Land in Split and settle into the old town
Arrive at Split Airport (Resnik)
This itinerary assumes high summer (roughly late June to early September), when the sea is warm, the nightlife is in full swing and ferries run at their most frequent. Split's airport is in Kaštela, about 25 km from the centre; a taxi is around €30 and takes 30–40 minutes, or the airport shuttle bus runs shortly after most arrivals. For a group, splitting two taxis is usually the least painful option with luggage. Book flights →
Check in near the old town
Base yourselves within walking distance of Diocletian's Palace so nobody needs a taxi to get home after a night out. Apartments around Varoš or the Riva keep a group together and close to the action. Search hotels →
Diocletian's Palace and the Cathedral bell tower
Split's old town is built inside a Roman emperor's 4th-century palace, so you wander a living maze of alleys, cafés and stone courtyards rather than a museum. Climb the bell tower of the Cathedral of St Domnius for a first view over the terracotta rooftops, and let a guide join the dots on the Roman cellars and Peristyle square. Search old town walking tour in Split on GetYourGuide →
Sunset drinks on the Riva
The palm-lined Riva promenade is where Split comes out to stroll before dinner. Grab a table, order the first round and watch the harbour empty of day-trip ferries. It is a gentle first evening to shake off the travel.
First night in the Palace bar maze
The lanes inside the Palace hide dozens of small bars tucked between stone walls, from craft-cocktail rooms to loud, cheap-and-cheerful spots. Wander until you find one the group likes rather than committing early. One heads-up for summer 2026: Split is bringing in restrictions on late-night alcohol sales in shops (a proposed retail ban roughly 21:00 to 06:00 over the peak months), so if you want drinks back at the apartment, buy them earlier in the day, bars and restaurants are not affected.
Split beach day and a late night at Bačvice
Walk up Marjan hill
The forested Marjan peninsula rises straight above the old town, with a set of stepped paths and a café terrace near the top looking back over the city and out to the islands. It is a 20–30 minute climb from Varoš and a good way to blow away the first night before the heat builds. Go earlier if the group is feeling delicate.
Lunch at Matejuška fishermen's harbour
Come down to the little Matejuška harbour just west of the Riva, where fishing boats still tie up and casual konobas serve grilled fish and cold beer. It is a relaxed, un-touristy spot to refuel a hungry group before the beach.
Bačvice beach and a game of picigin
Bačvice is Split's famous sandy-shingle bay, a short walk east of the centre, and it is shallow enough to wade a long way out. Locals play picigin here, a Split-invented game of keeping a small ball off the water with acrobatic dives, and joining in is half the fun for a group.
Drinks at Žbirac beach bar
Žbirac sits right on Bačvice a few metres from the sea and is a Split institution for an afternoon spritz with your feet almost in the water. It is the natural place to drift from beach mode into evening mode without moving far.
Bačvice nightlife strip
After dark the crescent of bars and clubs around Bačvice becomes Split's main party zone, with open-air terraces on the sand running from late until close to sunrise in peak season. It is walkable back to the old town, which keeps the group together and the taxi bill down.
Catamaran to Hvar and a fortress sunset
Morning catamaran to Hvar Town
Jadrolinija and Krilo (Kapetan Luka) both run fast passenger catamarans from Split to Hvar Town, and the crossing takes around an hour. In summer there are many departures a day, but they sell out with groups and day-trippers, so book your foot-passenger tickets online a day or two ahead and arrive at the Split ferry terminal in good time.
Check in and drop bags in Hvar Town
Hvar Town's centre is pedestrian and compact, so a place near the harbour or St Stephen's Square keeps everyone close to the bars and the boat back. Book early for summer, as Hvar fills up fast. Search hotels →
St Stephen's Square and the harbour
The main square is the largest old square in Dalmatia, opening onto the cathedral at one end and the yacht-lined harbour at the other. Wander the marble lanes, find a lunch spot in the shade and get your bearings before the afternoon heat.
Walk up to the Fortica (Španjola)
The hilltop fortress above town is a 20-minute climb up stone steps and through a park, and the entrance is around €10. From the ramparts you get the classic view over Hvar's rooftops and out to the Pakleni Islands scattered across the water, best in the softening late-afternoon light.
Sunset session at Hula Hula
Hula Hula is Hvar's best-known beach bar, a short walk west of the harbour, famous for its sunset sessions where the whole terrace is on its feet as the sky goes pink. Get there before the sun drops to claim space for the group.
Kiva Bar and a harbour-front nightcap
Kiva Bar is the small, loud harbour-side classic that packs out by late evening, a rite of passage for a Hvar night out. If you want something more composed to end on, the original Carpe Diem cocktail bar at the end of the harbour makes properly good drinks and runs to around 02:00.
Pakleni Islands boat day
Taxi boat to the Pakleni Islands
Small taxi boats leave Hvar's harbour every 20–30 minutes in summer for the Pakleni (Paklinski) Islands just offshore, a 10–15 minute hop, with a return ticket around €8–15 depending on the island. For a group who want more freedom to move between coves and swim stops, a half-day chartered boat tour is worth pricing up. Search Pakleni Islands boat tour in Hvar on GetYourGuide →
Beach and lunch at Palmižana
Palmižana bay on Sveti Klement, the largest of the Pakleni Islands, has a sheltered swimming bay ringed by restaurants with terraces over the water. It is the easiest island to spend a whole day on with a group, with sunbeds, food and drinks all in one place.
Swim and snorkel the clear coves
The water around the Pakleni Islands is famously clear and calm, ideal for an afternoon of swimming and snorkelling. Jerolim, the closest island to Hvar, is quieter and greener if you fancy a change of scene on the way back.
Taxi boat back to Hvar
Head back on an afternoon taxi boat in time to rinse off before dinner. Check the last return time with your skipper when you arrive so nobody gets stranded on the island.
Dinner and a second Hvar night
Hvar Town keeps going well after dinner, so eat somewhere in the old-town lanes and then rejoin the bar circuit around the harbour at your own pace. This is the island's big-night town, so make the most of it before you move on to quieter Vis.
Catamaran to Vis and sunset at Fort George
Catamaran from Hvar to Vis Town
Krilo's fast catamaran on the Split–Milna–Hvar–Vis line links Hvar Town directly to Vis Town in roughly 30–50 minutes. In summer it runs most days rather than every day, so check the current schedule and book ahead; if the timing does not line up, the fallback is a catamaran back to Split and straight on to Vis. Vis feels a world away from Hvar, more low-key and local.
Check in at Vis Town
Vis Town wraps around a wide bay, with the old Kut quarter at its eastern end. Somewhere central keeps you walkable to the waterfront restaurants and the fort. Search hotels →
Lunch in the Kut quarter
Kut is the atmospheric old part of Vis Town, a cluster of stone lanes and faded Venetian houses with some of the island's best konobas. Vis is quietly known for good food and wine, so this is a lunch to linger over.
Wander the Vis waterfront
Spend the afternoon at an easy pace along the bay, swimming off the town beaches and drifting between waterfront cafés. Vis was closed to tourism for decades as a military island, which is partly why it still feels unhurried.
Sunset at Fort George
Fort George is a restored British-built fortress on the headland above Vis Town, now with a bar and terrace that make it one of the island's best sunset spots. It is a short taxi or a steady uphill walk, and a mellow contrast to Hvar's louder nights.
Blue Cave, Stiniva and Komiža
Boat tour to the Blue Cave on Biševo
The Blue Cave (Modra špilja) on the islet of Biševo glows an electric blue when sunlight refracts through an underwater opening, best between about 11:00 and 14:00. Tours run from Komiža and Vis Town; entry into the cave is by small licensed boat only and can be closed in choppy seas, so pick an operator who will rebook you if conditions turn. Search Blue Cave boat tour in Vis on GetYourGuide →
Swim stop at Stiniva beach
Stiniva is a dramatic pebble cove almost enclosed by high cliffs, reached through a narrow gap in the rock and often on the same boat itineraries as the caves. It is regularly named one of Europe's most beautiful beaches, and arriving by boat sidesteps the steep clifftop hike down.
Green Cave and a snorkel
Many tours also take in the Green Cave off nearby Ravnik, where you can usually swim inside as light filters green through the water. It is a good final swim stop before heading back to shore.
Afternoon in Komiža
Komiža is Vis's old fishing town on the western side of the island, about 20 minutes from Vis Town, with a tight harbour, a Venetian tower and easy waterfront bars. It is a lovely place to dry off and have a drink as the fishing boats come and go.
Farewell island dinner
Round off the islands with dinner on the water in Komiža or back in Vis Town. Vis is a fitting last stop, all quiet harbours and good food after the noise of Hvar, and an easy final night before the trip home.
Catamaran back to Split and home
Morning catamaran to Split
A morning fast catamaran runs from Vis Town back to Split in around 1 hour 10 minutes when direct; some sailings stop at Brač or Hvar en route and take closer to two hours. Book foot-passenger tickets ahead in summer and confirm the exact departure the night before, as schedules shift through the season. If you need a car ferry with luggage flexibility, Jadrolinija's conventional ferry does the same route in about 2 hours 20 minutes.
Last coffee and a swim in Split
Back on the Riva there is usually time for a final coffee and a last dip before you head for the airport. If bags are the issue, most old-town apartments and a few cafés will hold luggage for a couple of hours.
Transfer to Split Airport for departure
Allow 30–40 minutes for a taxi back out to the airport in Kaštela, or a little longer for the shuttle bus, plus a buffer for summer traffic and check-in queues. Split's small terminal gets busy at peak times, so do not cut it fine. Book flights →