Split is built inside a Roman emperor's retirement palace — 1,700 years old, still inhabited, with apartments, restaurants and a cathedral crammed into the original walls. It's one of the most extraordinary living monuments in the world, and it rewards an expert guide more than almost any other city in Europe.
The Roman Emperor Diocletian retired to Split in 305 AD, building a palace complex so large it required 9,000 workers and covered 38,000 square metres. When the empire collapsed, local people moved into the abandoned palace for protection — and they never left. Over 17 centuries, they built apartments on top of Roman walls, carved medieval windows into Roman arches, converted the mausoleum into a cathedral and filled every available space with human life. Today around 3,000 people live inside the original palace walls.
Our private Split tour begins in the underground chambers (Podrum) — the original service level of Diocletian's Palace, preserved almost intact since the 4th century. The vaulted cellars follow exactly the floor plan of the imperial apartments directly above, giving a perfect map of the palace layout. From here the tour moves upward to the peristyle — the central colonnaded courtyard where Diocletian received his subjects — then into the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, originally Diocletian's own mausoleum.
Beyond the palace, private Split tours can extend to the Meštrović Gallery — the extraordinary clifftop villa-studio of Croatia's greatest sculptor, Ivan Meštrović, containing over 200 works — and to the Marjan Hill park above the city for panoramic views. Pair with a Cetina River rafting afternoon or a sea kayaking session for a complete Split day.
100% Private
No shared groups, no waiting. Your guide, your pace, your questions. We match your guide to your interests — history, food, photography, family travel.
Begin in Diocletian's original service level — 4th century vaulting, remarkably intact
The imperial reception courtyard — colonnades, sphinx and the cathedral entrance
Diocletian's own mausoleum, converted into a church in the 7th century
The best-preserved Roman temple in Dalmatia, now functioning as a baptistery
The main northern entrance — finest Roman city gate in the entire Mediterranean world
Panoramic views over Split, the Dalmatian islands and the Adriatic (extended tour)
Tell us your date and group size — we'll match you with the perfect guide within 2 hours.