Split Holidays 2024/2025
The largest city on the Dalmatian Coast, Split is a living museum with so much to offer. Boasting a combination of ancient history, terracotta rooftops and curling coves — this picture-perfect destination is rapidly becoming one of Croatia’s most popular holiday spots.
Split Holiday Deals
Adriatic Attractions
Whether you enjoy diving into culture and history, kicking-back on the beach or partying in Ibiza-style discotheques, Split offers an exhilarating mix of both old and new.
With the Diocletian Palace making up the heart of the old town, you can be getting lost in its maze of alleys, cobbled streets and passages without even realising you’ve entered the UNESCO World Heritage site. Built in the fourth century, this area has gradually become the Old Town of Split. As you explore its narrow lanes you’ll find upmarket shops rubbing shoulders with spectacular stone buildings, keep your eye out in particular for the impressive Saint Domnius Cathedral. Game of Thrones fans look out for the stone basements that featured in a number of scenes from the award-winning TV series.
Follow the delicious smell of Croatia’s finest pizza and you will eventually stumble upon the city’s main square — Peristil Square. Towering above the square is the 57-meter-tall Belfry landmark. Here you can climb up and take in amazing views over the town. Offering the perfect photo opportunity by day, at night this picturesque square transforms into an outdoor street party. Outside of the walls is the famous seafront promenade — Riva. Here you’ll find a number of restaurants showcasing their traditional dishes — a must try are the freshly grilled tuna steaks.
With so much history and culture it makes it difficult to imagine that the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea are only a few steps away. Its headline beach, Bacvice can be found on the doorstep of the old town. With sand so spotlessly clean and waters crystal-clear, it comes as no surprise that this beach has been awarded a Blue Flag. Spend your beach days sunbathing in its sheltered bay or plunging into the sea from the surrounding rocks. You could even join the locals for a game of ‘picigin’ in the sea shallows — the Croatian version of volleyball.
Spectacular Split day trips
While it’s hard to run out of things to see and do in the Croatian city of Split, thanks to its fantastic location it is a great base for heading out and about to explore other parts of Dalmatia.
One of the top things to do in Split is to take a private tour or hire a car to one of its breath-taking national parks. Plitvice Lakes are the largest of Croatia’s national parks and one of the oldest in Southeast Europe. In just a three-hour drive from the city, you’ll find its 16 lakes nestled between the forests of Pljesevika and Mala Kapela mountains.
Just a one-and-a-half-hour drive will take you from the centre of Split to Krka Waterfalls National Park — another spectacular group of lakes and waterfalls. This remote park is a magical place with rivers rushing through canyons of up to 200-metres deep. Ancient monasteries constructed by monks line the edge of its waters while the lakes themselves offer water warm enough to swim in.
An hour ferry ride south of Split will bring you to the small town of Bol. Catch the ferry from Split to Brac island and head straight to the award winning beach, Zlatni Rat. Set up camp for the day on its unique ‘Golden Horn’ of pebbles and admire the beauty of its crystal-clear coastline. You can see the island from a totally different angle by climbing up the 780m high Vidova Gora. This is one of the highest peaks in the Dalmatian Islands and offers views as far as Italy on a clear day.
Another popular day trip is a just under a two-hour ferry ride from Split to Hvar. Known as Croatia’s most luxurious island, Hvar is famous for its harbour bursting with gleaming yachts. Here you’ll find some of the most delicious Dalmatian delicacies, unbeatable sunset views and Carpe Diem — a nightclub so good that it’s on its very own island.
After-dark activities
The Split nightlife scene gives the party central Dubrovnik a good run for its money. With bar crawls taking place every night, join the crowds at Diocletian’s Palace as they make their way through the buzzing array of bars. As you stumble upon Pertisil Square, its live music and vibrant atmosphere make it impossible to pass by without joining in on the street party.
Outside of the streets you can continue to dance your way along the bars on the Riva promenade. With plenty of classy cocktail bars and nightclubs to choose from, the nightlife in Split is all about partying until the sun comes up. One of the prime night time spots is club Imperium — taking up the entire top floor of a ferry terminal this place is a combination of dance-club, lounge and restaurant. It also offers incredible views of the Adriatic.
Split has everything for a laidback evening too. The friendly locals in Split love the late-night café culture, plus there are a number of trendy little wine bars you can head to. Bar staff will take great pleasure in showing you how to pair local chesses with the perfect tipple. The popular local wine Kujunduša is a must try.
Sunshine in Split
The best time to visit this Croatian hotspot is either during the peak summer months of July and August where Split weather sees temperatures as high as 30 degrees. Or during the shoulder months of May and September where you’ll find a pleasant climate hovering around the early 20s, along with fewer crowds. The sea remains relatively warm at this time of year meaning swimming is still very much an option too.