Planning a hen party in Split Croatia: the ultimate hen do guide

I’ve had a lot of Instagram messages asking for recommendations for a hen party in Split or help planning a girls’ trip to Split, Croatia and as coincidence would have it, I moved to Croatia and shortly afterwards, one of my closest friends had her hen party in Croatia, in my home city of Split.

If you’re planning a hen do in Croatia (or a bachelorette party in Croatia for our US friends), Split, Croatia is one of the best destinations in Europe for a hen party or bridal party. There’s an amazing mix of beaches, activities, boat trips, adventure trips, beautiful villas, it’s a safe destination, things are slightly cheaper than western Europe and the weather is amazing for a good portion of the year.

In this guide I’m going to share the best options for where to stay in Split for a hen party, the best hen party activities in Split and the ultimate guide to planning a hen party in Split.

a white lightbox with the words "#bride to be cheer" written on it

Bride to be lightbox

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The best time to plan a hen party in Croatia

Assuming you’re coming to Croatia on a hen do for the beaches, boat trips and great weather, you’re probably going to want to visit in the summer months, generally the weather is best May-October in Split, but June-August are the hottest months.

Our hen party in Split was in May which was perfect, weather was great, we enjoyed the beaches and outdoor day trips but there weren’t the peak summer crowds yet that arrive in July and August and it wasn’t unbearably hot, usually around 25 degrees celsius.

September and October are also great times to visit too if you want good weather with less crowds and the sea is usually warmer later in the year.

a beachside cabana made of driftwood with black sofas in the shade either side of a table. Right next to shallow turquoise water on Pakleni Islands in Croatia

Beach Club on Palmizana - Pakleni Islands

 

Finding the perfect villa for a hen party in Split

Of course the type of accommodation you want for your bachelorette party in Split will depend on your budget, group size and travel style.

We had a larger group of 11 ladies so it made sense to get a self-catered villa to split the price between us all, rather than paying for hotel rooms.

The most expensive villas will be the villas on the seafront or with sea views so we chose to get an incredible villa that was inland but with a large pool area so we had that outdoor space to sunbathe and swim together but for a lower price than it would have been on the seafront.

I’m going to share several villa options in Split and nearby - villas slightly further from the city tend to be significantly cheaper so you might find it’s better for you to stay further out the city and pay for taxis or Ubers - Ubers are common in Split.

A drone shot looking down on a group of girls floating in and sitting aorund a rectangular pool

Villa with pool near Split, Croatia

 

Split hen do villa with a pool for up to 12 people

This villa is about 10 minutes drive from Split in the nearby area of Podstrana which has several beaches that are quieter than those in Split. It’s inland so it’s significantly cheaper than being on the beach but it’s a beautiful villa with a large pool and outdoor area, the decor is beautiful, comfortable and well equipped with 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and sleeps up to 12 people.

 

Split hen do villa with a pool on the beachfront

The city of Split is built on the seafront, so there’s actually very little beachfront villa options in the city, because the city itself is there! Anything that is beachfront and close to the city comes at a premium price.

To give you an idea, this stunning villa is in Varos is right on the water, from here you can walk to the Old Town in around 10-15 minutes. It sleeps up to 10 people with 5 bedrooms and a stunning pool just steps from the sea in a historic Croatian villa.

Book here.

Alternatively, if you’re happy to be a little further from the city to fit your budget, this epic beachfront villa is in Kaštela, a small town situated between Split and the airport, so it’s easy to get to and well serviced by buses and taxis into Split. It sleeps up to 10 and is just steps from the beach.

In a similar area for an even cheaper price is this villa which also sleeps 10 but is just a short walk to the beach and the interior is gorgeous!

 

Split hen do villa for a smaller group

If you’re perhaps planning a hen party in Split for a smaller group, there are a lot more options available to you and you could even look at self catered apartments in Split city centre or hotels with pool access.

But if you’re keen to have a villa, somewhere like this villa in Kastela is a great option for a modern villa with a pool, a short walk to the beach and close to Split and the airport.

 

Split hen do villa for a big budget

If you’re ready to splash the cash for your bachelorette party in Split and you’ve got a big budget, there are so many epic options to choose from!

this epic beachfront villa is a stunning option.

Or alternatively, This similar option nearby.

If you’re looking for a luxury villa in Split city itself, this luxury villa in Split is another incredible option for the ultimate girls trip to Split, Croatia.

a large waterside villa surrounded by green trees and painted yellow with an orange roof

Villa on the water near Split

 

Split hen do boutique hotel option

If you’d prefer a boutique hotel in Split, this is a stunning luxury hotel with an infinity pool over the water that’s perfect for a girls getaway in Split.

There are only a handful of rooms at the property and if you book far enough in advance, you can book multiple rooms (or even the whole property!) at the same time. I stayed here in September and the price was great and there were only a couple of other people there. But I’d imagine it’s harder to book for bigger groups in the peak summer.

Although it’s on the waterfront, there’s no beach below, so there’s a walk to the nearby beach but it’s near a popular tourist area where you can walk to shops and restaurants. Or there are plenty of taxis and ubers to take you into the city.

an outdoor patio with a blue infinity pool looking over the darker blue sea. Two sun loungers and a white parasol at the side of the pool

Gallery Luxury Apartments

 

Hen party villa in Trogir

I personally think getting a villa in Trogir is a great option for getting more for your money but also in a great location. Trogir is about 30 minutes north on the coast from Split and is right next to the airport.

Trogir town itself is beautiful and although much smaller than Split, there’s plenty to do there and a lot of the day trips from Split also do a pick up in Trogir, so it’s well located for activities.

Here are a few incredible villa options in and around Trogir to consider:

  1. Villa Anadea - perfect for smaller groups up to 6 with a hot tub, great views and great price

  2. Livingstone Beach House - a stunning villa for up to 10 people, an infinity pool with spectacular views and right on the beach

  3. Villa Marulovo Hills - set back from the coast slightly, ultra modern with a hanging pool hot tub, roof terrace and sleeps up to 8 people

  4. Villa Andrea - situated on Ciovo Island attached to Trogir by a bridge, this is a great price for the location, infinity pool and sea view. Sleeps up to 6

  5. The Olive Exclusive holiday home - a pricier option but incredibly modern, updated, beautiful views form the rooftop pool with a large terrace area, sleeps up to 8 people

  6. Tinel Longo - a much more affordable option for up to 8 people in a historic restored villa, no pool but a beautiful boho terrace area

  7. Villa Magna - another well priced option for up to 6 people with a beautiful pool, sauna, incredible views, a smaller villa but modern and just across the bridge from Trogir and close to the beach

 

Hen party villas near Split to get more for your budget

If you’d rather stay close to Split with good transport connections but aren’t bothered about being close to the beach, that’s a great way to save yourself money.

Focus on areas such as Salona, Klis, Podstrana, Solin or Stobrec.

Villa Porta Salonae - around 8km from Split city centre in Solin, this modern villa in the hills above Split has city views, a pool, garden area and great amenities for up to 8 people

Villa D&D - Located in Podstrana, this epic villa sleeps up to 12 people with a stunning pool and terrace area, only 600m from the beach and close to hiking trails and outdoor activities around Podstrana

Villa 9 - higher in the hills above Podstrana, this modern villa sleeps up to 10 with a pool, sauna and hot tub.

 

Planning your hen do activities in Split

Hen party activities for the day time

We planned a mixture of relaxing activities and active activities over the 3-4 days we spent in Split on the girls trip:

  • Beach time and beach clubs

  • Time at the villa

  • Boat trips

  • Kayaking

  • Exploring Split

I’ll go into detail on each of these options below.

 

Beaches and the best beach clubs in Split

Croatia doesn’t have sandy beaches, the only sandy beach in Split is man made and it’s called Bacvice. It’s a popular beach but not very aesthetically pleasing, however it is budget friendly. Here are your options.

1. Bacvice Beach - only sandy beach, has a cheap beach bar called Kavala which only opens in summer. No sun beds to rent.

2. Znjan Beach - popular tourist beach, lots of space, lots of sunbeds and parasols to rent, Taboo Beach Club if you want to rent a private cabana with a more luxurious feel. Fiera Beach and Lounge Bar for a cheaper alternative.

3. Kasjuni Beach - my favourite beach as it’s my local beach, but a bit out the way on Marjan Hill. It has my favourite beach club - Joe’s Beach Club, with sunbeds and cabanas available to rent. There’s also a nudist beach here, further along the shoreline. There’s a bus from the old town to the top of the beach road (bus number 12).

Wooden cabanas at a beach club on the beach with white curtains and cream sun lounger mats, people on the beach in the background

Joe’s Beach Club at Kasjuni Beach

 

Time at the villa

girl in a blue hawaiian print dress holding a drink and wearing a lei

Me on tropical themed night at the villa

Of course you’ve paid for this beautiful villa, make the time to enjoy it, lazy by the pool and save some cash by cooking at the property. If you need to do a food shop, local supermarkets to look for are:

  • Konzum

  • Ribola

  • Spar

  • Tommy’s

  • Kaufland (bigger supermarket, probably need a car to get to)

  • Interspar (also a bigger supermarket and you’ll need a car)

 

Best boat trips for hen parties in Split

Honestly this list could go on forever, there are so many incredible options for boat trips from Split depending on if you want a chilled sunset boat trip, island hopping or more of a party boat. Here are some options, most of which I’ve experienced at some point during my time living in Croatia:

Looking aross blue water back to the shore from a boat at sunset

Sunset boat cruise around Split

  • Party boat day trip - with unlimited wine and beer and a meal included, this 7 hour sailing trip takes you to Hvar, the Pakleni Islands and beautiful bays to swim and party

  • Island hopping day trip - this is a long and full on day with a lot of time on a bumpy speed boat, I wouldn’t recommend if you’re expecting to be hungover, but absolutely recommend if you want to see the Blue Cave and several islands in one day. It also departs from Trogir

  • Private boat trip - just for your group, island hopping with pick up available

  • Sunset boat trip - a short but sweet sunset boat trip with unlimited drinks, we did this as a nice way to end our last night together.

If you’re looking for more day trip inspiration, my Split day trip guide has 20+ ideas.

 

Canoeing on the Cetina River

We planned this day time activity and it was so much fun, spending 4 hours leisurely canoeing down the Cetina River. We were also able to get a pick up directly from our villa for our group and it included a small lunch afterwards.

back of a girl wearing a red lifevest and sitting in a yellow kayak with both hands on a paddle, paddling down a rive rin the sun

Kayaking on the Cetina River

 

Spend time exploring Split

If you’re keen to just spend some downtime exploring, check out my Split itinerary or best things to do in Split for inspiration.

 

Split Hen party activities for the evening

I’ll caveat this section by saying if you’re looking for male erm… entertainment or male dancers in Split, it’s pretty much impossible. As a local told us, everyone knows everyone in Split and being such a religious country, it’s not a profession that anyone would do in their home city. Your best chance is hiring someone from Zagreb but the price is likely significant!

Here’s our evening activities we enjoyed during our Split hen do party and details of each are below:

  • Bars and clubs

  • Restaurants 

  • Wine tasting and dinner

  • Sunset boat trip

  • Cocktail making

 

Bars and clubs in Split

a dark image of a bar in a club with drinks being lined up on the bar

305 Club, Split

There are three main clubs in Split city centre:

  • Boiler Club and Dining

  • Central the Club

  • inBOX

There’s a lot more bars available, check out the bars on and around Ulica Majstora Jurja in the Old Town, here you’ll find

  • ShotGun Shooters Bar (shots bar)

  • Charlie’s Bar

  • Sanctuary Cantina

  • Rooftop68 for rooftop views and cocktails

  • Fabrique Pub for pub food, drinks, dancefloor and indoor smoking

For quieter or pre-dinner drinks:

  • The Daltonist for craft cocktails

  • Marvlvs Library Jazz Bar for wine and music

  • Zinfandel for wine tasting in the city

 

Restaurants in Split

You may or may not be planning to eat out depending on if you’re cooking in your villa or not. There’s a huge choice of places to eat in Split so I suggest checking out my Split restaurant guide.

 

Wine tasting and dinner experience

A long wooden table under a vine covered terrace, set for 10 people with pink decor

Wine Tasting and meal experience

I discovered a local wine that I loved called Vučica and the winery is just 20 minutes from Split, located in Kaštela. I love it so much that I’ve taken my parents there too when they visited!

They do a tour which picks you up in Split and includes 3 of their wines, a sweet rakia and a charcuterie board of local meats, cheese, bread, olives and olive oil.

It’s 2.5 hours long and picks you up and drops you off in Split Old Town.

For our hen party, our Maid of Honour was able to arrange a hen party wine tasting with a meal afterwards and we had a lot of food and wine - a great way to start our night out as they dropped us off in the city so we could head straight out to the bars and clubs.

Book here.

 

Sunset Boat trip

I mentioned this boat trip above but this is the sunset boat trip we did on our last night together.

 

Cocktail Making Class

a man adding garnish to the last drink in a line of 7 drinks on a bar

Pop Up cocktail making at the villa

This was a great discovery by our maid of honour, a local mixologist and professional bartender who can travel to you and your villa, set up a pop up bar and make a series of cocktails for the evening, teaching you how to make them and making them for the group.

There’s music and you can even customise the cocktail menu names to some more funny (suggestive) cocktail ideas to fit the theme of a hen do!

This was a super fun evening at the villa and a great way to start our night.

Contact him here on Instagram.

 

Split hen do itinerary - the ultimate guide

If you’re interested in how we fitted all of this into 3-4 days (some people arrived later or left earlier depending on flights) here’s our itinerary.

Day 1

  • Arrived at Split Airport - taxi to villa

  • First day and evening - around the pool, relaxed, drinks and dinner at the villa while everyone arrived

Day 2

  • Morning pick up for Canoeing activity

  • Dropped off back at the villa mid to late afternoon, got ready

  • Early evening - cocktail making class at the villa

  • Drinks, music, pool party, hen do games at the villa

Day 3

  • Beach club day

  • Get ready later afternoon for pick up to winery

  • Evening wine tasting and dinner with drop off in the city

  • Bars and clubs into the early hours

Day 4

  • Exploring day / some people leaving

  • Sunset boat trip

  • Last evening at the villa

 

Croatia hen do: Split and beyond FAQs

Is Croatia good for a hen party?

Absolutely. If you’re looking for a European destination with great weather, a great party scene, plenty of activities and an affordable price then Croatia is the ideal choice. There are definitely cheaper countries in Europe such as Albania or Bulgaria. However flights to Croatia are much more readily available and the infrastructure is great there to make getting around and planning a trip with a group much easier.

 

Which part of Croatia is best for partying?

Hvar Island is famously the party island in Croatia. The easiest way to get there is by ferry from Split. However Split is also a vibrant city with plenty of bars and clubs if you’re looking for party vibes along the coast. Zagreb has a more diverse nightlife scene however it’s not on the coast so probably not the summer party destination you’re looking for. Zadar also has some good bars although is definitely not as party-focused as Hvar or Split.

 

Is Split or Dubrovnik better for partying?

Definitely Split. Dubrovnik has beautiful bars and a charming old town, but it’s definitely more of a cultural experience rather than nightlife.

 

Which city in Croatia has the best nightlife?

Hvar Town, Split and Zagreb have the best nightlife. For a Croatia hen party, I would suggest Split and/or Hvar.

 

Is it safe to walk in Split Croatia at night?

When I first moved to Croatia I was surprised to learn that it’s one of the safest countries in Europe and in the world! Of course like anywhere you should stay aware of your surroundings and belongings and never walk alone if you’re not comfortable to. I’m usually to nervous to walk alone at night after I was robbed in Barcelona, but after living in Croatia for over a year, I’ve walked on my own at night multiple times and always felt safe and comfortable.

 

Summary: planning a hen party in Split, Croatia

Whether you’re the bride, a bridesmaid or the Maid of Honour, or you’re simply planning an epic girls trip to Split, hopefully this Split hen party guide has given you plenty of inspiration, help and ideas for planning your own hen do in Split, Croatia.

I think Split that really has it all in terms of a good mix of beaches, nights out, fun activities, great day trips, brilliant weather and easily accessible in terms of flights.

We had such a fun and memorable hen party in Split for one of our closest friends and we still talk about all the time and wish we could come back and do it again!

Pin for later to plan your future girls’ trip!

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