Planning anything this year has proven to be almost impossible! The year has been everything but regular: restrictions, regulations, even weather conditions can be summed up by one word: unpredictable.
In May, we were still not sure if we would even work. But then the borders opened, and we got all excited about preparing for the season. We thought about what to offer, and realized what people will want in 2020: private tours! That’s it…preparations started and we were pumped up for the private tours to take off. Understandably, we were wrong… of course you cannot predict anything in an unpredictable year!
We learned that our guests still wanted the social interaction and the fun of the group tours (and the affordability too), but in the safer and more controlled way than before. The only way to work out what works with ever changing regulations was to listen to our guests, and try to get as much feedback as possible. Hats down to all the organizers who run the tours with losses regardless of how many people attended to make our guests holidays the best possible!
We still prefer the interactions of the organized group tours!
After getting valuable feedback from our June and July guests and tour operators, we present you the list of the top 5 day tours from Split for August 2020, chosen by the ones who know best – our guests:
BOAT TOURS
Most of our travelers visit Croatia to enjoy its magnificent coast, and swim and sunbathe in the hidden bays of one of the Croatian islands. This year is unique as you can enjoy the nature as it really is with less motorboats and less people around. If you come to Split in 2020, we suggest you grab this opportunity to the fullest!
THE BLUE LAGOON TOUR
Blue Lagoon, as the name suggests, is a turquoise paradise – a set of little islets surrounded by the sea in all shades of blue. This is the place you go to for snorkeling and swimming, and taking postcard like photos for your Instagram!
There are two Blue Lagoon tour options from Split: one is a half-day tour and is performed on a speedboat, and the other one is a full-day leisure boat all-inclusive tour!
The half-day Blue lagoon tour is mostly only available in the afternoons this year. So, if you like to sleep in a bit, this is your tour!
The speedboat picks you up from the Riva Promenade in Split and off you go. Keep in mind, this is an open boat that goes full speed: cover up if you have sun allergies and make sure you drink enough water. You will be in the sun most of the time on this 5-hour tour.
It is amazing how much you can fit in 5 hours. First – coffee and a stroll in beautiful historical town Trogir. Trogir is known as a ‘town museum’ and the whole Old town is under UNESCO protection. The charming narrow streets are ideal for strolling and visiting gelato and cake shops. We suggest choosing a nice café and relax after a stroll through Trogir streets.
The rest of your trip will be all about swimming and snorkeling. At the Blue Lagoon, this is all you will do! There are a few cafes and restaurants there, but this year many of those did not open – so you can enjoy splashing in the Adriatic for the full 1.5 hours.
At Šolta island, you will have the opportunity to visit a typical Dalmatian island village: small esplanade with cafes and restaurants, beaches, ice cream shops, lovely stone houses with Mediterranean gardens…
All in all – you will feel like you’ve seen so much on this ½ day tour!
The second option for this tour is a full-day trip on a leisure boat with lunch, drinks and lots of space to sunbathe on the boat itself.
You will visit two locations on the island Šolta: one is a place where you get to snorkel over the sunken boat, and another one is the lovely Maslinica village (same as on the speedboat tour). And then of course, off to the Blue lagoon! Fresh fish, chicken and veggies will be grilled on the boat for lunch, and you can pick whichever you like best. A few side dishes and water, juice & wine are all included in the price.
The boat has sunchairs on the top deck, and tables and chairs in the shade downstairs. If you choose Korsaro boat (we operate this tour on a few boats, and they go on alternative days) – you will be able to look at the sea life through the glass bottom! Great for those traveling with kids!
HVAR & PAKLENI ON SUMMER BLUES
This boat speaks for itself. When you look at the picture and imagine yourself lying on the nets with the crystal blue sea below you, with a drink (and maybe a book) in your hands…who could resist!
This sailing mega catamaran is amazing, and is the only one of this kind in Split.
The tour takes you to 4 of the most popular Croatian islands: Šolta, Hvar, Pakleni islands and Brač. Wow! At Šolta and Brač islands you stop in one of the beautiful bays, and swim in the open sea, far from the busy beaches.
What we like about this tour is that you get enough time in Hvar town to have a good look at this beautiful place. The rest of the tour is mostly about swimming, sunbathing, enjoying nature. So, in Hvar you can dedicate some time to exploring, sightseeing, and a coffee or ice cream in one of the cafes on the esplanade.
Short guided tour of Hvar town is also included (you can skip it if this is not your thing). We found it informative and interesting – and we still had plenty of time to explore on our own. We’ve learned that the dactylography-a method of solving crime cases with the fingerprints was invented by Ivan Vučetić, born in Hvar town! We saw the oldest theatre in Europe also located in Hvar town, and learned about the art of making lace from agave leaves done by nuns in Hvar. Impressive! We also heard a bit of gossip about prince Harry and Beyoncé’s holiday in Hvar!
Pakleni islands will impress you with its hidden bays, deserted lagoons and thick pine trees that provide much needed shade on sunny days.
Don’t worry about food or drinks as you get breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack on this boat, and an open bar all day! You will get sandwiches & prepacked chicken or veggie salad plus some fruit and cakes. It is not first-class restaurant food, but you will be full and you will definitely explore the best of the Croatian coast in the best possible way!
SPLIT DAY SAILING
Sailing is a synonym for the Croatian coast. No wonder, because there are so many islands and islets, restaurants at isolated bays, hidden beaches, small picturesque villages…sailing in Croatia is a dream!
Many people think that you need lots of time and money for sailing. But you can try this amazing sea activity if you only have one day in Split, and if you are travelling on a budget!
Sailing is available every day as a half day (4 hours), or a full day tour (7 hours). Sailing is all about freedom, fun, wind and excitement – so there is no a set route for this tour. You visit Brač, Šolta or Čiovo islands. Depending on the wind and weather conditions, the stops are different from day to day. But don’t worry, there will be plenty of opportunities for swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing.
Wine and snacks are served on the half day tour, and on a full day tour you also get a lovely lunch that you eat on the boat.
This year we’ve had very small groups, and even if the boat is full there will be no more than 10 people. Ideal for 2020 travelling conditions!
NATURE TOURS
KRKA WATERFALLS
The only complaint we ever get from our guests about the Krka Waterfalls tour is that it is overcrowded. Unfortunately, we can’t do anything about this. Krka is an amazing gift from nature, and very close to Split-and everyone wants to see it!
But – this year you don’t have to worry about this. There is less people in the park and this is great for the visitors. Grab this opportunity in 2020 and take a peaceful stroll through the natural walking paths of the park, and the opportunity to swim near the massive waterfalls. From next year this will not be possible any more as the authorities are trying to preserve the beautiful natural site, so this is the last opportunity to jump in the cool water of Krka and take that famous photo near the waterfalls.
We offer two options for Krka tour: one with the guide, boat ride and a visit to Skradin, and the other one is just a bus transfer to and back from the park.
The Krka & Skradin tour is, in our opinion the best Krka tour from Split. It gives you opportunity to stop in Skradin, a beautiful little town near the Krka park, and get on the river boat for a 20-minute ride through the river canyon. The nature is so beautiful and the ride is very pleasant – definitely much nicer than going to the park through the bus entry.
Once you get in the park you will have 5 hours: 1 hour is a guided tour (again, you can skip it if you are not interested), and then you have 4 hours of free time.
Guided tour is very interesting. You will learn some amazing facts about this park – one being that the Krka Hydroelectric plant started operating only 1 day after the Niagara Falls plant, and it produced the electricity to light up the streets of nearby town Šibenik, making it the first city in the world with street lights!
You can split your 4 hours between Krka park & Skradin as you wish. If you do go to Skradin for a bit, don’t miss out on trying the famous Skradin cake: an aromatic mix of lemon, orange, almonds, walnuts, rum, honey…with a smooth layer of chocolate on top.
The second option is a simple bus transfer and with this option you get 3,5 hours of free time in the park. It starts at 9 am, so one hour later than the first one – for those who had a late night.
There is not much difference in the price of the two tours, so you can choose only on the basis of your preferences.
ADVENTURE TOURS
SPLIT SEA KAYAKING
Although many guests don’t mind going on buses and boats because they feel safe with all the regulations being applied and practiced, there are some who prefer the social distancing and want to stay outdoors away from the bigger groups.
If this is you, and you still want to experience the beaches, the Adriatic, and do some activities while in Split, Split Sea Kayaking is a great option.
You will pedal around the Marjan Hill – the ‘lungs of Split’ as we call it. It is like everything you would see on the islands, but smaller. Cliffs, beaches, pine trees, hidden bays…it’s all there.
Kayaking tour is a 3-hour tour, but you don’t pedal all the time. You stop for swimming, snorkeling and even cliff jumping. There are small cliffs too for some splashing fun.
You can take your camera as the kayaks have waterproof areas, but you don’t have to: the guide will take pictures and send them to you after the tour.
What we like about this tour the most is how much it gives and how much you can experience without even leaving Split!
Keep in mind that you will still have to sit in the car with other people for about 10 minutes from Split center to the Marjan Hill. If you are worried about this, you can walk or take a taxi to the Marjan Hill on your own, and meet the others there.
I would like to end this with a big thank you to all the guests who came to Split and trust us to go on day tours and enjoy our beautiful country. Every guest in our agency gave us hope, and made us incredibly happy as we can do what we like doing best. Working with our tour operators to make this season happen made us all realize how much we love creating experiences for our guests, and that this is our priority in everything we do. If anything, it brought us all closer together and we are excited what the future brings, when all this is behind us. But for now, travel save & hope to see you on one of the tours above. And don’t forget to send us your feedback – so we can help our future guests enjoy their holidays even more!
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