Split Diocletian Palace Highlights - Private walking tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. We start our tour at the Riva, the promenade of Split. Tourists and locals enjoy the sun here in one of the numerous cafes and restaurants. It's "see and be seen" here.

   10 min

2. Diocletian's Palace was built and inhabited by the eponymous Roman Emperor Diocletian over 1700 years ago. Today the palace is not a museum in the classical sense. Inside the palace walls there are houses and stores and there is a bustle of activity.

   15 min

3. Through the south gate we enter the cellars of the palace. The cellars, like the palace, were built more than 1700 years ago and are very well preserved. Here we get a very good impression of what dimensions the palace had.

   5 min

4. The Peristyle was the sacral meeting place in the time of Diocletian. Here he showed himself to his subjects and had himself worshipped as the son of the Roman god Jupiter.

   10 min

5. Split Cathedral was for some time the mausoleum of the late Emperor Diocletian. In the course of Christianization the coffin and mortal remains of the emperor disappeared and the pagan mausoleum became a Christian cathedral. We will have a look at the cathedral from the outside. There is no entrance fee to pay.

   5 min

6. The Silver Gate is the east gate of the palace. It was walled up several times over the centuries and was reopened in the 1940s. Today the gate leads to the market, where local products are offered.

   5 min

7. Triclinium is Latin and means dining room. Here Diocletian dined with his guests. On the table were mainly Mediterranean dishes. Besides local wine and fish, honey was also very popular. Often up to 20 different courses were served in one evening.

   10 min

8. The vestibule was the entrance area to Diocletian's private chambers.

   5 min

9. The temple of Jupiter is now a baptistery. We will have a look at the temple from the outside. There is no entrance fee.

   5 min

10. The Iron Gate is the west gate of the palace. Like the North and East Gates, the West Gate was built as a double gate, called Propugnaculum. In the area between the two gates, the enemy could be trapped and hit with stones, arrows and hot oil. Leaving the gate, we enter the beautiful square "Pjaca".

    5 min

11. The north gate of the palace was the most important gate in Roman times. From here the road led to the city of Salona, the capital of the Roman province.

    5 min

12. On the east side of the palace is the Green Market. Every day fresh fruits, vegetables and also other traditional foods are sold here.

    5 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 36 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Split

• Its from-price is 43% below the median of the 1250 experiences we list in Split.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 251 of 1250.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Split

Split is a busy Dalmatian port built within and around a Roman emperor's palace, with ferries to some of Croatia's loveliest islands.

Diocletian's Palace, built around the turn of the fourth century as the emperor's retirement home, is the old town itself: its walls, cellars and courtyards hold homes, shops and cafés. The Peristyle, the colonnaded heart, leads to the Cathedral of St Domnius, once the emperor's mausoleum, and its bell tower gives views over the rooftops.

Top-ranked sights in Split: Budikovac Island (Veliki Budikovac), Blue Lagoon Croatia (Krknjasi Bay), Peristyle Square (Peristil).

See all 1250 experiences in Split