 10th-century bishop who challenged the church by conducting mass in Croatian instead of Latin. Legend has it you’ll receive good luck if you rub his big toe. So you’ll often see people queuing up to give it a polish.

Visit Marjan Hill and its Beaches

From the Republic Square, walk to the Viewpoint of Marjan Hill. Keep in mind that it is more than 300 steps. You can take the route through Senjanska Street, peeking into the daily life of locals, or via the Marjan Hill Stairs, a staircase that leads through the forest. After 15 minutes, you will see the view of the city from the top.

If you want to rest, have some drinks to enjoy the view, there is also a restaurant, Teraca Vidilica. After enjoying the view, we decided to go swimming at one of the most beautiful beaches of the coast, Kasjuni Beach. We drove there by car, but finding a parking space took some time. I would advise you to take Bolt or Uber. After walking and exploring under the sun, swimming felt amazing. We spent around an hour there. When you are in the sea, look towards the Marjan hill, and you will see the Church of St. Jerome, carved into the hill.

If the weather weren’t this hot, we would take this time to hike around the Marjan hill.

Klis Fortress

It was around 5 pm, and instead of going back to Old Town to enjoy the evening or walk along the Riva, we decided to drive to Klis fortress, a 25-minute drive away from Split. The BUS 22 also runs between Split and Klis. You can visit the Fortress till 7 pm in summer.

Klis Fortress is a large stone fortress perched on a hill just outside of Split, and the views stretch all the way to the sea. It has been around for over 2,000 years, used by everyone from the Romans to medieval knights to defend their territory. The place is mostly quiet, with old walls, towers, and open courtyards you can walk through at your own pace. It also doubled as the city of Meereen in Game of Thrones, which adds a fun extra layer if you’re a fan of the show.

Locals often visit Klis not for the fortress but to enjoy the spit-roasted lamb, which is known as “ Janje na raznju”. We were told by locals that Restaurant Perlica is the best. When we arrived, the restaurant was almost full, and they informed us that they were out of lamb. I recommend calling beforehand to ensure you can taste this local dish.

Dining in Konoba and Evening in the Old Town

Read more about the places to eat in Split here.

After the diner, walk towards the Peristil. We spend almost every evening here. It is a perfect place to relax after a long day. Just to sit on historic stairs, enjoy live music, and maybe get some drinks at LVXOR.

Day 2: Islands Tour by boat

Boat tour to beautiful bays and Hvar Island

A boat tour is a must in the coast of Croatia, and Split has the best islands nearby. There are several boat tours you can choose from. Most of the tours take you to the blue cave and/or snorkeling over the sunken ship, and a stop in Hvar.

After careful consideration, I decided to skip the places that many boats might go, and instead choose a more chill option, an all-in catamaran tour that takes you to the most beautiful bays to swim and opportunity to wander Hvar island for two hours.

The boat sails at 08:30, but you are expected to be there at least 3o minutes early. It is the most beautiful catamaran in the harbor. For breakfast, you get freshly baked traditional pastry with cheese and unlimited hot drinks. After an hour ride, we arrived in a beautiful bay in Brac Island to swim for an hour.

I advise you to pack your snorkeling gear. If you don’t have them, do not worry, there are plenty of masks for everyone. Another must have item to pack is watershoes. We swam there for an hour, rested, and got ready for the next stop, Hvar Island.

Two hours in Hvar

With this tour, you can spend 2 hours on the island and the tour includes a tour guide in Hvar. My husband and I chose to explore the island at our own pace.

We wanted to visit Fortica Fortress for the stunning view, but we were running out of time. We found the only quad rental that has hourly rates and rented a quad to go up to the Fortress! MI & TI is a car rental company run by a couple, and we highly recommend them for your visit to Hvar.

It was a very enjoyable 5-minute ride to the fortress. You could also hike up there for 15 minutes from the main square. Although you can enjoy a stunning view of the city and the sea from the hill, we decided to enter the fortress and wander through its walls.

On the way to our next stop, we were served Caesar salad as lunch. We had several stunning bays all to ourselves. Usually, in boat tours, several boats might go to the same popular bay, and it gets overcrowded. I loved how we were the only boat at all our stops. During our last stop, we were served fresh fruits and muffins. The vibe in the boat was amazing, and on the way back to Split, it turned into a fun party! And we arrived back at Split Harbor exactly in 10 hours and 18:30.

Dinner in Split Old Town

For the evening, we had a dinner reservation. Every person I know who has been to Split has told me to dine at Bokeria Kitchen and try their Truffle Pasta.

Day 3: Krka National Park and Skradin

On our last day in Split, we drove around the Krka National Park. If you are in Split, visiting at least Skradinski Buk Waterfall is a must-do. If you are not traveling by car, there are many great Krka National Park tours to choose from.

If you are gonna visit several sights in the Krka National Park, you can get a day ticket for €40 per person. With this all-in ticket, you can visit:

• Skradinski Buk Waterfall
• Roški Slap Waterfall
• Manojlovac Waterfall
• Burnum
• Krka Eco Campus in Puljane

Skradinski Buk Waterfall

We arrived at the Lozovac Entry. There is a large parking area for free. From there, you can walk to the Skradinski Buk Waterfall for 40 minutes, or hop on the free shuttle.

Once you arrive at the site, follow the iconic wooden track. Do not rush to reach the waterfall, slow down, enjoy the nature and spot some insects and frogs. The walk takes around 20 minutes before you get to the first viewpoint to see the waterfall. In 5 more minutes, you will reach a bridge to have a beautiful view of the Skradinski Buk Waterfall. A few years ago, it was permitted to swim here, but due to its increasing popularity, it is no longer allowed. There are other places in the park where you can swim, and we will get there!

At the end of this hike, you will see a restaurant area to sit, relax, and have some food. I enjoyed crepes with fresh fruits before going back to the Lozovas stop with the shuttle.

Visovac Monastery

Swimming in Krka River

Our next stop is the Roski Slap, the sixth waterfall on the River Krka. Unlike Skradinski Buk, swimming is allowed here during the summer months. I will be honest, the water was not very inviting after the beautiful beaches of Split. It is still a beautiful spot to enjoy the view.

But, I was committed to swimming in the river. We decided not to visit all stops, but instead drive to Skradin City Beach and swim in the most beautiful water of the river.

Dinner at Skradin

Final Thoughs

Split completely stole my heart, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting it to. From wandering the ancient alleys of Diocletian’s Palace to cooling off in crystal-clear bays and savoring every bite of fresh seafood, every moment felt like a perfect slice of Mediterranean life.

It’s a city where history breathes through the stones under your feet, and where locals enjoy life slowly and fully.

As someone who has traveled extensively and saved Croatia for “another time,” I can confidently say that it’s a place I’ll want to return to again and again. If you’re looking for a destination that combines safety, sunshine, scenery, and soul, Split should be high on your list.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this guide helps you fall in love with Split just as much as I did.

Don’t forget to pin this post for future planning!