A living Roman emperor's palace at the heart of a buzzing Croatian coastal city.
Cafés spilling across a Roman peristyle where emperors once held court, laundry strung between ancient stone walls, and a palm-lined promenade catching the last sun off the Adriatic.
Split is a rare thing — a living city built inside a Roman emperor's retirement palace, its lanes still running between 1,700-year-old walls. Backed by mountains and facing the Adriatic islands, it is the buzzing heart of the Dalmatian coast, and far more than a stop on the way to the boats.
Split sits on a peninsula on Croatia's Dalmatian coast, mountains rising behind it and the islands scattered across the sea in front. Its heart is Diocletian's Palace — not a ruin but a lived-in warren, where a Roman emperor's seaside palace has been inhabited continuously for centuries, its cellars, temples and colonnades absorbed into a medieval town. Around it spread the harbour, the Riva promenade and the old fishermen's quarters, with the forested Marjan hill at the peninsula's end. It is compact, walkable and made for the coast.
Split is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site — Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian — inscribed in 1979.
Nowhere else lets you live inside a Roman palace — Split's old town is the palace, a maze of marble lanes, hidden courtyards and cafés wrapped in ancient walls. Beyond it, the city is the lively hub of the Dalmatian coast: a waterfront promenade made for evening strolls, a forested hill with beaches and viewpoints, superb seafood, and ferries to some of the Adriatic's best islands. It has become a proper destination in its own right, not just a gateway.
Living in a Roman palace — Split's old town is Diocletian's Palace, and the joy is that it never became a museum — cafés fill the ceremonial Peristyle, homes rise inside the ancient walls, and washing hangs between colonnades. Wander the marble lanes, go down into the vaulted cellars (once storerooms, now market and film location), and climb the cathedral bell tower — a cathedral that was the emperor's own mausoleum — for the view over it all. **The Riva and the evening ritual** — As the heat drops, the whole city comes out to walk the Riva, the palm-lined promenade along the palace's sea wall — coffee, an ice cream, and the slow evening stroll the Dalmatians call the passeggiata in spirit. It is the best free show in town, best with a drink as the sun sets over the harbour and the islands. **Marjan and a swim** — At the peninsula's end, the forested Marjan hill offers pine-shaded trails, clifftop chapels and viewpoints over the city and the sea, a green escape ten minutes from the Peristyle. On the other side, Bačvice bay is the city beach, where locals play the shallow-water game of picigin — join in, or just watch and swim. **The island gateway** — Split's harbour is the hub of the Dalmatian coast, with ferries and fast catamarans fanning out to Hvar, Brač, Vis and beyond. Base here and day-trip to the islands, or push off for longer — the boats leave right from the waterfront, and half the pleasure is choosing which blue-water island to point at.
Split neighbourhood by neighbourhood — the character of each and who it suits.
The old town itself — a Roman emperor's palace turned living quarter, a marble maze of colonnades, courtyards, temples and cellars packed with homes, bars and shops.
The old fishermen's quarter climbing the slope west of the palace — a tangle of narrow stone lanes and modest houses, quieter and more residential.
The palm-lined seafront promenade along the palace's southern wall — the city's living room, all cafés and evening strolls, and the harbour beyond.
The green end of the peninsula and the city beach — a forested hill park of trails and viewpoints on one side, and the sandy bay where locals swim and play on the other.
Dalmatian food is coastal and simple in the best way — grilled fish and shellfish straight off the boats, olive oil, and the slow-cooked dishes of the hinterland. The signature techniques are peka, meat or octopus baked slowly under a bell of coals, and black risotto stained with cuttlefish ink. Cured pršut ham and sheep's cheese start the meal; the wines are Dalmatian reds like Plavac Mali and crisp island whites, and rakija fruit brandy finishes it. Eat in a konoba, the traditional tavern.
Vegetarians manage with the vegetable, cheese and pasta dishes and the growing modern spots, though the classics are fish- and meat-forward, so ask. Vegan is thinner but present in the newer places. Halal and kosher food are limited and best arranged ahead. Gluten-free is understood in newer restaurants; grilled fish and risotto suit it — confirm the sauces.
Staying inside or beside the palace puts you in the atmospheric heart, steps from the Peristyle and the Riva, though the lanes can be noisy in summer with the bars. Varoš just west is quieter and characterful, a short walk in. Bačvice and the eastern seafront trade the old-town buzz for beach access. Prices climb steeply in July and August, when the city and its islands fill; book well ahead for the peak.
Pan, zoom and compare live prices — every stay in one map.
The old town and waterfront are compact and entirely walkable — a car is a liability in the pedestrian palace lanes. City buses reach the outskirts and the airport, and the ferry harbour is a short walk from the centre. For the islands you'll use the ferries and catamarans that leave from the Riva harbour.
The palace, Varoš and the Riva are all a short walk apart (~approx). Marjan hill is a walk or short bus from the old town's western edge; Bačvice beach is a few minutes east along the shore.
Ready-made day plans for Split — from a single day to a long weekend.
Start early in Diocletian's Palace at the Peristyle, climb the cathedral bell tower, and explore the substructure cellars and the marble lanes. Break for a konoba lunch in Varoš, walk up Marjan hill for the viewpoints in the afternoon, and end with the evening stroll and a drink along the Riva at sunset.
Give day two to the sea. Take a morning ferry or catamaran to a nearby island — Brač for the beach, Hvar for the town, Šolta for the quiet — spend the day swimming and eating by the water, and return for a seafood dinner and a Matejuška sunset drink.
Use day three for the hinterland and more coast. Head up to Klis Fortress for the coastal views and the history, or take a longer island day to Vis, returning for a last night in the palace lanes.
Skip-the-line tickets and small-group tours in Split — compare across our partners.
We're still curating hand-picked tickets and tours for Split. In the meantime, the map above and the nearby cities are a great place to start.
Day-by-day itineraries that take in Split — routes, timings and what to book.
6 Nights Two nights inside Dubrovnik's walls, a catamaran to Hvar for the Pakleni islands, then Split's Diocletian's Palace and a day at the Krka waterfalls — the Dalmatian coast north-bound, no car needed.
Price on enquiry
View trip
14 Nights Fifteen days and seven countries on one unbroken drive from the Adriatic coast to the Julian Alps — a coast-to-mountains loop from Dubrovnik to Zagreb.
Price on enquiry
View tripMay, June and September — warm, swimmable, and clear of the July–August crush
What to expect — Mild warming to warm, the sea still cool early but swimmable by late spring, and the crowds light. Green hills and clear light.
What's best — Comfortable sightseeing before the heat, the old town uncrowded, early-season island trips, and warming days without the July crush.
What to expect — Hot, sunny and packed — July and August are the peak, the old town and islands crowded and prices high, the sea warm and the nights lively.
What's best — Warm swimming, buzzing nightlife, the fullest ferry schedules for the islands, and long balmy evenings on the Riva. Come in June or September to dodge the worst of the crush.
What to expect — Warm easing to mild, the sea still swimmable into October, the summer crowds thinning and the light golden. Wetter as it turns.
What's best — Warm days and swimmable sea with fewer people, the food and wine harvest, and comfortable old-town wandering.
What to expect — Mild but wet and windy for the Mediterranean, with cool days, few tourists and many island ferries and restaurants scaled back. The cold bura wind can blow hard.
What's best — A quiet, local old town, low prices, and the Roman palace at its most atmospheric — pack for wind and rain, and expect a sleepier city.
Skip the tourist-menu restaurants on the Peristyle → eat grilled fish and peka in a konoba in Varoš or the back lanes.
Skip judging Split as just a ferry port → give it the palace, Marjan and a Riva evening, and it stands on its own.
Skip the crowded midday Hvar day-boats in peak season → take an early or late catamaran, or pick a quieter island like Vis or Šolta.
Skip paying for a "Game of Thrones tour" if you're not a fan → the palace cellars and Klis are worth seeing on their own terms.
The palace and the cathedral tower are busiest midday when cruise passengers and island day-trippers overlap — go early or in the evening.
July and August fill the old town and the island ferries; book accommodation and popular boats well ahead.
The palace is a living neighbourhood — keep the noise down in the residential lanes at night.
Cover shoulders and knees to enter the cathedral, and mind the bell-tower's steep, narrow climb.
On the beaches, the local picigin game is played in the shallows — join in good-naturedly, and mind that some coves are pebbly, so bring water shoes.
Croatia is on the euro; cards work widely, but carry a little cash for konobas, markets and ferries.
Use bank ATMs, decline dynamic currency conversion, and check ferry timetables and tickets in advance in peak season.
The palace lanes hum with bars and cafés in summer, busy and central.
Matejuška and the Riva are the mellower waterfront drinking spots at sunset.
Bačvice has the summer beach-club and late-night scene east of the centre.
Split Airport (SPU) lies northwest of the city near Trogir, linked by shuttle bus and taxi to the centre (~approx 30–45 min). Split is also a rail and coach terminus, and above all a ferry hub — the harbour is right by the old town, with boats to the islands and along the coast.
Flights, airport transfers and car hire — search and compare without leaving the page.
Parking, holiday extras, and more — coming soon.
We're lining up parking, holiday extras and activities you'll be able to add to any trip from here.