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Split sits at the middle of the Croatian Dalmatian coast 220 kilometres north of Dubrovnik, with a permanent population of 161,000 across the 79-square-kilometre municipal area and the Diocletian's Palace UNESCO Old Town at the Adriatic central Dalmatia waterfront. The day-charter calendar runs April to October with the peak from late June to mid-September. A 50-foot motor yacht with crew for a 7-hour Brac and Hvar rotation in July runs €3,000 to €4,800 plus the 13% Croatian VAT, fuel, gratuity, and ACI Split slip fees. The day-charter inventory operates from four bases: ACI Marina Split at the Spinut basin north of the Old Town (canonical, all bands, the premium concentration), Split city port at the Riva harbour east quay (tender pickup, budget aggregator inventory), ACI Marina Trogir at the Trogir Channel 27 kilometres west of Split (west-axis pickup), and Marina Kastela between Split and Trogir (budget midmarket pool). Split Airport (SPU) at Kastela handles the air access with the 5 to 25 minute road transfer to ACI Trogir, Marina Kastela, or ACI Split.
The point of a Split day charter on a 6 to 9 hour rotation is the Brac and Hvar central-axis cluster (the 8 to 18 nautical mile south-southeast cruise to the Bol Zlatni Rat anchor, the Lucice and Bobovisca cove anchor, and the Hvar Pakleni rotation), the Solta west-axis cluster (the 6 to 12 nautical mile southwest cruise to the Maslinica, Stomorska, and Necujam anchor), the Trogir and Drvenik west-axis cluster (the Krknjasi Blue Lagoon anchor at Veli Drvenik, the Trogir Old Town tender stop, and the Drvenik Mali blue-cave cruise), the Vis and Bisevo full-day extension (the 30 to 38 nautical mile southwest crossing on the 55-foot-and-up), and the Hvar town and Pakleni full-day extension (the 22 to 28 nautical mile south crossing).
The day-charter pattern combines a 9am to 9:30am ACI Split, Trogir, or Kastela departure, a 30 to 75 minute cruise to the Brac, Solta, or Drvenik first anchor, a 4 to 5 hour anchor and lunch sequence (typically the Bol or Krknjasi swim anchor, lunch at Maslinica, Stomorska, or Bobovisca village, and a second swim anchor at Lucice or Necujam), and a 5pm to 6pm departure-base return.
When to day-charter Split
April. Shoulder. Water 16 to 18 degrees Celsius, air 17 to 21. Working operators open inventory from 1 April with the canonical Croatian-spring opening pattern at 50 to 65 percent of August peak rates. The cleanest April booking pattern with the 1 to 3-boat Krknjasi calendar.
May. Shoulder. Water 17 to 20 degrees, air 19 to 24. Rates climb to 60 to 75 percent of August peak. The cleanest May booking is the second-half-of-May window at the warmer-water and cleaner-light calendar.
June. Shoulder through 15 June, peak thereafter. Water 19 to 22 degrees, air 22 to 27. Rates from 65 to 85 percent of August peak. From 20 June the Dalmatian peak calendar opens with rates climbing into the 90s through 30 June.
July and August. Peak. Water 22 to 25 degrees, air 26 to 31. The canonical Split peak window with the Maestral northwest-wind pattern (the 10 to 20 knot afternoon Maestral) and the Bura or Jugo forecast risk. The US, German, UK, Polish, and Italian family-holiday calendar absorbs the Split day-charter market alongside the cruise-passenger Diocletian's Palace congestion. Rates at 95 to 100 percent of peak through 31 August. Book 10 to 16 weeks out for the premium 50-foot-and-up inventory at ACI Split or Trogir.
September. Peak through 10 September, shoulder thereafter. Water 22 to 24 degrees, air 23 to 27. The cleanest Split window: the post-15 September pattern with the warmest sea-temperature calendar, the cleaner Krknjasi and Pakleni anchor pool, and the cleaner Vis and Bisevo booking window.
October. Shoulder. Water 20 to 22 degrees, air 18 to 23. Working off-peak rates at 50 to 65 percent of August peak. Operators wind down 31 October. The Bura north wind runs more frequent from mid-October.
November to March. Working off-peak. The Split day-charter inventory does not operate through winter; ACI Split runs at the sheltered-day pattern only.
The Split day-charter zones
Brac and Hvar central-axis cluster (the canonical Split day-charter axis). The 8 to 18 nautical mile south cruise to Brac and Hvar. The Bol and Zlatni Rat anchor at the Brac south (the shifting-shingle promontory at depths 5 to 10 metres on the sand bottom and the Bol harbour tender stop), the Lucice cove anchor at the Brac southwest (the sheltered three-bay cove cluster at depths 4 to 9 metres), the Bobovisca village stop at the Brac southwest, and the Hvar Pakleni north anchor cluster at the Mlini and Stipanska (under the Hvar day-charter axis when operated full-day from Split). The canonical Split day-charter cluster.
Solta west-axis cluster. The 6 to 12 nautical mile southwest cruise to Solta island. The Maslinica village stop at the Solta west tip (with the Martinis Marchi marina tender pickup and the Maslinica village walk), the Stomorska village stop at the Solta northeast (with the sheltered village quay), the Necujam anchor at the Solta north (with the sheltered swim anchor at depths 4 to 12 metres), and the Sesula bay anchor at the Solta southwest (the pebble-bottom swim anchor). The alternative day pattern from ACI Split, Trogir, or Kastela.
Trogir and Drvenik west-axis cluster. The 8 to 18 nautical mile west cruise to the Trogir and Drvenik islets. The Krknjasi Blue Lagoon anchor at Veli Drvenik (the sand-bottom turquoise swim anchor between the islets at depths 4 to 8 metres), the Mali Drvenik blue-cave cruise at the Drvenik Mali southwest, the Trogir Old Town tender stop at the Trogir Channel (the UNESCO walled town with the short tender shore-landing), and the Ciovo island anchor cluster at Slatine and Movar. The canonical west-axis Split day pattern.
Vis and Bisevo (full-day extension axis). The 30 to 38 nautical mile southwest crossing to Vis island. The Stiniva cove anchor at the Vis south coast, the Komiza harbour stop at the Vis west, and the Bisevo Modra Spilja blue-cave entry at the Bisevo north. The full-day Vis rotation requires the 50-foot-and-up motor-yacht inventory at 22 to 26 knot transit capacity.
Hvar Pakleni (full-day extension axis). The 22 to 28 nautical mile south crossing to the Pakleni cluster opposite Hvar town. The Palmizana lunch at Toto's or Laganini, the Mlini bay swim anchor, and the Stipanska Carpe Diem afternoon. The full-day Hvar extension from Split runs 9 to 10 hours marina-to-marina.
A standard Split day charter (7 hours)
| Hour | Position | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | ACI Split or Trogir board | Boarding at the slip, provisioning check, departure briefing |
| 10:00 | West cruise to the Krknjasi Blue Lagoon | 60-minute cruise west via the Marjan and Ciovo channel |
| 11:00 | Krknjasi Blue Lagoon swim anchor | 90-minute swim and tender stop at the sand-bottom Blue Lagoon anchor |
| 12:30 | Cruise to Maslinica or Solta | 30-minute slow cruise south to Solta west-coast |
| 13:00 | Lunch at Maslinica or Stomorska | 105-minute lunch and tender shore-landing |
| 14:45 | Sesula or Necujam swim anchor | 75-minute swim at the sheltered Solta swim anchor |
| 16:00 | Bol Brac west cruise (or return) | 60-minute east cruise via the Brac west or back to Split |
| 17:00 | ACI Split, Trogir, or Kastela return | Return to slip |
This is the canonical Split 7-hour Solta and Krknjasi rotation on a 45 to 55 foot motor yacht or sailing catamaran with 8 to 12 guests. The structure adjusts for the full-day Brac and Hvar Pakleni rotation (which moves to a 9 to 10 hour day with the Bol or Lucice morning anchor, the Hvar Palmizana lunch, and the Stipanska afternoon), for the full-day Vis and Bisevo rotation (which runs 10 to 11 hours with the Bisevo blue-cave morning window), and for the short-day Krknjasi-only pattern (which substitutes the full rotation with a 4 to 5 hour Blue Lagoon and Trogir Old Town stop).
Split day-charter boat size guidance
28 to 38 foot motorboats and ribs. €450 to €1.5K per day, 6 to 12 guests, skipper-included. The budget Split day-charter band; the cleanest fit for the short-day Krknjasi or Solta rotation from Split city port or Kastela.
38 to 50 foot motor yachts and sailing catamarans. €1.5K to €3.5K per day, 8 to 12 guests, crew of 1 to 2. The midmarket Split day-charter band; the cleanest fit for the full Solta and Brac rotation from ACI Split or Trogir.
50 to 65 foot motor yachts and sailing catamarans. €3.5K to €6K per day, 10 to 12 guests, crew of 2 to 4, on-board chef on the 55-foot-and-up. The premium midmarket band with the structured Brac, Hvar, and Vis rotation capacity.
65 to 80 foot motor yachts. €6K to €9.5K per day, 12 guests, full crew of 3 to 6, tender garage. The premium day-charter band with the structured Vis full-day, Korcula long-day, and Bisevo extension capacity.
80 to 100 foot motor yachts. €9.5K to €13K per day, 12 guests, full crew of 5 to 8, overnight extension capacity. The extension-charter band for clients combining Split day product with overnight at Hvar, Vis, or Korcula.
Split day-charter cost math
| Line item | Range (50-foot motor yacht, 7-hour Solta and Krknjasi day, July peak) |
|---|---|
| Boat day rate | €3K to €4.8K |
| Croatian VAT (13% on charter) | €0.39K to €0.62K |
| Fuel (typical 7-hour day, 30 nautical miles, at-cost) | €0.25K to €0.85K |
| Crew gratuity (10% to 15% standard in Croatia) | €0.3K to €0.72K |
| Provisioning (lunch, drinks, operator-provided) | €0.4K to €1.3K |
| ACI Split or Trogir day-stop slip | €0.05K to €0.35K |
| Maslinica or Stomorska restaurant booking (8 guests) | €0.4K to €1.2K |
| Working full check (7-hour Solta and Krknjasi day) | €4.5K to €8.6K |
| Working full check (10-hour Hvar Pakleni day, 60-foot motor) | €8K to €12K |
| Working full check (10-hour Vis and Bisevo day, 60-foot motor) | €9K to €13K |
| Peak August premium (1.3x to 1.4x rate) | €5.5K to €10K |
The Split day-charter cost runs at the bottom of the Croatian midmarket day-charter band on a per-day basis, with a modest discount versus Hvar or Dubrovnik given the larger inventory pool, the Trogir and Kastela alternative bases, and the broader operator competition. The 13% Croatian VAT runs at the European-comparable line. The cost-control move is the April, May, or post-15 September booking at 50 to 70 percent of August peak, the Marina Kastela departure (which substitutes the ACI Split premium with the Kastela midmarket pricing), and the weekday booking pattern (Monday to Thursday) at the cleaner Krknjasi anchor pool.
Operator ranking (the day-charter inventory)
We rank rather than list. The Split day-charter operator inventory we would book runs at the following band:
Adriatic Charter Group and Sail Croatia Split (ACI Split and Trogir). Holds the operator-direct 35 to 100 foot motor-yacht and sailing-catamaran inventory at ACI Marina Split and ACI Marina Trogir with the Sunseeker, Princess, Azimut, Pershing, and Sanlorenzo motor inventory plus the Lagoon, Bali, and Fountaine Pajot catamaran pool. Working operator-direct booking, Croatian charter licensing, on-board chef capability at the 55-foot-and-up, Vis and Bisevo park coordination, and the Hvar and Korcula extension capacity. The cleanest single operator-direct booking pattern at the working €3K-and-up Split day-charter band.
Goolets Split and YachtCharterFleet Split (ACI Split). Holds the operator-direct 40 to 90 foot inventory at ACI Marina Split with the motor and sailing pool. Working operator-direct booking and full-crew capability across the premium midmarket band.
Adriatic Tours Split and Hvar Cruise (Riva and Kastela). Holds the operator-direct 28 to 55 foot motor and rib inventory at the Split Riva and Marina Kastela with the Axopar, Pardo, Saxdor, Quicksilver, and Beneteau Antares pool. The cleanest fit for clients staying at the Split Old Town hotel cluster and the short-day Solta or Krknjasi walk-on pickup.
Click and Boat Split, SamBoat Split, and Boatsetter Split. Holds the aggregator inventory at the ACI Split, Trogir, Kastela, and Riva bases with the 28 to 75 foot inventory across the budget and midmarket bands. Working aggregator interface, insurance, and captain-included pattern at the 30-foot-and-up. The cleanest single budget-band booking pattern.
Cosmos Yachting Split and Sunsail Split. Holds the operator-direct 35 to 60 foot bareboat sail and motor inventory at the Marina Kastela and ACI Trogir bases. Bareboat or skipper-included; the alternative for clients with Croatian or RYA bareboat skipper certification.
We rank Adriatic Charter Group and Sail Croatia Split at the top of the Split day-charter operator inventory because the Vis and Bisevo blue-cave day requires the operator-specific park-coordination and the 22-knot-and-up transit capability, the Hvar Pakleni Palmizana extension requires the operator-specific restaurant-booking interface, and the Krknjasi Blue Lagoon anchor at peak requires the operator-specific anchor-rotation knowledge to clear the organised-tour congestion.
The friction
The Krknjasi Blue Lagoon anchor at peak July and August runs the anchor at 50 to 120 anchored boats with the organised-tour-boat tender pattern from Split, Trogir, and Brac, and the swim-buoy field across the cove mouth. The cleanest single fix is the pre-9am or post-3pm Krknjasi window (which clears the noon to 2pm peak congestion at the 5 to 30-boat morning and afternoon calendar), the Stomorska or Maslinica substitution to the Solta west pattern (which holds 8 to 25 anchored boats versus the Krknjasi 50 to 120), or the weekday booking (Monday through Thursday) at the cleaner anchor pool.
The Split city port and Riva walk-on pickup at peak July and August runs the tender pickup pattern at the Riva east quay with the cruise-passenger land-based Old Town congestion at 6,000 to 12,000 daily cruise-passenger arrivals. The cleanest single fix on the day-charter side is the ACI Split substitution (which moves the boarding to the Spinut basin north of the Old Town away from the Riva traffic), the Marina Kastela substitution (which moves the boarding 12 kilometres west to the cleaner Kastela bay base), or the pre-8am Riva pickup pattern at the cleaner morning-traffic window.
The Vis and Bisevo full-day from Split at peak July and August runs the 30 to 38 nautical mile each-way transit at the 22 to 26 knot transit speed, with the Bisevo blue-cave morning queue at 9am to 11am running the 30 to 60-tender morning wave. The cleanest single fix is the 60-foot-and-up booking at the 24 to 28 knot transit capability (which clears the transit window to the 70 to 85 minute one-way), the 7am ACI Split departure (which lands at the Bisevo cave at the 8:30 to 9am opening window before the wave), or the overnight-on-Vis substitution (which substitutes the Vis day-trip with the overnight Vis town stay at the Hotel San Giorgio cluster, opening the pre-9am Bisevo window from Komiza).
The rest of the trip
VillasForKings covers the Split private villa inventory across the Marjan, Meje, Trogir, Ciovo, Kastela, Solta, and Brac clusters with the pool, private-tennis, and sea-view inventory. HotelsForKings covers the Hotel Park Split at the Bacvice cove, the Marvie Hotel at the Spinut basin, the Heritage Hotel Cardo at the Diocletian's Palace, the Brown Beach House at Trogir, the Le Méridien Lav at Podstrana south of Split, the Hotel Lemongarden at Sutivan on Brac, and the Olive Tree Hotel at Trogir. RestaurantsForKings covers Dvor at the Bacvice cliffs, Zoi at the Riva, Bokeria at the Diocletian's Palace, Konoba Matejuska at the Old Town, Apetit at the Marmontova, Boban at Bacvice, Konoba Astoria at Brac Bol, and the Trogir Old Town konoba cluster. BarsForKings covers Joker Beach at Trstenik, Brigita at Marjan park, the Diocletian's Palace evening bar cluster, and the Kastel Stari and Kastel Sucurac waterfront bar cluster.
FAQ
Do I need to book a Split day charter in advance? For July and August peak, yes. Book 10 to 16 weeks out for the premium 50-foot-and-up inventory at ACI Split or Trogir. May, early June, and post-15 September open inventory on 1 to 2 week notice at the shoulder rates.
Should I depart ACI Split, Trogir, or Kastela? ACI Split for the full inventory pool and the canonical premium 50-foot-and-up booking pattern; the Spinut basin sits 1.5 kilometres north of the Old Town. ACI Trogir for clients staying at the Trogir, Ciovo, or Kastela hotel cluster (and 5 to 15 minutes from Split Airport). Marina Kastela for clients on the Kastela hotel pool and the budget midmarket inventory pickup.
Can I day-charter from Split to Hvar town? Yes on the 45-foot-and-up motor-yacht and sailing-catamaran inventory. The Split-to-Hvar rotation runs 22 to 28 nautical miles each way at the 75 to 95 minute transit. The full-day Hvar Pakleni rotation from Split runs 9 to 10 hours marina-to-marina with the Mlini swim anchor, the Palmizana lunch, and the Stipanska afternoon.
What size group fits a Split day charter? 6 to 12 guests on the 28 to 38 foot motorboat and rib band, 8 to 12 on the 40 to 55 foot motor-yacht and sailing-catamaran band, 10 to 12 on the 55 to 100 foot inventory (capped at 12 on the Croatian commercial day-charter limit), 12+ on the two-yacht booking pattern via Adriatic Charter Group or Sail Croatia Split.