Trogir boat trip
Split to Trogir by private boat: a UNESCO half-day on the water
How to reach Trogir from Split by private boat in under 30 minutes, what to do in the old town, and why the water route beats every other way of getting there.
Most visitors to Split do not visit Trogir. It is 30 kilometres up the coast, the bus is slow, the road in summer is slower, and it does not appear on the island tour routes. This is a shame, because Trogir is one of the finest medieval towns on the Adriatic — and by private boat it is 25 minutes away.
What Trogir is
Trogir is a small island town on the coast north-west of Split, connected to the mainland by a short bridge and to the island of Čiovo by another. The old town occupies the island in its entirety: a medieval grid of Romanesque and Venetian buildings, a 13th-century cathedral whose tower you can climb for the view, a Riva waterfront lined with palms and coffee tables, and alleyways narrow enough that the sun barely reaches the stone.
UNESCO listed it in 1997. It is one of those places that rewards arriving without a plan: a morning of walking, a cathedral visit and a long lunch on the water is a better day than any guided itinerary.
The boat route
The coast between Split and Trogir runs north-west along a strip of low green hills, with the island of Čiovo on the seaward side creating a sheltered channel for the last section. A fast private boat covers it in 20 to 25 minutes. The old town waterfront is accessible directly by sea — there is a quay where private boats moor — which means you step off the boat and into the old town in under a minute.
By road the same journey takes 30 to 60 minutes in summer traffic, drops you at a car park a short walk from the town gate, and involves the same traffic on the return. The boat removes the most frustrating part of the Trogir day entirely.
Combining Trogir with a swim
The coast between Split and Trogir is dotted with small bays on the Čiovo side, most of them quiet and easy to anchor in. A half-day that stops for a swim on the way out, spends two hours in Trogir, and stops again on the way back is one of the most varied and relaxed days available from Split.
This is not a long trip. A comfortable half-day runs from about 09:00 to 14:00. The afternoon is free for the old town, dinner, or a longer evening on the islands.
When to go
Trogir is worth visiting in any weather where the crossing is comfortable — the town itself is all stone streets and covered arcades, so even a grey morning works. The Riva is at its best in the early morning before the heat and before the tour buses arrive from the airport road. A boat departure at 08:30 gets you there by 09:00 when it is still cool and quiet.
For groups who want a full day rather than a half, a Trogir morning followed by an afternoon on the Blue Lagoon — which lies roughly in the same direction, 45 minutes further west — is one of the most complete days the coast offers. See the Blue Lagoon guide for that half of the day.
For the costs and what a private charter includes, the boat tour price guide has the full breakdown.
Send us your dates and group size and we will plan the Trogir route around what else you want to see.
Common questions
- How long does it take to get from Split to Trogir by boat?
- About 20 to 30 minutes by a fast private boat, along the coast north-west of Split. Trogir sits on a small island connected to the mainland by a bridge, and the old town waterfront is accessible directly by sea, which is by far the most convenient way to arrive.
- Is there a boat from Split to Trogir?
- There is no scheduled passenger ferry directly to Trogir's old town. By road it is about 30 kilometres, which takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on traffic — longer in summer. A private charter covers the same distance in 20 to 25 minutes by sea, and drops you at the waterfront rather than a car park outside town.
- What is there to do in Trogir?
- Trogir is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — a medieval island town whose cathedral, towers and Venetian palaces have been intact since the 13th century. Walk the old town, climb the cathedral tower for the view over the coast, sit on the Riva for coffee, and find a restaurant on the waterfront for lunch. Two to three hours covers it well.
- Can you combine Trogir with a swim stop?
- Yes, and this is what makes the boat route particularly good. The coast between Split and Trogir has several small bays that are easy to stop in on the way out or the way back. A half-day that includes an hour in a quiet cove and two hours in Trogir is one of the most relaxed, varied days you can do from Split.
- Is Trogir worth visiting from Split?
- Yes, especially for those interested in history or architecture — it is one of the best-preserved medieval towns on the Adriatic coast, and far less visited than Dubrovnik despite being comparable in quality. By private boat it is a very accessible half day that feels like a proper discovery rather than a tourist tick.