Quick answer: this self-guided walking tour of Split’s old town follows the same 12 stops I walk with my groups. It starts at the statue of Gregory of Nin outside the Golden Gate, ends on the Riva, and takes about 90 minutes at a relaxed pace. Walking it is free; only a few sites inside charge for entry.
I’m Jelena, a licensed guide in Split. This is the same route I walk with my groups, in the same order, because the order is what makes it easy to follow: you start outside the walls, walk into the Roman palace, and come out at the sea.
Want the stories, not just the directions? The KUKUVIA audio guide plays them on your phone as you reach each stop. The first stop is free. Or join my small-group walking tour and ask me anything along the way.
Before You Start
- When: early morning. Before 9am the Peristyle is often almost empty. By 10am in summer the main squares fill with tour groups.
- How long: about 90 minutes of walking and looking. Add time if you go inside the Cathedral, the Bell Tower or the full Substructures.
- What it costs: nothing. The palace is open 24/7 and free to walk through. The Cathedral, Bell Tower, Treasury and Jupiter’s Temple share a combination ticket, and the full Substructures have their own.
- What to wear: shoes with grip. The stone is uneven and polished smooth by centuries of feet, so it gets slippery, especially after rain.
The Route, Stop by Stop
1. Gregory of Nin and the Golden Gate
Start at the giant bronze statue of Gregory of Nin, the bishop who fought to keep the Croatian language in church. Rub his big toe for luck; everyone does, which is why it shines. Behind him is the Golden Gate, the palace’s grand northern entrance, which faced the road to Salona, the Roman capital of Dalmatia.
2. Pjaca (People’s Square)
Head west, just outside the palace walls, to Pjaca, Split’s medieval main square, officially Narodni trg. This is the town that grew up outside the palace after the Romans left, with the old town hall on one side. Locals walk past its details every day without looking up. Look up.
3. The Iron Gate
Enter the palace through its western gate. Look at the clock on the Romanesque tower next to it: it has 24 numbers instead of 12. Locals meet “ispod ure”, under the clock.
4. “Pusti me proć” (Let Me Pass)
Split’s narrowest street. Its name literally means “let me pass”, and two people can’t walk side by side in it. It’s easy to miss on the way from the Iron Gate to Jupiter’s Temple. If you can’t find it, ask a local; finding it is half the fun.
5. Temple of Jupiter
Tiny and easy to walk past. Don’t. It’s one of the best-preserved Roman temples anywhere, now a baptistery, with a beautiful coffered stone ceiling, a headless sphinx outside and a baptismal font carved with a Croatian king.
6. The Peristyle
The ceremonial heart of the palace, where Diocletian appeared before his subjects as a living god. The granite columns came from Egypt, and so did the sphinx. From here you see the Cathedral of Saint Domnius: built as Diocletian’s own mausoleum, it is now dedicated to a bishop he had executed. Climb the Bell Tower if your knees allow it; the view over the rooftops and the harbour is the best in the old town.
7. The Vestibule
Walk up the steps from the Peristyle into the round hall with the open dome. If you’re lucky, a klapa group will be singing: traditional Dalmatian a cappella, recognised by UNESCO. The acoustics are the reason they sing here.
8. Diocletian’s Private Residence
Beyond the Vestibule lay the emperor’s own apartments, facing the sea, with his dining room. Little stands upstairs today, but you’ll see their exact floor plan in a few minutes, underground.
9. The Roman Mosaic in Arhiđakonova Street
A 5th-century floor mosaic tucked into a quiet street most visitors never find. Take a moment here; it’s one of the rare places in the palace where you’ll have the Romans to yourself.
10. The Substructures
The halls under the palace follow the same floor plan as the emperor’s apartments above, which is how we know what the upstairs looked like. Game of Thrones filmed Daenerys’s dragons down here. The central passage is free to walk through; the full halls need a ticket and are worth 30 to 45 minutes.
11. Through the Brass Gate to the Riva
Leave through the Brass Gate, the palace’s southern exit, which once opened straight onto the sea. Today it opens onto the Riva: palm trees, ferries and the harbour in one view.
12. The Bronze 3D Models
Finish where my tours finish: at the bronze 3D models of the palace and of medieval Split. Trace the route you just walked with your finger. Everything you’ve seen fits together here.
Where Next
- The full story of the palace, gates and tickets: Diocletian’s Palace complete guide
- Lunch without tourist prices: cheap eats in Split
- The best view of the city: climbing Marjan Hill