Split to Hvar Day Trip: The Complete Guide to Sailing Hvar & the Pakleni Islands by Catamaran

If you have one full day in Split and want to see the most beautiful corner of the Croatian coast, there’s really one answer: a Split to Hvar day trip by catamaran, with stops in the Pakleni Islands along the way. It’s the single most popular excursion leaving the Split harbour every morning — and after running it for years on our mega catamaran, we understand exactly why.

This guide walks you through what the day actually looks like, what to expect at each stop, and how to choose the right tour for your group. No marketing fluff — just the practical information you’d want from a friend who lives here.

Why a Day Trip from Split to Hvar Is Worth It

Split is a beautiful base, but the real magic of central Dalmatia is offshore. Within a 90-minute sail you have:

• Hvar Town — one of the most photographed Mediterranean towns in the world, all stone alleys, Venetian architecture, and a hilltop fortress
• The Pakleni Islands — an archipelago of pine-covered islets just off Hvar, with the clearest water on this stretch of coast
• Brač and Šolta — the closer islands, perfect for a first morning swim before the day really begins

You can technically do Hvar yourself by ferry, but you’d spend half your day in queues and miss the swim stops entirely. A catamaran tour packages everything — transport, three swim stops, a guided walk, food, drinks, and the sail home — into one well-paced day.

What to Expect on the Day: Hour by Hour

08:00 — 08:30 | Check-in at the Split Riva

Boarding starts on the main Split promenade (Riva), at the pier of St. Nicholas. We recommend arriving 30 minutes before departure — it lets you settle in, grab your seat, and meet the crew over a morning coffee and burek (a Croatian filo pastry that’s the unofficial breakfast of Dalmatia).

09:00 — 10:30 | First Swim Stop near Brač or Šolta

The catamaran pulls out of Split harbour and within an hour you’re anchored in a quiet bay on Brač or Šolta — the choice depends on the day’s wind. This is your first swim of the day, and for most guests, the moment Croatia really clicks. Three boarding ladders, an open net at the front of the boat for sunbathing, and Adriatic water that’s somewhere between turquoise and unreal.

11:00 — 14:00 | Hvar Town and Guided Walking Tour

We dock right on the Hvar riva, just steps from the main square (Pjaca). A professional local guide leads a 45-minute walk through the highlights:

• St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Renaissance square it presides over
• The Arsenal, home to one of Europe’s oldest public theatres (1612)
• The narrow stone lanes leading up toward the Spanish Fortress (Fortica)

After the guided portion, you have free time — about an hour — to climb to the fortress for the panoramic photo (the one with the Pakleni Islands fanning out below), grab a gelato, or just wander.

14:30 — 16:30 | Pakleni Islands Swim Stop and Lunch

Back on board, we sail across to the Pakleni Islands. The name often gets mistranslated as “Islands of Hell” — actually it comes from paklina, the pine resin once harvested here for waterproofing wooden ships. The islands are protected, almost entirely uninhabited, and home to some of the best swimming bays in Dalmatia.

This is when lunch is served on board: a generous chicken salad (vegetarian option available — just let us know at booking), with fresh bread, fruit, and homemade cakes for after. The open bar runs all afternoon: local wines, beer, soft drinks, water, coffee.

17:00 — 18:30 | Final Swim Stop and the Sail Home

One last swim — usually a quieter cove on the way back — and then the boat turns toward Split. The afternoon sail home is unanimously the favourite part of the day. The DJ kit comes on, the deck turns into a slow-burn dance floor, and you watch Marjan Hill grow on the horizon as the sun drops behind Šolta. We’re back on the Riva by 18:30.

What’s Included in the Tour

A proper all-inclusive Split to Hvar tour should cover everything below — and ours does:

• 10-hour catamaran cruise on a 24-metre mega catamaran
• Three swim stops in secluded bays
• Professional guided walking tour of Hvar Town
• Breakfast (burek + coffee), lunch (chicken salad + bread), and afternoon snacks (fresh fruit + homemade cakes)
• Open bar from 11:00 onward: wine, beer, soft drinks, water, coffee
• English-speaking crew, snorkel-friendly swim stops, music, and shaded seating
• Toilets and changing facilities on board

Practical Information

Where does the tour leave from? Obala Lazareta, berth 4 on the pier of St. Nicholas — five minutes’ walk from Diocletian’s Palace. The exact meeting point is sent with your booking confirmation.

How long is the day? Departure 09:00, return 18:30. Total: ten hours.

How many people are on the catamaran? Up to 76 guests. The boat is sized so that there’s always room to find a quiet corner if you want one — and a livelier one if you don’t.

Do I need to know how to swim? No, but most guests want to. We carry float rings, and the swim stops are in deep water off the side of the boat. Children are welcome with parents.

What should I bring? Swimsuit, towel, sun cream, a light layer for the ride home, and a sense of humour for the dance floor on the way back. Everything else is on board.

What if the weather is bad? Our captain checks the forecast at check-in. If conditions don’t allow a safe trip, we offer a full refund or move you to the next available date. This is rare in summer but worth knowing.

Is there a cancellation policy? Yes — full refund up to 24 hours before departure.

Why Book Your Hvar Day Trip Directly with Summer Blues

If you’ve shopped around, you’ve seen our catamaran listed on the big platforms — Viator, GetYourGuide, and a handful of resellers. The tour itself is identical. Where it differs is in what happens around the booking:

• Best price, guaranteed. Booking direct on summer-blues.com means no third-party commission, which lets us hold the lowest published price.
• Direct contact with the operator. When you book through us, you reach our team — not a call centre — for any change, special request, or question before the day.
• Real flexibility. Group bookings, dietary requirements, private charters, or a special occasion on board are all easier when you’re talking to the people running the boat.

Over 125,000 guests have sailed with us. We’re the original mega catamaran operating this route from Split, and we’ve been doing it long enough to know what makes the day work.

Ready to Book Your Split to Hvar Day Trip?

The 2026 season runs daily through the summer. Tours sell out fast in July and August — particularly on weekends — so booking a few weeks ahead is wise.

Check availability and book direct →

From 99€ per person, all-inclusive. We’ll see you on the Riva.