72 Hours in Split, Croatia: Travel Guide

Split is the second largest city in Croatia, and it’s somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for quite some time! I went a few days after my 24th birthday (which was in June, so the weather was amazing), which made this trip even more special. I spent a full 72 hours in Split, plus a couple of half-days either side to travel there/back, so I thought I’d put together a travel guide to spending 72 hours in Split, Croatia!

Even though I’ve already written a post about the top 7 things to do in Split, I created this guide to provide lots more information about this destination, that’ll hopefully help you plan your trip! Here’s my 72 hour travel guide to Split, Croatia…

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SPLIT, CROATIA TRAVEL GUIDE

 

How to Get There

I booked separate flights travelling to/from Croatia, as I flew out alone, and back with a couple of friends. The cheapest and easiest way to book my flights was direct with the airlines.

I flew out from London Gatwick (LGW) with Thomas Cook, into Split (also known as ‘Resnik Airport’ – SPU). The flight took just under 2 and a half hours. My flight with Thomas Cook cost £113.99. This included: breakfast, 20kg checked baggage, and the option to choose my own seat.

The flight departed London at 6:10am, and landed around 9:30am (local time). This gave me most of the day to travel to the apartment, and start my Croatian experience. Our flight home was with easyJet – departing Split at 10:20am, landing back in London around 11:55am (again, local time). This flight cost roughly £56 each, which included 23kg checked baggage.

Transfers

I booked the airport transfers before travelling, especially for the journey I took alone to the apartment. After reading lots of reviews, I booked a private return transfer through Transfer Croatia, who were brilliant. I felt completely safe, and they take your flight details, so they can keep track of any delays to your flight.

For our return journey, they were outside our apartment a few minutes early, which was great! The transfer took about 30 minutes to/from the airport, and it was a fairly easy journey. It cost €62 (£50) for the return, which worked out around £17 each.

You don’t necessarily have to book a taxi in advance, as there are quite a few outside the airport. You could also get a bus, or even rent a car – depending on where you’re staying, and your budget!

 

Where to Stay

When looking for places to stay, there were more options for apartments than hotels. I found Capital Apartments (through Expedia), and it was ideal for what we needed. It’s located near the city centre, and within walking distance of most places we wanted to visit. We paid for the ‘studio apartment’, as there were 3 of us.

The room was clean and tidy, with a double bed and sofa bed, which actually pulled out into a double bed as well! Our room also had: a kitchen facility, a TV, a balcony that overlooked the street we were on, a bathroom with a shower (and a washing machine), and wardrobe space.

They even provided us with some bathroom essentials, such as: shampoo, conditioner, soap and shower gel, which was a nice touch! (I probably should’ve taken these photos at the start when it was tidy, not at the very end…)

Paying for the Apartment

Although I provided my credit card details when booking, the apartment owner wanted payment in cash. I thought this seemed a little strange, but I looked into it, and it seems this is quite common with apartments!

When we paid the owner (on the last day, at his request), I took a photo of the cash and keys on the counter. I also asked for a confirmation email, so I had it in writing we’d paid in full, but I didn’t get one. Everything was fine, but leaving cash on the side of an unlocked apartment made me feel uneasy at first…

The total cost of this apartment was €414 (£355) for 4 nights, which was around £118 each. I thought this was a good price for such lovely accommodation! I’d definitely recommend staying here, and I’d stay here again in future.

Address: Capital Apartments, Ulica Kneza Višeslava 20, Split, Croatia, 21000

 

Getting Around

Walk

A large part around the centre of Split is pedestrianised, so driving isn’t the best option if you plan to stay centrally, without venturing out further.

The best way to get around Split is on foot. There’s so many beautiful, narrow streets to walk through, especially in the old part of town. It’s worth mentioning that many of these cobbled streets are slippery, so just be aware – and wear sensible shoes!

Walking allowed us to see parts of Split you wouldn’t see from a car. It also gave us the chance to stumble across places we didn’t plan on visiting. It’s a wonderful destination to walk around at your leisure.

Taxi/Uber

You can book a taxi or Uber, which is great if you plan to travel outside of Split. We used an Uber to get to an activity we booked, when we went zip lining in Omiš.

Bus/Coach

There are buses you can use to get around Split, or even a coach, if you go on a trip to somewhere like Krka National Park. We booked this trip with the coach included, which made it a lot easier!

 

Day One

Diocletian’s Palace

Our first full day in Split started with a short walk from our apartment, to Diocletian’s Palace. It was already super busy by the time we got there! We stayed for a little while and took some photos, but it was starting to get quite hot in the midday sun, and busy with large tour groups.

We didn’t have enough time to actually see the interior, but if I ever get the chance to go back to Split, I’d love to have a look inside. I’d also advise going early in the morning if you want to experience Diocletian’s Palace with less people around, but it was amazing to see it, regardless!

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Zip Lining

We’d already planned some of the activities we wanted to do whilst in Croatia, and zip lining topped that list! The excursion is in Omiš, which is a 45 minute drive from Split. I also pre-booked our specific time slot beforehand! The experience takes around 2 and a half hours from start to finish, and there’s a total of 8 wires. Located in the canyon of the River Cetina, the views are stunning from every wire!

It cost 400kn (Croatian Kuna – HRK) per person, which is roughly £45 each. This includes: all equipment you need (helmet, belt and gloves), return transportation to the starting point and back to the agency office, 2 professional and trained guides that are with you at all times, plus the actual zip lining experience itself!

Before you start, you’ll get the chance to try a ‘practice wire’. This is where the guides demonstrate how to use the brake, the signals they use, and so you can get a feeling of what it’s like on the main wires. It’s also where the safety briefing takes place, before a short hike to the first ‘real’ wire.

You’ll need to take your belongings with you on the wires, as the office doesn’t have lockers. Although you can take your phone/GoPro with you (if they’re secure), you can only use these on 1 of the 8 wires, where it’s slightly slower and safer to film. If your GoPro fits to your helmet, you can film it all!

I swapped phones with my friends so we could get footage of ourselves starting/finishing each wire. If you’re on your own, you can always ask someone in the group to film/take photos for you. This is one of my favourite things from this Croatia travel guide, even though it’s not in Split!

 

Visit Omiš

Omiš is a small town and port located around 25km from Split, at the mouth of the River Cetina. If you decide to visit Omiš for zip lining, it’s definitely worth spending some time here before/after to have a look around, especially by the water. The views are beautiful, and it’s lovely to sit and watch the little boats in the harbour.

If you’re not planning on going zip lining, and you’re staying in Split, I wouldn’t say it’s worth the 45 minute journey. There isn’t an awful lot to do in Omiš, but if you’re nearby, then it’s worth taking some time out to relax and enjoy the area.

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Day Two

Krka National Park

One of Croatia’s best-known attractions is Krka National Park, and this day trip was high on our list of places to visit. Krka National Park is in Lozovac, which takes around an hour to drive to from Split. Even though it’s not in Split, I had to include this in my Croatia travel guide!

Prices

As it’s a full day trip, I’d advise booking in advance – unless you plan on making your own way there. I booked our tickets online a few days before, through Viator. It included a return coach from/to the centre of Split. If you choose to book through the same company, there’s an extra fee to pay when you’re on the coach. This is the actual entry fee to the park – I’m not sure if this is the same for all other companies.

The initial package cost £24.45 each, and then the entrance ticket to Krka National Park (as of June 2019, with the agency discount) was 150kn (£17) for adults, and 60kn (£7) for children aged 7 – 18, as well as students with a valid student ID.

The agency guide will collect this cash from you on the coach en route. If you have a student card, they’ll also collect these to give to a member of staff at the park, to verify your identity. Once you’re at the park, you’ll be called into a small group (along with the other students) to collect your ticket and student ID from the ticket office. If you’re not a student, you’ll have to stand outside with the rest of the group. One of the guides will collect all the tickets at the same time, to hand out to the whole group.

River Cruise

I believe there are 5 main entrances to this park, and we entered from Skradin. From there, we took a 30 minute river cruise to the waterfalls, which was included in our ticket price. This was a lovely way to start the experience! The water was a gorgeous blue/green colour, and the natural surroundings were stunning to look at. There are beautiful trees everywhere!

Skradinski Buk

After the boat trip, we made our way through the park and stumbled across the first waterfall. As time is limited (if you go with a tour group – we had 5 hours to explore), we used our time wisely. From the first waterfall, we headed straight to the main waterfall: Skradinski Buk.

It’s the longest waterfall on the Krka River, and you can actually swim in it! I’ve since read that you’ll only be able to do this until the end of 2020, so if this is something on your bucket list, make sure you do it before 2020 is over!

We walked across the bridge over Skradinski Buk, before heading into the water for a swim. It was lovely to see the views from above, so I’d recommend doing this first (before swimming). You’ll appreciate the surroundings more once you’re in the water! This bridge also provides the ideal photo opportunity to get the Skradinski Buk waterfall in the background.

Swimming in the waterfall was a brilliant experience! The entry to the swimming area is through the trees, meaning there’s no lockers to store your belongings. This is the only downside, as it means you’ll either have to put your bags somewhere in sight and not swim out too far, or take it in turns with your friends/family (if you can) to swim, and then swap to look after the bags.

I’d recommend taking a waterproof phone case with you if you go in the waterfall. It worked brilliantly for me, as I could have my phone with me, without it getting damaged. The case I have is on a lanyard, so I wore it around my neck to keep it safe. I was able to get some great photos/videos using the camera on my phone!

Hiking

We spent around 30 minutes swimming in the waterfall, before heading to find a place to eat lunch. We brought food with us, but you can also buy food there. After eating, we began our walk/hike around the park. The paths are easy to follow, and we eventually ended where the coach picked us up from – we planned our route around this.

We took a steady walk around the park, and stopped at various points for photos – the views are too insane not to! We even saw a snake sat on a rock in the water where we had JUST BEEN SWIMMING, above from the bridge. I’m just glad we saw it after, and not before!

As there’s quite a lot of walking (on uneven ground), I’d recommend wearing comfortable shoes that are also easy to get on/off – if you plan to swim. I wore trainers that were comfy and breathable, which were ideal!

The 5 hours ‘free time’ actually went quite quickly! It’s important to spend your time wisely, to make sure you have time for everything you want to see/do.

I really enjoyed our day at Krka National Park, and I’d definitely recommend the day trip! It’s an early start and full-on day, but it’s worth it to see and experience the stunning views of the park and waterfalls.

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Split Old Town

There’s lots of narrow streets and restaurants in the old town, and the atmosphere is just as great in the evening as it is during the day. As I mentioned previously, and also in my things to do in Split post, the cobbled streets in the old town are slippery. Be aware of this, and try to wear shoes with good grip, if you can! This area is definitely worth exploring both during the day and in the evening, if you have time, just to see how it comes to life at night!

 

Day Three

Riva Promenade

Our third and final full day in Split was spent relaxing. We started the day with a leisurely stroll along the Riva Promenade, which is the most stunning setting. The harbour has lots of small fishing boats, with a view that looks out to the gorgeous Adriatic Sea. There’s lots of restaurants and cafés along the promenade that share this stunning view of the water. It’s the ideal place to sit and eat, have a drink, or just take in your surroundings.

The promenade can get quite busy during the day, especially in the summer, but it makes for a great atmosphere. If the restaurants here aren’t your thing (they can be quite expensive in this area), there’s lots of food stalls that run along the promenade. They offer something a bit different, at a slightly more budget-friendly price. There are also stalls that sell typical touristy items, which are fun to look at as well.

We returned for another walk in the evening, and it was just as busy at night. This area always seems to have a great atmosphere, no matter what time of day! As we were there in the summer, it may have been busier than it normally is during the rest of the year, but it’s a lovely place to experience throughout the day and night.

 

Bačvice Beach

The second part of our day was spent relaxing at the beach. There’s a few different beaches in Split, but we chose to visit Bačvice beach. It was close to our apartment (within walking distance), and it’s also the most popular beach in Split – loved by both locals and tourists.

One of the reasons it’s so popular is because of its large area of shallow water. This makes it the ideal place to play the traditional and popular local ball game, known as Picigin. You have to run around and try to hit a small ball with the palm of your hand to keep it off the floor, whilst standing in the shallow water.

It was fun to get in the water for a little while, but there’s also a few restaurants nearby with a view of the water, if that’s something you’d prefer to do. We took a short walk and stopped for a drink and a snack before we left the beach. This was a lovely way to relax at the end of an amazing trip!

 

I also vlogged my trip, including all the activities we did, which you can watch below. The perfect travel guide video to Split, Croatia; ideal to watch before your trip!

I had a brilliant time in Split, and I’d love to return! With a short flight time from London (2 and a half hours), Split is a fantastic destination with lots to see and do. There’s so much to explore, from history and culture, to fun activities for all ages. Make sure to read this post for my top things to do! I hope this travel guide was useful for planning your trip to Split, Croatia.

 

Is there anything from this 72 hour travel guide to Split, Croatia, you’d like to do?