Split Walking Tour: Discover Hidden Treasures

Embark on a 2-hour walking tour of Split and Diocletian’s Palace to discover hidden treasures, ancient cellars, and medieval squares. Uncover the rich history of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Riva Harbor - Please note, this is YOUR PRIVATE TOUR, so our whole itinerary is completely flexible, up to your preferences.

Below please find our suggested itinerary / suggested sights:

We are starting our tour at the Riva, the famous coastal promenade of Split - our city’s living room!

Your guide will introduce you to Croatia, Split and to our itinerary.

  • Diocletian’s Palace - From the Riva promenade we will have a 10-minute introduction to one of the best preserved Roman monuments from the 4th century AD - an impressive palace built for the Roman emperor Diocletian.

The palace initially served as Emperor’s luxury retirement home, and later, in the 7th century, it was converted into the medieval city - the city of Split.

We will enter the Palace through the Southern gate and explore its main parts in the following 90+ minutes.

  • Diocletian Palace Substructures - From the Riva promenade we will enter the Palace through the Bronze gate and visit the most incredibly preserved 1700-year old basements / Diocletian’s palace substructures.

Your will learn in the basements about the life of Diocletian: how he became emperor, how he ruled, about his years of glory and about his final abdication and “retirement”.

We will talk about the construction of his Palace, about its ingenious architectural concept and about the precious stone from the island Brac that was used to build the Palace.

We will explain why the nearby Roman capital town Salona was so important for the development of the town of Split in the 7th century and how the invaders from the north destroyed Salona and “helped” to convert the Palace into the medieval town - Split.

  • The Peristyle of Diocletian’s Palace - The central square of the Palace.

It is surrounded by the most diverse architectural styles and monuments from the 3000-year old Egyptian, through ancient Roman period, different medieval styles (cathedral bell tower, noble palaces…), until the modern and contemporary ones…

  • Vestibulum of Diocletian’s Palace - This is a beautiful circular building, which served as Diocletian’s lounge - it was the entrance to the Emperor’s private chambers.

And sometimes we would have opportunity to enjoy amazing Dalmatian choirs - “Klape” - singing here!

  • Eastern (Silver) Gate - Easter Palace gate and the beginning of the main Decumanus street
  • Nadalina cokolada - A great local chocolate producer. We will treat you with a couple of sweet treats, with Mediterranean fruit / herbal flavors….

Unfortunately, closed on Sundays, when we’ll have to skip this visit

  • Grgur Ninski Statue - The biiiiiig statue of the famous Croatian archbishop from the 10th century - a work by the most famous Croatian sculptor, Ivan Mestrovic.
  • Split Synagogue - We will visit the 16th century-Medieval Jewish Ghetto.

Also, if you are interested in visiting, there is a 3rd oldest operating synagogue in Europe here in Split…

  • The Golden Gate - The main entrance to the Palace.
    We will talk about the “people trap” Gate’s concept, about the Roman streets Cardo and Decumanus, and about the road to Salona, the ancient Roman capital town.
  • Pjaca - The main square of the Medieval town Split.
    The City Hall building and many other beautiful palaces can be seen around this square.
  • Fruit’s Square (Trg Brace Radic) - Vocni trg (Fruit’s Square) is the second most important square of the medieval Split. It is the former market place.
    At the center of the square stands a statue of Marko Marulic, a prominent Croatian poet and humanist from the 15th century - the “Father of Croatian literature”.
  • Prokurative - Prokurative Square in Split, Croatia, is a beautiful open space surrounded by neo-Renaissance buildings, often hosting cultural events and outdoor performances. With its elegant architecture and bustling atmosphere, it is often compared to St. Mark’s Square in Venice, Italy, known for its stunning palaces and historic landmarks.
  • Prva Vidilica Na Marjanu - We will finish our tour on the breathtaking viewpoint located on the Marjan hill in Split. The name translates to “First Viewpoint on Marjan” and offers stunning panoramic views of the city, Adriatic Sea, coastal mountains and nearby islands. We will access it by a short 10-min hike or if you prefer, by taxi (extra cost).
  • Old Jewish Cemetery - Situated just by the Prva vidilica (the First Viewpoint) on the Marjan hill the Old Jewish cemetery in Split, Croatia dates back to the 16th century and is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe. The cemetery is small and compact, with around 700 graves, many of which are intricately decorated with stone carvings and Hebrew inscriptions.
    If interested, we can enter and explore the cemetery together.
What's Included
  • Custom-made program & tour organization
  • Flexible top-level licensed tour guide
Additional Information

Discover the hidden gems of Split on a 2-to-2.5-hour walking tour led by an expert local guide.

Wander through the ancient cellars and corridors of Emperor Diocletian’s 1700-year-old palace, explore secret alleys, medieval squares, city walls, and enjoy the stunning panoramic view from Marjan hill.

Throughout the tour, you’ll learn the captivating history of the renowned Roman emperor, his opulent palace, and its transformation into the medieval, modern, and contemporary city of Split…

  • Children must be accompanied by an adult (children under 11 y/o tour free of charge)
Location
Model of the historical core of the city of Split
Obala Hrvatskog narodnog preporoda
By the bronze model of the city at the City coastal promenade - Riva The bronze model of the city at the City coastal promenade - Riva - is located 20 m / 70 ft towards the sea, from the Southern Palace gate / exit from the Diocletian's basements.  Address: Obala hrvatskog narodnog preporoda 23
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
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(60 Ratings)
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Venkatram_k
Jun 12, 2024
Diocletian’s palace, and other sights! - We loved exploring Split and Diocletian’s palace with Boran!. He gave us interesting facts and tips and took extra time to answer our questions.
Review provided by Viator
_-meeshlou73
Jun 8, 2024
Awesome personal tour by Gita! - Gita was fantastic and gave us a very in-depth private tour of Split. She is very pleasant and personable and was able to avoid popular big tour routes as well as giving us wonderful, locally owned restaurant and shopping recommendations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Phil_s
May 29, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Private Tour of Split - Our tour guide Gita was INCREDIBLE! She has such great knowledge of the history of not only Split but also all of Croatia and surrounding countries. She had excellent restaurant and shopping recommendations and was such a pleasure to be with. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND GITA! You will not be disappointed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review provided by Viator
84reesew
Dec 29, 2023
Overall great experience - We had a great day touring with Matt. He was very receptive to our requests in terms of itinerary. He arrived on time and had a great knowledge of the history of Croatia which he shared with us. He was very pleasant throughout a full day visiting the Falls, wine tasting and delicious lunch. Highly recommended. Would not hesitate to book his services. Provided a wealth of information about other locations and restaurants for later in our stay.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Footprints603905
Dec 23, 2023
5 star tour guide !! - Matt was one of the best tour guides we have had. He is exceptionally knowledgeable, very engaging, and a great sense of humor. He went the extra mile by meeting us at our airbnb; he suggested restaurants and other things to do in Split. We highly recommend him. Definitely a 5 star
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Moltomdad
Dec 23, 2023
Excellent Tour - We really enjoyed our tour with Matt. He brought Split to life with his extensive knowledge and was able to answer all of our questions with ease. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Matt as a tour guide if you are interested in visiting Split.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Exploration484571
Dec 23, 2023
Cultural Croatia - Oh my! We learned so much about beautiful Croatia from Matt! He is a walking encyclopedia of historical facts from 3000 BC onwards. And he was patient to answer any questions, knows the best ice cream shops, restaurants and wines in both Split and Trogir. His English is excellent! I see why you love your area of the world.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Helencatherined
Dec 22, 2023
Fantastic! - Matt was an incredible guide! He was unbelievably knowledgeable and informative — we learned so much about Split's history. He was also so helpful in giving us recommendations for restaurants to eat and places to visit, both in Split and in other Croatian cities. Finally, Matt was so kind, doing everything to ensure everyone in our family enjoyed themselves. Cannot recommend enough!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
767sehras
Dec 19, 2023
Private tour with Matej - Matej is the most knowledgeable and friendly guide. We spent the day with him on a private boat tour in Croatia. Matej was able to give us the history of the islands and we enjoyed learning about Croatia. He went above and beyond and recommended restaurants and sites to visit in Hvar and for other cities along our way up the coast. Highly recommend him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richardmz9176pq
Dec 16, 2023
Wonderful tour of Trogir and Split - Our guide, Matt, is extremely knowledgeable who took extra time to show us the hidden treasures of Trogir and Split. He was very understanding that one of our party had physical limitations and worked with us to make sure the tour went smoothly. Would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
2 Adult
September 2024
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