A Weekend in Split, Croatia: What to Do, Where to Stay, and How to Keep It Under £450

I've been to Dubrovnik. It's spectacular. It's also completely overrun — in summer it genuinely feels like a Disney version of itself, with tour groups shuffling through the old town at speed and every restaurant charging Mayfair prices for mediocre food. Split is what Dubrovnik used to be. I went last September, and I'm already planning to go back.

Why Split, and Why Now?

Split is Croatia's second city and in my opinion its most interesting — a working town with a spectacular Roman emperor's palace plonked in the middle of it, turned over centuries into a neighbourhood where people actually live. There are restaurants, bars, and laundry lines inside 1,700-year-old walls. It's properly strange and brilliant. It's also significantly cheaper than Dubrovnik and hasn't yet hit the same level of tourist saturation. September is the window — sea is still warm, crowds have thinned, and prices are noticeably down from August peaks.

How to Get to Split from the UK

Direct flights run from London Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Birmingham, mostly on easyJet, Ryanair, and Jet2. The flight is around 2 hours 30 minutes. Shoulder season fares — May, June, and September to early October — are where the value is. I paid £94 return from Gatwick in September, booked about eight weeks out. Avoid mid-July to mid-August unless you specifically want to be hot, crowded, and paying peak prices for everything.

Where to Stay in Split

The old town (inside Diocletian's Palace) is the obvious choice, and staying inside a 1,700-year-old palace complex is genuinely brilliant. But rooms are expensive and the streets around the bars can be noisy until 2am or later. My preference: Varoš or Manuš, the residential neighbourhoods immediately west of the palace. Five minutes' walk from the palace walls, quieter, and meaningfully cheaper. Expect to pay £70–£100 per night for a decent private apartment in September on Booking.com or Airbnb — less if you book six or more weeks ahead.

What to Do in Split (the Non-Touristy Version)

Walk the palace walls at sunrise or early morning, before the day-trippers arrive — it's included in entry to the Vestibule and the views are worth getting up early for. Climb Marjan Hill, the forested headland west of the city, for panoramic views over Split and the islands — it takes about 40 minutes to the top and costs nothing. Take the 25-minute ferry to Brač Island for an afternoon — it runs several times a day from the harbour, costs about €3 each way, and gives you a proper Adriatic island beach with a fraction of Split's crowds.

Where to Eat Without Getting Ripped Off

The market (Pazar) near the east gate of the palace is the place for breakfast — fresh produce, cheap pastries, the best espresso I had all trip. For lunch and dinner, avoid anything on the Riva (the seafront promenade) and anything with photos in the window inside the palace — these are almost exclusively tourist traps. Walk a few streets back and you'll find restaurants where locals actually eat. I had the best grilled fish of my entire trip at a place near the fish market that had no English-language sign, two tables outside, and cost €14 for the fish, salad, bread, and a glass of local white.

What Does a Weekend in Split Actually Cost?

Here's a realistic breakdown for two nights:

Flights (return, Gatwick): £90–£150 depending on when you book and from which airport. Accommodation (two nights, private apartment): £140–£200. Food and drink — two proper meals a day, coffee, one or two drinks in the evening: £25–£35 per day. Activities and local transport, including the Brač ferry: £30–£50 for the weekend. Total: roughly £310–£430 per person, or around £600–£860 for two. For a three-day trip to somewhere genuinely different, that's very solid value.

Honestly — Is Split Worth It in 2026?

Yes, particularly in September. The Adriatic is still 23–24°C, the summer crowds have gone, and prices across accommodation, food, and flights are all noticeably lower than peak season. I'd also strongly consider staying an extra night and doing a day trip to Trogir — 30 minutes by bus (€3), a tiny medieval walled city on its own island that's even less visited than Split. Or take the fast catamaran to Hvar for the day if you want something with more nightlife energy. Split is the right base for all of it.

The smart move in Croatia right now is to go to Split instead of Dubrovnik, stay in Varoš, eat at the market, and leave an afternoon free for an island. You'll spend less, enjoy it more, and come back without the vague feeling that you've visited a heritage site rather than a real place.