Day Trips from Split
Mostar or the Plitvice Lakes — two destinations, one day each, and about three hours of driving whichever way you go.
Split is the awkward gateway: it sits roughly midway along the Dalmatian coast, which means every worthwhile day trip inland starts with about three hours of driving. That is not a reason to skip them — it is a reason to pick one and give it the whole day. Two destinations are worth that: Mostar, across the border in Bosnia, and the Plitvice Lakes, north-west in Croatia. They are within half an hour of each other in travel time, and complete opposites in what they are.
The two that fit
| Destination | Each way | Border | Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mostar | about 3 hours | Croatia–Bosnia, once each way | 11–13 hours |
| Plitvice Lakes | 3h30 | none — stays in Croatia | about 12 hours |
Mostar: the cross-border day
Mostar is about 230 km from Split — roughly 3 hours each way. You cross from Croatia into Bosnia once each way, so a passport is needed, and the day runs 11–13 hours door to door. What you get for it is the most different place reachable from Split: an Ottoman old town, the Stari Most bridge and the Kujundžiluk bazaar, plus Kravice, Blagaj and Počitelj as add-ons within about 45 minutes.
The from-Split guide has the transport comparison — guided day at about €55–80, public bus at roughly €20–30 and 4–5 hours each way, or a rental car from about €45–65 a day.
Plitvice: the day without a border
The Plitvice Lakes are about 250 km away — roughly 3h30 each way, which is why the guided day runs around 12 hours. It stays inside Croatia, so there is no passport and no queue, and most tours bundle the park entry along with the boat and the panoramic train.
Split is the longest of the three Plitvice gateways. The Plitvice section compares it against Zadar and Zagreb, and the from-Split Plitvice page breaks down the 12-hour day.
Choosing between them
The deciding questions are not about distance — the two are nearly tied — but about the day itself:
- Want a second country and a change of culture? Mostar. It is the only option here that leaves Croatia.
- Want no border and no passport admin? Plitvice. It is also the better pick if you are travelling with children who would rather swim than walk a bazaar — see Mostar with kids for the family read on the other direction.
- Short on days? They cannot be combined, so this is genuinely a choice of one. Plitvice or Mostar works through that decision in detail.
Book one of these two
Two different days from Split: Mostar for the bridge and the bazaar, Plitvice for the lakes that need a full day of their own. Live prices on GetYourGuide.
From Split · crosses the border
Plitvice Lakes day trip GetYourGuideFrom Split · no border
Before you book
- Border timing. The Croatia–Bosnia crossing on the Mostar route is quiet in spring and autumn and slow in high summer — the crossing times page.
- Season. The month-by-month page covers heat, crowds and when Kravice is swimmable.
- Total cost. The budget page sets out per-gateway figures.
- Every option at once. The comparison table lists all the trips we link.
FAQ
What day trips can you do from Split?
Two long ones carry the traffic: Mostar in Bosnia, about 3 hours each way, and the Plitvice Lakes, about 3h30 each way. Both are full days of roughly 11–13 hours door to door.
Mostar or Plitvice from Split — which is better?
They are barely different in travel time: Mostar is about 3 hours each way, Plitvice about 3h30. The choice is what you want to see — an Ottoman old town in a second country, or terraced lakes that stay inside Croatia with no border to cross.
Can you do Mostar and Plitvice in one day from Split?
No. They lie in opposite directions and each one already occupies the whole day. Booking both means two separate days out of Split, not one long one.
How much does a day trip from Split cost?
A guided Mostar day runs about €55–80 per person, with public buses cheaper at roughly €20–30 but slower at 4–5 hours each way. Driving yourself puts the car at about €45–65 a day before fuel and entries.
Mostar Day Trip may earn a commission from bookings made through partner links, at no extra cost to you. Border and visa rules change — verify before you travel.