Best Things to do in Split in 4 days
After doing a lot of research, my best friend and I decided to visit Croatia at the end of May 2022, with our first stop in Split. Croatia is filled with tons of history going as far back as the 2nd or 3rd century BC and was even a Greek colony. It has the highest number of UNESCO Intangible Goods of any European country, and the richest collection of Neanderthal remains. The Medieval and historical charm makes this a destination like no other.
Croatia is an archipelago in the Adriatic Sea, and there are many places to pick where to start your vacation. Speaking of being an archipelago, I was looking forward to getting lost in the tiny alleys and corridors of the Old City, island hopping, checking out the infamous Blue Cave, and of course, the epic Dalmatian Coast.
The Best time to visit Split
Visiting Croatia is the best during the Summer since the off or low season is cold and rainy. However, visiting during the low season means you will likely miss out on some great tours, beachside fun, and the infamous Blue Caves, among other things.
The shoulder season starts May-June when temperatures rise, prices are still low, crowds aren’t as high, and watersports resume.
The high season, July-September, is when the days are long, and the weather is exceptional, but crowds and prices tend to be higher. October is also a shoulder season when the temperatures drop, crowds die, and the low season starts to roll in.
A little background
Located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, Croatia has found itself in the middle of many, many different takeovers. Over 19 times there was a transfer of power. Under Roman, Venetian, Austrian, French, Italian, and Yugoslavia rule at one point. However, it is now independent and proud as the Republic of Croatia. The currency is the Croatian Kuna’s; however, in January 2023, the Croats will officially join the Euro era.
Where to go & What to see
Narrowing in on what we wanted to do and see, it made sense to start in Split since most of our day trips and activities were quickly accessible. I was dying to see the Blue Caves, layout at Bacvice Beach, see the waterfalls at KRKA National Park, and climb to the top of the Cathedral of St. Domnius.
From the moment I booked the trip, I dreamt about getting lost in the alleys of the Old City and visiting the many UNESCO sites we would be nearby. All the medieval and historical charm, plus being right on the water, makes Split the perfect combination for sightseeing and relaxing on the beach.
Getting a lot out of the way in Split allowed us to go at a slower pace and relax a bit in Dubrovnik, which was our second destination, not that there weren’t many things to do there either.
Where we stayed
Hotel Coronaro in Split was less than five minutes away from the Riva Promenade. It was the perfect location, and everyone took such great care of us there! Especially when my luggage was delayed!!! The Hotel was conveniently located near everything. Most of what was on our list to see and do was within walking distance, even our meetups for tours. Our room was upgraded and had a lovely ocean view, St. Dominus Cathedral, and the Bell Tower. It was so beautiful. You could actually hear the tower bells from our window, and it was by far the most beautiful sound of the day.
Along with the Hotel being in the perfect location, it had the most insane and delicious breakfast spread I’ve ever seen, called The Diocletian’s Breakfast. It was a must every day, and the price was included in our stay. Diocletian was a Roman emperor of Split, so use your imagination. It was epic and also the best way to fuel up before a long day of adventures. You also don’t need to spend as much money on food throughout the day when you indulge as we did.
In our room, there was also a pillow menu. Yes, you read that right…a pillow menu! And since I lost my pillow in transit, I was delighted and sort of mind blown by this. I have never seen anything like that offered anywhere before in my life! Indulging in it all, I ordered a lavender Tempurpedic pillow and slept oh-so soundly.
Another hotel highlight was the gorgeous spa with a long list of treatments to reserve and fantastic amenities for all hotel guests. After a long day on foot, we thoroughly enjoyed our massages and relaxed in the jacuzzi. It was the perfect hotel choice for us.
What we did
Day 1: Getting lost in the alleys of the Old City
I’m not particularly eager to plan too much on arrival day, so when we got to our Hotel (me without my luggage), we quickly freshened up and went out to explore our new stomping grounds. 
Getting lost in the alleys of the Old City was a dream of mine, and it didn’t disappoint. Every corner you turned were so many places to explore. Walking tours were also available. However, we didn’t book any of these because of time but looking back now. I wish it were something we did. After being on the go, slowing down to sit on the steps in Palazzo Di Diocleziano was so cool with live music being played and an espresso martini in hand. It was the perfect place to people-watch and absorb everything.
Back to my luggage for a quick minute…I consider myself an expert packer because losing or having delayed luggage is my worst fear, so my carry-on has just about everything I need for at least two days. However, unfortunately, my luggage wasn’t the only snafu we had. Our Blue Cave tour was canceled due to weather and water conditions. It was the first thing I booked after our flights! I was devastated, and because we were only in Split for 4 days, all of the other tours were sold out. Fail.
The Blue Cave
Some refer to this as the Blue Grotto, a natural geomorphological wonder in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. The best time to visit is between 11-1 pm when the sun shines its brightest. The light hits the water through a crack or other openings and reflects off the seabed, creating the most beautiful blue hues. A specialized boat is even required to see this natural wonder. The colors inside the cave can also vary in intensity based on the time of day you visit. Not only does a day out on the water sound lovely, but this one-of-a-kind cave tour isn’t something you want to miss. I know I didn’t want to!
When I visit Croatia next, I will 1,000% do this epic excursion. I appreciate everyone at Get your Guide for doing what they could, including refunding our canceled tour to make our stay in Split special.
Day 2
Bačvice Beach
This is the place to be if you’re looking for a great beach day! It literally has everything you could want and is absolutely gorgeous. Surprisingly soft sandy beaches, restaurants, bars, food to go, watersports rentals, cute sun loungers with umbrellas you can also rent, and a beach club pumping music into the wee hours of the night if that is your fancy. 
If sand isn’t your thing, you can park yourself on the strand to chill.
It has the most incredible vibe, with ladders to get in and out of the water. My personal favorite was the dock to jump off! Being at this beach was one of my favorite days in Croatia!
Day 3
Krka National Park & Waterfalls
Krka is a full-day trip but so worth it. Only about a two-hour drive, each way gives you a completely different perspective of Croatia than when in the Old City. Visiting Krka was a hard decision to make because Plitvice National Park is also incredible and known to have gorgeous waterfalls too. However, Plitvice is 4 hours each way, making that the ultimate deciding factor given the amount of time we were staying in Split.
Krka National Park has seven beautiful waterfalls along the Krka River. 
To get inside the actual park, you take a river cruise to the park entrance with the most scenic and incredible views. The excitement really builds as you make your way to the park, that or our tour guide did an excellent job of pumping us up.
The tour of Krka was booked through Get your Guide, and as usual, booking with them did not disappoint. We met up with everyone after a delicious breakfast at our hotel and were on the road by 8:30am. It was perfect timing to get to the opening of the park before the crowds rolled in.
The tour itself was so much fun. We met up with the group less than a five-minute walk from our hotel. The tour price included transportation, Krka National Park entrance tickets, the riverboat cruise, and a stop in Šibenik. The tour guide was terrific, he gave us the scoop on the way to the waterfalls about the park and its history, but it was never too much that we were thinking, “when will this guy be quiet.” When we arrived at the park, he gave us some pointers for a short time, but we spent the rest of the time freely roaming around. It was a lovely day. It was not overly exerting at all. We could have quickly gone around the park loop twice to marvel at the incredible waterfalls and listen to the way nature roars.
After Krka, we stopped for a few hours in the city of Šibenik. Famous for its beauty and impressive historical fortresses. By this time, we were ready for lunch. We roamed for a bit before finding a restaurant near the docks and a nice glass of wine. We were back at our hotel before dark ready to refresh and rally for the night!
4th & Last Full Day
Cathedral of St. Domnius, Bell Tower & Treasury
On our last full day in Split, we wanted to climb to the top of the bell tower at the Cathedral of St. Domnius. This 57m bell tower is said to be the most original Dalmatian Medieval architecture that started in the 13th century. The views are breathtaking from the top, looking over the entire Old Town of Split with its picturesque terra cotta color rooftops. The climb to the top of the tower is on a super narrow staircase with enormous steps, but it was actually relatively easy. I highly recommend it and Included in the price of the ticket, around 70 Kuna’s. 
You can see three different sites, all within walking distance of each other, The Cathedral, Bell Tower and Treasury. All of them are super fascinating. We decided to spend the rest of the day getting lost in the alleys, souvenir shopping, eating, drinking, and inspecting the gelato, you know, for the sake of the people. It was a relatively low-key day which was nice since we had the ferry to get to in the morning.
Final Thoughts
I never really like to recommend restaurants because everyone’s palate is different. However, I will say that neither myself nor my best friend did NOT enjoy the food in Croatia. As mentioned before, Croatia found itself in the middle of many different takeovers, so it felt like the food didn’t really have an identity and was trying to be a little bit of everything that just didn’t hit the mark. However, we found a great restaurant that was a little more westernized, the last thing I want to eat when overseas, and we had the most decent meal there during our entire time in Croatia. Quick disclaimer…I am not a picky eater. I could have easily eaten my way through the whole trip if the food had tasted the way it does in Italy.
Check out Chops Grill if you want something delicious. Think pink langoustine risotto and a good steak; insert drool emoji here! It was really yummy, and there that I tasted my first Espresso Martini, and life hasn’t been the same since.
I also ate as many truffles as I could everywhere we ate since Croatia is known for the largest truffle in the world and has the tastiest Istrian truffles around.
Believe it or not, everything we wanted to do and see could have been done comfortably in 2-3days rather than 4 full days in Split alone. Had I known this ahead of time, I would have hopped over not just to Dubrovnik but to Hvar, though the time we spent in Split was terrific.
Split has tons more to do, but we found ourselves having the best time doing everything I mentioned. Make sure to plan and book ahead of time for activities and tours. Walking tours can be booked anytime because plenty of companies with guides on the streets offer this, and the tours themselves only last a short while.
Note that depending on what time of year you visit, some tours may not be available depending on the season. There is also a massive Game of Thrones Fan Base and stores everywhere, not just in Dubrovnik, where most of the actual filming took place for the show.
We walked by many of the UNESCO sites in Split daily, so it was nice not to have to book or cut out time to see them.
The End
If you’re thinking of visiting Croatia, add Split to your itinerary! We continued our Croatian Crusade taking the ferry to Dubrovnik.
Let me know what you think and if I should add anything to the list by dropping a comment below or sending me a message.
Check out some other posts on both Dubrovnik and Split for even more exciting deets!
