In this travel guide, I recommend the sights to see, the places to avoid, and the best day trips to take in Split, Croatia.
Split city centre
Split lies on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. As the second-largest city in Croatia, it’s a bustling tourist hub bathed in history.
Right at the heart of the city centre is Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is free to explore, but certain parts, such as the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, require payment.
The Cathedral of Saint Domnius from inside Diocletian’s Palace.
A climb to the top of the cathedral is rewarded with beautiful views across the harbour. While the area gets very busy during the summer months, it’s still worth visiting – just be prepared to queue or, ideally, arrive in the morning!
The view across Split Harbour.
Those interested in Egypt can track down three granite sphinxes – one outside the palace, one in front of the Temple of Jupiter, and the third in the museum.
The market in the underground section displays a host of trinkets and eye-catching jewellery. However, I wouldn’t recommend paying to get into the palace cellars; they’re quite dark with not much to see.
Island tours
Split has over 1,000 islands with endless beaches, and it’s impossible to walk around the city without being offered one of the numerous island tours. We spent a solid hour checking the different tour vendors to compare their offers.
At around €80, the tours aren’t cheap, but in our experience, they’re well worth the money. They last the whole day with multiple island stop-offs and opportunities to swim, while the majority include a trip to the Blue Cave.
The hue of blue.
Fans of Mamma Mia rejoice – our tour even included a location from the movie. It ended at the island town of Hvar, which is overlooked by a huge Spanish fortress.
The tours are worth paying that little bit extra for as the pricier options have speedboats and extra island stops. A word of warning: speedboat tours aren’t suitable for pregnant women or people who are prone to seasickness!
The day begins with what is essentially a speedboat race from Split Harbour to the islands.
Froggy Land – is it worth it?
To begin this section, I thought it best to describe how I felt leaving the frog museum: bewildered, confused, and with my wallet €15 lighter.
Froggy Land is a collection of 507 taxidermied frogs arranged in boxes covering sports, opera, and hospital, among other themes. Each box has an assortment of frog-related puns and jokes.
Now, most sane people may read that and think, ‘Why would anyone ever go to see this?’. Well, I went so you don’t have to. Donate your €15 to a frog-related charity instead.
Photography isn’t allowed inside Froggy Land to maintain the mystique, so you’ll have to settle for this fetching leaflet we were given.
While I won’t be hopping back to Froggy Land in a hurry, it is worth checking out the TripAdvisor reviews for a laugh.
Day trip from Split to Krka National Park
Krka National Park was the highlight of our trip to Croatia. We rented a car and drove there, but it’s also possible to take a bus tour from Split.
The National Park itself is enormous, and we barely scratched the surface during our visit. It’s beautifully laid out, with the wooden walkways making you feel like you’re on another planet.
We saw all sorts of wildlife including lizards and various types of fish.
I can’t do the park justice with words alone, so the best I can do is say this is a must-see destination if you’re visiting Split.
Day trip to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
We used our limited time in Croatia to pop over to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mostar is truly a cultural melting pot. The Old Bridge is a particular highlight, with locals taking up the historic role of bridge guardians. If enough tourists give them money, they leap off the bridge into the river below… not for the faint of heart!
The Old Bridge of Mostar.
For a more detailed guide to our day trip to Mostar, click here.
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