Why Kaštela is an unusually good base

Kaštel Stari sits exactly halfway between Split and Trogir, a few minutes from the slip road onto the A1 motorway and about a ten-minute drive from the airport. That sounds unspectacular, but it is the practical advantage of this location: you don't have to fight your way through big-city traffic in the morning before the trip has even begun. Stay in Split and in August you can easily lose forty minutes just getting out of town – and hunting for a parking space again in the evening.

We have sorted the destinations below by realistic driving time from Kaštela – by rental car, outside rush hour, with no stops on the way. And we say which ones are genuinely worth a day trip and which you are better off skipping or combining with an overnight stay.

Up to 30 minutes: start with what's on the doorstep

Trogir

About ten minutes to the west. The old town on its little island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is small enough that a morning will do: the Cathedral of St Lawrence with the Radovan Portal, the Kamerlengo fortress, the waterfront promenade. Go early or towards evening – at midday, between two cruise-ship groups, it gets tight.

Salona (Solin)

Roughly 15 to 20 minutes towards Split. Salona was the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and, with an estimated population in the tens of thousands, one of the largest cities on the Adriatic. What still stands today – amphitheatre, basilicas, city walls – is spread out among cypresses and fields. There is little shade on the site: hat, water, sturdy shoes. It is best to check current opening hours and admission with the Archaeological Museum in Split or the Solin tourist board.

Klis Fortress

Around 25 minutes. The fortress sits on a rocky ridge in the only natural pass between the coast and the hinterland – which is why it was fought over for centuries, against Ottomans and Venetians alike. From the top you can see the whole bay from Kaštela to Split. Fans of the series will recognise the setting from Game of Thrones. Klis combines well with Salona; the two lie almost in a straight line.

Split

20 to 30 minutes, rather more in summer. Diocletian's Palace is not a museum but a lived-in quarter: cafés in ancient substructures, washing lines strung above Roman masonry. Our tip is to treat Split as an afternoon and evening destination rather than a day trip – from about 5 pm the cruise passengers are gone and the car parks free up.

30 to 60 minutes: waterfalls, river mouths, island harbours

Krka National Park

About an hour on the A1 to the Lozovac entrance. Skradinski Buk is the famous flight of cascades; in season a free shuttle bus takes you down from the Lozovac car park, or you can drive to Skradin and take the park boat. Important, and often out of date in guidebooks: swimming at Skradinski Buk has been banned since January 2021. If you want to swim, plan for the northern part of the park – swimming is only permitted at the designated spots Roški slap, Stinice and Pisak, and only from 1 June to 30 September. Outside the park you can get into the water in the channel at Skradin. Admission prices are staggered by season and are considerably higher in high season than in spring – the binding rates and opening hours are on npkrka.hr, and you should book your time slot online in advance.

Šibenik

Just under an hour. The Cathedral of St James is built entirely of stone, without mortar and without timber, and is on the UNESCO list. Above it stands St Michael's Fortress with an open-air stage. Šibenik is much quieter than Split and combines well with Krka on one long day, if you only want to look at both rather than walk them end to end.

Omiš and the Cetina gorge

45 to 55 minutes along the coast road south of Split. The town is wedged between a cliff face and a river mouth; it is twenty sweaty minutes up to the Mirabela pirate fortress. Upstream it gets more interesting: rafting on the Cetina, a zip line across the gorge, or simply lunch at one of the old mill konobas by the water. For families with older children this is the most varied day within the 60-minute radius.

Šolta and the Blue Lagoon

Two routes to turquoise water. For Šolta, the Jadrolinija car ferry crosses from Split to Rogač, a crossing of about an hour, several times a day in high season. The Blue Lagoon by the Krknjaši islets east of Drvenik Veli is easiest to reach on a boat trip from Trogir or Seget – the car ferry to Drvenik Veli does run, but it is needlessly awkward for a day trip. Always check timetables and prices directly with Jadrolinija; they change from season to season.

Sinj

Around 45 minutes inland. The pilgrimage church with its miraculous image, and the Sinjska Alka knights' tournament held every year in early August and listed as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, make Sinj a rewarding contrast to the coast. Confirm dates with the tourist board beforehand.

One to two hours: islands and karst country

Brač and Zlatni Rat

The Split–Supetar car ferry takes about 50 minutes and runs ten to fourteen times a day in summer. From Supetar to Bol it is around 35 kilometres across the island's interior, a good 40 minutes. Expect a wait at the ramp in Split – in August the cars queue early, so reserve online. If you only want to see the Golden Horn, the catamaran straight to Bol is faster, but then you can't bring a car. Brač works as a day trip if you take the first morning ferry.

Imotski: the Red and Blue Lakes

A good hour to an hour and a quarter inland. Two collapsed karst caves: the Red Lake with walls over 200 metres high, the Blue Lake with a water level that swings sharply over the year – in late summer it is sometimes almost empty. The descent to the Blue Lake is manageable, but steep and hot. Half a day is enough, and it combines well with a meal in the region.

Zadar

Around 1 hour 45 on the A1. The Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun on the Riva are famous for good reason, along with the Roman forum and the round church of St Donatus. A day trip is doable, but it makes for a long day – it is nicer if you stay for the sunset on the Riva and only drive back afterwards.

Over two hours: what, honestly, we don't recommend

Plitvice Lakes

About 240 to 250 kilometres, 2.5 to 3.5 hours each way depending on traffic. As a day trip that means roughly twelve hours door to door, six of them in the car – with children in high summer that is no fun. For 2026 the national park quotes 40 euros for adults until 4 pm in high season (1 June to 30 September) and 25 euros for late entry, 23 euros in spring and October, and 10 euros in winter. Swimming is banned throughout the park. Our recommendation: either plan an overnight stay near the park, or visit Krka instead. If Plitvice really has to happen, make it a stop on the way in or out.

Hvar

The catamaran from Split reaches Hvar Town in about an hour, but takes no vehicles. By car you take the ferry to Stari Grad, a good two hours, plus around 20 minutes by road to Hvar Town. As a day trip Hvar is only worth it without a car and with the firm intention of staying in one place. For the island as a whole, two nights is the more honest answer.

Practicalities: parking, tolls, fuel, departure time

Parking in Split and Trogir

Split uses colour-coded parking zones; the most expensive zone around the old town is also limited to two hours, after which you really do have to move the car. Paying by SMS often only works with a Croatian SIM – download an app such as Bmove or PayDo beforehand. Less stressful is the large car park at Žnjan beach or one of the shopping centres with a shuttle, and the bus into town from there. In Trogir it is best to park on the mainland before the bridge; you can't drive into the old town anyway.

Tolls and fuel

Croatia has no vignette but charges tolls by distance: you take a ticket when you join the motorway and pay when you leave, in cash or by card. Short stretches cost a few euros, longer ones correspondingly more. Fill up in town rather than at a motorway service area, it is noticeably cheaper, and on weekends in July and August expect queues at the toll booths heading north.

When to set off

For national parks and islands the rule is: leave before 7.30 am. The coaches from Split reach Krka at around ten, and the ferries to Brač are full from late morning. For towns the opposite applies – set off in the afternoon, once the day visitors have moved on. Between noon and 4 pm, a shaded courtyard and a pool at home are almost always the better decision than one more sight.

How we would divide up a week

• Arrival day and day 2: no driving at all. Trogir in the early evening.
• Day 3: Krka early, back via Šibenik.
• Day 4: boat to the Blue Lagoon or a beach day in Kaštela.
• Day 5: Klis and Salona in the morning, Split from 5 pm.
• Day 6: Brač on the first ferry, or Omiš and the Cetina.
• Day 7: Imotski or Sinj – or no driving again.

You will find more background on regions, getting there and the seasons in our Croatia travel guide. Our private villas with pool in Kaštel Stari can be seen under villas and availability. And if you are unsure which excursions suit your group: write to us via the contact page – we know these routes from our own experience and reply in German or English.

One final note: admission prices, ferry timetables and opening hours change frequently in Croatia, sometimes at short notice. Check the official pages of the national parks and of Jadrolinija shortly before your trip – it will spare you the most unpleasant of all holiday experiences, namely a two-hour drive to a closed gate.