The Best of Split Private Tour
Description
Hidden Gems & Diocletian Palace, Exclusive Split Private Tour Having traveled extensively worldwide, I understand what makes an exceptional private excursion. I design my tours for sophisticated global travellers who value nuance, deep conversation, and a seamless, world-class experience. Discover the Old Town of Split with all the delightful little secrets and anecdotes of this gorgeous Mediterranean city. We kick-off in style with the magnificent Diocletian's Palace in the heart of the Old Town and travel back to the ancient Roman Empire. We take a step into the rich cultural heritage of this vibrant city with its numerous palaces, quirky narrow streets and lively markets. Enjoy sharp, witty, and effortless conversation without any language barriers or stiff, scripted delivery.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Explore, discover and really get-to-know the Old Town of Split with all the delightful little secrets and anecdotes of this gorgeous Mediterranean city. We kick-off in style with the magnificent Diocletian's Palace in the heart of the Old Town and travel back to the ancient Roman Empire. We take a step into the rich cultural heritage of this vibrant city with its numerous palaces, quirky narrow streets and lively markets and artisan shops. Learn more about this UNESCO World Heritage site while taking a relaxing walk through the streets, squares and the grandiose Diocletian's Palace. As we stroll further along, hear stories of not only the past, but equally contemporary Split. Really absorb what makes this atmospheric and exciting city tick. Discover how the city's inhabitants lead a feel-good outdoor lifestyle throughout the year spending time at numerous squares, or on the main waterfront Riva.
Vestibule or the hall of Diocletian's apartments served as an integral part of the ceremonial access to the Emperor.
The cathedral in Split is accommodated in the former mausoleum of the emperor Diocletian, a monumental building from the 4th century. Built of massive stone blocks, the 24 m high mausoleum dominates teh central area if the palace.
A ceremonial entrance court, framed on both sides by monumental arcades and oriented towards the imperial loggia. Admire the stunning colonnaded square, one of the most beautiful ones on the Mediterranean.
Where do locals buy their fruit and vegetables? The best cheese and prosciutto? It is at this lively market that you experience a true local life.
Golden Gate, i.e. the northern gate is, the most prominent of all four gates of the palace. A little church of St. Martin was built into the very gate in the 5th century.
The statue is the work of one of the most famous Croatian sculptors -Ivan Mestrovic. The bronze statue depicts Grgur Ninski, the bishop from the beginning of the 10th century. Rub its toe for good luck!
Built into the western gate of the palace the clock is today among the most recognizable city's landmarks.
One of the most picturesque squares just outside the palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Learn about Marko Marulić, the father of Croatian literature whose statue is in the middle of the square.
Fruit Square is dominated by the remains of the 15th century Venetian castle
Prokurative or as it is officially called, Republic Square resembles the Venice St. Marks Square. The square is located west of the Riva and was named after the arches found on the neo-Renaissance buildings surrounding the square on three sides. Most people to this day know it by that name. The square is only open on the south side, providing a beautiful view of the harbour and the Riva (waterfront).
Considered the most beautiful promenade in Croatia, it is a meeting point of both locals and our visitors. Here we start and end our tour.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
The start time is on request since this is a private tour. If not arranged differently, the meeting point is 23 Hrvatskog narodnog preporoda Split by the bronze map of the city. This is at the main waterfront called Riva. WE MEET THE CRUISE SHIP GUESTS AT THE PORT. We also meet our guests at any apartment/hotel that is located in The Old Town of Split. For those staying outside the Old Town we meet them at the main waterfront called Riva as described in a meeting point section.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- With the travellers using strollers, wheelchairs and scooters the tour is adapted since the Old Town has areas with quite a few stairs. However, one can still see a lot and enjoy the tour despite not being able to access all points of interest.
Reviews(357)
We had an outstanding experience working with Jelena and Croatia Awaits during our trip to Croatia. From the beginning, Jelena was incredibly knowledgeable, responsive, and attentive to the details that made our trip so enjoyable. Jelena personally gave us a wonderful tour of Diocletian’s Palace and the Old Town of Split. Her knowledge of the history and culture of Split really brought the city to life. She also arranged a private tour of Trogir, which was another highlight of our time in Croatia. One of our favorite days was the excursion Jelena organized to Krka National Park and Bibich Winery. Everything was thoughtfully planned and flowed seamlessly, allowing us to simply relax and enjoy the experience. Jelena was also extremely helpful with restaurant recommendations in both Split and Hvar and even assisted us with making a reservation. She also gave us excellent advice on visiting Marjan Hill, which turned out to be a real highlight of our time in Split and something we never would have thought to do on our own. Her recommendations were consistently spot on and added so much to our trip. What impressed us most was the personal attention Jelena provided throughout the planning process. She clearly takes pride in creating special experiences for her clients, and her knowledge of Croatia and genuine enthusiasm for the country came through in everything she arranged for us. We would highly recommend Croatia Awaits and Jelena to anyone planning a trip to Croatia. She helped make our vacation truly special, and we would absolutely use her services again on a future visit.
Thank you for the wonderful review. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your stay in Croatia so much. It was a pleasure to create these unforgettable experiences for you. Thank you. Best wishes, Jelena Vrancic, CEO at Croatia Awaits
Jelena is an excellent tour guide - fun, kind, knowledgeable, professional, and more. I highly recommend using her for anything during your visit to Croatia!
Thank you, dear Lisa. I really appreciate the wonderful review. It was a joy to have met you all and show you Split. Thank you once again. Best wishes, Jelena Vrancic @ Croatia Awaits
Jelena hooked us up with the best trip ever! It was my 60th birthday and it was the best birthday because of the guides, the boat operators, the boats, the dinner's, hotels. like the best ever! She is totally responsive w/in minutes and is totally AWESOME!
Thank you so much for the lovely review. We loved having you for our guests. It is so nice to read these lines and know that you enjoyed your experiences, hotels, guides, drivers--all that we planned for your 60th birtday celebration in Croatia. Hope you visit again! Thank you. All the best, Jelena Vrancic @Croatia Awaits
Jelena is an absolutely amazing tour guide. She is extremely smart and funny and can tell you everything you need to know about the city. Can not recommend her enough. You’re lucky if you get a chance to book with her!
Thank you, Ross. It has been an absolute pleasure to have met you both and show you Split during my private Best of Split walking tour. I appreciate a wonderful review. Wishing you all the best, Jelena Vrancic @Croatia Awaits
Jelena is so good. We had 2 teenagers with us, and she was always engaging with them. She worked had to keep their attention. Her energy and smile are infectious. She took us to her favorite coffee shop in town. And we stopped for some chocolate along the way…for the kids. Book with Jelena.
Thank you, Tim. I loved how interested in history of the palace all of you were. I truly enjoyed showing you the city. Coffee and chocolate are always nice to take a short break and have a little chat. Enjoy Hvar! All the best to you all! Jelena @Croatia Awaits
We had a phenomenal experience with Jelena!! Our family engaged her to give us a tour of Diocletian's Palace in Split...it was AMAZING!!! Jelena is very knowledgeable, very accommodating and just a pleasure to be around. We have 4 kids ages 23, 21, 19, 11 and all were intrigued and learned so much! She also helped us with a referral for private guide in Dubrovnik. We would highly recommend Jelena!!! She is wonderful!
Thank you, Justin. The pleasure was all mine. I loved showing you the city. It makes me so happy you enjoyed the tour. All the best to you and your family. Jelena @ Croatia Awaits
Jelena lead us through Diocletian’s Palace and central city. She is knowledgable, entertaining and engaging. Our family had a fantastic time with her. She took time to explain the fascinating history of the area, answered all of our questions, and made special detours to show aspects (and treats!) that she thought our family would especially like. After the tour she offered a number of restaurant and activities for us to try during the rest of our time in Croatia. I can’t recommend this tour and Jelena enough. It was absolutely wonderful.
Thank you for the most wonderful review. I loved meeting you all and showing you Split. I am delighted that you enjoyed my tour so much. Wishing you a lovely remainder of your holiday in Croatia. Jelena @ Croatia Awaits
Meeting Jelena from Croatia Awaits after several months of correspondence from the USA was like meeting our long-lost sister. She helped us more than we could imagine in planning a fabulous trip to Croatia. Her kindness, knowledge and caring about what we did and all the fabulous details she attended to for us was just unbelievable. She set us up at the most beautiful hotel (Cornaro- where they welcomed us with open arms and took care of us like we were family), a wonderful, safe, driver who took us from Split to Dubrovnik and back again and then set us up with our tour guide, Natasha who spent the day with us giving a magical tour of Split. We felt so well cared for all day as Natasha knew so much about Split and all its history. She could recommend anything we asked for and was so helpful in our understanding of this beautiful city so rich in history. Jelena was unable to be our tour guide that day but made a special effort to come to the hotel to have tea with us since we had not met yet. This meant the world to us considering we had been communicating with her for so many months, so we thought that was over the top professional and wonderful of her. This trip to Croatia was one of the most fantastic trips we have taken in our lives. The culture, the water, the food, the people, the kindness expressed to all of us from every guide, hotel reservationist, driver, and restaurateur was so appreciated by all of us. All of these experiences would not have happened with Jelena at Croatia Awaits and we will send everyone we know going to Croatia her contact information. We can never thank her enough for making sure we had the trip of a lifetime, and we will always hold the whole trip close to our hearts forever because of her expertise about Croatia.
Thank you, Linda. It was a pleasure! we loved having you for our guests. I am delighted Croatia made such an impression. Hope to have you as our guests again. Thank you so much once again. Jelena@Croatia Awaits
We absolutely loved our tour with Jelena. We have traveled a lot as a family and all agree that she is the best tour guide we have had ! We had adults as well as children in our group. She did so well making it enjoyable for adults and the kids too. My kids had so much fun and were sad when the tour was over. We have already shared Jelena‘s information with our family and friends. She is the best of the best and we learned so much about Split! This is a must-do for anyone visiting Split!
Thank you. I appreciate these wonderful words. It was a joy to have met you all and show you Split! It makes me happy it was an enjoyable experience to you all. Best wishes, Jelena Vrancic @Croatia Awaits
We had an absolutely wonderful tour of Split, Croatia, with Vicencija, booked by Jelena Vrancic through her company Croatia Awaits. This was a trip with my family. Our daughter has limited mobility, and she uses a wheelchair. The guide, Vicencija, was excellent. She was very informative and interactive with all of us. Her English was great, and her knowledge of all things Croatia was even better. Also, I must also give the highest regard and recommendation to use the services of Croatia Awaits (Jelena). Jelena helped us with every step of our trip in Croatia (transfers from the airport, hotel recommendations, and dining options). For the family with a child with physical disabilities, her service and attention to detail were superb. The whole experience was 5-star. Highly recommended.
Thank you so much for the wonderful review. We loved having you for our guests. It was a true pleasure. I hope you are enjoying the cruise now. Best wishes to you all. Jelena Vrancic @ Croatia Awiats
