4 Short Trips from Split
Located on the central Dalmatian coast, Split is perfectly positioned as a jumping off point to both the islands and the rest of the Croatian mainland. These are a few of the best day or weekend trips from Split.
Plitviče Lakes National Park
Chances are you’ve seen the boardwalks winding through dream-like cascading waterfalls on Instagram. The number one attraction in Croatia, Plitviče attracts crowds from all over the country and abroad. From Split, this one is best visited in two days. We recommend driving up the night before and staying in one of the Airbnbs or hotels near the park entrances. If you buy your tickets online, be sure to select the entrance closest to your accommodation as you’ll only be allowed to enter at the location and time you specify. We recommend starting at Entrance 1 and working your way from the lower lakes to the upper. We visited at opening time (7am) in the off season and were the fifth car in the parking lot. The tour buses don’t typically arrive until 9am and begin to disperse around 3pm. Arriving early gives you two hours of the park virtually to yourself and plenty of space to take photos and soak up the scenery.
From Entrance 1, make your way toward the P1 boat dock and take the short ride across to the upper lakes. Meander your way along the lakes up to station “St3” and break for a pastry and cappuccino (they only accept card). Work your way back to the P2 dock, and catch the longer ride to P3. (The park doesn’t advertise it, but you can only take the long boat ride across once.) Spend some time retracing your steps through the lower lakes and back up to Entrance 1. This makes for a solid half-day visit. If you’re feeling more ambitious, consider hiking the K route.
Getting There
For the car rental, we used Sixt. To get to their location, it’s a bit of a walk from downtown Split or a short Uber ride. They were not the cheapest option, but the staff was incredibly helpful, and the car was one of the cleanest I’ve rented.
Driving in Croatia is different than the U.S. but not as difficult as other European countries. The toll road toward Zagreb (A1) is nicer than most roads in the U.S. and incredibly scenic. The use of the road should cost you $13 USD each way.
Island Tours
We’re not normally ones for tours, but the two speedboat rides we took from Split were an absolute joy. The groups are small (7-10), and we’ve made friends on each occasion. A full-day speedboat tour takes you out to the “blue cave” about 1.5 hours from Split and gradually works its way back to the mainland. You’ll stop for coffee, for lunch, and at a lagoon to swim. The cave wasn’t really my thing, but sampling each of the islands and visiting the blue lagoon on Budikovac alone is worth it. Expect to pay around $115 USD/person. Each island town has its own personality, and this is an excellent way to get a sampling of the Mediterranean life on a shorter trip or before taking a deeper dive. Read more about our experience here.
If you don’t have a full day, you can take a half-day version that visits the town of Trogir near the airport, the island of Solta, and a different lagoon much closer to the mainland. Expect to pay around $58 USD/person.
Tours can be booked ahead on as an Airbnb experience or through Viator.
Dubrovnik
I think we were the only fools there who hadn’t seen Game of Thrones. Incredible in its own right, the medieval walled city attracts more crowds than any of the other costal cities. Swarms of iPad-wielding tourists march through the city in waves. But, if you can catch an empty side-street, the old charm is mesmerizing. We wouldn’t really recommend more than a weekend because of the crowds and higher prices. If you do spend some time here, these are a few of our recommendations:
Old City Walls ($31 USD). This self-guided tour let’s you climb to the top of the ramparts and stroll along the perimeter of the walled city at your own pace. Rich with photo-ops, this is a great way to get to know the layout of the city. Go right before closing to avoid the crowds.
Visit Lokrum Island. Just off to the southeast of the city is an uninhabited island containing fortifications from the Napoleonic Era and a garden designed by Maximilian. A ferry runs regularly from the Old Port for $31 USD/person, or you can kayak with a group for around the same price.
Take the Cable Car to the top of Mount Srd or hike it!
Grab a coffee at Cojito, one of the only local roasters.
Getting There
Drubrovnik is over a three hour car ride from Split, but it does require briefly crossing into Bosnia and Herzegovina and back adding a little time and complication—especially if you’re renting a car.
There are seasonal ferry routes on Jadrolinja and Kapetan Luka. The trip lasts around 4 hours and costs $37 USD/person.
Mostar
The Balkans are an incredibly diverse area in Europe, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is the most diverse of the Balkan states. With more Ottoman influence than Croatia, the streets of Mostar will feel more like a small town in Turkey. Spend time walking through the outdoor bazaar and gazing up at the Stari Most, or Old Bridge. The area does cater toward Western tourism, but it’s worth crossing the border just to see the difference in culture across such a short distance.
Getting there
Taking a day trip to another country sounds ambitious but it can actually be quite manageable. Since Bosnia and Herzegovina is not an EU member, you will have to exit the EU and reenter. Many of the roads in Bosnia are in poor condition, and we’ve heard stories of bogus traffic stops. To keep things simple and stress-free, we elected to go with a tour group from Split. In the shoulder season, the group was small enough to take a Sprinter van, and we were able to get to know our guide well. The cost is just under $80 USD/person.
