How to Spend a Week in Split, Croatia — The Complete Guide

There is a particular kind of travel that is less about ticking sights and more about simply living somewhere for a while — shopping at the same market stalls each morning, finding a favourite café, learning which bakery opens earliest and which wine the locals actually drink. Split is one of the finest cities in Europe for exactly this kind of travel. We stayed for a week, and by the third day, it felt less like a holiday and more like a temporary life. We mean that as the highest possible compliment.

Split is Croatia’s second-largest city, built around and inside one of the most remarkable Roman monuments in the world. It sits on the Dalmatian coast with the Adriatic at its feet and the Dinaric Alps at its back, and on a clear summer morning from the top of the cathedral bell tower, the view across the islands and the sea is one of the great urban panoramas in Europe.

This guide is built on a full week spent here, long enough to go beyond the highlights and find the quieter pleasures the city rewards those who stay.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure for more information. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (if applicable).

Before You Start — A Note on Currency

Croatia joined the Eurozone on 1 January 2023. The currency is now the Euro — the Croatian Kuna no longer exists. If you read older guides referring to Kuna, ignore them.

The Green Market (Pazar) — The Heart of Every Day

Where is the Split marketplace? Check out the location marked Green Market – Pazar.

Before we get to the day-by-day detail, the market deserves its own section — because in Split, the Green Market (locally known as the Pazar) is not a tourist attraction. It is the living infrastructure of daily life, and visiting it each morning was the single experience that most shaped our week.

The market is an open-air produce market located just outside the eastern gate of Diocletian’s Palace, directly fronting the harbour. It has been operating on this site for centuries. Every morning, local farmers and producers from the surrounding Dalmatian hinterland set up their stalls from 6 am, selling whatever is fresh, in-season and grown nearby. In early July, when we visited, that meant an abundance of watermelons, figs, tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, peaches and bunches of lavender so fragrant you could smell them from twenty metres away.

The atmosphere is electric in the best possible way — a good-natured chaos of locals haggling in Croatian, stall owners calling out across the rows, cruise ship visitors stopping in bewilderment and delight, and cats weaving between the vegetable crates with the unhurried confidence of animals who know they own the place.

We found a favourite vendor on our second visit and stayed loyal to her all week. She sold by weight, rounded down without being asked, and on our third morning, produced a small bunch of fresh herbs from under the counter as a gift for returning. That kind of exchange — small, unhurried, genuinely warm — is what markets do that supermarkets cannot.

Our tips for visiting:

Arrive as early as possible for the best selection — the stalls are at their fullest before 9 am. After midday, the market quiets significantly, and vendors begin reducing prices on remaining produce, which makes the afternoon visit excellent value for budget travellers. Bring your own eco-friendly bag — plastic bags are available, but the market experience feels exactly right with a proper shopping basket. The market also sells local cheeses, cured meats, honey, olive oil, lavender products and souvenirs alongside the fresh produce. The cruise ship crowds tend to peak mid-morning, so early or late is always better.

Location: Eastern side of Diocletian’s Palace, fronting the harbour

Opening hours: Daily 6 am–2 pm

Diocletian’s Palace — A City Inside a Monument

Most visitors to Split know they are going to see Diocletian’s Palace. Few arrive prepared for what it actually is.

Diocletian’s Palace is not a single gated attraction — it is a living city. The palace streets, squares, and outdoor areas are part of Split’s Old Town, and you can enter and walk around freely at any time. People live here. People run restaurants, galleries, bars and shops here. Laundry hangs from windows that were built seventeen centuries ago. A jazz band sets up without warning in the Peristyle square on summer evenings, and the acoustics are extraordinary because Roman architects, it turns out, understood sound. 

The palace was built between 295 and 305 AD by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence — a man who voluntarily gave up the most powerful position in the known world to grow cabbages by the sea, which is a life philosophy we find increasingly sympathetic. The structure is roughly 215 metres by 180 metres, with towers at each corner and octagonal towers framing each entrance. The southern gate would have been the Emperor’s main entry from the sea, with his residence in the southern half and quarters for servants and guards in the northern half. 

After Diocletian’s death, the palace continued to be used by members of the emperor’s family, and rose in importance again in the 7th century when Salona — once the capital of Dalmatia — was destroyed by a Slavic invasion. Refugees flooded into the palace walls and never really left. The result is one of the most extraordinary pieces of living archaeology anywhere in the world — a Roman imperial residence that became a medieval city that became a modern one, all without anyone ever fully moving out. 

Want to learn more about the Diocletian’s Palace – why not book a walking tour here

What to see inside the Palace:

The Peristyle is the collonaded central square of the palace and the social heart of Split — lined with Roman columns, outdoor café tables and the Cathedral on its eastern side. On summer evenings, it fills with people and occasionally musicians. Sitting here with a glass of local wine as the sun drops behind the columns is one of the great simple pleasures of Split.

The Cathedral of St Domnius is, extraordinarily, the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world still in its original structure. It was built as Diocletian’s mausoleum — the man who was one of history’s most brutal persecutors of Christians is now buried in a building that became a Christian church, which has a certain historical irony. The 57-metre bell tower can be climbed for superb views over the city and the islands — we recommend doing this early morning before the heat builds. Entry to the cathedral costs €5, with additional charges for the bell tower, crypt, baptistery and treasury — visiting everything costs approximately €15. 

The Palace Cellars run beneath the entire southern half of the palace and are among the best-preserved Roman substructures in existence. Today, the cellars are open to visitors and are used for art exhibitions, concerts and cultural events — a walk through them is a journey through history covering the Roman period, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Game of Thrones fans will recognise them immediately as the cellars used for Daenerys’ throne room and dragon scenes in Meereen. Entry to the south cellar costs approximately €7–8 per adult. 

The Four Gates each have a different character worth exploring. The Golden Gate on the northern side — which faced the direction of Salona — was the main entrance into the palace. Outside it stands the enormous statue of Grgur Ninski (Gregory of Nin) by sculptor Ivan Meštrović, whose big toe is polished bright gold from the tradition of touching it for good luck. The Iron Gate on the eastern side is the only gate that has seen continuous use since it was first built. The Bronze Gate on the southern side opens directly to the harbour and the Riva promenade. 

Practical note: Walking around the palace streets, squares and outdoor areas is completely free at any time. What you pay for are the specific interior sights — the cathedral complex, the cellars and the temples. Most visitors spend between 60 and 120 minutes on the main highlights; if you plan to enter all the ticketed interiors and climb the bell tower, allow at least half a day. 

The Riva Promenade

Running along the southern face of the palace walls directly fronting the harbour, the Riva is Split’s social promenade — a broad, marble-paved waterfront lined with palm trees, outdoor café tables and views across the water to the islands of Brač and Šolta. In the evening, it fills with locals on the traditional korzo (evening stroll) in a way that feels entirely unperformed and genuinely Croatian. Sit here with a cold Karlovačko beer as the ferries come and go and the mountains on the mainland turn pink — this is Split at its most effortlessly beautiful.

Bačvice Beach — Split’s Favourite Playground

A ten-minute walk southeast along the waterfront from the Riva brings you to Bačvice — Split’s most beloved beach and one of the most characterful urban beaches in the whole of the Adriatic. Unlike the rocky shorelines that characterise much of the Dalmatian coast, Bačvice is a gently shelving sandy beach with shallow, warm, crystal-clear water that makes it genuinely safe and comfortable for swimming at any age. The shallow depth extends a considerable distance from the shore — you can wade out thirty or forty metres and still be standing comfortably, which makes it a favourite with families and those who prefer to ease themselves into the Adriatic rather than dive straight in from a rock.

The beach itself is lovely, but the café and bar complex that lines the back of it is what gives Bačvice its particular character. The terrace cafés look directly out over the water and are busy from morning coffee all the way through to late evening cocktails — there is genuinely no better seat in Split for watching the world go by over a cold drink on a warm afternoon. On summer evenings, the complex fills with locals as much as tourists, the music picks up, and the whole place takes on a warmth and energy that the more tourist-facing Riva can sometimes lack.

Bačvice is also the home of picigin — a uniquely Splitski ball game played in the shallows that involves keeping a small ball in the air using only open-hand slaps, with increasingly acrobatic dives to prevent it touching the water. It has been played on this beach for over a century and was added to Croatia’s list of intangible cultural heritage in 2011. Watching a group of locals play it — leaping sideways through the shallows in a display of completely serious athletic commitment — is one of the great free entertainments Split offers and something you will not see anywhere else in the world.

We found ourselves walking to Bačvice almost every afternoon — a swim, a cold Karlovačko at the café terrace, and an hour watching the picigin players before walking back through the old town for the evening. It became one of the quiet rhythms of our week that we miss most.

Getting there: A ten-minute walk southeast along the waterfront from the Bronze Gate of Diocletian’s Palace. Follow the harbour path past the ferry terminal, and you will see the beach ahead of you. Entry to the beach is free.

The Varoš Neighbourhood

Most visitors to Split stay within the palace walls or on the Riva. The Varoš neighbourhood — the old artisan quarter on the western slopes below Marjan Hill — is where Split’s locals actually live, and it rewards those who wander up into its steep, narrow stone lanes. The streets here are quieter, the restaurants less tourist-facing, and the views back over the old town from the upper lanes are lovely. This is also where some of Split’s best traditional konoba restaurants are located.

Marjan Hill

For the best panoramic view of Split, climb Marjan Hill — the forested promontory that juts into the Adriatic on the western side of the city. The walk from the old town takes approximately 20 minutes to reach the main viewpoint, through pine forests that provide welcome shade in summer. From the top, the view encompasses the entire city, the palace, the Riva, the islands and the open sea. Early morning or late afternoon is the best time to go — and it is completely free.

Where to Eat in Split

Split has a genuinely excellent restaurant scene that has improved dramatically in recent years. Michelin currently recommends 13 restaurants in Split, including Konoba Fetivi, Zrno Soli, Zoi, Restoran Dvor Split and Kadena. 

For traditional Dalmatian cooking, Konoba Fetivi is a family-run local konoba sitting just outside the tourist crush of the Riva in the old Varoš neighbourhood — a quieter corner of the city where life still feels lived-in, known for authentic seafood and local wines. Villa Spiza is a tiny spot inside the palace walls serving daily Dalmatian classics from a blackboard menu that changes entirely based on what came in fresh that morning — queue early as it fills immediately. 

For a mid-range dinner with atmosphere, Bokeria is housed in a beautiful historic building blending modern Mediterranean cuisine with the charm of Dalmatian tradition — stylish and vibrant, with starters at €8–15, mains at €18–30, and a full dinner for two with wine running approximately €70–90. 

For the serious food experience, Šug — which means “sauce” in Croatian — sits just off the main tourist paths on Tolstojeva Street and offers honest, modern takes on Dalmatian and Mediterranean cuisine. It is Michelin-listed, run by chefs Duje Kanajet and Mateo Kordić, and known for its daily-changing marenda (traditional Dalmatian lunch) and robust seafood stews. 

For market-to-table cooking with your own produce, if you have kitchen facilities as we did, the morning market run and evening home cooking is one of the great underrated pleasures of a longer Split stay. Fresh tomatoes dressed with local olive oil and sea salt. Grilled fish bought from the harbour sellers. Watermelon eaten cold on a warm evening. This is Dalmatian cooking at its most elemental — and it costs almost nothing.

Day Trips from Split

Plitvice Lakes National Park is Croatia’s most famous natural attraction — a UNESCO World Heritage Site of sixteen terraced lakes connected by waterfalls in an impossibly vivid range of blues and greens. The drive from Split takes approximately 2.5 hours and is best done as a full-day guided tour. Book well in advance as entry numbers are strictly limited and the park regularly sells out during peak season. Book here

The Islands — Brač, Hvar and Šolta are all easily accessible by ferry from Split harbour. Brač is closest (50 minutes) and home to the famous Zlatni Rat beach. Hvar is Croatia’s most glamorous island and deservedly popular for its lavender fields, Renaissance architecture and excellent restaurants. A day trip to either makes an excellent complement to the city days.

We took a ferry to Supetar in Brac for the day and just wandered around and enjoyed an exceptional lunch by the harbour. It was a very cost-effective way to enjoy another Croatian Island. Book your ferry ride here

Where to Stay in Split

For a longer stay, proximity to both the market and the old town is the priority — and that means the area just outside the palace walls or in the immediate old town vicinity gives you the best of both.

Budget to mid-range: Our own base was an apartment in the old town with kitchen facilities — the ideal setup for a longer stay, allowing you to shop at the market each morning and cook in the evenings.

Kruna Apartments 2024 in Split is an 8-minute walk from Diocletian’s Palace and 19 minutes to Bacvice Beach. You can choose from a studio apartment, a deluxe or a Queen Studio. They are located in a quiet area away from any traffic noise. Opened in 2024, they have become a popular place for tourists. Book here

Mid-range hotel: Jupiter Heritage Hotel at Grabovceva Sirina 1 sits inside the palace walls near the Temple of Jupiter — a beautifully restored historic building in the very heart of the old town, surrounded by narrow lanes filled with cafes, galleries and restaurants. Book here

Luxury: The Radisson Blu Resort Split at Put Trstenika 19 sits 2.5 kilometres from the palace with rooms overlooking the islands of Brač and Šolta, a private beach, indoor pool and spa. This is the right choice for travellers who want a resort experience alongside city day trips rather than a full immersion in the old town.

Book here

Getting to Split

Split is located on the Adriatic coast, approximately 400km south of Zagreb and 230km north of Dubrovnik.

By car from Zagreb via the A1 motorway, the journey takes approximately four hours. We travelled by bus from Zagreb to Split, which took 5.5 hours.

Split Airport is located 24km from the city and receives many seasonal flights from across Europe.

Regular ferries connect Split to the islands and to Ancona in Italy for those travelling overland through Europe. 

A Final Note

A week in Split sounds like a long time until you are actually there, at which point it begins to feel insufficient. By the end of our stay, we had a market vendor who saved us the best tomatoes, a café where we drank our morning coffee without ordering because they already knew what we wanted, and a corner of the Peristyle where the afternoon light hit the Roman columns at an angle that made us stop, every single time, and simply look.

Split is one of those cities that does not require much effort. You simply arrive, walk into the palace walls, find a table on the Riva, and let seventeen centuries of history go quietly about its business around you. There are very few places in the world where that is possible. Go, and stay as long as you can.

More Things To Do In Split

Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Split, Croatia

Is Split worth visiting for more than 2–3 days?

Absolutely — and we would argue it is one of the most underrated long-stay destinations in Europe. Most visitors give Split two nights as a stop between Dubrovnik and the islands. We stayed a full week, and it was not long enough. The city reveals itself gradually — through the market vendors who start recognising you, the quiet corners of Diocletian’s Palace that the day-trippers never find, the evening korzo on the Riva when the cruise ship crowds have gone. If you can give Split five days or more, do it.

When is the best time to visit Split?

May, June and September are the sweet spots — warm enough to swim, uncrowded enough to actually enjoy the old town, and 40–60% cheaper for accommodation than the July–August peak. July and August are extremely busy with cruise ship crowds and summer tourists — the market, the Peristyle and the Riva can feel overwhelmed midday. If you do visit in peak summer, the solution is simple: be out early and be out late. The city belongs to those who are there before 9 am and after 9 pm. 

Is Split safe for tourists?

Split is one of the safest cities in Europe for tourists. Violent crime is extremely rare and the old town is well-lit, busy and populated at all hours of the day and evening. The usual common-sense precautions apply — keep bags zipped in crowded market areas and on the Riva — but we walked freely throughout the city at all hours without any concern whatsoever.

What currency is used in Split?

Croatia joined the Eurozone on 1 January 2023 and uses the Euro. The Croatian Kuna no longer exists — ignore any older guides that reference it. Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and larger shops. Carry some cash for the market, small cafes and tips — the market vendors generally prefer cash.

Do I need to book Diocletian’s Palace in advance?

No — the palace streets, squares and outdoor areas are part of Split’s Old Town and are freely accessible at any time without booking. For the specific paid interior attractions — the Cathedral complex and the Cellars — tickets can be purchased on the day at the entrance. During peak July and August, it is worth arriving early to avoid queues at the Cellars in particular. 

How do I get to Split?

Split Airport is located 24km from the city and receives many seasonal flights from across Europe.

Don’t pay more than you need to for flights. We use Skyscanner to compare fares across airlines and find the best deals for our travels—check prices for your trip here.

Split is also well connected by ferry — regular services run to the islands and to Ancona in Italy, making it an excellent entry or exit point for a broader Adriatic itinerary.

Book your next island adventure easily with Ferry Hopper here. Compare routes, schedules, and prices from top ferry operators across Europe. With a simple booking process and secure payment options, planning your ferry trip has never been more convenient.

Buses connect Split to Dubrovnik (approximately 4 hours), Zadar (approximately 2.5 hours) and Zagreb (approximately 5–6 hours). 

We use Busbud to compare routes, schedules, and prices from trusted bus operators across the country. Check your options and book your tickets today.

Do I need a visa for Croatia?

Croatia is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Area. Australian, UK, US, Canadian and most other Western passport holders can visit visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180 days. Always check the current requirements for your specific nationality before travelling. You can check here for visa requirements

What language is spoken in Split?

Croatian is the official language. English is very widely spoken throughout Split — in hotels, restaurants, the market and tourist areas. A few words of Croatian are warmly appreciated: “hvala” (thank you), “molim” (please) and “dobar dan” (good day) go a long way and will earn you a smile from your market vendor.

Is the Green Market open every day?

Yes — the Pazar operates daily from 6 am to 2 pm, including weekends and public holidays. It does not close for any regular market days as many European markets do. 

What should I pack for Split in summer?

Light, breathable clothing is essential — Split in July is hot, and the old town’s stone streets radiate heat. Comfortable walking shoes are a must as the cobblestones inside the palace are uneven. A light layer for the evening is useful as the sea breeze can be cool after dark. For Marjan Hill, sun protection and water are essential. Bring an eco-friendly shopping bag for the market — you will use it every day.

What Does It Cost to Visit Split? A 2026 Budget Guide

Split sits in that appealing sweet spot of being genuinely beautiful, genuinely historic and genuinely affordable by Western European standards. Here is an honest breakdown of what to budget.

Attractions

Walking around the palace streets, squares, and outdoor areas of Diocletian’s Palace is completely free at any time.

For the paid interior attractions:

Cathedral of St Domnius entry costs €5, with the full cathedral complex including bell tower, crypt, baptistery and treasury costing approximately €15.

The Palace Cellars cost approximately €7–8 per adult.

The Green Market is free to enter. 

The Plitvice Lakes National Park day trip costs approximately €35–50 per person for entry, plus €25–40 for transport from Split. Book well in advance as the park regularly sells out during peak season.

Island ferry connections from Split cost €5–25 per journey, with the Brač ferry the most affordable at €5–6 each way. 

Food and Dining

Split offers outstanding value across all price points.

At the Green Market, we typically spent €5–10 per day on fresh produce — tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, fruit, herbs — enough to cook a proper evening meal for two.

Local beer brands Ožujsko and Karlovačko cost €1.20–1.80 in supermarkets, making self-catering with market produce and local wine an extremely economical way to eat well. 

For dining out: a traditional konoba lunch runs approximately €12–18 per person.

A mid-range dinner at a restaurant like Bokeria runs approximately €35–45 per person, including wine.

A Michelin-recommended dinner at Šug or similar will run €40–60 per person.

Coffee at a Riva café costs approximately €2–3.

A cold local beer on the Riva costs approximately €4–6. 

Accommodation

Split costs €50–80 per day for budget travellers, €100–150 for mid-range visitors and €200 or more for luxury experiences. Breaking that down by accommodation: the average hotel price in Split runs approximately €82 per night in the low season and €153 per night in peak summer.

Apartment rentals with kitchen facilities — our own choice and strong recommendation for a longer stay — typically run €80–130 per night for a well-located old town apartment in peak season, significantly less in shoulder season. 

Budget vs Splurge — What Will Your Week Cost?

For a budget-conscious week — apartment with kitchen, market produce for most meals, occasional konoba lunches and one or two restaurant dinners — budget approximately €700–900 per person all-in for seven days excluding flights.

For a mid-range week — comfortable hotel or apartment, mix of market cooking and regular restaurant dining, day trip to Plitvice and a ferry to Brač or Hvar — budget approximately €1,200–1,600 per person for seven days excluding flights 

For a luxury week — boutique hotel, fine dining most evenings, private guided tours and island excursions — daily spending of €200 or more is realistic, putting a seven-day stay at €1,400 or more per person, excluding flights 

The outstanding value play — and our personal recommendation — is the apartment with kitchen option. Shopping at the Pazar each morning, cooking with the freshest Dalmatian produce in the evenings, and reserving the restaurant budget for two or three genuinely special dinners is not just the cheapest way to experience Split. It is the best way.

General Travel Information for Split, Croatia

To Travel Too Ultimate Tips and Travel Itineraries  Facebook Group

Ready to unlock insider travel secrets and expert-crafted itineraries? From budget hacks to luxury experiences, discover how to make every journey unforgettable. Your next adventure starts here.

Flights to Croatia

Don’t pay more than you need to for flights. We use Skyscanner to compare fares across airlines and find the best deals for our travels—check prices for your trip here.

Bus Travel in Croatia

We use Busbud to compare routes, schedules, and prices from trusted bus operators across the country. Check your options and book your tickets today.

Do You Need an E-Sim?

🌎 Travel Smarter with Saily eSIM

Need data on the go? Saily eSIM makes it easy to stay connected without swapping physical SIM cards. Purchase your eSIM before you travel and enjoy 5% off with our exclusive discount code totraveltoo. Purchase here

Planning your next trip? Make it easier (and more enjoyable) with our range of downloadable and digital travel planning guides, designed to help you stay organised every step of the way. From our popular 50+ Travellers Travel Planning Guide to family and multi-generational planners, plus our AI prompts for finding cheaper airfares, these easy-to-use guides are perfect for turning travel ideas into reality.

👉 Visit our shop to explore and download your travel planning guides today.

Travel Insurance

Travel is full of unforgettable moments — but sometimes the unexpected happens too. That’s why we always recommend travelling with insurance. Ekta Travel Insurance offers flexible coverage options to help protect your trip, so you can focus on enjoying the adventure ahead.

To Travel Too Travel Shop

In conjunction with Amazon, we have created our own travel shop with over 800 travel products that we have either used ourselves or have been recommended by other travellers.

Pinterest

Are you on Pinterest? We are at To Travel Too, and we have many travel-related boards. Check us out on Pinterest. If you enjoyed our article, why not pin it to your board and read it later?