Things to do · Split · Croatia
18 best things to do in Split
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
The essential sights in Split are Diocletian's Palace, Peristyle and Vestibule and Cathedral of Saint Domnius and bell tower. Of the 18 picks below, 10 are free, 5 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Diocletian's Palace
- Free sights
- 10
- Good on a rainy day
- Cathedral of Saint Domnius and bell tower
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diocletian's Palace | Old Town (Diocletian's Palace) | Half a day | Free |
| Peristyle and Vestibule | Old Town (Diocletian's Palace) | 30 minutes | Free |
| Cathedral of Saint Domnius and bell tower | Old Town (Diocletian's Palace) | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Riva promenade | Old Town (Diocletian's Palace) | 1 hour | Free |
| Temple of Jupiter | Old Town (Diocletian's Palace) | 15 minutes | Low cost |
| Palace substructures (cellars) | Old Town (Diocletian's Palace) | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Marjan Forest Park | Marjan | 2–4 hours | Free |
| Gregory of Nin statue | Old Town (Diocletian's Palace) | 15 minutes | Free |
| Meštrović Gallery | Meje | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Pazar green market | Old Town (Diocletian's Palace) | 45 minutes | Free |
| Fish market (Ribarnica) | Old Town (Diocletian's Palace) | 30 minutes | Free |
| Bačvice beach | Bačvice | Half a day | Free |
| Klis Fortress | Klis | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Salona | Solin | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Archaeological Museum | North of the old town | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Split City Museum | Old Town (Diocletian's Palace) | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Sustipan | Varoš | 30 minutes | Free |
| Prokurative (Republic Square) | Old Town (Diocletian's Palace) | 20 minutes | Free |
The 18 best things to do
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Historic site · Old Town (Diocletian's Palace)
1.Diocletian's Palace
Built around 295–305 AD as the retirement residence of the Roman emperor Diocletian, the palace was later settled by refugees from nearby Salona, who built homes, churches and shops into its walls. Its roughly rectangular grid of lanes, entered through the Golden, Silver, Iron and Bronze gates, is still lived in and has been a UNESCO site since 1979.
Walk the palace early in the morning, before cruise and tour groups arrive, and again after dark, when the white stone glows under the street lights.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Free
- Architecture
- After dark
- Photo spot
Landmark · Old Town (Diocletian's Palace)
2.Peristyle and Vestibule
The palace's ceremonial courtyard is lined with granite columns and arches and guarded by a black granite Egyptian sphinx about 3,500 years old, brought here by Diocletian. Steps lead up to the domed Vestibule, open to the sky, whose acoustics draw klapa groups singing traditional Dalmatian a cappella harmonies.
Listen for klapa singers in the Vestibule during the day, and look out for open-air performances on the Peristyle during the summer festival.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- After dark
Religious site · Old Town (Diocletian's Palace)
3.Cathedral of Saint Domnius and bell tower
Diocletian's octagonal mausoleum was turned into a church in the 7th century, making it one of the oldest cathedral buildings still in use. Its carved wooden doors by Andrija Buvina date from the 13th century, and the Romanesque bell tower, about 57 metres tall, can be climbed for views over the palace roofs, the harbour and the islands.
The bell-tower stairs are steep and open in places; climb early, before the heat and the queues build.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Waterfront · Old Town (Diocletian's Palace)
4.Riva promenade
The wide, palm-lined seafront along the palace's southern wall is Split's living room, with café terraces, white-stone paving and views across the harbour towards the islands. It hosts concerts and festivals, and in the evening much of the city strolls along it.
Sit for a coffee in the morning, when locals read the papers here, or join the evening walk at sunset.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- After dark
- Couples
- Kids
Historic site · Old Town (Diocletian's Palace)
5.Temple of Jupiter
Down a narrow lane west of the Peristyle, Diocletian's small temple later became the baptistery of Saint John. Its coffered stone ceiling survives intact, a headless sphinx sits outside, and inside stands a bronze of John the Baptist by Ivan Meštrović.
It is tiny, so visit in the morning before the lane fills, ideally with a combined cathedral ticket.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Old Town (Diocletian's Palace)
6.Palace substructures (cellars)
The vaulted basement halls beneath the emperor's former apartments survive almost intact because they were used for centuries as storage and a rubbish dump. They mirror the layout of the rooms above; the central passage holds a souvenir market, and side halls served as a filming location for Game of Thrones.
The central passage from the Riva is free to walk through; a ticket opens the quieter side halls.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Architecture
Park · Marjan
7.Marjan Forest Park
The pine-covered hill at the western tip of the peninsula has been protected as a park for more than a century. Steps from Varoš climb to the Vidilica café and viewpoint in about 15 minutes, while trails and a seaside road lead past small medieval chapels and hermitages built into the cliffs to the Telegrin summit (178 m) and beaches such as Kašjuni and Bene.
Walk up to Vidilica for sunset, or rent a bike and ride the flat seaside road around the hill.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Views
- Active
- Outdoors
- Kids
Landmark · Old Town (Diocletian's Palace)
8.Gregory of Nin statue
Ivan Meštrović's huge bronze of the 10th-century bishop who defended the use of the Croatian language in church services stands outside the Golden Gate. The big toe of his left foot has been rubbed shiny by visitors, as touching it is said to bring luck.
Pair it with the Golden Gate and Strossmayer park just beyond, a shady place to rest.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- History
- Kids
- Photo spot
Gallery · Meje
1.Meštrović Gallery
The sculptor Ivan Meštrović designed this seafront villa in the 1930s as his summer home and studio, and it now displays his marble, bronze and wooden works in the house and gardens. The ticket also covers the Kaštelet, a short walk away, a chapel holding his cycle of wooden reliefs of the life of Christ.
Combine it with a swim at Kašjuni beach, about 15 minutes' walk further west.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
- Views
Market · Old Town (Diocletian's Palace)
2.Pazar green market
Outside the palace's Silver Gate, Split's open-air market sells fruit, vegetables, cheese, dried figs, lavender and olive oil, much of it from the islands and the hinterland, along with clothes and household goods.
Go in the morning for the freshest produce, and taste the dried figs and cheese before you buy.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Free
- Photo spot
Market · Old Town (Diocletian's Palace)
3.Fish market (Ribarnica)
Split's covered fish market, just off Marmontova Street west of the palace, sells the morning's catch of sardines, sea bream, squid and shellfish. Locals say a sulphur spring beneath the area keeps the flies away.
Arrive early in the morning, before the best fish has gone, if you want to cook in an apartment kitchen.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Photo spot
Beach · Bačvice
4.Bačvice beach
Split's best-known city beach is a shallow, sandy bay a short walk east of the old town. It is the home of picigin, a local game in which players standing in ankle-deep water keep a small ball in the air with acrobatic dives, and it stays busy from morning until late at night in summer.
Come early with children, while the water is calm and the beach is quiet; evenings bring a younger, livelier crowd.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Outdoors
- After dark
Castle · Klis
5.Klis Fortress
About 10 km northeast of Split, this medieval fortress sits on a rocky ridge guarding the pass into the hinterland, and it held out against the Ottomans until 1537. Its ramparts look down over Split, Salona and the islands, and it stood in for the city of Meereen in Game of Thrones.
Take a local bus or taxi up and visit late in the afternoon, when the light over the coast is softest.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- History
- Kids
- Photo spot
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Historic site · Solin
6.Salona
In Solin, about 5 km northeast of Split, lie the ruins of Salona, capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and the city near which Diocletian was probably born. Its amphitheatre, early Christian basilicas, city walls and cemeteries spread across fields and olive groves, with few crowds.
Visit on the way to or from Klis Fortress, and bring water and a hat, as there is little shade.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
Museum · North of the old town
7.Archaeological Museum
Founded in 1820, Croatia's oldest museum displays Roman and Greek finds from Salona and the Adriatic, including carved sarcophagi in a garden lapidarium, mosaics, coins, jewellery and pottery.
Combine it with Salona to see where many of the exhibits were excavated.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Museum · Old Town (Diocletian's Palace)
8.Split City Museum
Housed in the 15th-century Gothic Papalić Palace inside the palace walls, the city museum traces Split's history from Diocletian through the Venetian centuries with sculpture, weapons, documents and paintings.
A short, cool stop between sights on a hot afternoon.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Park · Varoš
9.Sustipan
A small pine-shaded park on a headland west of the harbour, Sustipan was once a monastery site and later the city cemetery; today it is a quiet lookout with a pergola, benches and views across the water to the Riva, the palace and the islands.
Come at sunrise or sunset with a coffee from the Riva; it is rarely busy.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Architecture · Old Town (Diocletian's Palace)
10.Prokurative (Republic Square)
Built in the 19th century under Austrian rule in a Venetian Renaissance style, the three-sided Republic Square, known as the Prokurative, opens onto the sea at the western end of the Riva. It is a stage for open-air concerts and festivals in summer.
Look out for summer concerts here; the square fills with locals on festival nights.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- After dark
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Gregory of Nin statue, Meštrović Gallery, Archaeological Museum and Split City Museum |
| History | Diocletian's Palace, Peristyle and Vestibule, Cathedral of Saint Domnius and bell tower and Temple of Jupiter |
| Views | Cathedral of Saint Domnius and bell tower, Marjan Forest Park, Meštrović Gallery and Klis Fortress |
| Outdoors and nature | Marjan Forest Park, Bačvice beach and Salona |
| Food and markets | Pazar green market and Fish market (Ribarnica) |
| After dark | Diocletian's Palace, Peristyle and Vestibule, Riva promenade and Bačvice beach |
| With children | Palace substructures (cellars), Riva promenade, Marjan Forest Park and Gregory of Nin statue |
| On a rainy day | Cathedral of Saint Domnius and bell tower, Palace substructures (cellars), Meštrović Gallery and Archaeological Museum |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Split?
Diocletian's Palace. Built around 295–305 AD as the retirement residence of the Roman emperor Diocletian, the palace was later settled by refugees from nearby Salona, who built homes, churches and shops into its walls.
+What can you do for free in Split?
Diocletian's Palace, Peristyle and Vestibule, Riva promenade, Marjan Forest Park and Gregory of Nin statue. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Split when it rains?
Head indoors to Cathedral of Saint Domnius and bell tower, Palace substructures (cellars), Meštrović Gallery and Archaeological Museum.
+What is there to do in Split at night?
Diocletian's Palace, Peristyle and Vestibule, Riva promenade and Bačvice beach are best after dark.