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By Ana Marendić, licensed tourist guide and art historian, Split, Croatia · Last updated: May 2026 · ~12 minute read
The best things to do in Split, Croatia centre on Diocletian's Palace — the 1,700-year-old living Roman complex at the heart of the city — and radiate outward to the Dalmatian islands, food markets, beaches, and historic sites nearby. The essential experiences are: walking Diocletian's Palace (ideally early morning or with a guide), climbing the Cathedral of Saint Domnius bell tower, strolling the Riva seafront, taking a day trip to Hvar or Brač, visiting the Meštrović Gallery, eating at the Pazar market, swimming at Bačvice beach, drinking Dalmatian wine in a Roman cellar, seeing Klis Fortress (a Game of Thrones location), and experiencing the palace as it was via a VR walking tour. This guide, written by a licensed Split tourist guide, ranks and explains the top 10 things to do, with practical advice for 2026.
Split is one of those rare cities where history isn't something you visit — it's something you live inside. The old town is a Roman palace, still inhabited after 1,700 years. The café where you drink your morning coffee sits where an emperor once held court. The alley you wander down at noon was, in the 3rd century, a grand imperial corridor.
But Split is more than its past. It is a working Mediterranean city with some of Croatia's best food, the gateway to dozens of Dalmatian islands, and a local culture that feels genuinely its own — not manufactured for tourism.
I am Ana Marendić, a licensed tourist guide in Split. Here are the 10 best things to do in Split in 2026, whether you have a single day or a full week.
Diocletian's Palace is not a ruin — it is a living neighbourhood of around 3,000 residents inside the walls of a Roman emperor's retirement complex, built in the late 3rd century AD. There are restaurants, boutique hotels, art galleries, and wine bars tucked into rooms that once housed Roman legionaries.
Most visitors walk in through the Golden Gate, take a few photos of the Peristyle, and leave feeling vaguely impressed. That is a shame, because the palace rewards slowing down.
The best things to find inside: the Cathedral of Saint Domnius (built inside Diocletian's own mausoleum — a satisfying historical irony, given that he persecuted Christians), the subterranean cellars beneath the palace floor, the four original gates (Golden, Silver, Iron, Brass), and the countless medieval buildings that grew organically within the Roman walls over the centuries. For the details most people miss, see our guide to 12 hidden details in Diocletian's Palace.
Pro tip: Go early — before 9 AM — when the light is golden and the tour groups haven't arrived. The Peristyle at sunrise is one of the most atmospheric spots in Dalmatia.
Or go deeper: A VR walking tour like Time Walk reconstructs the palace's original Roman appearance over what you are seeing now — so you can stand in the Peristyle and see exactly what it looked like in 305 AD, when Diocletian first walked through it.
The bell tower of the Cathedral of Saint Domnius rises 57 metres above the Peristyle, and the views from the top are the best in Split. The tower dates to the 13th century and is worth every one of its 183 steps.
From the top you see the full geometry of the palace walls from above, the terracotta rooftops of the old town, the Riva promenade below, and the islands of Brač, Šolta, and Hvar across the water. On clear days, you can see as far as the island of Vis.
Entry costs a few euros and is typically included with a combined palace ticket. Climb in the morning or late afternoon when the light is most dramatic. The staircase is steep and partly open — not recommended for those with a strong fear of heights.
The Riva is Split's seafront heartbeat — a palm-lined promenade running along the southern wall of Diocletian's Palace, facing directly onto the harbour.
It is where Split happens: morning coffee, afternoon aperitivo, the evening šetnja (the Dalmatian stroll). Locals and tourists mix here in a way that feels easy and unhurried.
Sit down, order a coffee — Croatia has serious coffee culture, and you are expected to nurse one for an hour — and watch the ferries departing for the islands. If you are lucky, you might catch a klapa — traditional Dalmatian a cappella singing — being performed spontaneously, as it sometimes is in the warmer months.
Split's position as the central hub of Dalmatian ferries makes it the perfect base for island-hopping — and two islands are unmissable.
Hvar is the glamorous one — lavender fields, a stunning Renaissance main square, world-class restaurants, and beach clubs that attract an international crowd. Take the fast catamaran (about an hour from Split) and spend a full day. Don't miss Hvar Town's hilltop Spanish Fortress for panoramic views over the Pakleni Islands.
Brač is the more rugged choice. Famous for its white limestone — used to build Diocletian's Palace — Brač is home to Zlatni Rat, a uniquely shaped beach near Bol that shifts direction with the currents. Take the car ferry from Split (about 50 minutes) and rent a scooter.
Both are easily done as day trips, or you can stay overnight for a slower pace.
Ivan Meštrović is Croatia's most internationally celebrated sculptor, and his former home in Split — a Mediterranean villa he designed himself in the 1930s — is now a gallery displaying some of his finest work.
The building itself is remarkable: a modernist villa with a terrace overlooking the sea. Inside, large-scale bronze and marble sculptures fill every room and spill onto the terraces. Meštrović's work stands in major museums in New York, Rome, and Zagreb, and the Vatican.
It is a short walk or taxi ride west of the old town along the coast, and genuinely one of Split's most rewarding cultural experiences. Often overlooked in favour of the palace, the gallery deserves two hours of your time.
Just outside the eastern Silver Gate of Diocletian's Palace, the Pazar has been Split's main open-air market for centuries. In the morning, it is full of local producers selling seasonal vegetables, olive oil, lavender products, homemade rakija, and Dalmatian cheeses like paški sir from Pag island.
This is the best place to buy local food to take home, but also just to feel the rhythms of everyday Split life. The stall owners are mostly from the surrounding villages and islands — real Dalmatian agriculture, not tourist-facing products.
Go between 7 AM and noon, when it is most active. Bring cash — most stalls don't take cards.
Bačvice is a 10-minute walk south of the old town and one of Croatia's most famous beaches — not for its scenery, which is pleasant but not spectacular, but for picigin, the uniquely Split ball game that has been played here for over a century.
Picigin is played in very shallow water by groups who keep a small ball airborne without letting it touch the sea. It requires agility, coordination, and a certain theatrical flair for diving saves. Locals take it extremely seriously. It is recognised as protected intangible cultural heritage of Croatia.
Bačvice is also one of the rare sandy beaches on the Croatian coast, with shallow, warm water that makes it ideal for families. Come in the morning to swim before the crowds; stay to watch the picigin players — it is genuinely entertaining.
The underground cellars of Diocletian's Palace — vast vaulted Roman storage spaces directly beneath the palace floor — are now home to wine bars and lounges where you can drink Dalmatian wine surrounded by 1,700-year-old stone.
Dalmatian wine is seriously good and underrated internationally. Look for:
Most bars offer local producers by the glass, so you can taste several in an evening.
Nine kilometres north of Split, perched on a dramatic rocky ridge above the Klis gorge, Klis Fortress has guarded the passage to Split for over two millennia. The Illyrians built the first fortifications here. The Romans expanded them. Medieval Croatian kings ruled from here. The Ottoman Empire besieged it repeatedly.
Game of Thrones fans will recognise it as Meereen — the city where Daenerys Targaryen freed the slaves and gave her victory speech. The show brought international attention, but the real history is more interesting than the fiction. For the full breakdown, see our Game of Thrones in Split guide.
The views from the ramparts are extraordinary: Split and the sea to the south, the Dalmatian hinterland to the north. Take a taxi or the local bus #22. Allow about 90 minutes.
After everything above, the single most memorable thing you can do in Split is see Diocletian's Palace as it originally appeared — and the Time Walk VR walking tour is built to do exactly that.
It is an 80-minute guided experience through the palace using Meta Quest 3 headsets. As you walk through the actual streets and spaces of the palace, the headset reconstructs the original Roman structures over what is in front of you — so you see the throne room as it was, the temples in their full glory, the imperial corridors before centuries of medieval buildings filled them in.
Licensed local guides provide the historical context. The tour runs in small groups, departing daily from the Peristyle. It is the best way to understand what you are actually standing inside. For more on how it works, see our what is a VR walking tour guide.
80 minutes · €19 · Small groups · Rated ★ 5.0 across 90+ verified reviews · Available in English
Getting there: Split Airport (SPU) is 25 km from the city. Taxis and shuttle buses run regularly. Ferry connections operate from Ancona and other Italian cities if you are coming by boat.
Getting around: The old town is entirely walkable. For beaches and outlying sights (Meštrović Gallery, Klis Fortress), use taxis or the local bus network.
Best time to visit: Late April–June and September–October offer warm weather, fewer crowds, and lower prices. July and August are peak season — hot, crowded, and expensive, but also the most lively.
Language: Croatian, but English is widely spoken in tourist areas. Learning hvala (thank you) and molim (please) is appreciated.
Currency: Croatia adopted the Euro in January 2023. Cards are widely accepted; carry some cash for the market and smaller konobas.
How long to stay: A minimum of 2–3 days lets you see the palace properly, take one island day trip, and visit a nearby site like Klis or Trogir. See our one-day Split itinerary if your time is tighter.
Split is best known for Diocletian's Palace — a 1,700-year-old Roman imperial complex that forms the living historic centre of the city and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beyond the palace, Split is known as the main ferry gateway to the Dalmatian islands (Hvar, Brač, Vis), for its Riva seafront promenade, for excellent Dalmatian food and wine, and as a major Game of Thrones filming location (the city was used as Meereen).
The top things to do in Split are: walk Diocletian's Palace, climb the Cathedral of Saint Domnius bell tower, stroll the Riva promenade, take a day trip to Hvar or Brač, visit the Meštrović Gallery, browse the Pazar market, swim at Bačvice beach, drink Dalmatian wine in a Roman cellar, visit Klis Fortress, and take a VR walking tour of the palace. Most of these are within walking distance of the old town; the islands and Klis are short trips away.
Two to three days is the ideal minimum for Split. One full day covers Diocletian's Palace and the old town in depth (see our one-day itinerary); a second day allows an island trip to Hvar or Brač; a third lets you add Klis Fortress, Trogir, or Salona. Travellers using Split as a base for extended island-hopping often stay a week or more.
Yes — Split is one of the most rewarding destinations on the Croatian coast, combining a genuinely lived-in Roman old town with excellent food, island access, and a relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere. Unlike many tourist-focused destinations, Split is a real working city, which gives it an authenticity that visitors consistently rate highly. It also offers significantly better value than Dubrovnik (see our Split vs Dubrovnik comparison).
The best free activity in Split is walking through Diocletian's Palace and along the Riva promenade, ideally at sunrise before the crowds arrive. Entry to the palace itself is free — it is a public, inhabited city centre, not a closed monument. The four Roman gates, the Peristyle, the streets, and the Riva cost nothing. Only specific sites inside the palace (the cathedral, the bell tower, the developed cellars) charge small fees.
The essential Dalmatian dishes to try in Split are: fresh grilled fish, crni rižoto (black squid-ink risotto), pašticada (slow-cooked beef in a sweet-and-sour sauce), peka (meat or octopus slow-roasted under an iron bell), and gregada (a fish stew). Pair them with Dalmatian wines like Plavac Mali, Pošip, or Babić, and finish with prošek, a sweet dessert wine. Eat at konobas (taverns) in the streets away from the Riva for the best value and authenticity.
The best day trips from Split are Hvar or Brač islands (by ferry), Klis Fortress (a Game of Thrones location, 20 minutes inland), Trogir (a UNESCO medieval town, 30 minutes west), and Krka National Park (waterfalls, 90 minutes north). For first-time visitors, Hvar offers the most variety in a single day; for Game of Thrones fans, Klis is essential. See our Game of Thrones in Croatia guide for the filming-location day trips.
Yes — Split is well suited to families. Diocletian's Palace is an open, engaging maze of Roman cellars, hidden alleys, and a climbable bell tower; Bačvice beach is sandy with shallow, warm water; and the relaxed pace and lower prices (compared to Dubrovnik) make it easier with kids. The Time Walk VR tour works well for children aged 8–10 and above.
On a rainy day in Split, focus on indoor sights: the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, the subterranean cellars of the palace, the Meštrović Gallery, the Split Archaeological Museum, and the Split City Museum. A VR walking tour also works in light rain, since much of the palace route is sheltered. Split has a mild climate and rain is uncommon between May and September, but the shoulder seasons can bring showers.
Split is generally better for historical depth, value, island access, and an authentic city atmosphere; Dubrovnik is better for dramatic walled-city visuals and fine dining, but is more crowded and significantly more expensive. Many visitors do both, as they are 4 hours apart by bus. For a full comparison, see our dedicated Split vs Dubrovnik guide.
Ana Marendić is a licensed tourist guide (turistički vodič) registered with the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sport. She conducts walking tours of Diocletian's Palace and Split's historic centre as the resident guide for Time Walk, a VR-enhanced walking tour of the palace. She is based in Split, Croatia.
This guide reflects the author's direct experience as a licensed tourist guide living and working in Split. Recommendations are based on first-hand knowledge of each site, current 2026 conditions, and observed visitor preferences. Practical details — opening patterns, transport, prices — were verified against current published information from the Split Tourist Board and individual venues as of May 2026. Restaurant and venue recommendations are based on the author's own visits and are not paid placements.
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