6 Day Private Tour Split to Dubrovnik: Hidden Gems of Dalmatia

The best part of this six-day trip is its mix of famous Croatian sights and quieter stops. You move from Diocletian’s Palace in Split to a 120-year-old wooden boat on the Norin River, then finish among Dubrovnik’s great walls. It gives you a broad look at Dalmatia without asking you to organize every transfer yourself.

I especially like the private format for a couple or a small family group, and I like the personal touch associated with Matilda, the company owner and guide. Her care for travelers celebrating a birthday and her ability to adjust the trip to personal wishes come through clearly. The main drawback is the price: $3,329.72 for two people, before hotels, most entrance tickets, and many meals.

Key points to know before booking

• A private Split to Dubrovnik route: Your driver handles the long transfers, airport pickups, and daily transport for your own group of up to two people.
• Two excellent Roman sites: Salona and Narona give you more ancient history than the usual Split and Dubrovnik route.
• A real local food stop: The Kaštel Sikuli tasting includes five wines, cold cuts, and a look at coastal and inland Dalmatian wine.
• A peaceful Neretva Valley outing: Ride a traditional Ladja boat through narrow channels, with an appetizer served onboard.
• Dubrovnik time is partly independent: You get a guided old-town walk, but the city walls are visited on your own and cost extra.
• Hotels are not included: You must book your own rooms or ask the operator to arrange them, so the final cost will be higher than the advertised tour price.

Why this route works for six days

This is not a beach holiday with long stretches of free time. It is a moving cultural trip, built around old towns, Roman remains, wine, fortifications, and scenic road transfers. You begin in Split and end in Dubrovnik, avoiding the hassle of returning to your starting point.

The route also goes beyond the standard coastal checklist. Split, Trogir, and Dubrovnik are the headline stops, but Salona, Klis, Vid, and the Norin River add the character. You see places that are easier to reach with a private vehicle than with public transport.

The schedule is active but not packed minute by minute. Most guided visits last about two hours or less. Still, this is a road trip, and Day 4 includes a 90-minute drive to the Neretva Valley. If you prefer to unpack once and stay in one town, this plan will feel too mobile.

Day 1: Roman Split around Diocletian’s Palace

After arriving at Split Airport, your driver takes you to your hotel for check-in. The airport transfer is listed at about 45 minutes, though the exact time will depend on traffic and your hotel location.

Later, you meet your guide at the Riva, Split’s waterfront promenade, for a two-hour walking tour. The center of Split is built around the palace of Roman Emperor Diocletian, and the unusual pleasure here is that the palace is not an isolated ruin. It forms the core of a living city, with homes, shops, cafés, and narrow lanes inside and around the ancient walls.

You visit Jupiter’s Temple, the Peristyle, and the Cathedral. The route brings together Roman, Renaissance, and Gothic details in a compact area. Wear shoes with a good grip, since the old streets are cobbled and can be uneven.

The entrance ticket is not included. That matters because Split’s main sights are closely connected, but some interior visits may require payment. Ask your guide what is covered before the walk begins so you know what to budget.

The first afternoon is sensibly light. After an airport arrival, a focused walk gives you a clear sense of place without demanding a full day of sightseeing. You also have time to settle into your hotel and explore the waterfront at your own pace.

Day 2: Trogir’s stone lanes and Dalmatian wine

Trogir is about the right size for a two-hour guided visit. Its old center sits on an island and is known for Romanesque buildings, medieval stone walls, and narrow streets that are easy to explore on foot.

The visit is useful because Trogir feels different from Split. Split is a living city wrapped around a Roman palace. Trogir feels more compact and town-like, with its historic core gathered into a smaller space. Your local guide helps give shape to the streets rather than leaving you to wander without context.

The tour then moves to Kaštel Sikuli for a 60-minute food and wine experience. You taste five wines from coastal Dalmatia and its inland areas, paired with a plate of cold cuts. This is one of the more appealing inclusions because it connects the sights to local agriculture and dining.

The tasting is not simply another stop between monuments. Dalmatian wine varies by area, and tasting several examples side by side helps you understand the difference between the coast and the hinterland. The cold cuts also make this more substantial than a quick sip at a winery.

The day is described as moving into the late afternoon, so the exact rhythm may depend on your arrival and local timing. Meals and drinks outside the stated tasting are not included. If you want a full dinner after the wine stop, plan to pay separately.

Day 3: Salona’s Roman remains and Klis Fortress

Salona, near present-day Solin, was the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. It was also associated with Emperor Diocletian, who was born in the area. The site gives useful background to Split, since you can see the wider Roman setting before or after visiting the emperor’s palace.

Allow about an hour here. Salona is an archaeological site rather than a polished old town, so your experience depends partly on your interest in ruins and ancient urban planning. The entrance fee is extra.

I like this stop because it keeps the Roman story from ending at Split’s palace. You get a better sense of the city and province that supported that imperial world. Ask your guide to point out the parts that best explain how Salona functioned, since an archaeological site can be difficult to read without help.

Klis Fortress follows, also for about an hour. The fortress rises above the village of Klis and offers broad views over the area around Split. Its position explains its importance: it controlled a route through the mountains and served as a defensive stronghold against Ottoman forces in Dalmatia.

Klis is also connected with Game of Thrones, whose scenes were filmed inside the fortress. That will add fun for fans, but the site has value even if you have never watched the series. The walls, stairways, and exposed position make the history feel physical.

The entrance fee is not included. Bring water and shoes suitable for steps and uneven stone. The fortress is not a passive photo stop. You will get more from it if you are comfortable walking uphill and through open, exposed areas.

Day 4: A wooden boat through the Neretva Valley

Day 4 takes you south toward Vid and the Neretva Valley, with a drive of about 90 minutes after breakfast. This is the route’s most distinctive day, since it replaces another city walk with a slow ride through small waterways.

You board a traditional Ladja, a wooden boat once used to transport people and goods. Some of these boats are about 120 years old. Today, the ride is arranged for sightseeing, with an appetizer served onboard as you pass through channels on the Norin River.

The boat ride lasts about 45 minutes, though the wider stop at Vid is listed at around 90 minutes. This is a gentler change of pace after several old towns and fortifications. You can take photographs, watch the surrounding nature, and enjoy a side of southern Croatia that is easy to miss on a direct coastal transfer.

The day continues at the Narona Archaeological Museum. It was built directly over an ancient temple dedicated to Augustus, Rome’s first emperor. The museum is significant because it preserves the site in place rather than displaying the finds far away from where they were uncovered.

A traditional lunch at a local restaurant follows. Lunch is included in the tour, but additional meals and drinks throughout the trip are not. This is a good day to ask in advance about the menu if you have dietary needs, since the supplied details do not specify the dishes.

Vid and the Norin River are especially valuable for people who want more than famous city centers. The tradeoff is the drive. You spend part of the day on the road, but the destination gives the transfer a clear purpose.

Day 5: Dubrovnik from Pile Gate to the city walls

The route reaches Dubrovnik on Day 5. You meet your English-speaking local guide at Pile Gate, the main western entrance to the old town, for a two-hour walk.

Dubrovnik’s old center is compact but layered with centuries of conflict and trade. Your guide covers the city’s place in the struggles among Byzantine, Venetian, Ottoman, Habsburg, Napoleonic, and other powers. The walk helps you understand why Dubrovnik became known as the Pearl of the Adriatic.

The city walls stretch for about two kilometers and include fortifications with views over the roofs, harbor, and sea. The tour provides time to visit the walls on your own, but the entrance fee is extra and no guide accompanies you there.

That arrangement gives you freedom, but it also means you need to budget both time and money. If the walls are a top priority, do not use all your free time inside the old town first. Buy the ticket, walk the ramparts at your own pace, and then return to the lanes and squares below.

Dubrovnik is the busiest and most famous stop on the route, so expectations matter. The guided walk gives you orientation, but the rest of the day is at leisure. You will need to decide how much time to spend on the walls, museums, shops, cafés, or simply walking the main stone street.

Day 6: A simple departure from Dubrovnik

On the final morning, your driver takes you to the airport or bus for your onward departure. The transfer is listed at about 45 minutes. A private transfer is also possible if you are continuing to another Croatian destination.

This ending is practical rather than sightseeing-focused. Check your departure details carefully and allow enough time for the transfer, since the tour does not include a final guided activity.

What the $3,329.72 price really covers

The listed price is for the whole group of up to two people, not per person. Split between two, that works out to $1,664.86 each before lodging and extra costs.

You receive private transfers, guided walks in Split, Trogir, and Dubrovnik, the Kaštel Sikuli wine tasting, the Norin River boat ride, and lunch. Airport transfers are also included as described in the schedule.

You still pay for:

• Hotels
• Airline tickets
• Salona entrance
• Klis Fortress entrance
• Dubrovnik city walls
• Meals and drinks not specifically included

For a couple who values a private driver, a personal guide, and a one-way route, the price can make sense. You are paying for coordination as much as for admission tickets. If you are comfortable using buses, booking your own rooms, and arranging day trips independently, you may find the package expensive.

The strongest value comes from the unusual transport and smaller sites. The boat through the Neretva Valley and the visit to Narona would take more planning on your own. The weakest value is for someone who mainly wants Split and Dubrovnik, since you could arrange those city visits separately at lower cost.

Who will enjoy this private Croatian tour

I would recommend it most to a couple who wants a private six-day route without driving. It also suits a family group that values help with transfers and prefers an English-speaking guide.

The tour works well for a birthday or other special occasion. Matilda is repeatedly described as warm, attentive, and personally involved, including making a birthday celebration feel special. Her role appears to go beyond simply driving from one stop to the next.

You should be comfortable with walking, old stone surfaces, fortress steps, and several road transfers. Most travelers can participate, but the information does not promise wheelchair access or a specific level of mobility support, so ask before booking if that matters to you.

The tour operates from May 1 through October 31, 2026, Tuesday through Sunday, with stated operating hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is offered in English and is a private activity, so only your group participates.

Free cancellation is available until 24 hours before the start time. Poor weather can lead to a new date or a full refund, which is worth noting because the boat ride and outdoor fortress visit depend on conditions.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want a personal guide, private transport, and a carefully connected route from Split to Dubrovnik. The best reasons are the combination of Roman sites, Trogir, Klis Fortress, the Neretva boat ride, and a wine tasting that adds food to the sightseeing.

Think twice if you want a low-cost trip, dislike changing hotels, or prefer to set your own pace every day. The advertised price does not include lodging or several major entrance fees, so calculate the full total before committing.

For a couple celebrating an occasion, or for anyone who wants Croatia’s coast with a few less obvious stops, this is a strong and well-rounded choice. Just treat the price as a starting figure, not the final bill.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The experience lasts approximately six days, beginning with airport pickup in Split and ending with a transfer from Dubrovnik to the airport or bus.

How many people can join the private tour?

The price covers a private group of up to two people.

Is hotel accommodation included?

No. You book the hotels yourself, or you can ask the operator to arrange them.

Which languages are offered?

The tour is offered in English.

Are airport transfers included?

Yes. Pickup from Split Airport and the final transfer from Dubrovnik are included as described in the schedule.

Are entrance tickets included?

No. Entrance fees for Salona, Klis Fortress, and Dubrovnik’s city walls are not included.

Is food included?

Lunch is included, along with an appetizer during the Norin River boat ride and a wine tasting with five wines and cold cuts. Other meals and drinks are not included.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours ahead are not refunded, and poor weather may result in a different date or a full refund.