# 8 Things Guys Should Do in Split, Croatia (Not Just the Cruise Stop) *By James Hills — Updated July 2026* Most guys meet Split the same way: a few hours off a cruise ship, a quick walk through the old town, and back on board before dinner. That first taste is enough to tell you Croatia's second-largest city deserves more than a port stop. Come back with a few buddies and Split turns into one of the best guys trips on the Adriatic. **Questions****What You Miss If You Only Visit For A Cruise Stop****Article Index** ** No answer selected. Please try again. Please select either existing option or enter your own, however not both. Please select minimum {0} answer(s). Please select maximum {0} answer(s). /polls/travel-and-trip-ideas/what-do-you-prefer-to-call-your-guys-trips.html?task=poll.vote&format=json 1 Guys Trips (567 votes / 44.16%) 44.16% votes Guys Getaways (130 votes / 10.12%) 10.12% votes Mancations (118 votes / 9.19%) 9.19% votes Brocations (167 votes / 13.01%) 13.01% votes [{"id":5,"title":"Guys Weekends","votes":302,"type":"x","order":1,"pct":23.519999999999999573674358543939888477325439453125,"resources":[]},{"id":6,"title":"Guys Trips","votes":567,"type":"x","order":2,"pct":44.159999999999996589394868351519107818603515625,"resources":[]},{"id":7,"title":"Guys Getaways","votes":130,"type":"x","order":3,"pct":10.1199999999999992184029906638897955417633056640625,"resources":[]},{"id":8,"title":"Mancations","votes":118,"type":"x","order":4,"pct":9.1899999999999995026200849679298698902130126953125,"resources":[]},{"id":9,"title":"Brocations","votes":167,"type":"x","order":5,"pct":13.0099999999999997868371792719699442386627197265625,"resources":[]}] ["#ff5b00","#4ac0f2","#b80028","#eef66c","#60bb22","#b96a9a","#62c2cc"] ["rgba(255,91,0,0.7)","rgba(74,192,242,0.7)","rgba(184,0,40,0.7)","rgba(238,246,108,0.7)","rgba(96,187,34,0.7)","rgba(185,106,154,0.7)","rgba(98,194,204,0.7)"] 350 ** Vote Now** Vote Form** ResultVotes A cruise stop gives you Split's highlight reel. A full trip gives you everything the highlight reel skips. - The islands. Hvar, Brac, and the Pakleni archipelago are a short boat ride away and impossible to reach on a half-day in port. - The long dinner. Dalmatian food is built around slow, multi-course meals that a back-on-board deadline never allows. - The night. Split's Riva promenade and the bars tucked into the old town only wake up after the day-trippers leave. - A Hajduk Split match. The Torcida supporters at Poljud Stadium put on one of the loudest shows in European football. - The day trips. Trogir, Krka Waterfalls, and the Blue Cave all sit within easy reach once you have more than an afternoon. 1. [Get Lost Inside Diocletian's Palace](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/things-guys-should-do-in-split-croatia.html#get-lost-inside-diocletian's-palace) 2. [Climb the Bell Tower of St. Domnius Cathedral](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/things-guys-should-do-in-split-croatia.html#climb-the-bell-tower-of-st.-domnius-cathedral) 3. [Hike Marjan Hill for the Best View of the City](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/things-guys-should-do-in-split-croatia.html#hike-marjan-hill-for-the-best-view-of-the-city) 4. [Eat and Drink Your Way Through the Old Town](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/things-guys-should-do-in-split-croatia.html#eat-and-drink-your-way-through-the-old-town) 5. [Island-Hop to Hvar, Brac, and the Pakleni Islands](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/things-guys-should-do-in-split-croatia.html#island-hop-to-hvar,-brac,-and-the-pakleni-islands) 6. [Swim at Bacvice and Learn Picigin](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/things-guys-should-do-in-split-croatia.html#swim-at-bacvice-and-learn-picigin) 7. [Catch a Hajduk Split Match at Poljud](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/things-guys-should-do-in-split-croatia.html#catch-a-hajduk-split-match-at-poljud) 8. [Take a Day Trip to Trogir, Krka Waterfalls, or the Blue Cave](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/things-guys-should-do-in-split-croatia.html#take-a-day-trip-to-trogir,-krka-waterfalls,-or-the-blue-cave) 9. [Split is Worth Turning the Port Stop Into A Longer Guys Trip!](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/things-guys-should-do-in-split-croatia.html#turn-the-port-stop-into-the-trip)   Split makes an easy base for all of it. The old town packs Roman ruins, waterfront cafes, seafood counters, wine bars, and even a proper [steakhouse in Split Old Town](https://bajamonti.com/steakhouse-split/) into a few walkable blocks, so you are never far from your next meal or your next drink. Here are eight things worth doing once you give the city the time it deserves. ## Get Lost Inside Diocletian's Palace Split's old town is not next to a Roman palace, it is inside one. Emperor Diocletian built his retirement palace here around 300 AD, and the city grew up within the walls, so today you walk through 1,700-year-old stone gates to reach apartments, bars, and shops. Start at the Peristyle, the central courtyard, then wander the maze of narrow lanes with no particular plan. Go early or late in the day to beat the tour groups pouring off the ships. ## Climb the Bell Tower of St. Domnius Cathedral For the best view inside the old town, climb the bell tower of the Cathedral of St. Domnius. The cathedral was Diocletian's mausoleum before it became a church, which makes it one of the oldest buildings still used for worship anywhere in the world. The climb is steep and the steps are open and a little exposed, so skip it if you hate heights. The payoff at the top is a straight-down look at the red rooftops, the Riva, and a harbor full of ferries and yachts. ## Hike Marjan Hill for the Best View of the City When the old town starts to feel crowded, walk it off on Marjan Hill. This forested peninsula on the western edge of town is where locals go to run, cycle, and escape the summer heat, and a set of stone stairs behind the Varos neighborhood gets you up fast. From the viewpoints near the top you can see the whole city, the surrounding islands, and the Adriatic stretching south. Bring water in summer and go in the morning before the sun is overhead. ## Eat and Drink Your Way Through the Old Town Split earns a return trip on the food alone. Grilled fish, black risotto, and octopus come straight off the Adriatic, while inland Dalmatian cooking brings slow-cooked pasticada and peka, meat and vegetables baked for hours under a metal bell. Pair it with a glass of Plavac Mali, the bold local red, or a crisp Posip if you are leaning toward seafood. A cruise schedule forces you to rush this. A [guys trip](https://www.mantripping.com/guys-trip.html) lets you settle in for the long, lazy dinners that Split does best. ## Island-Hop to Hvar, Brac, and the Pakleni Islands The islands are the single biggest thing a port day cannot give you. Fast catamarans and organized boat tours run from Split's harbor out to Hvar, the party island with a Venetian old town and a hilltop fortress; Brac, home to the famous Zlatni Rat beach; and the tiny Pakleni Islands, a string of coves made for swimming and long lunches at anchor. Most guys groups make a full day of it, hitting two or three stops with drinks and lunch included. 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It is the home of picigin, a game where players stand in ankle-deep water and keep a small ball in the air with their hands, diving after it into the sand. It looks ridiculous and it is genuinely fun after a couple of beers. Bacvice also turns into a nightlife spot after dark, with bars sitting right on the beach. ## Catch a Hajduk Split Match at Poljud Few things say Split like a Hajduk match. The city's football club is a genuine obsession, and its supporters, the Torcida, are one of the oldest and most passionate fan groups in Europe. On a match day at Poljud Stadium the noise, the flares, and the chanting turn a simple game into an event you will talk about for years. Check the schedule before you book, because catching a home game is the kind of local experience no cruise excursion sells. ## Take a Day Trip to Trogir, Krka Waterfalls, or the Blue Cave Split is also the launch pad for some of Dalmatia's best day trips. Trogir, a tiny UNESCO-listed old town on its own island, sits about 30 minutes up the coast. Krka National Park, roughly an hour away, lets you walk boardwalks over a chain of waterfalls. Boat tours run out to the Blue Cave on Bisevo, where the midday light turns the water an electric blue. Any one of these fills a day you would never have on a cruise stopover. ## Split is Worth Turning the Port Stop Into A Longer Guys Trip! So use that cruise stop for what it is, a preview, and come back with your buddies for three or four nights of your own. Fly straight into Split's airport, base yourself in an old-town apartment so everything stays on foot, and build the trip around two or three big days - an island boat run, a Hajduk home match, one dinner that goes long past midnight - with the rest left open. Aim for late May or September and you get warm water and quiet lunches without the peak-summer cruise crowds you were trying to get away from in the first place. 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