Head south from Split via Hvar to Dubrovnik. Check seasonal ferry connections before booking.
Fly into Split and home from Dubrovnik for a short trip along the Dalmatian coast. There are two nights in Split to explore the palace properly, followed by one night in Hvar Town and one in Dubrovnik. Travelling by passenger boat avoids hiring a car and brings you into Hvar’s waterfront centre.
This is a busy trip with two changes of hotel in four nights. Choose it for historic towns and a brief island stay; a beach holiday needs more time. The direct Hvar–Dubrovnik boat is seasonal, and the last morning’s sightseeing depends on your flight. Check those two parts before reserving the rooms. Arriving late in Split is manageable because the next day stays in town.
Split’s Roman residence is also a living neighbourhood of homes, shops and cafés. Two nights let you walk the public lanes on arrival, then choose a cathedral or basement visit the next morning. There is still an afternoon for Marjan or the beach.
Stay in Hvar Town for the harbour, St Stephen’s Square and Fortica’s views. An evening here feels different from a short excursion from Split. Keep your one island afternoon local; the quieter villages and distant coves deserve another trip.
A Dubrovnik overnight gives you an evening walk through the lanes and, with a late flight, time for the walls next morning. Choose a room by the gate or bus connection you will use, checking the steps between the street and the entrance.
Best for
Think twice if
You want several beach days, find repeated packing tiring, or want to add Zagreb or Plitvice. Outside the direct-ferry season, a two-city Split–Dubrovnik trip makes better use of five days.
StartBooker answer
Yes: spend two nights in Split, one in Hvar Town and one in Dubrovnik, using passenger ferries between them. Book only after confirming the direct Hvar–Dubrovnik sailing. The plan includes a full Split day and an island evening; a Dubrovnik wall walk on the last morning needs a late flight. Without the direct boat, spend two nights each in Split and Dubrovnik instead.
Book two nights in Split, one in Hvar Town and one in Dubrovnik. These areas suit the port transfers; check the precise address and access instructions before choosing a room.
3 stops · swipe
1
Diocletian's Palace and the working Riva waterfront
Stay east of the palace or around Bačvice for access to the passenger port and bus station. Varoš has old stone lanes and easier access to Marjan, though steps can complicate the luggage walk. Ask about sound from nearby bars if you choose a room inside the palace.
Watch out: Keep arrival-day tickets flexible: summer road traffic can delay the airport transfer.
Read the Split guide →
2
A Venetian harbour, hilltop fortress and lively summer evenings
A room near the harbour simplifies both boat journeys and puts dinner within walking distance. Higher lanes offer wider views but more steps. For this single night, stay in Hvar Town itself rather than booking a property elsewhere on the island.
Watch out: Waterfront rooms can be noisy in summer. Read recent reviews for the actual building, not just its harbour view.
Read the Hvar Town guide →
3
Fortified Old Town, city walls and Adriatic viewpoints
Pile and Ploče suit Old Town walks; Gruž is convenient for the arriving ferry. Lapad offers a quieter waterfront with a bus ride to the walls. Ask an Old Town property for the least-stepped approach and arrange luggage storage for departure day.
Watch out: A taxi cannot necessarily reach an Old Town doorway; confirm a pickup point you can reach with your bags.
Read the Dubrovnik guide →This sequence includes arrival and departure. The morning wall walk on day five assumes a late afternoon or evening flight; see that day’s alternative if you leave earlier.
Take the airport shuttle to Split’s main bus station beside the passenger port. The operator gives roughly 30 minutes on the road, but summer traffic and the wait after landing can make the transfer longer. Leave your luggage at the hotel before walking along the Riva. Enter the palace area from the waterfront and find Peristyle, then continue through the surrounding lanes. The Green Market is by the eastern Silver Gate, rather than beyond the northern gate. Save the paid interiors for tomorrow and find somewhere for dinner. If your flight arrives late, a waterfront stroll and a meal are enough; there is no onward ferry to catch today.
Overnight: Split
Visit the cathedral complex or basement halls in the morning, or take a historical walk through the palace neighbourhood. Diocletian built a retirement residence here; later residents made homes and streets within it. That mix is easier to appreciate when you stop in the quieter lanes as well as Peristyle. Public streets are free to enter, while individual monuments have separate tickets. After lunch, choose Bačvice for a nearby beach or Marjan for walking and views above the city. Check the current path access if you choose the hill. Return for a final Split dinner, then confirm tomorrow’s boat berth and have the ticket ready before heading to the port.
Overnight: Split
Choose a passenger boat landing in Hvar Town. As a dated example, TP Line’s 2026 line 654 leaves Split at 09:00 and reaches Hvar at 10:20 during its published operating season. Leave your bags at the hotel if the room is not ready, then walk around St Stephen’s Square, the cathedral and the Arsenal. The Franciscan monastery lies along the waterfront and makes a quieter continuation. Have lunch before choosing a local swim or the climb towards Fortica. In hot weather, leave the climb until late afternoon and check the current opening hours. A Pakleni boat outing is another option, but replace other activities with it rather than adding it to the whole town walk. Stay for dinner and the harbour evening.
Overnight: Hvar Town
Have breakfast and collect your bags before boarding. TP Line’s 2026 line 654 leaves Hvar at 10:40 and reaches Dubrovnik at 14:15, calling at Korčula on the way; you remain on the same boat. It arrives at Gruž, where a local bus or taxi takes you towards the hotel. Check in before visiting the Old Town. Walk along Stradun past Onofrio’s Fountain to Luža Square and the old harbour, taking side lanes when the main street is crowded. If tomorrow’s flight is early, consider the walls this afternoon only when the opening hours, temperature and your arrival allow. Otherwise enjoy the ground-level walk and accept that this short visit may not include the wall circuit.
Overnight: Dubrovnik
For a late flight, book a wall entry that leaves ample time for the circuit, a break and your airport transfer. Start early when the current opening hours allow; the exposed stone sections become hot, and the route involves many steps. Carry water and wear shoes with grip. Choose one museum afterwards only if the remaining time is comfortable. For an early flight, skip this morning’s sightseeing and go directly to the airport. Platanus lists outbound pickups at Gruž main bus station, Grawe and Cable Car; Ploče is an inbound stop, so do not assume the same pickup in both directions. Allow for the walk from your hotel, road traffic and the airline’s check-in requirement. The operator’s approximate 35-minute drive is only part of that calculation.
Overnight: Departure day
Confirm the Hvar–Dubrovnik boat first, then reserve the Split crossing. The example below uses a published 2026 timetable; another year or date requires a fresh operator check.
2 transfers
Split Hvar Town
Line 654 runs Split–Hvar Town in 80 minutes on the published 2026 schedule. Jadrolinija also offers a passenger route to Hvar. Its vehicle ferry goes to Stari Grad, a different port on Hvar’s north coast that requires a road transfer to Hvar Town.
Booking note: Buy for Hvar Town and check the boarding time and berth on your ticket. Arrive with time to find the boat.
Hvar Town Dubrovnik
Line 654 runs daily from 8 May to 18 October 2026: Hvar 10:40 to Dubrovnik 14:15, via Korčula. Without a direct boat, the return via Split takes much longer. For five days, omit Hvar and stay two nights in each city.
Booking note: Check the operating date before booking Hvar accommodation. Do not infer next year’s service from the 2026 PDF.
Weather and operational changes can affect sailings. These examples describe the published 2026 service, not a promise for another season.
The sample is per adult sharing a double room with one other adult. Replace the room and meal allowances with your quotes. USD conversions use 1.1195 dollars per euro, the ECB rate on 14 October 2026.
Booking tips
Live results cover different parts of Split. Read the street address on each card and check the walking route to the palace and passenger port. For these two nights, a manageable luggage walk is useful; a lower price farther from the centre may mean paying for another transfer.
Three markers identify Split, Hvar Town and Dubrovnik. They show the overnight stops rather than sailing directions. Zoom into Split to compare accommodation addresses with the palace and passenger port; on a phone, zoom out if a destination is outside the view.
Split
It gives you a full Split day, an afternoon and evening in Hvar, and a short Dubrovnik visit. Four nights means two in Split and one in each other place. With a late flight, the final morning can include the walls. Add nights for longer beach days, another island or several museums.
No. Both main transfers use passenger boats, and the historic centres are best explored on foot. A car would require different ferry arrangements and parking. Pack luggage you can handle on ramps and stairs, and confirm the final approach to each hotel if mobility is limited.
For a fixed five-day holiday, book two nights in Split and two in Dubrovnik, travelling between them by direct bus. Returning from Hvar to Split and then taking the bus is possible only with a workable connection and a much longer travel day. Avoid building a tight flight connection around it.
Use day four only if the boat arrives on time and the remaining opening hours and weather suit the walk. If that does not work, skip the circuit or add a Dubrovnik night. A morning flight on day five cannot also accommodate the full sightseeing morning described for a late departure.
Look east of Split’s palace or around Bačvice, near Hvar Town’s waterfront, and by Pile or Ploče for Dubrovnik sightseeing. Gruž suits the ferry arrival, while Lapad adds local transport. Check steps and recent noise reviews: a central map pin alone does not guarantee a comfortable stay.
May, June and September can combine useful ferry connections with more comfortable walking conditions than midsummer. Sea temperature and weather vary, so swimming is optional. The cited TP Line route runs from 8 May to 18 October in 2026; check the operator again for your dates and any later season.
Reviewed by StartBooker
Last reviewed 2026-10-15
Updated
How this route was checked: Rechecked against published ferry schedules, airport operators, official heritage and visitor information, and independent travel guides. The five-day plan states its departure-time assumption. Budget allowances identify occupancy and exclusions; dated operator fares are examples, not future quotes.
18 references reviewed
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