Need some inspiration for your upcoming Split day trips?
Here’s a scenario: You’re spending a holiday in Croatia – and specifically our beloved Dalmatian capital, Split. You’ve decided to use Croatia’s second largest city as your home base, your hub, while you hope to explore as much as you can in the surrounding area. Your idea isn’t bad, and actually, it’s applauded – but we’re here to help you pack in as much as you can into your Dalmatian holiday with quick and easy day trips from Split that might be overlooked otherwise.
And the best part? You can make it to all of these locations in under an hour.
Solin
Located on the Jadro river, Solin is a town that boasts the ‘Ancient Salona’, which was once the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. Better yet, Salona is the largest archaeological park in the country, which indicates the city’s integration into the Roman Empire.
What can you see here? Quite a lot, actually. The Roman ruins include a 2nd-century AD amphitheater, inscriptions on stone in both Latin and Greek, sarcophagi, the Manastirine Necropolis burial site dating back to the 4th-century, the Tusculum museum, basilicas, thermal bath remains and more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=LnphSntq5Ac
The town of Solin should be no more than a 20-minute drive away from Split, depending on where you are in the city – and you can even take the local 23 or 37 bus to get there! You can also find more info on buses to Solin here – and if you wanted to take an Uber, plan on it being around 60 kuna each way.
Klis
Klis is famous for its 2,000-year-old medieval fortress that overlooks all of Split – and if you’re a Game of Thrones, you might know it as the city of Mereen. This fortress, however, has so much more to offer than the popular HBO series.
Still not a wildly popular attraction in Dalmatia (though we aren’t sure why), Klis fortress is essential to the history of Split and boasts a world of history itself. A strategically important structure thanks to its location between the Kozjak and Mosor mountains, the fortress controlled access to and from Bosnia, Dalmatia, and Inland Croatia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=s72l1xPz8i0
The fortress was first inhabited by the ancient Illyrian tribe of Dalmatae, followed by the Romans, the Byzantines, the Croats and the Ottoman Turks who famously conquered it in 1537. Onto the Venetians, the Austrians, and the Axis powers during WWII, the Klis fortress has seen it all – and you could see it too.
Klis is not much further than Solin and is just under 30-minutes away from Split. It is also easily reachable by bus lines 22, 34, 35, and 36.
Kaštela
Situated between Split and Trogir, Kaštela is the land of 7 settlements – and one of Croatia’s most overlooked destinations.
Known as the city built around 16 castles, Kaštela also boasts one of the longest boardwalks in Croatia. Yes, there are archaeological sites in Kaštela, too, and there is even a 1500-year-old olive tree! And did we mention it’s the home of Zinfandel? Wine lovers, rejoice!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=raMGzKze6TA
Find out why we love Kaštela so much – and get there easily by bus.
Trogir
The charming UNESCO town of Trogir is located just 30-minutes away from Split by car (or bus) and is an increasingly popular destination in Dalmatia.
The historic town center boasts ten churches and many buildings from the 13th-century – including a 13th-century cathedral and 13th-century Duke’s Palace, and the 15th-century Kamerlengo fortress, 15th-century city loggia, and 15th-century city walls.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=WlziMnLXdSQ
With a Riva promenade not unlike Split, you can shop, eat, and drink your way through Trogir – and you can even take taxi boats to the island of Čiovo for a swim!
You can get to Trogir by local bus line 37 or you can find more options here.
Inland Dalmatia
Tourism in Inland Dalmatia (Zagora) is growing at a rapid pace, though it’s still relatively unexplored by tourists coming to the region. We recommend you visit the towns of Sinj, Trilj, Vrlika, Klis, Dugopolje, Vrgorac, and Imotski – and here’s why.
Did you know that Inland Dalmatia is the actual home of football? Or that it boasts the only knights’ tournament left in Europe? Or how about the source of the Cetina River, or one of Croatia’s most incredible caves – and even 600-year-old milling traditions?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=VpoIA9A4lHQ
A dream for adventurers, foodies, and those looking for a culture-overload, this is why you should visit the Inland Dalmatia region – which is all mostly under an hour away from Split!
Omiš
Are you into pirates? Or acapella (klapa) singing? Then you absolutely cannot miss Omiš! Known as the town where the Cetina River meets the Adriatic, Omiš is a historic town with a lot of historical monuments – take the 13th-century Mirabella fortress or the 15th-century Fortica, for example.
But that’s not all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=Cnrjm-Le_vw
Omiš also boasts zip lining over the Cetina canyon, rafting on the Cetina river, a precious old town and the Church of St. Peter from the 10th century, fabulous pebbled beaches, pirate battles and klapa singing festivals – and it wouldn’t be a trip to Omiš without trying the famous Soparnik, a Swiss chard pie that has been declared intangible cultural heritage of Croatia by the Croatian Ministry of Culture.
Omiš can be reached in just 45 minutes from Split, and you can even get there using the trusted Dalmatinac bus.
The islands
Why is Split Croatia’s best hub, you might ask? Not only is it connected to a wealth of destinations by land, but it’s incredibly connected by the sea – with three islands just one hour away.
Brač is perhaps the most popular island getaway from Split – and you can be there in just 50 minutes. From Supetar to Bol, which boasts Croatia’s famous Zlatni Rat beach (you know, the ‘Golden Horn’), Brač has a world to offer tourists – from Stina winery to the Museum of Olive Oil, the stonemasonry school in Pučišća, and the islands highest peak Vidova Gora, how can you go wrong?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=CmaeYmO-ZZ0
Sure, you know about Hvar – Dalmatia’s party island for the kids and playground for the elite. While Hvar is technically just over an hour away from Split by catamaran (but you know we had to squeeze it in there), it is one of Croatia’s not-to-miss spots. Boasting vineyards, excellent restaurants, good parties, and the most UNESCO heritage of any island in the world, how could you skip Hvar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=fLNgB_AFoEQ
Šolta, perhaps the lesser-known of the three, is one of our favorites. Just a 45-minute ferry ride away from Split, Šolta has everything you could want – from art to gastronomy, adventure or relaxation – and all without the busy buzz of the other islands. You can find out more about why we love Šolta so much.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=LZJ7yS4lou8
Need help getting to the islands? Look no further.
Honorable mentions just over an hour away: Rogoznica, Primošten, Makarska, and Šibenik, of course.
