Split in Winter

Winter in Split is 10–12 °C, often sunny, and almost entirely local. No swimming and a reduced ferry timetable, but Advent on the Riva through December, a palace you can have to yourself, and prices at half the summer rate.

By Marin Perić

Months: December to February
Air: 10–12 °C
Sea: 13–15 °C
Crowds: None to speak of

What winter is for

Not the beach. Winter is for the city itself: the palace at eight in the morning with nobody in it, three-hour lunches, the Meštrović Gallery without a queue, and the kind of day where you walk Marjan in a jumper and have the ridge to yourself. Split is a working city of 160,000 people, and this is the season you actually see it.

What is good now

Advent on the Riva and around the Prokurative from late November to early January — mulled wine, fritule and free concerts.
The palace, the cellars and the galleries, all without a cruise ship in sight.
Carnival in February, which is a genuinely local affair.
Football at Poljud, if Hajduk are at home.
Konoba lunches at winter prices, in rooms full of people speaking Croatian.

What to know

The sea is 13–15 °C, so swimming is for the committed. Island catamarans run a winter timetable with far fewer sailings, and most boat tours pause until April. The bura can blow hard and cold for a couple of days at a time. Bring a proper jacket and do not expect a beach holiday.

Where to go next

Things to Do in Split in Winter

Split in December

Split in January

Split in February

The best time to visit Split

Things to do in Split

Frequently asked questions

Is Split worth visiting in winter?

Yes, if you want a city rather than a beach. It is 10–12 °C and often sunny, the palace and museums are empty, prices halve, and Advent runs through December — but there is no swimming and island boats are on a reduced timetable.

Does it snow in Split?

Very rarely, and it does not settle. Winter is mild and coastal — around 10 °C by day, with rain rather than snow.

What is open in Split in winter?

The palace, the cellars, the cathedral, the galleries and most restaurants in the centre. Beach bars, many island restaurants and most boat tours close from November until around April.

Get out there

Tours that go here

Guided trips that include this stop, with live availability.

Boat trips

Blue Cave & Five Islands

A full day on a fast twelve-seat boat: the Blue Cave on Biševo, the Monk Seal cave, Stiniva's famous cove, lunch on Vis and a swim off Budikovac's turquoise lagoon, finishing with a stop at Hvar town. Ten and a half hours, small group, no coach transfer.

10 h 30 min

History

Diocletian's Palace Walking Tour

Ninety minutes through the palace with a guide who lives inside it: the Golden Gate, the cellars, the Peristyle, the cathedral and the streets in between. Small group, no flag, and a proper explanation of why a Roman emperor retired to a cabbage patch in Dalmatia.

1 h 30 min

Boat trips

Šolta Sunset & Swim Cruise

Five hours to Šolta and back on a ten-person boat: three swim stops in coves you cannot reach by road, an hour in Maslinica for dinner or a drink, and the run home across the channel as the sun goes down behind the island.

5 h