Split travel guide
The Ultimate Guide to Diocletian's Palace
Diocletian's Palace is not a fenced-off ruin but the heart of Split's old town: people live, shop and drink coffee inside its walls. This guide walks you through the parts worth your time, the Peristyle, the Cathedral of St Domnius and its bell tower, and the vaulted cellars where Game of Thrones was filmed, with what is free, what is ticketed and the best time to go.
While figuring out your palace visit is a critical piece of the puzzle, you will need to plan the rest of your itinerary, dining slots and sightseeing routes. Before you set out, make sure to read our definitive Split travel guide to map out your entire stay.
Diocletian's Palace at a glance
| Sight | Where | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palace streets and the Peristyle | Old town | 2 - 3 hours | Free, open day and night |
| Cathedral of St Domnius and bell tower | Peristyle | 1 hour | Ticketed at the cathedral entrance |
| The palace cellars | Under the palace, entrance from the Riva | 45 minutes | Central passage free; side halls ticketed |
| Gregory of Nin statue | Outside the Golden Gate | 10 minutes | Free |
We could not confirm this year's prices for the cathedral, the bell tower or the cellars on an official site, so we leave them out rather than guess. Pay at the ticket desks.
A Roman emperor's retirement home
The emperor Diocletian built his retirement palace here around 300 AD. Later, the town grew up inside its walls, so laundry lines, cafés and family flats now share the stones with temples and a cathedral that was once his mausoleum. The palace is UNESCO-listed, and it is still a neighbourhood, not a museum.
The Peristyle and the Vestibule
Start at the Peristyle, the colonnaded courtyard at the heart of the palace. From there, step into the round Vestibule, where klapa singers sometimes perform in summer. Then wander the lanes towards the four gates: Golden, Silver, Iron and Bronze.
- Summer nights: in July and August the Split Summer Festival puts opera and theatre on the Peristyle; see the city events calendar for this year's dates.
- After dark: the streets are open day and night, and the stone glows under the lamps once the tour groups have gone.
Cathedral of St Domnius and the bell tower
The cathedral was Diocletian's own mausoleum before it became a church, which makes it one of the oldest buildings in the world still used as a cathedral. Climb the Romanesque bell tower for the best view over the palace roofs and the harbour.
The climb, the dress code and the best time to go are in our guide to the cathedral and bell tower.
The palace cellars and Game of Thrones
The vaulted halls under the palace kept the emperor's floors level, and today they show the original layout better than anything above ground. The central passage from the Riva is free and lined with craft stalls; the side halls are ticketed.
Game of Thrones spots and visiting tips are in our guide to the palace cellars.
The four gates and Gregory of Nin
The palace had a gate on each side: Golden, Silver, Iron and Bronze. Outside the Golden Gate stands Ivan Meštrović's giant bronze of Gregory of Nin, the 10th-century bishop. Rub his big toe, polished gold by millions of hands, for luck. Outside the Silver Gate on the east side is Pazar, the green market; see Pazar and Peškarija.
When to go and how to plan your visit
- Go early or late: see the palace first thing or after dark, not at midday, when it is hottest and busiest.
- A morning plan: coffee on the Riva, then the Peristyle, the cathedral and the bell tower before the tour groups arrive, then the cellars and Pazar market.
- Lunch: Villa Spiza cooks home-style Dalmatian food inside the palace; for more tables, see our guide to the best konobas in Split.
- Opening hours: ticketed monuments keep long hours from spring to autumn and shorter ones in winter.
- Getting around: the stone is polished smooth, uneven and slippery when wet, with steps around the Peristyle. The Riva in front is flat and wide.
- Where to stay: in the old town you are inside the palace, but nights are loud in summer; see where to stay in Split.
What to plan next for your trip
Once you have sorted out your palace visit, it's time to explore the rest of Dalmatia - Split. Climb up for the view from the cathedral bell tower. If you want a swim after the stones, see the best beaches in Split.