What To Expect In Split Croatia

In June 2024, I had the chance to visit Croatia for the first time. Knowing few people who had been there personally, we figured out a few things the hard way that you might find helpful when planning your own trip. Here's an overview of what we did.

Day 1

Our bus arrived at the Split bus station at 3:40. After that, we took an Uber to our Airbnb, which, despite being a 35-minute walk, was only a 6 Euro Uber.

Our AirBnB proved to be a convenient base for our explorations. Nestled within walking distance of the old town, home to the iconic Palace of Diocletian, and the departure point for many island ferries, it was the perfect location for our adventures, which included impressive Roman monuments, picturesque beaches (with beautiful blue waters) and a promenade that spans across a portion of the Adriatic Coast.

After settling into our new surroundings and freshening up, we couldn't wait to start exploring the old town. Our first stop was the Judita Palace Heritage Hotel, a hidden gem with a delightful atmosphere and reasonably priced drinks. This is a must-visit spot in Split, and I'm excited to share it with you. To make it easier for you to find, here's a picture of the hotel's exterior.

Cocktails cost between 10 and 15 Euros. The staff was excellent, and the drinks were good; I recommend making a stop here despite Trip Advisor rating it a 3.5/5 star. Here were our fun strawberry cocktails (I forget the name).

Afterwards, we spent a little bitlonger browsing some of the ruins and souvenir stores (which coexist in the the old town) before having dinner at one of the seaside restaurants on the main strip, Dujam. Even with our bus getting in at 3:40, I felt that this was ample time to explore the Old Town and would suggest that you, at most, might want another half day to go up the bell tower at this point since the space itself isn't very big.

We both opted for pasta. I tried the truffle one, and it was pretty good, although very rich. However, the location was worth visiting for the beautiful view of the harbour. Food was decent, but as expected, overpriced given the touristy location on Riva Walk. We called it in for an early night, however, were approached by a couple of club promoters, since as it turns out Split is rather known for it’s nightlife.

Day 2

On our second day in split we decided to do the four hour Kayak tour to one of the beaches and picked up a crossiant and orange juice on the way. It is worth noting that where a lot of these kayak tours start is not accessible by Uber or bus since it’s on the end of a park so you can expect to walk about 40 minutes from Old Town to the meet up point.

The beach was absolutely beautiful and the bar served lunch. However not on the day we arrived since the kitchen was broken.

Chairs rent for 35 euros a person / day. Which we figured wouldn’t be worth it on our one hour and a bit stay.

Located right on the water, there's covered seating as well as cabanas and sun loungers for hire on the beach called Kasjuni (which is rock not sand), although it is said to be one of the prettiest beaches in Croatia. This beach is 17 minutes away from Old Town. Other bloggers we had read had preferred this beach club because they don't have a minimum spend, unlike some other clubs elsewhere on the city's beaches.

After we kayaked back and rested we decided to try one of the restaurants we saw being raved about TikTok, ARTiČOK - rated 4.5 on Trip Advisor for its Croatian cuisine.

Since terraces aren’t as common as you might think in Split, I would say do make the trip over here if you are wanting the rooftop terrace experience but make you make a reservation as we saw MANY people getting turned away who didn’t. We walked in and had to sit on the lower level which was nice too.

Food was okay - a little more expensive. Two meals, an appetizer and two drinks was about 75 Euros. We didn’t love what we ordered, however I would suggest if you want a nicer dinner out while visiting to make a reservation on the rooftop.

Day 3

The next morning we tried a third TikTok recommendation for breakfast, Ciri Biri Bela. This was one of our better meals and I would definetly recommend this to a visitor.

In our third day, we had decided to visit the island of Hvar as a day trip. budget about 50 euros for a roundtrip ticket.

We wanted to do a beach club at Hvar and were also shocked that the starting price was about 40 euros per person; cash only at Hula and at the Hvar Beach Club it was closer to 170 Euros for two chairs and an umbrella. But since girl math goes on vacation, we decided to splurge.

Hula Hula Beach Bar - https://hulahulahvar.com

40 Euros per person for all day chair rental - the cheapest we found. No towels so recommend you bring your own. If your travelling carry on I would recommend a sheet situation like this which is lightweight but pretty easy to travel with.

This was our relax day so not much to share. Prices were about average and again everything was cash so we’d recommend you plan ahead for that. We ordered a few drinks and some snacks but we’d again say nothing was stellar.

This was our relax day so not much to share. Although other recommendations for Hvar, Croatia included Beach Dubovica, Beach Pokonji dol and The water park. Restaurant recommendations we were given were:

Black pepper
Lungo mare
Giaxa
Fig Hvar
Silk
Spice

For coffee:

Kava 37
Kantun
Coffee Snob

Prices were about average and again everything was cash so we’d recommend you plan ahead for that.

We also found a nice spot to swim a little ways down our walk back with some of the most beautiful blue water we’d seen. This we’d recommend.

Although we didn’t have dinner the recommendation we had received was Spice Hvar. If anyone has tried it please let me know in the comments I am curious if this one lived up to the hype. It is worth noting that as you venture around town, Hvar has a rule that you must be fully clothed (no half cover ups like a bikini top with no shirt over top) or you might risk a fine of 500 Euros. With signs everywhere, we found that this was huge given that we were in what we would consider a beach town.

The last ferry back to split was at 8:00 pm which is the time we selected. By the time we left the beach we had more than enough time to explore the few shops that lined the streets and were even looking for time to kill.

The last ferry back to split was at 8:00 pm which is the time we selected. We ended up just bringing snacks buying only a single cocktail and heating back for dinner.

Hvar is good for a day trip; and maybe as part of another tour. However, I can’t see spending more than a day or two unless you love the party vibe or would like lots of days at the beach club.

Day 4

Without doing a day trip our fourth day seems to be too much, but we decided to take it slow and relax.

We started with breakfast at Oakberry (Acai bowls), then we dropped off our luggage in storage. There are a few options by the pier where you catch the ferry. They charge about 3.5 Euros per bag.

View from Marjan Hill Stairs in Split, Croatia.

Overall, rating for Split. Beautiful but not even remotely a hidden gem, pricey and popular for partying. Although there are better deals if you know where to look.

Frequently Asked Questions

Some questions that I have been asked after my visit, that you also might be wondering the answer to.

Is Split Worth Visiting?

In my opinion Split is absolutely worth visiting once. Split is the 2nd largest city in Croatia, home of well preserved historical sites like Diocletian's Palace and a great place to take day trips from.

Do I need cash in Croatia?

Yes, a LOT of places are still cash only including some restaurants, beach clubs and the bus station.

Is it easy to navigate Croatia in English?

Yes, nearly everyone we talked to greeted us in English.

Which restaurants are worth trying in Split?

Portas Pizza and Silk were my two personal favourites.

What are other popular food spots?

At the time of our visit the places we saw on TikTok that we didn’t try were Delistes, Bajamina (a budget friendly option for crepes), Ginger (budget friendly option for juices).

Is there a Starbucks in Croatia?

On our trip we were surprised that Starbucks was not in the Balkans, which means no Starbucks Been There Mugs.