Hvar day trip
A day trip to Hvar from Split by boat
How to spend a day in Hvar and the Pakleni islands from Split by private boat: the route, where to swim, where to eat, and how to time it around the ferries and the heat.
Hvar is the day trip people remember. The island itself is lively and good looking, but the part that makes the day is the water just off it: the Pakleni islands, a scatter of pine-covered islets with clear lagoons and easy swimming. Done by private boat, you get all of it without the ferry timetable.
The route
A good Hvar day is not a straight line to town and back. It is a loop with the swimming built in.
Leave Split at around 09:00, while the sea is calm. Run down past Šolta and across, and stop first at the Pakleni islands for a swim and a snorkel before the anchorages fill. From there it is a short hop into Hvar town for a walk and a long lunch. In the afternoon, with the light softening, you head back, often with one more swim on the way.
The order is flexible, and that is the point. A local skipper watches the wind and the crowds and quietly rearranges the stops so you are always in the right place at the right time.
The Pakleni islands
These are the highlight for most people. The water around the Pakleni islands is clear and sheltered, with small bays and a few low-key beach clubs if you want one. It is the kind of swimming that is hard to reach any way other than by boat, which is exactly why it stays good.
Bring snorkelling gear, or use what is on board if you are crewed.
Hvar town
Hvar town is compact and walkable: a harbour lined with boats, a main square, a fortress on the hill, and plenty of places to eat. For a day trip you do not need a plan. Walk the harbour, find lunch, and let the afternoon be slow. If you want a specific restaurant, tell the crew in advance and they will book it.
Why a boat beats the ferry
The ferry is cheaper and perfectly fine if all you want is to reach the town and come back on a fixed schedule. A private boat is a different day. You swim off the islands on the way, you choose your own hours, you skip the queues, and you come home when the light is at its best rather than when the timetable says.
Prefer turquoise lagoons to a lively town? The Blue Lagoon from Split is the other classic day out of Split, and the two can even be combined on a longer trip.
If that sounds like the day you want, read our guide to renting a boat in Split, or send us your dates and we will plan the route around your group.
Common questions
- How long does it take to get from Split to Hvar by boat?
- On a private boat, roughly an hour to an hour and a half to Hvar town, depending on the boat and the sea. A fast boat does it comfortably in about an hour, which leaves most of the day for swimming and lunch rather than travelling.
- Is a private boat better than the ferry to Hvar?
- For a day trip, yes. The ferry ties you to a fixed timetable and drops you in town. A private boat lets you swim off the Pakleni islands on the way, choose your own hours, and skip the queues. The ferry is cheaper if you only want to reach the town and back.
- What is there to do in Hvar on a day trip?
- Swim and snorkel around the Pakleni islands just off Hvar, walk Hvar town and its harbour, have a long lunch, and head back in the softer afternoon light. A good day mixes a couple of quiet swim stops with time on shore.
- When should I leave Split for Hvar?
- Around 09:00. Mornings are calmer on the water, you reach the Pakleni islands before they fill up, and you still have the afternoon for Hvar town and a relaxed run home.