Famous Tourist Destinations to Visit and Things to Do in Split
Split is the largest city of Dalmatia region of Croatia and also the nation’s second largest city. The city faces Adriatic Sea and is connected with several large and small islands. The places to visit in Split were also featured on popular HBO series Game of Thrones. Many people solely visit Split for tour of Game of Thrones filming locations. These tours include various Split tourist attractions like Diocleian’s Palace, Fortress Klis, Riva Promenade, and so on. Majority of things to see in Split, Croatia during this tour were portrayed as Mereen in the series. You might also get to enjoy a Game of Thrones style lunch among activities in Split tour.
The city is also well known for its pristine beaches and beautiful coastal sights. There are two major contenders to be named the best beach in Split, namely Trstenik and Bacvice. Both of these beaches are incredibly popular among the locals as well as tourists. Besides all the leisure activities, you can enjoy several water sports like jet skiing, surfing, and other top things to do in Split at these beaches. If you venture further towards the city, you can also go for water rafting among activities in Split. The beaches are also known for amazing clubs, bars and lounges to enjoy a great evening during Split travel.
If you talk about Split sights, then the first place to visit is Diocletian’s Palace. The palace is included among UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is one of the most impressive historical places to visit in Split. The palace is surrounded by various other attractions for Split sightseeing. Another major historical tourist attraction in Split is the Cathedral of St. Domnius and its Bell Tower. The construction of this cathedral completed in 7th century A.D. and is considered to be the oldest catholic cathedral in the entire world. The bell tower is a great place to enjoy Split sights from a height.
Another great place to watch the city from a distance is the Marjan Hill. If you are the hiking type, you will enjoy the climb. The view from the top is quite rewarding. On the other hand if you are looking to just stroll the city and enjoy the older parts of the city, you should head to the old town. The market of old town is also a great place to visit in Split for shopping. The Riva Promenade or Riva Waterfront is yet another great place to take a stroll for Split sightseeing.
Keeping all the major attractions in mind, we have prepared a 2 day itinerary for you to explore major tourist attractions. The attractions and activities in Split are categorized for understanding and convenience. They are not in the order of ranks.
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Table of Contents
Explore the Best Tourist Attractions in Split in 2 Days (Travel Itinerary)
Day 1
1. Riva Waterfront
The waterfront offers some of the best Split sights while you take a stroll along the coast. You can keep an hour for stroll in the morning and even get a breakfast at one of many cafes on this waterfront.
2. Fruit Square
The Fruit Square is a prominent plaza in the city known for its market. The place is great for shopping. It will take you about an hour to explore this Split tourist attraction.
3. People’s Square
Another major piazza among places to visit in Split. Besides shops, cafes and restaurants; there are also several things to see in Split around this square. Keep aside 30 to 45 minutes to explore this place.
4. Jupiter’s Temple
This roman temple is among prominent Split tourist attractions. The temple is dedicated to roman god Jupiter and was built between 295 to 305 A.D. You will need about an hour to admire this roman structure.
5. Diocletian’s Palace
This palace is the most popular Split attraction. The palace was built in 305 AD under roman rule when the city was known as Illyria. The palace was also one of the locations for the famous series Game of Thrones. You will need 2 hours for this tourist attraction in Split.
6. Cathedral of St. Domnius
The cathedral is again a roman structure, perhaps the most well preserved among all structures from the time. It was built around the same time as the Diocletian’s Palace. You will need at least an hour for this Cathedral.
Day 2
1. Bacvice Beach
Perhaps the best beach in Split Croatia, Bacvice is popular among the locals as well as the tourists. There are several top things to do in Split which you can do exclusively at this beach. You will end up spending about 2 hours Split sightseeing from this beach.
2. Split Archaeological Museum
The museum tells the history of the region from as far back as historians have learned. There are several exhibits and artifacts to explore here. You will need about 2 hours for this museum as well.
3. Mestrovic Gallery
This art gallery is dedicated to modern sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. You will need an hour and a half to explore all the exhibits in this gallery.
4. Marjan Hill
Marjan Hill is a great place for Split sightseeing as well as hiking. You can either take the cable car up the hill or climb your way up there. Either way the view of Split sights from the top is amazing.
If you are planning to visit for more than 2 days or you are looking for more things to see in Split, you can check out various tourist attractions and things to do in the city in this article.
Things to do in Split
Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Split
- Doicletian’s Palace
- Saint Domnius Cathedral
- Mestrovic Gallery
- Jupiter’s Temple
- Split City Museum
- Archeological Museum in Split
- Museum of Fine Art
- Golden Gate
- Split Ethnographic Museum
- Museum of Croatian Archeological Monuments
- Mestroviceve Crikvine Mansion
- Museum of Senses
- Church & Monastery of St. Frane
- Croatian Maritime Museum
- Fortress Klis
- Silver Gate
- Gregory of Nin Statue
- Split Science Museum
- Monastery of our Lady of Health
- Croatian Union of Teachers
- St. Martin’s Church
- St. Domnius Bell Tower
- The Iron Gate
- Old Town Hall
- Diocletian Aquaducts
- Bell Tower and Chapel of Holy Arnir
- St. Dominic Church
- Castle Vitturi
- Manastrine Church Ruins
- Kastlic Fortress
- Gospe od Prizidnice Church
- Porta Caesarea Ruins
- Kapljuc Ruins
- Tasculum Museum
- St. Peter & Moses Church
- Muzej Grada Kastela Fortress
- Cippico Castle
Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Split
- Marjan Peak
- Marjan Forest Park
- Marjan Hill
- Mali Kozjak Summit
- Blue Cave
- Mount Markezina Greda
Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Split
- Froggyland
- Game of Thrones Museum
- Putalj Winery
- Jaman Art Center
- The Boat Party
- Platinum Casino
- Darlin Sakteboard Park
- Tuk Tuk Taxi City Tour
- Diocletian’s Dream Virtual Reality Museum
- Winery Bedalov
- Game of Thrones Tour
Shopping in Split
- Green Market
- Marmont Street
- Old Town Market
- Mall of Split
- City Center One Shopping Center
Beaches & Island in Split
- Bacvice Beach
- Beach Bene
- Firule Beach
- Znjan Beach
- Jezinac Beach
- Trstenik Beach
- Kasjuni Beach
- Duilovo Dog Beach
- Kava Slatine Beach
- Trstenik Beach
- Kastela Beach
- Stobrec Beach
Offbeat Places & Adventure Things to Do in Split
- Marjan Hill Stairs Hike
- Jetski Safari
- Watesports
- Split Zipline
- Deep Sea Watching
- River Rafting
Sightseeing in Split
- Riva Boulevard
- Trajektna Luka Port
- Republic Square
- People’s Square
- Sustipan Park
- Fruit Square
- Advent
- Let Me Pass Street
- Matejuska Docks
- Marmont Street
- Josipa Jurja Park
Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Split
- Zrno Soli
- Perivoj
- Dvor
- Zinfandel
- Kadena
- Konoba Matejuska
- Konoba Nikola Stobrec
- Makrovega
- Konoba Fetivi
- Buffet Fife
- Villa Spiza
- Apetit
- Tavern Kod Hvaranina
- Konoba Varos
- Uje Oil Bar
- Pizzeria Gaija
- Articok
- Bokamorra
- Konoba Matoni
- Trattora Tinel
- Corto Maltese
- Bokeria
- Movi
- Brasserie on 7
- Monika’s Wine Bar
- Os Kolac
Where to Stay in Split?
Here we have listed Top Rated Luxurious, Mid-Range and Budget Hotels in Split. You can check below listed hotels for your perfect stay in Split.
Luxurious Hotels
- Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Split
- Atrium Hotel
- Art Hotel
- Hotel Marul
- Hotel Globo
- Splendida Palace
- Heritage Hotel Antique Split
- Cornaro Hotel
- Judita Palace Heritage Hotel
- Marvie Hotel & Health
- Hotel Luxe
- Villa Split Heritage Hotel
Mid-Range Hotels
- Split Apartments – Peric Hotel
- Nirvana Rooms & Apartments
- Salvezani Apartment
- Hotel Consul
- Villa Matejuska
- Villa Simoni Apartments
- Split Inn Apartments
- Palma Rooms
- Luxury Rooms Nirvana
- Super Horizont Apartments
- Villa Ana
- Pansion Epetium
Budget Hotels
- Rooms Margarita
- Private Accomodation Madunic
- Hotel Zvonimir
- Apartments Znjan
- Hostel Split
- Rooms Lana
- Villla Spalatina
- Private Accommodation Raspudic
- Hostel Spinut
- Damira Rooms
- Hajduk Bed & Breakfast
- Studios Ani
Custom Tours Package in Split
How to Reach Split?
By Air
Split Airport is the largest airport in the Dalmatia region and the second most popular airport in Croatia after Zagreb. You can get direct flights for Split travel from London, Bristol, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Birmingham, Bradford, Edinburgh, Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Ostrava, Copenhagen, Tallinn, Helsinki, Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Berlin, Frankfurt, Athens, Rome, Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence, Amsterdam, Oslo, Warsaw, Moscow, Belgrade, Barcelona and many more. You can basically get a direct flight to visit Split from almost every major city in Europe.
You can get a bus and taxi from the airport to reach the places to visit in Split. You can get a public bus to reach the tourist attractions in Split. There are also minibusses and shuttle buses available directly from the airport. The cabs can be picked up from the airport and can also be pre-booked. The cabs tend to charge higher at the airport.
By Road
The primary train station of Split is located at the city center. The train station mostly serves domestic trains from several Croatian cities. There are also frequent buses running from Zagreb, Zadar, Sibenik, Dubrovnik and so on. You can also get a bus for Split travel from Bosnia, Serbia, Italy, Germany and Austria.
If you are traveling to visit Split by road take route 8 or route 1 after splitting from route E65. Route 8 runs along the coast and is great for Split sightseeing. It is also the route to take to reach all the best beaches in Split.
By Water
You can get ferry to visit Split from Ancona, Brac, Lastovo, Hvar, Vis, Solta and Korcula. There are also several tour cruises among best things to do in Split. The city also docks cruise ships. You would get a day or so to cover several activities in Split. Some cruise do have guided tour of Split sights for their passengers.
Image Reference
- Riva Waterfront – Nikolaj Potanin / Flickr
- Fruit Square – Michelle Maria / Pixabay
- People’s Square – Andrew / Flickr
- Jupiter’s Temple – Carole Raddato / Flickr
- Diocletian’s Palace – neufal54 / Pixabay
- Cathedral of St. Domnius – Mattias Hill, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
- Bacvice Beach – dronepicr / Flickr
- Split Archeological Museum – Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
- Mestrovic Gallery – sneillarsen / Flickr
- Marjan Hill – Commander05 / Pixabay