Split is a busy mid-size Mediterranean cruise port. In 2025 it received roughly 300 cruise calls and around half a million cruise passengers. Because the main terminal has a finite number of berths, your ship will either dock directly or tender depending on traffic that day. Both outcomes are normal, and both bring you within a short walk of Diocletian's Palace.
1. The main cruise terminal — Gat Sv. Duje
Most ships dock at Gat Sv. Duje, the concrete cruise pier that juts east from the main harbour. You walk straight off the gangway onto the pier, through a short covered exit with a security check, and into a small public plaza with taxi rank, information kiosk and a row of waiting guides.
From the terminal exit to the edge of Diocletian's Palace is roughly a 15-minute flat walk along the marina and the Riva promenade. Five minutes by car or taxi. The route is well signposted, stroller-friendly and safe.
2. The tender port — central Split waterfront
On busy days, or for certain ship sizes, your cruise line tenders guests ashore directly into central Split near the Matejuška and St. Francis areas. The good news — you step off the tender onto the Riva, already next to Diocletian's Palace. The walk to the palace entrance is three minutes.
Tender boats typically run every 15–20 minutes. Allow a little extra time on the way back — tender queues at the end of the day can stretch 20 minutes.
How to tell which you will get
Your cruise line announces docking or tendering in the daily programme delivered to your stateroom the evening before Split. You can also check the Split Port Authority online schedule for your port-call date (search "Split cruise arrivals"). It lists each ship by name, berth, and tender status.
For our shore-excursion bookings you don't need to know in advance. We track the port assignment daily and adjust your guide's meeting point automatically. If you dock, the guide is at Gat Sv. Duje. If you tender, the guide is on the Riva.
How your shore-excursion guide finds you
Every shore excursion booked through this site uses the same dockside-meetup system:
- Your guide arrives at the terminal (or tender drop-off) before your ship finishes disembarking
- Guide holds a printed sign with your family name, visible and chest-height
- Guide is familiar with the ship's usual guest flow and stands where you cannot miss them
- You walk a few steps to a small air-conditioned van or minibus — parked right behind the guide
No taxi haggling, no phone calls, no "is this the right guide?" moment. If for any reason you don't see your guide within five minutes of stepping off the gangway, the booking confirmation includes a direct WhatsApp number — one message solves it.
Accessibility at the Split cruise terminal
Gat Sv. Duje terminal is step-free from the ship gangway to street level. The walk along the marina is flat and even. Wheelchairs, strollers and mobility scooters move through without issue. The old town of Split has cobblestones, which is the only terrain that matters for mobility planning — the terminal itself is easy.
What about getting back to the ship at the end of the day?
Every shore excursion on this site ends at the same spot (or a short walk from it) where you started. Your guide monitors the ship's all-aboard time through the day and delivers you back with a comfortable buffer. If your tour drops you at the Riva and you need to tender back, you have the 3-minute walk to the tender pier.