Things to Do in Split With Kids: A Family Guide

1. Bačvice Beach, Where the Sea Stays Shallow

Bačvice is the local family beach and the obvious first stop with young children. The bay is famously shallow, so you can wade a long way out and still be barely knee deep, which takes a lot of the worry out of a beach day with toddlers.

It's also where picigin was invented, the Split game of keeping a small ball in the air in ankle deep water, played with a great deal of splashing and shouting. Children are usually desperate to join in within about four minutes. Best of all, it's a flat 15 minute walk from the Riva, so you can go on a whim.

2. Bene, the Calm Bay on Marjan

Tucked into the wooded tip of the Marjan peninsula, Bene is the most sheltered family spot near the city. Pine trees mean real shade, which matters enormously in August, and there are sports courts and space for children to run between swims.

The one thing to plan is getting there, since it sits at the far end of the peninsula and the walk is long for little legs. Go by taxi, by bike along the coast, or fold it into a ride that takes in the rest of Marjan too.

3. Žnjan for a Full Beach Day

If you want a whole day at the sea with everything on hand, Žnjan is the practical choice. It's a long, open stretch east of the centre with a wide promenade, cafés, showers, ice cream and plenty of room for a family to spread out.

It doesn't have the postcard drama of the Marjan coves, but with children that trade is usually worth making. Facilities and space beat scenery when someone needs the toilet, a snack and a shady seat in that order.

4. Explore the Palace Cellars Like a Castle

The underground cellars of Diocletian's Palace are the single best history stop in Split for children, because they don't feel like a museum at all. They feel like the dungeons of an enormous stone castle, which, more or less, is exactly what they are.

The vaulted chambers are cool even at midday, making them a perfect middle-of-the-day escape from the heat, and the fact that dragons were filmed down here in a certain television series tends to land well with older kids. The visit is short, which is precisely right.

5. Climb the Bell Tower, If They're Old Enough

The bell tower of Saint Domnius Cathedral gives you the best view in the Old Town and a real sense of achievement at the top. Older children usually love it.

Be honest with yourself about the climb first, though. The staircase is steep and narrow, with open sides and views straight down through the steps, so it isn't the place for toddlers, buggies or anyone in the family who dislikes heights. One parent up, one parent with an ice cream in the square below, is a well tested arrangement.

6. Froggyland, the Strangest Museum in Croatia

Froggyland is a collection of several hundred stuffed frogs, arranged a century ago into little scenes of human life: frogs in a classroom, frogs at the circus, frogs playing sport. It is genuinely peculiar and children find it hilarious.

It's small, so a visit takes about half an hour, which makes it a good filler for a hot afternoon or a rainy morning. Opening times vary by season, so check before you walk over.

7. Marjan Without the Meltdown

Marjan is Split's green hill and its forest trails are lovely for a family walk, with shade, sea views and the occasional tiny old church to discover along the way. Children who like a mission enjoy hunting for them.

The trick is to skip the punishing part. The stairway to the Vidilica terrace takes just over 20 minutes and is manageable for school age children if you go early or late, but the summit and the western lookouts are a long, hot climb that will end a family day quickly. Save the far half for a ride rather than a march.

8. Poljud Stadium for Football-Mad Kids

If you have a football fan in the family, Poljud is a treat. Home to Hajduk Split, it's a striking shell-shaped stadium from 1979 and one of the most atmospheric grounds in Croatia when the Torcida are in full voice.

You'll find club shops in town for a shirt, and the sea of blue and white around the city on a match day makes an impression on children who follow the game.

9. The Green Market as an Activity

The Pazar green market just outside the palace walls is noisy, colourful and full of things to point at, which makes it a surprisingly good half hour with kids. Give them a couple of euros and a mission to choose the peaches for the day.

The fish market nearby is the other half of the experience, and children tend to have strong opinions about it in one direction or the other. Both are free, both are authentically local, and both are best in the morning.

10. Ice Cream on the Riva and the Evening Stroll

Every evening, Split does the same thing: families come out, walk the length of the Riva, meet friends, and eat ice cream while the sun goes down behind the marina. There's no ticket and no plan, and it's one of the nicest things you'll do all week.

It also suits family timings beautifully. Croatian children stay up late in summer, restaurants welcome them, and nobody will look twice at a five year old still going strong at ten in the evening.

11. A Boat Trip That Actually Works With Young Children

Full day speedboat tours to the Blue Cave are thrilling for teenagers and a long, bumpy commitment for small children. With younger kids, the gentler option is far better: take a scheduled ferry to Supetar on Brač or across to Šolta, spend a few hours on a quiet island beach, and come back in the afternoon.

The ferry port is right beside the Old Town, the boats are large and stable, and the crossing itself is short enough to be an adventure rather than an ordeal.

12. Rainy Days and Too-Hot Days

Split gets both, and the answer is often the same. The palace cellars, Froggyland, the Ethnographic Museum in the old town and the city's cafés all give you a cool, dry hour when the weather is doing too much of something.

If you get a proper rainy day, this is also when a covered cinema, a long lunch or an indoor playground earns its place in the holiday. Our guide to the best time to visit Split explains what the weather tends to do month by month if you're still choosing dates.

Practical Tips for Split With Kids

A few things make a family trip here noticeably smoother, and most of them come down to heat and cobblestones.

• Buggies struggle on the polished stone lanes, a light carrier is easier
• Plan indoor or shaded time between noon and four in summer
• Water shoes help a lot on Split's pebble beaches
• Restaurants are relaxed about children, high chairs are common
• Refill water bottles at the public fountains around the centre
• Book beach and boat days early, everything is busier in August

Seeing the City Without Tired Legs

The hardest part of Split with children isn't finding things to do, it's the distances between them. The beaches, the viewpoints and the hill are spread along the coast, and getting to them on foot in the heat is what turns a good day into a difficult one.

That's where a tuk tuk tour fits family trips rather well. It's open-sided and breezy, kids treat the ride itself as the attraction, and it covers Marjan, the coast and the viewpoints in an hour or two with a local guide handling the route. Each tuk tuk seats four, and we simply add more so everyone travels together. Well behaved dogs come along at no extra charge, so nobody in the family gets left behind. Tell us your children's ages when you book and we'll sort the seating, or get in touch and we'll shape a route around what your family actually wants to see.

• No long uphill walks in the summer heat
• Children are very welcome on every tour
• Private rides, so you keep your own pace
• Pick-up in the Old Town, close to where you're staying

Final Thoughts

Split rewards families who don't try to do too much in a day. Pick one beach, one bit of history and one long evening walk, and you'll have a far better holiday than the family sprinting between sights in 33 degrees.

For more ideas to fold into your days, have a look at the best things to do in Split, and if you're wondering how to move between them, our guide to getting around Split covers the practicalities.