Split History Walking Tour - Rome away from Rome (small group)
- 1h 30m
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Explore Diocletian’s Palace and Split Old Town on this 1.5-hour walking tour, available both in the morning and afternoon. Join a small group and discover the UNESCO-listed Roman palace that became the heart of modern-day Split. Your licensed local guide will lead you through ancient streets, underground cellars, the Peristyle, Temple of Jupiter, and more. Along the way, visit famous landmarks like the statue of Gregory of Nin—whose golden toe is said to bring luck—and the monument to Marko Marulić, the father of Croatian literature. Whether you choose a cooler morning tour or a quieter afternoon experience, this small-group walk offers a perfect blend of history, culture, and local insight. At the end of the tour, if desired, guide will share personalized tips for where to eat, drink, relax, or explore more around Split. Perfect for first-time visitors, cruise passengers, or anyone wanting to learn more about Split’s rich heritage. Book now and walk through 1,700 years of history!
Inclusions
What's included
- Sightseeing of 1700 years old Diocletian's palace - a world heritage site protected by UNESCO
- Professional and licensed tour guide who is a local and lives in Split
What's not
- Gratuities
Itinerary
After meeting with your guide, discover how and why Split's promenade transformed from a Palace's waterfront into our living room that has such an important status for every local resident.
Even by exploring just the central part of Diocletian palace's substructures known as Palace's cellars, you will understand why they are considered the best preserved vaulted complex of the late antiquity in the whole world.
Prepare yourself to go back through time, as you step into this breathtaking square. Surrounded with columns, you will grasp the feeling what was it like to participate in adoration of an empereor that would show up under Protiron, exiting from Vestibule. Explore how Cardo and Decumanus (two main streets) were transformed through centuries by different architectural styles.
Just a few steps from Peristyle lays hidden between houses this beautiful piece of an antiquity. When you lay your eyes on it, you will understand why the British architect Robert Adam, who visited Split in 18 century, placed it on the list of the most beautiful monuments in Europe. Visit to its interior is available for an additional fee.
Whether you are entering from Peristyle or Cryptoporticus direction, this circular building with open celling, will amaze you with its look and acoustics. Serving as a lobby to Diocletian's residential quarters, its main objective to impress the visitors is still fulfilled today, as it was centuries ago. Because its great acoustics, frequently is used by various klapa, an "a capella" singing groups that preserve Dalmatian style of singing, singing that is protected as world heritage by UNESCO.
As you step into what is left of an emperor's dining room, you will have a glimpse of a roman style of dining. How and what they ate, and why they visited vomitorium so frequently, will be explained to you so you can truly understand the meaning of a phrase: "Carpe Diem!"
Discover how Diocletian's Mausoleum became an impressive cathedral with the most elegant bell tower on the Dalmatian coast.
As you step into propugnaculum, you will see why it wasn't so easy to enter the palace that was built as a military camp as well. Except the monumental gates, you will also see the best preserved wall of the palace and discover where the oldest chapel in Split is hidden.
Except of being a great place for photos, you will encounter the famous statute of Gregory of Nin. When you see it, you will understand why its author Ivan Meštrović is considered one of the best world's sculptors. A legend says that your wish will come true if you touch his golden toe, so don't be shy, go for it, and grab a photo while doing that!
A town square that changed its name several times through its history, today is the main square of the old town. Explore the layers of rich architecture on this lively square, along with its turbulent history.
On this lovely square, you will see the most beautiful example of baroque style architecture in Split. Enjoy the stories of how Venetian republic protected Split from Otoman empire attacks and what role Marko Marulić (the father of Croatian literature) had in that.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 546
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Ratings come from 46 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
- Meeting point
- Next to the sign with big red letters that spells out the city name - SPLIT, behind the bus terminal for tourist buses. When you turn your back to the restaurant called Terminal F, you will see the southeast tower of Diocletian's palace and entrance into the parking lot at Riva promenade.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 10 travellers
- Operated by
- Private Tourist Guide Croatia
- 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
How it compares in Split
- Its from-price is 92% below the median of the 1250 experiences we list in Split.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 220 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).
Special offers in Split
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
