Explora Journeys in Split

Split is built inside and around the walls of Diocletian's Palace, a Roman emperor's seafront retirement complex from around 300 AD that never became a ruin because people simply kept living in it. The result is a working old town where Roman substructures, a medieval cathedral inside the emperor's mausoleum, and modern cafes share the same stone lanes. The cruise berths sit right on the Riva promenade, so almost none of the day goes to getting there.

What to do on a day in Split

• Diocletian's Palace: the late-Roman walled complex you enter directly from the Riva, still inhabited and threaded with shops and homes
• The Peristyle (Peristil): the columned central courtyard of the palace, the architectural heart of the old town
• Cathedral of St Domnius: the former mausoleum of Diocletian converted into a cathedral, with a climbable bell tower for views over the rooftops
• Temple of Jupiter and the palace Substructures (the vaulted Roman cellars beneath the complex)
• Statue of Gregory of Nin by Ivan Mestrovic just outside the Golden Gate, with a polished toe rubbed for luck
• The Riva waterfront promenade and, for those with energy, the climb up Marjan hill for a panorama over the city and islands

Getting ashore

Mid-size ships berth at the inner Gat Sv. Petra right on the Riva, a five-minute walk to the palace's Silver Gate; larger ships use the outer Gat Svetog Duje, still a 10 to 15 minute seafront walk. One day is enough to do the palace properly in about four to five hours, leaving time to wander or add a short Adriatic swim.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• May to June (late spring). Typically mild to warm, daytime highs from the high teens C into the mid-to-high 20s C, among the most comfortable months
• July to August (summer). Typically hot and dry, July highs around the low 30s C, with warm Adriatic water
• September to October (autumn). Typically warm in September, highs in the mid 20s C, cooling to the low 20s C by October as rainfall increases