aerial photo of city

Split

Croatia

A Roman emperor’s palace that became a living city

Photo by Matthias Mullie on Unsplash

Getting aroundWorkable
Things to doSeveral days
FoodVery good
PricesMid-range
SafetyVery safe

Best time to visit

May to June, September to October

Climate month by month

Average high and low · °C

12°
5°Jan
13°
5°Feb
15°
7°Mar
19°
11°Apr
24°
15°May
28°
19°Jun
31°
22°Jul
Now31°
22°Aug
26°
18°Sep
22°
14°Oct
17°
10°Nov
13°
7°Dec

Rainfall · mm per month

77
Jan
64
Feb
68
Mar
64
Apr
58
May
49
Jun
26
Jul
44
Aug
77
Sep
89
Oct
116
Nov
102
Dec

Best months to visit This month · wettest 116mm in Nov

Currency

Mid-range
Local currencyEuro (EUR)
Exchange rate1 EUR = 1.08 USD1 EUR = 0.86 GBP

Euro since 2023. Split is meaningfully cheaper than Dubrovnik and makes a better base for island hopping.

ATMs & cards

Zagrebačka banka, PBZ and OTP machines are the good ones. Skip the Euronet machines lining the Riva. Decline conversion.

Avoid these

  • Euronet
  • machines along the Riva

Use these instead

  • Zagrebačka banka
  • PBZ
  • OTP

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Very safe

Safe city. Ferry ports get chaotic in August — arrive early and book vehicle ferries ahead. Watch your footing on the polished palace stone when wet.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

No visa needed

Freedom of movement — no time limit, and no visa. Bring a passport or national ID card.

No visa neededup to 90 days

90 days within any 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen area, not per country. ETIAS, a paid online authorisation, is being introduced for these passports — check the official link for whether it applies to your travel dates.

Visa required in advance€90 (Schengen short-stay visa)

A Schengen short-stay visa is applied for before travel, at the consulate of your main destination.

How to get it: Apply at the consulate or visa centre of the country you will spend most time in, typically 15 working days ahead and no more than six months before travel.

Official government source · checked 2026-08-09

Entry rules change often and depend on your passport rather than where you live. This is a starting point — the embassy or the official page above is the authority, and the airline will check before you board.

Health & emergencies

Good and affordable
Emergency number112, or 194 for an ambulance

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

  • Routine vaccinations up to date
  • Tick-borne encephalitis for inland forest areas

Getting treated

EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment. Coastal towns have clinics geared to the tourist season; islands are thinner, and serious cases go to Split or Zagreb.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Very good

Eat konoba-style away from the Riva — peka, grilled fish and šporki makaruli. The green market and fish market just outside the palace walls are worth a morning.

Getting around

Workable
  • Walking — Diocletian’s Palace and the Riva are compact and pedestrian
  • Ferry — Split is the main Dalmatian ferry hub for Hvar, Brač, Vis and Korčula
  • Local bus — Promet Split covers the beaches and suburbs
  • Catamaran — faster passenger-only island services from the main port
  • Airport: bus to the main bus station (30 min, €6) or local bus 37 (€3)

Must-see

Diocletian’s PalaceRiva promenadeMarjan HillBačvice beachCathedral of St Domnius

Things to do

Several days
  • Explore Diocletian’s Palace cellars
  • Climb the cathedral bell tower
  • Hike or cycle Marjan Hill
  • Ferry to Hvar for a day
  • Swim at Bačvice and watch picigin
  • Take a Blue Cave boat tour

Nearby day trips

Hvar island (1h catamaran)Brač and Zlatni Rat beach (50min)Krka waterfalls (1h)Trogir UNESCO old town (30min)Vis island (2h)

Say a few words

Croatian

  • HelloDobar danDO-bar dan
  • PleaseMolimMO-leem
  • Thank youHvalaHVA-la
  • Yes / NoDa / Neda / neh
  • Excuse meOprostiteo-PROS-ti-teh
  • How much is it?Koliko košta?KO-li-ko KOSH-ta
  • The bill, pleaseRačun, molimRA-choon
  • Cheers!Živjeli!ZHIV-yeh-li

Religion

Catholic

Strongly Catholic, particularly along the coast and in Dalmatia. Sunday Mass fills churches that are otherwise full of tourists.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Cover shoulders and knees to enter churches
  • Greet with dobar dan on entering shops and restaurants
  • Take coffee slowly — a kava can last an hour and that is the point
  • Try the local wine rather than defaulting to Italian

Don't

  • Do not call Croatia part of the Balkans casually, and avoid glib talk about the 1990s war
  • Do not wear swimwear away from the beach; several coastal towns fine it
  • Do not tip more than rounding up
  • Do not compare Croatian to Serbian in company

Where to stay in Split

No Holistay rentals in Split yet — the platform is just opening up. Every listing here will have a video tour and the option to negotiate the nightly price directly with the host.

List your Split property What could it earn?

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