Split 7-day itinerary

Enter Diocletian's Palace through the Bronze Gate and explore the basement halls — the best-preserved Roman basement in the world. Emerge into the Peristyle courtyard with its Egyptian sphinx and monumental columns. Visit the Cathedral of Saint Domnius and climb the bell tower for the aerial view.

Explore the lanes — the Iron Gate to People's Square, the Golden Gate to the Grgur Ninski statue. Browse the Pazar green market for local cheese, dried figs, and lavender. Walk through the palace interior where 3,000 people still live within Roman walls.

Walk the Riva waterfront as the palace walls illuminate. Drink at Luxor in the Peristyle — cocktails inside a Roman courtyard — or Ghetto Club in the palace lanes. This is the most atmospheric nightlife setting you will find anywhere.

Hike the Marjan peninsula through pine forest to the Telegrin summit (178m). Pass the Jewish cemetery, St. Nicholas chapel, and viewpoints over the Adriatic, islands of Brač and Hvar, and the Dinaric Alps. The forest is cool and peaceful even in summer.

Descend to the southern side of Marjan for the swimming coves. Kašjuni is the most popular — pine-backed, clear water, a small beach bar. Continue east to find quieter rocky coves for swimming and sunbathing with views of the open sea.

Head to Bačvice beach for sunset — watch locals play picigin in the shallows, order a beer from the beach bar, and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of Split's most social beach. The surrounding bars keep the area lively late into the night.

Bus to Klis Fortress (30 minutes) — a clifftop stronghold on a mountain pass above Split. The last bastion against the Ottoman advance into Dalmatia and filming location for Meereen in Game of Thrones. Walk the full length of the ridge-top walls for panoramic views of Split, the coast, and the mountains.

Eat spit-roasted lamb (janjetina) at a roadside restaurant near Klis, then visit the ruins of Salona — once the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and Diocletian's birthplace. The amphitheatre, aqueduct, and necropolis are scattered across a field and receive far fewer visitors than Diocletian's Palace, giving you a quieter Roman experience.

Return to Split for fresh Dalmatian seafood — grilled brancin (sea bass), black cuttlefish risotto, or octopus salad. Eat at a konoba in the palace lanes where the kitchen sources from the morning fish market. Pair with Pošip white wine from the island of Korčula.

Bus to Trogir (30 minutes) — a UNESCO medieval island town. Explore the Cathedral of St. Lawrence with the Radovan Portal, Kamerlengo Fortress, and the compact stone lanes. Trogir is smaller and quieter than Split with beautiful Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

Cross the bridge to Čiovo island and walk to Okrug Gornji beach — clear water, beach bars, and views back to Trogir. The southern coast of the island has quieter rocky coves for swimming away from the crowds.

Eat dinner at a harbour-side restaurant in Trogir — the old town is magical at sunset with the fortress and bell tower silhouetted against the sky. Take the last bus back to Split or stay for evening drinks on the Riva.

Take a day trip to Krka National Park (90 minutes by bus or organised tour). The main attraction is the Skradinski Buk waterfall system — 17 cascading travertine steps dropping into an emerald pool surrounded by forest. A wooden boardwalk loops around the falls, passing water mills and swimming areas. The park is stunning in any season but particularly lush in spring and early summer.

Take the park boat to Visovac Island — a tiny island in the middle of the Krka River canyon with a Franciscan monastery, gardens, and a museum of rare books and artefacts. If time allows, continue upriver to the Roški Slap waterfalls — less visited than Skradinski Buk but equally beautiful with their terraced cascades and surrounding canyon.

Stop in Šibenik on the way back — a Dalmatian town with the UNESCO-listed Cathedral of St. James (built entirely of stone without mortar or wooden supports) and a charming old town climbing the hillside. Eat at a konoba in the old town before taking the bus back to Split.

Take the morning catamaran or car ferry from Split to the island of Brač (50 minutes to Bol). Brač is the largest island in central Dalmatia, famous for the white stone that was used to build Diocletian's Palace and, reportedly, the White House in Washington. The island has a rugged interior of olive groves, stone villages, and vineyards.

Walk to Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn) — Croatia's most famous beach, a white pebble spit that extends 500m into the Adriatic and shifts shape with the currents and wind. The Maestral wind makes the south side of the horn excellent for windsurfing and kitesurfing, while the north side stays calmer for swimming. Pine trees line the approach for shade. The water is crystal-clear and the setting — backed by Vidova Gora mountain and facing the island of Hvar — is spectacular.

Explore Bol's harbour and eat fresh fish at a waterfront restaurant. The Dominican Monastery at the east end of town has a small museum. Take the evening catamaran back to Split as the sun sets over the islands — the return journey across the Adriatic channel is one of the most beautiful ferry rides in Croatia.

Visit the Split fish market (Peškarija) early — the morning catch arrives direct from the Adriatic. Walk through the palace one final time to see details you missed: the carved capitals, the Roman drainage channels, and the way medieval and modern life has been layered into the ancient structure over 17 centuries.

Visit the Ivan Meštrović Gallery — the former villa of Croatia's greatest sculptor, set in gardens overlooking the Adriatic. The collection spans his career and the building itself is beautiful. Afterwards, take a final swim at Kašjuni or Bačvice before packing up.

End your week with a peka dinner — meat or seafood slow-cooked under an iron bell with potatoes and vegetables, the signature Dalmatian cooking method. Order it 2 hours ahead at your chosen konoba, then walk the illuminated Riva one final time. Split's airport, bus station, and ferry port all connect to onward destinations.