2 Days in Split: The Top Things to Do and See in Split Croatia
One of my favorite countries in Europe is Croatia. When I visited Dubrovnik on a cruise, I knew I would soon return to this beautiful country. The perfect opportunity to return to Croatia was on my recent Balkans road trip. I decided to revisit Dubrovnik and check out Split for the first time. Again, I was blown away by the beauty and culture of Croatia. This guide to 2 days in Split explains where to stay, what to do, and the top day trips to take.
Continue reading for Split Croatia travel tips, my honest opinion of the city, and a guide to spending two days in the city.
Some links on this blog are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through them. All opinions are my own, and I only recommend products and services I personally use and believe in. Thanks for your support!
Quick Facts about Split
Currency – Euro
Language – Croatian, but English is widely spoken
Safety – Split is a huge city. I felt very safe in the Old City, but cannot speak to the more metropolitan area of Split
Climate – The summer temperatures are fantastic in the 80’s and in the winter, temperatures drop down to a comfortable 50-60 degrees
Traveling to Split
If you are flying to Split, the closest airport is Split airport (SPU), which is around 20 minutes outside of the city center. There are plenty of intra-Europe flights into Split. However, if you are coming from the United States or other far destinations, there are more options into the Zadar airport (ZAD) which is a 90-minute drive from Split.
Alternatively, it’s super easy to drive to Split from anywhere in Croatia or neighboring countries such as Slovenia, Bosnia Herzegovina, or Montenegro. Note, there is no public parking in the Split Old City. Coordinate with your hotel or rental for advice on the nearest garage. Expect to pay between 15 and 30 Euros per night.
Getting Around Croatia
There are two options for transportation around Croatia from split. The first is to set Split as a home base and rely on guided tours for day trips. Within the Split old city, everything is extremely walkable. If you want to take day trips, below I explain the best tours to take that include transportation.
The other option for getting around Croatia is renting a car. This is great if you are visiting Split on a road trip or want to take day trips on your own. The public transportation system in Croatia is slow and now very developed, so having your own car or booking tours is the way to go.
How Long to Visit Split
If you are visiting Split on a road trip and simply want to explore the city, I recommend staying two nights. 2 days in Split will give you one day to explore the Old City and Diocletian’s palace and one day for a boat tour.
Alternatively, you could easily spend one week in Split. Split is a great home base for day trips in the region, if you choose this route, I suggest alternating day trips and days in the city. Below, find a list of the top four day trips from Split.
Where to Stay in Split
There are many hotels and vacation rentals in Split. The city is very large so the location you choose is extremely important. It is a must to stay in the Old City, otherwise you will spend a ton of time and money getting around. Within old town, you can’t go wrong. Below are two great hotel options for Split Croatia.
Juditha Palace Heritage Hotel – The key to choosing a hotel in Split is the location. The city is very large and spread out, so be sure to stay in the Old Town near Diocletian’s Palace. The Juditha Palace Heritage Hotel is in a great location, walkable to most of the sights. It’s also nicely decorated with a historic style.
Piazza Heritage Hotel – The Piazza Heritage Hotel is a comparable option to the above hotel with a similar location, style, and price point. You can’t go wrong with either of these options for your Split vacation.
The Best Things to do in Split
Blue Cave Tour – This boat tour was one of the highlights of my trip and a can’t-miss activity in Split. The tour visits the blue cave, which is a naturally occurring bright blue cave that can only be accessed by boat. In addition to seeing this cave, the tour visits the Croatian islands of Vis and Hvar. Vis is where the second Mama Mia movie was filmed as is a quaint fishing village. Hvar is a popular tourism island with an amazing panoramic hike. In the summer, there is time for swimming and in the cooler months, you can go sightseeing on the islands.
Blue Lagoon Tour – The above option is my top recommendation for a boat tour from Split. However, if you want a half-day trip (versus the above full day option), this tour to the nearby blue lagoon is also great. You will visit the historic city of Trogir and the blue lagoon, where you can take a swim in the bright blue waters.
Diocletian’s Palace – The Split old city is built into and around the Diocletian’s palace. It’s hard to discern where the palace ends, and modern city ends. To explore Diocletian’s palace, you can wander the ruins on your own or take a guided tour.
Where to Eat
If I’m being honest, I wasn’t blown away by a lot of the food in Split. I’m not a huge fan of octopus or shellfish, which was very common so maybe that was the issue. There are many restaurants lining the marina, but I found them to be overpriced and only of decent quality.
That said, I really enjoyed the two below restaurants. The first is a great place for a tasty dinner with great service. The second is a good option for a unique dessert to take on the go.
Konoba Korta – Tasty restaurant in the heart of the Old City with a variety of options such as pasta, steak, and local dishes.
Mr Pozzetti Ice Cream – A fun novelty dessert where you can get gelato served in a warm chimney cone with a variety of flavors such as cinnamon sugar or sprinkles.
The Top Day Trips from Split
If I’m being honest, Split is not my favorite city itself. However, it is the perfect home base for day trips. It’s within a few hours’ drive of a couple national parks, and other popular cities such as Dubrovnik and Mostar. Since the accommodation is affordable, and it’s centrally located, Split is the perfect place to position yourself for a few days of consecutive day trips.
Below, are my top four favorite day trips from Split. These day trips can easily be done on your own with a rental car or through an organized tour.
Krka National Park
Krka national park is a great day trip from Split. This national park has a variety of sites, but the most popular is the Skradinski Buk waterfalls. You can visit the park on your own by driving to the town of Skradin, purchasing entrance tickets, then taking the provided boat to the falls. Alternatively, you can take a guided tour from Split to have everything done for you.
If you are doing this day trip on your own, plan for a full day. The drive between Split and Skradin is around 90 minutes. When you arrive in Skradin, there are a variety of parking lots available for the National Park. The official lot charges per hour. There are also restaurants that provide “free parking” in exchange for a purchase at their business. I went with the latter since it was a small flat fee, and I wanted to purchase a quick bite anyway.
From Skradin, visit the Krka National Park visitors center to purchase a national park ticket (which includes the ferry). The ferries depart from Skradin every 30 minutes and take around 30 minutes to get to the national park.
Once at the National Park, follow the signs for trails and hikes around the waterfall. Once you are done exploring, hiking, and taking photos, take the ferry back. Alternatively, there is an easy three-mile hike back to town.
Plitvice Lakes
The Pitvice Lakes is another national park near Split, and it has UNESCO world heritage status. The park has 16 lakes, beautiful waterfalls, and hiking trails. This national park arguably has more to see than Krka, but is double the distance away. I did not have time to visit Plitvice on my trip, but heard amazing things.
This Plitvice day trip from Split includes a guided tour, a visit to the upper and lower waterfalls, and a boat trip around the lakes. It will be a packed day with a lot of driving, but you will have plenty of time to explore the park and soak in the nature.
Mostar
On my recent Balkans road trip, I spent one night in Mostar. It was great to be there at night and have extra time to explore the city. However, jumping around to multiple places for one night did get tiring. If you prefer to have a home base, Mostar is an easy day trip from Split.
This tour includes a walking tour of Mostar, swimming time at the nearby Kravica waterfall, and an opportunity to try local coffee. Mostar absolutely blew me away, so if you don’t have other plans to visit, be sure to put this day trip on your list.
Dubrovnik
I suggest visiting Dubrovnik for a few nights, versus as a day trip, because it is one of my favorite cities in the world. There are many great things to do and restaurants to try. However, if you are short on time, Dubrovnik is an easy day trip from Split. This day tour includes transportation, an old city tour, free time to explore on your own, and time to grab a bite from one of the local restaurants.
It’s also easy to take this day trip from Split to Dubrovnik on your own with a rental car. The drive is around three hours, so get an early start. When you arrive in Dubrovnik, I highly suggest a free walking tour to learn about the history of the city and get the lay of the land. Some other good things to do in Dubrovnik are a kayak tour, drinks at the Buza bar, lunch at Lady Pi Pi, and walking the old town walls.
2 Days in Split Itinerary
With two days in Split, you will be able to see a lot of the highlights of the city, try a few restaurants, and get some time on the water. For the first day in Split, explore the old City. I recommend taking a walking tour of Diocletian’s palace to learn about the history and get an introduction to the city. In the afternoon, wander the old city then finish the day with a tasty dinner at Konoba Korta.
For the second day in Split, head on a blue cave boat tour. One of the best ways to explore Split is from the beautiful blue Adriatic. This tour includes a couple swimming stops, a visit to the Blue Cave, free time on Hvar, and a few additional stops depending on time. This tour is the most efficient way to explore the water and islands surrounding Split.
If you have longer than 2 days in Split, be sure to explore some of the day tours I mention above. Alternatively, Split is a great stop on a Balkans Road trip. Check out my Balkans road trip itinerary for more tips.
