Croatia’s second city, Split, was a revelation! It was the perfect combination of history with a sophisticated modern edge with palm tree lined promenade and a bustling water side. Never thought I’d visit Croatia this year and with only 48hrs in Split, I knew I had to make the best of my time! There were a variety of thing that you could do but I’ve narrowed it down to these 6 super cool things to do in Split.
1. Do go chasing waterfalls!
There are a few options for waterfall near Split but the most popular are Plitvice and Krka. Considering Plitvice is a 10hr return trip from Split, only made sense to go to Krka National Park. It’s a 1-hour bus ride to Skradin and then a beautiful ferry ride (included in ticket price) with stunning green views to the national park.
Krka National Park was absolutely beautiful but like I talked about in my last post, it was very busy! Fair enough we got there early afternoon but I can imagine it was busy earlier in the day too. I would love to come back in low season where it will be significantly cheaper and less busy.
Price: 200kn for entry (June-August), 100kn (April, May, Oct) & 30kn (Jan to March, Nov & Dec). Return bus trip- 100kn
2. Visit Diocletian’s Palace & the Cathedral of Saint Dominus
Built in the 4th century, this imposing landmark houses the villa Diocletian retired in. Also, if you’re a Game of Thrones fan, some scenes were actually filmed here!
“This is the oldest Catholic Cathedral in the entire world!!”
-Bis
After admiring the palace, make sure you visit the 7th century Cathedral of Saint Dominus. For really great views of the city, you can climb the narrow stairs of the Cathedral’s bell tower.
TIP- The Cathedral’s bell rings every hour promptly (i.e. 12:00, 14:00 and so on). So, if you don’t want your ear drums to burst lol you might want to avoid going up the tower at those times.
Price: 15 kn to climb tower, 20kn for access to the cathedral.
3. Park Marjana
“Looking down, there’s no denying, Split is beautiful!”
-Bis
A short 15-minute walk from the Split harbour and up what seemed like endless steps to a beautiful view point on the edge of the park. I had to catch my breath first when we got up there because bruh it was hot and obviously I’m super unfit ?.
The park itself is huge and honestly it was too hot to explore further, instead, like us, you could have a drink and some food and enjoy the view from the restaurant at the top.
Price: Sweat and a workout!
4. Do something daring
Cetina Canyon in Omis is 20km away from Split and it’s the perfect place to do something really cool, zip lining!! You’ll be zipping 150m above the canyon and if you can relax, enjoy the breathtaking view. You can get this experience from Zipline Croatia.
I’ve never been Zip-lining and we were excited to do but couldn’t because of time and bad planning. Not gonna lie, I was a bit relieved because I’m scared of heights.
Price: 400kn (€54) + transportation
5. Eat Local in Split
No visit to Croatia would be complete without sampling some local delights. Seafood is oak must in Split as it’s close to the sea, so its fresh! You should try the local Gregada, a fish stew with potatoes, olive oil and fresh herbs at Konoba Hvaranin.
Croats don’t do breakfast, instead, they do marenda (brunch). So grab a fresh sandwich from bakeries dotted around the city to start the day. Or some Strukli, a cheese and cream filled pastry, a Croatian specialty.
6. Do a Day Trip
Split can be a great base for visiting the rest of the country as it’s the gateway to visiting the nearby islands of Hvar, Brac, Vis and Korula. If you’ve got time, visiting the beautiful islands of Brac and Hvar should definitely be on your list to experience a laid-back lifestyle, compared to the bustle of Split. If you’ve got limited time, consider doing an organised 5 island day trip. A few companies offer these from Split, so I’d suggest doing your googles and pick what’s best for you. Anything over 4/5 islands is to(o much!
Thank you for reading about some of the super cool things to do in Split. I do hope you use it to plan your trip to Split as it has some great things to offer. When next I go, I hope to explore those islands and be able to swim to enjoy the water sports.
Until next time guys xx
