10 Amazing Day Trips From Split, Croatia

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Here Are Some Of Best Day Trips From Split!

Let us guess – you’re in your Split accommodation and you’re saying “pfffft, seen this place – let’s get out of here and see more”. Right?

Perhaps you haven’t left yet and you’re trip planning? Whatever your reasoning, there are so many day trips from Split that you can go on.

From the stunning waterfalls at Krka National Park or making a day trip to islands from Split (that was our highlight!) to wandering the historic old town in nearby Trogir, there really is a day trip for everyone.

Not to mention the classic Split to Zadar day trip just up the Croatian coast! If you’ve got a car, getting around is easy. You can compare prices for different rental car companies if you’re interested in renting a car during your stay in Croatia.

However, a rental car is not required to see more of Croatia on a trip from Split. Many of the places we talk about below can be reached by public transport (buses) or on a guided tour.

So without further ado, are some of the best day trips you can take from Split!

Krka National Park

waterfall with green trees in krka national park on day trips from split
Skradinski buk – the waterfalls. Yeah, they are really beautiful!

Krka National Park is that day trip that Lisa was dying to go on the entire time we were in Split. Finally, like all good procrastinators, we visited in our last week there. This proved to be a great decision!

Krka National Park is about an hour by car from Split and located in the county called Šibenik-Knin. We really enjoyed our time there – the waterfalls are absolutely beautiful.

If you go at the right time you can even swim there which must be an amazing experience. Unfortunately, we went too early in the season so swimming wasn’t allowed yet. Eric was pretty bummed but we will be back someday!

We took the bus to Krka – after much debate about renting a car, going on a tour, or taking the bus. If we did the journey again, we would probably opt for a tour.

Why? Because the direct buses were already fully booked when we wanted to go. As a result, our bus journey took much longer than expected. This is a well-rated tour to Krka National Park from Split.

If you would like to learn more about the National Park and about important information like park fees, schedules, and the options to get there, read our full post about Krka National Park.

A Day of Island Hopping

boat on water with croatia old town island in background on day trips from split
Boat rides are always fun. That’s the village of Komiza in the background!

Lots of people who go to Croatia rave about boat trips from Split and wanting to explore the Croatian Islands. And we mean, understandably so.

We did an island-hopping adventure day and absolutely LOVED it – we even wrote a whole post about it.

We travelled as part of a tour, but admittedly it is (almost) impossible to organize something like that yourself. On this day trip, we visited the islands Hvar, Biševo, Vis, Ravnik and Budikovac.

So, if you want to read more about the details and watch the video, check out our post about this adventurous day island hopping in Croatia. You can find a tour like ours here.

The Kastela

blonde girl looks out over blue water and old town on day trips from split
This was shot near our Airbnb on a wander one day.

If you want to discover the area around Split without venturing too far, the Kastela would be perfect! During our time in Croatia, we spent a few weeks in one of the small towns that are part of the Kastela.

The Kastela are a series of 7 old towns that were settled along the coast. Their primary purpose was for defensive positioning to fend off the Ottoman Empire during the 15 and 16th century.

Well, the Turks never came, and over the years, people have moved from Split to these areas making them more and more populated but still definitely quiet and full of old town seaside charm.

We stayed in Kastel Kambelovac – and the seaside was literally 6 metres from our front door. It was paradise for a few weeks.

Our morning coffee at the little patio table included staring straight into the sea. It was honestly amazing. So, if you are staying in Split, we’d definitely recommend a day or half day trip to check out some of the villages.

To get to them, you can take the bus Nr. 37 that leaves from the local bus station (not the one by the ferry harbour!) and get off at any stop in Kastel Gomilica, Kambelovac, Novi, and Stari – to name 4 of the 7.

From any of these, you can walk along the water edge from one Kastel to the other and see the beautiful houses/explore what the villages have to offer. You can also stop and rest at some of the nice beaches in the summer.

Just be sure to bring your bathing suit and towels if the season allows for swimming and enjoying the sun!

Read Also – Taking the Bus from Split to Sarajevo

Omiš

We have heard of this place a ton but unfortunately didn’t get the chance to check it out personally (we only drove through it on our way from Dubrovnik to Split). We still wanted to include it since it seems worth a visit.

Omis is a small town not far away from Split. By car, it only takes about 40 minutes driving south along the coast. if you are interested in physical activity this is the perfect place.

You could go zip lining, hiking or participate in a number of water sport activities. Of course, you can also just discover the city and relax on the beach – the Omis Riviera is supposed to offer some of the nicest beaches in the country.

Trogir

old town tower with restaurants on trogir on day trips from split
Trogir is full of beautiful architecture.

Trogir is a nice little city not too far from Split. You’ll actually pass the Split Airport on the way to Trogir from Split, fun fact. Go to the local bus station in Split and hop on the bus nr 37 (also goes to the Airport). You’ll get off at the last stop – which should take between 30 and 45 minutes.

The city has a beautiful old town that is kind of a small version of the one in Split. You can (almost) get lost in all the little side alleys and discover hidden gems along the way. 

There seem to be some good restaurants – just be careful with the overly touristy ones (prices can be a lot higher than the norm).

Since we lived in the middle of Split and Trogir, we decided to walk to Trogir. Afterward, we can say: DON’T do it.

The first part of the walk was beautiful (through some of the Kastelas mentioned above) but the second part didn’t have a pedestrian walkway at all times so it is not recommendable!

Plitvice Lakes National Park

As another beautiful National Park close by, day trips from Split to Plitvice Lakes are a common occurrence. Plitvice is a little bit farther north than Krka National Park. We didn’t go but know lots of people who have been and absolutely loved it.

To get there by car, it takes approximately 2.5 hours from Split. Since you’ll be passing pretty close to Zadar you could also make a pit stop there if you have enough time.

It can be difficult to get there by local buses since it is quite far and the area where the park is located is not that densely populated. However, bus companies offer direct trips from Split to the Plitvice Lakes.

You can check out the schedule on the Bus Croatia Website. Alternatively – or if the direct buses are already fully booked – you can also opt for a tour to Plitvice Lakes from Split.

In contrast to Krka, you can’t swim anywhere but the beautiful nature is definitely worth seeing. It was Croatia’s first official national park as of April 8th, 1949 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

You can actually go ziplining there which looks pretty cool. Here is more information on the official website for Plitvice.

Zadar

Short Story: Eric went to Zadar in 2013 because it was the cheapest flight out of the UK from Gatwick Airport. He had a super great time.

Years later, it was funny to stay down the coast from Zadar – a place he visited when he was still pretty “fresh” to travelling around Europe. My, how times change.

As we mentioned, Zadar is not too far from Split so it makes for a perfect day trip. Like many other places, the old town is really beautiful and the coastline is just as gorgeous.

If you decide to rent a car you can drive along the coastal roads and stop on the way. Alternatively, there are also buses going from the main Split Bus Station to Zadar quite frequently.

Hvar

red clay roofs in hvar croatia on day trips from split
The hike to the Fortress was worth the view!

If you don’t want to visit multiple islands in a day, you could always just visit the island of Hvar in a day trip.

Depending on the season you’re visiting Croatia, the ferry times might not line up perfectly, so you’d have to make it an overnight stay to actually see enough of the island. You can find the timetable for the Split – Hvar Ferry here.

We can recommend hiking up to the castle as the view of the old town and the harbour is pretty amazing from up there. Also, walking through the cobblestone streets of the old town is fun since you never know what you’ll find behind the next corner.

There were some good looking restaurants that we would have liked to try, so there will be no shortage of food while you’re there.

You can also read a little bit more about Hvar in our recent post on things to do and see in Hvar since we’ve had the chance to put one together!

Šibenik

We stopped in Sibenik on our way from Krka National Park, but you could also make it its own day trip. It is easy to reach by bus and takes about 1.5 hours – 2 hours.

Sibenik is a smaller city than Split but from what we could see (and have heard) there is still lots offered there.

While there you should check out the cathedral (it was built in the 15th century so it’s quite old) and the Fortress on top of the hill (you do have to pay for it though!).

Sibenik also has its own harbour and a beautiful old town where you can find quite a few old churches and monasteries.

This is perfect if you are interested in historic buildings and want to see more than just Split. There is also a beach very close to the city centre if you want to take a break for a couple of hours.

Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

stari most bridge in mostar bosnia on day trips from split
Mostar, and Bosnia in general, stole our hearts a little bit.

Visiting Mostar is a day trip you might not think of at first since it is in a different country. We visited Mostar on our way from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik, but you can definitely also make it a day trip from Split. We wrote a whole guide on visiting Mostar if you are curious!

In fact, a Split to Mostar day trip actually seems to be a thing since we saw a ton of groups arrive in the morning and then leave again in the evening during our time in Mostar.

Both Dubrovnik and Split seem to be popular places to leave from on a trip to Mostar. If you don’t want to organize the trip yourself, you can hop on a tour to discover Mostar for a day!

And there you have it – some of the best day trips from Split! We’re glad we did the ones that we did but, of course, we’re super curious to check out the other places and sights that we didn’t make it to!

Have you been to any of these? Are you planning summer travels to Croatia? Be sure to connect with us if you have any questions – we’re happy to chat about travel plans!

As always, Happy Split Day Trip Waddlin’!
-L&E

Booking Your Trip Soon? This Is How We Do It:
  • Compare flights on Skyscanner
  • Check for Hotel Deals or Book A Hostel
  • Get A Rental Car (depending on the destination)
  • Research plug types and possibly get a travel adapter
  • Go over our packing list
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    Amazing Day Trips From Split to See More of Croatia