Day Trips from Split

Located on a small island connected to the mainland by a bridge, Trogir can be reached in under 30 minutes from Split. You won’t want to miss it with its medieval Old Town like an open-air museum. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s encircled by walls built over the 13th and 14th centuries while featuring numerous well-preserved Romanesque and Renaissance buildings. Some of the most notable include the Venetian Kamerlengo Castle built around 1430 and the Cathedral of St. Lawrence. The imposing cathedral illustrates all styles that succeeded one another in Dalmatia, including Gothic and Renaissance. The 154-foot-high bell tower can be climbed for spectacular views over the Old Town.

Brac is one of the closest islands to Split, often visited as a stop on an island-hopping Croatia cruise but it can also be easily reached by ferry on your own. It’s most well-known for its glistening white limestone that was not only used to build the local homes but ancient palaces like Roman Emperor Diocletian’s in Split and the White House in Washington, D.C. It’s also notable for its beaches, with Zlatni Rat, also called the Golden Horn, often named among the most beautiful in Europe. Ideal for swimming and sunbathing, the shimmering, horn-shaped stretch that juts out about a third of a mile into the sea is surrounded by translucent turquoise water on three sides.

One of the most popular day trips from Split is the Blue Cave on Bisevo Island. Accessed on a boat tour, you can be there in just 90 minutes. Upon arrival, you’ll hop into a smaller boat that can get through the narrow entrance of the cave, one of the most famous spots of natural beauty in the region. When conditions are right, sunlight beams through a crack in the roof of the cave, reflecting off the white limestone sea bottom. At that moment, the cave’s interior is illuminated in a brilliant silvery blue glow. While the cave is always open, the boat tours are only in operation from April through October to ensure good sea conditions.

Only a half-hour boat ride from Split, Solta is an enticing island to visit on your Croatia vacation, less developed than many of the other islands with unspoiled nature that includes tranquil beaches edged by a clear blue sea. One could easily spend a day here immersed in the peaceful atmosphere, swimming in the aquamarine waters of protected Tatinja Bay in between sunbathing. There are plenty of other things to do, including exploring centuries-old churches, a prehistoric fortress, and the ancient ruins of sarcophagi. The island is also notable for its olive oil, honey, and wine production. You can even make your own jar of honey or learn about olive oil-making on a private tour of the Olynthia Olive Mill.

One of the most popular islands to visit in Croatia, Hvar is renowned for its abundant sunshine and beautiful landscapes that include lavender fields, vineyard-covered hills, and idyllic beaches. It’s also famous for its world-class dining and nightlife that attracts international jet-setters, celebrities, and other VIPs, often arriving on the megayachts that fill the harbor. There are many historical sites too, including St. Stephen’s Cathedral which was built in 1605 on the site of a 9th-century church, the oldest still active community theater in Europe which opened its doors in 1612, and the Spanjola fortress. Set high atop a hill, the medieval fortress looms above, providing a great vantage point for a panoramic view of the town, harbor, and nearby islands.

The picturesque walled city of Sibenik dates back over a thousand years, with its rich history revealed in many impressive buildings, including the Gothic-Renaissance Cathedral of St. James. It was built over the 15th and early 16th centuries using stone quarried from multiple Croatian islands, including Brac, Rab, Krk, and Korcula. Its frieze features over 70 sculpted faces of men, women, and children that you might have seen in the hit series “Game of Thrones.” Nearby, the 14th-century Prince’s Palace hosts the Sibenik City Museum with exhibits from prehistory through the present day. One can also climb the battlements of 11th-century St. Michael’s Fortress for an awe-inspiring view of Sibenk Bay and nearby islands.

Krka National Park is known for its waterfalls, lush greenery, and abundance of diverse flora and fauna. The Krka River flows through providing a valuable source for many threatened, rare and endemic species, which include more than 220 types of birds such as peregrine falcons and golden eagles. There are numerous subterranean creatures such as the olm, a type of aquatic salamander, and nearly 50 different mammals, four of which are endangered: wolves, wild cats, otters, and greater horseshoe bats. Most come for the falls that can be found along the more than 43-mile stretch of the river. The most famous of the seven travertine cascades is Skradinski buk. Plunging 150 feet into a serene pool, it’s the highest in the Mediterranean.

A historic city along the Dalmatian coast in southwestern Croatia, nearly surrounded by the Adriatic Sea, Zadar was a Liburnian settlement originally laid out in the 9th century BC. Its fascinating past is revealed in everything from 16th-century defensive walls to the 1st-century BC Roman Forum, and one of the most well-preserved pre-Romanesque buildings in the world, St. Donat’s Church. Explore more of its history in museums like the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Ancient Glass. There’s an interesting modern side too, including a pair of popular art installations along the waterfront. The Greeting to the Sun is illuminated by the rays of the sun and the Sea Organ which plays otherworldly music powered by the waves.

Less than an hour south of Split, the Makarska Riviera stretches about 37 miles between the towns of Brela and Grada with its main town Makarska. It boasts many beautiful beaches, pine trees, and tranquil bays while Biokovo Mountain overlooks it all. Many come to swim and soak up the abundant sunshine, but its unique topography is also popular for hiking with everything from gentle, scenic strolls through olive groves to steep ascents up Biokovo’s rocky slopes. There’s plenty of history to explore too. The town of Tucepi was founded on the ruins of an ancient Roman villa and has been inhabited for a thousand years while the town of Makarska was settled by the Phoenicians some 4,500 years ago.

For the outdoor adventurer, one of the best day trips you can take on your Croatia vacation is to Omis, where a wealth of thrilling activities can be enjoyed. Located about 15.5 miles from Split where the Cetina River meets the Adriatic Sea, it was a famous pirate town that was quite prosperous during the Middle Ages. Its wealth saw the erection of fortified walls during the late 1300s to help protect it from invaders. Today, it’s a popular place for outdoor activities, including hiking, ziplining, canyoning, and whitewater rafting. Many come to enjoy the thrill of riding the rapids of the brilliant blue-green river that flows through rugged Cetina Canyon bringing scenic views of the region’s lush forest and soaring mountains.