Small-Group Walking Tour of Split: Exploration of Diocletian's Palace and Marjan Hills

The itinerary involves:

• A comprehensive 1.5-hour tour guided by an expert through Diocletian’s Palace and Marjan hills

• The routine ritual of swapping out Diocletian’s guard, only from June to September

• It is crucial to let us know if any children under 12 years old will be joining!

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • The Peristyle of Diocletian’s Palace - Peristyle, as the central square of the Palace, intended for the Emperor Diocletian celebrated as the living son of Jupiter, finds its place among many temples. The Emperor would appear under the architrave of the central part of Protyron, and his subjects would approach him, kneeling down, kissing the hem of his scarlet cloak, or they would fall in front of him, their entire body to the ground.

The red colour of the granite columns emphasises the ceremonial function. Namely, ever since the Emperor Diocletian the colour purple became the imperial colour. With the construction of a new city square with the town hall (Pjaca) in the 13th/14th century, Peristyle became a religious centre. Today it boarders from the West with Palaces of Split noble families Grisogono, Cipci and Skočišić, as they lean on its authentic columns and arches. With their Renaissance and Gothic architecture they themselves became monuments.

  • Vestibulum of Diocletian’s Palace - Behind the Peristyle lies the Vestibule, a Rotonda, that was once the first section of the imperial corridor in Diocletian’s Palace that led via the Peristyle to the Imperial apartments of the Palace. Below what were the Imperial apartments, stand The Palace Cellars, that represent one of the best preserved ancient complexes of their kind in the world.
  • Pjaca - Pjaca (People’s Square, another square nobody in Split calls by its real name), is first mentioned in 13th century as St Lawrence’s Square, and it was the first inhabited part of Split outside the Diocletian Palace, leaning to its western wall. Already for centuries the Pjaca is the central stage of the city life, there in the Gothic building of the Old Town Hall, today an exhibition centre, was the seat of the city’s authority, and in still beautiful and preserved Palaces on the outskirts of the Pjaca lived the noble families Cambi, Pavlović, Nakić, Ciprianis, Karepić… Still open is one of the oldest book shops in the world, Morpurgo, to this day it looks almost the same as it looked in 1861, and in the Café Central where the intellectuals of Split gathered is where the tourism of Split begun with the former hotel Troccoli.
    The city clock has been ticking for centuries on Pjaca, unique by his 24 instead of 12 digits, and in the surrounding cafés, restaurants and bars the citizens of Split could always find a place to rest, meet, be seen and see others, go through the most important events of the city. Every building on Pjaca has its story, each is a witness of history and the spirit of the city. As it was yesterday, it is also today, when Pjaca is filled with numerous bars, restaurants and shops, and when it became one of the most important spots for tourists wishing to enjoy in whatever it is that their hosts, citizens of Split, are enjoying.
  • Prokurative - Prokurative or as they are officially called, Republic Square resemble the Venice St. Marks Square. They are located west of the Riva and they were named after the arches found on the neo-Renaissance buildings surrounding the square on three sides. Most people to this day know it by that name. The square is only open on the south side, providing a beautiful view of the harbour and the Riva (waterfront). The building of the Prokurativa was initiated by one of the most renowned mayors in the history of the city Antonio Bajamonti in the mid 19th century. He wanted to show that Split supported Italian tradition with all its might. Hence the colonnade resembling Venetians, and reliefs above the windows evoking the ancient and Renaissance influences. Bajamonti also made his great theatre on the square, but it was destroyed by a fire.
    The square has long been established as an excellent stage for cultural events, especially the pop music festival, and the local bars and restaurants made it a popular venue for the citizens of Split. The plateau on the south side has always been an integral part of Prokurative, with, ever since 1947, a neo-Classical fountain, destroyed by the communist authorities, due to its alleged connection to the Italian rule over Split and Dalmatia.
What's Included
  • Local guide
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Private transportation
Location
Ul. Čulića dvori 6
Ulica Čulića dvori
Head to the far right hand corner of Strossmayer Park (away from the main "Golden" palace gates), cross the main road (Zagrebacka street) walk up Ulica Čulića dvori which faces you – Gecko Tours Office is on the right. You'll see our sign and the iconic blue bicycle on the wall
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(61 Ratings)
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Alanvrogers
Oct 14, 2022
Best Walking Tour in Split - A superb tour! Tonci is an outstanding who clearly expains the history with stories you can remember. He was generous with his time and knowledge. We have been traveling for three weeks with different guides everyday and Tonci ranks at the very top! Thank you!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alan
Oct 12, 2022
Best Walking Tour in Split! - 5+ Tonci was a superb guide and I learned so much. He had a very nice way to clearly tell the stories. Please express my thanks to Tonci for a great tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marknv7480ar
Sep 30, 2022
Great detail and messaging - Tony was a great and knowledgeable guide. Really well spoken and talked in enough detail to make it interesting and succinct. Would really recommend for a couple of hours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Regina_j
Sep 27, 2022
Great tour - Wonderful tour of Old Town Split with Adrian, our guide. He is very knowledgeable and able to explain a lot of the history clearly with humor and warmth. He also offered suggestions on how to spend our time in and around Split. Thank you for a lovely tour.
Review provided by Viator
Williamson50
Sep 26, 2022
Split tour - Excellent your. Frano was very knowledgeable and also amusing. Gave some good recommendations- particularly about where to buy the best ice cream! Thank you
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aliona_l
Sep 13, 2022
Fantastic tour & fun tour guide 😀 - Fantastic tour & the tour guide was charismatic & fun. He shared the history & also gave plenty of tips on how to have great vacation in Split. Thank you so much 😊
Review provided by Viator
Floridatravelgirl92
Aug 15, 2022
Highly recommend - Our tour ended up being only 2 people so we got a great personalized tour . Out guide Tonci was very informative, went at our pace, and full of interesting information.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mark_a
Jul 17, 2022
City walking tour - Excellent way to get some information about Split see some of the key sites. The Guide was knowledgeable and it was an easy pace.
Review provided by Viator
V7263qnrebeccam
Jun 28, 2022
Very enjoyable and informative tour! - This was a fabulous tour! Very informative and personalized. My tour guide was very knowledgeable about the area and clearly enjoyed telling me about the history of the town. I would highly recommend it :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rowena_e
Jun 14, 2022
Great orientation tour of Split! - Great tour and perfect to start your trip in Split. Concise and informative tour with friendly guide.
Review provided by Viator
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