The Best Tours and Day Trips on Hvar Island: What's Actually Worth Booking
This is our guide to the best day trips from Hvar Island, including glorious walking city tours, delightful winery tours, sailing trips & more.
UPDATED 2026
Curious travellers have always found their way to Hvar.
Favoured today by stars and partygoers alike, this island speck in the sparkling Adriatic sea has long been a siren beckoning to sailors to indulge in its picturesque Mediterranean coastlines, lavender-scented interior and rustic sandstone towns.
First came the Illyrians, followed by the ancient Greeks, then Romans, the Byzantines and the Venetians; presumably drawn to its prime location in the Mediterranean trade routes - and the crystal clear waters and jaw-dropping beaches, of course - and all shaping this island and its culture in their own way.
But what does this all mean for you, modern-day explorer?
Well, some of the richest history, culture, and landscapes to sink your traveller’s teeth into, for a start. Beyond the glitz of Hvar town and the famous Blue and Green Caves, you’ll find centuries-old wineries, rustic villages, mouthwatering gastronomic experiences, and nearby islands to explore.
The even better news, particularly for those of you on a short break, is that they’re all easily accessible via an incredible array of Hvar day trips too.
Whether you fancy a romantic sailing trip to the Pakleni islands, a cycle tour of the island’s villages, or a deep-dive into its viniculture and gastronomy, this guide covers our favourite Hvar tours and day trips to, from, and on the island that’ll help you maximise your sightseeing while getting a real feel for the whole region.
For those based on the mainland looking for Hvar day trips from Split, we’ve got you covered too. Get ready to discover the best day trips on Hvar and surroundings now.
Hvar rewards independent exploration, but some of the island's best experiences are better with a guide, a boat or a local who knows where to go.
The Blue Cave on Biševo is only accessible by an organised speedboat tour. The wine region around Sveta Nedjelja requires transport and context that a good tasting tour provides far better than a self-drive afternoon.
The hidden villages of Velo Grablje and Malo Grablje sit in the island's interior and are almost impossible to find without someone who knows the roads.
And the Pakleni Islands, while perfectly explorable by self-hire boat, are a completely different experience when someone else is handling the navigation.
After six weeks on Hvar Island, these are the tours we'd book - the ones that actually add something you can't easily replicate on your own. We've also included the best day trips from Split for those using the city as a base.
Book early though - the best sailing tours, the Blue Cave speedboats and the guided food experiences all sell out weeks ahead in July and August.
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HVAR TOURS
SNAPSHOT
BEST HVAR DAY TOUR | Hvar Hidden Gems Day Tour
BEST CULTURAL TOUR | Hvar wine tasting tour
BEST DAY TRIP FROM SPLIT | Full-day excursion to three Dalmatian islands
EXPLORE NATURAL BEAUTY | Blue & Green Cave Day Tour
SOMETHING UNIQUE | Cycle Hvar Day Trip
THE BEST DAY TRIPS ON HVAR ISLAND
HVAR HIDDEN GEMS DAY TOUR
The best tour on the island for those who want to see beyond Hvar Town, and the one we'd recommend most readily to anyone who's already done the beaches and the harbour.
The tour takes you into the island's interior, to the abandoned village of Malo Grablje and the living village of Velo Grablje - places most visitors to Hvar never see, and that genuinely reward the detour. Local insights into the island's history, lavender fields, views across the Adriatic and an afternoon that feels nothing like a typical tourist day out.
The highlight for most people is the finish: a traditional konoba meal including octopus peka, slow-cooked under an iron bell and worth organising an entire afternoon around.
BOOK | Hvar Hidden Gems Day Tour
HVAR BLUE AND GREEN CAVE DAY TOUR
The most popular day trip from Hvar and, by most accounts, one of the best days out in the whole of Croatia.
The Blue Cave on the island of Biševo is one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena in the Adriatic, an iridescent silver-blue light show created by sunlight refracting through an underwater opening, best experienced between 11 am and noon when the effect is at its most intense.
The Green Cave, with its emerald-lit waters, makes for an equally striking first stop on the same day.
The standard tour combines both caves with a stop at Stiniva Cove, one of Croatia's most beautiful beaches, tucked between towering limestone cliffs, and finishes with a seafood lunch at the Pakleni Islands.
A full, exceptional day on the water.
For those who also want to visit Vis, the island that doubled as the Greek island setting in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, the extended version covers both and is worth the extra time.
Book well in advance. This is consistently one of the first tours to sell out in peak season.
BOOK | Blue and Green Cave Day Tour · Blue Cave, Vis and Pakleni Islands Tour
CYCLE HVAR DAY TOUR
The best way to see the Stari Grad plain and the island's interior — and a genuinely excellent day for anyone who wants to understand Hvar beyond its coastline.
The 27km guided route starts at the UNESCO-listed Stari Grad plain, where ancient Greek agricultural boundaries are still visible in the landscape, before heading through lavender fields and olive groves toward Vrboska and Jelsa.
The pace is unhurried, the scenery is exceptional, and the combination of history, countryside and small-town Dalmatian life makes for one of the more rewarding days you can spend on the island.
Worth knowing: the Greeks who laid out the Stari Grad plain in 384 BC came from Paros, the same island we spent weeks on in the Aegean. The connection across 2,400 years of Mediterranean history is genuinely extraordinary when you're standing in the middle of it.
BOOK | Cycle Hvar Day Tour
HVAR ROMANTIC SUNSET SAILING TOUR
One of the nicest ways to end a day on Hvar - a 2-hour small-group catamaran cruise through the Pakleni Islands as the light turns golden over the Adriatic.
The tour departs from Hvar harbour in the late afternoon, with swimming stops in secluded bays along the way.
Local food and wine are included, the group is capped at a small number of passengers and the whole thing is designed around that particular quality of Adriatic light that makes Hvar sunsets what they are.
Worth booking for couples, but genuinely good for anyone who wants a relaxed, unhurried end to a day on the island. Book ahead - these fill up fast in peak season.
BOOK | Hvar Sunset Sailing Tour
PAKLENI ISLAND HALF-DAY SAILING TOUR
The Pakleni Islands sit just off the western tip of Hvar Town and are best explored by boat, which is exactly what this tour provides.
A half-day guided sailing trip through the archipelago, with multiple swimming and snorkelling stops in deserted turquoise bays, paddleboarding and kayaking available, and enough time to genuinely explore rather than just pass through.
For those who want the Pakleni experience without the logistics of hiring and navigating a self-drive boat, this is the straightforward alternative.
We hired our own boat during our time on Hvar and had one of the best days of the trip. If you'd rather have someone else handle the navigation, this tour delivers the same experience with considerably less stress.
READ MORE | Our complete Pakleni Islands guide
GUIDED WALKING TOUR OF HVAR TOWN
The best way to spend a first morning on Hvar is two hours with a local guide covering the old town's Venetian history, the cathedral, one of the first municipal theatres in Europe and the 15th-century town loggia, with the stories and context that make the architecture actually mean something.
We spent a lot of time wandering Hvar Town's limestone lanes on our own and loved it.
But the historical layers here are genuinely rich, and a guided walk fills in details that are easy to miss without context, particularly around the Arsenal, the loggia and the fortress.
Tours depart from the harbour and run for around two hours. A good option for those arriving with limited time, or anyone who wants to understand what they're looking at before exploring further independently.
READ MORE | Things to Do in Hvar Town
GUIDED FOOD TOUR OF HVAR ISLAND
Hvar's food and wine culture is genuinely underrated, and this tour is one of the better ways to experience it properly in a short amount of time.
The itinerary covers local honey, olive oil, wine cellars and handmade chocolate, with an expert guide providing context on the island's agricultural history and traditions throughout. It's the kind of tour that turns what could be a generic tasting session into something genuinely informative, particularly for the wine, where understanding the Plavac Mali grape and the conditions that produce it makes the tasting considerably more interesting.
For those who want to eat at Konoba Menego separately, note that the food tour covers similar culinary territory from a broader island perspective rather than a single restaurant experience.
HVAR WINE TASTING TOUR
Hvar has been producing wine since the ancient Greeks planted the island's first vines in 384 BC, and the Plavac Mali grown on the steep slopes around Sveta Nedjelja is among the finest red wines in the Adriatic. This tour is the most efficient way to experience that properly.
The route takes you to the Vinogorje wine region and ancient wine cellars, with tastings paired to traditional local food and olive oil throughout.
The second stop in Jelsa includes a meeting with a Croatian winemaker - the kind of context that makes the wine considerably more interesting than drinking it blind.
What stays with us from our own wine experiences on the island isn't necessarily the wines themselves; it’s the whole setting.
A terrace overlooking the vines, a board of local cheese, cicadas doing their thing in the afternoon heat. The tour captures that well.
For those who want to end the day with a full Dalmatian dinner in a village rather than heading back to town, the extended version follows the same route and is worth the extra time.
BOOK | Hvar wine tasting tour · Wine tour with Dalmatian dinner
THE BEST ONE-DAY SPLIT TO HVAR TOURS
Split is one of the best bases in Croatia for island day trips, and several of the best experiences on and around Hvar are easily accessible from the city without needing to stay overnight.
5 ISLANDS DAY TRIP
The most comprehensive single-day experience available from Split, covering the Blue Cave on Biševo, Vis Island and the charming village of Komiža, the Blue Lagoon at Budikovac for swimming and snorkelling, Stiniva Cove and the old town of Hvar.
A full day on the water covering some of the best natural scenery in the Adriatic.
The Blue Cave entrance ticket is included, which is worth noting; it's one of the more logistically complicated things to organise independently, and the tour handles it seamlessly.
Worth booking if you're based in Split and want to see as much of the region as possible in a single day. Book well in advance; this is one of the most popular tours in Dalmatia and sells out weeks ahead in peak season.
HALF-DAY BLUE LAGOON TOUR FROM SPLIT
The best option for those short on time or looking for a half-day addition to a Split itinerary rather than a full-day commitment.
The speedboat tour covers the UNESCO-listed town of Trogir, a stop on Šolta island, local cuisine at Maslenica and the Blue Lagoon, the famously turquoise bay between the islands of Drvenik Veli and Drvenik Mali that photographs better than almost anywhere in Dalmatia.
If you're on the morning tour, lunch at Martinis Marchi castle is worth planning around. The lavender and almond dessert, in particular, is the kind of thing that gets mentioned in every review for good reason.
SPLIT FULL DAY 3 ISLAND TOUR
The most popular full-day boat tour from Split and a genuinely good introduction to the best of the central Dalmatian islands in a single day.
The route covers the Pakleni Islands for swimming in turquoise bays and pine-shaded coves, a stop in Hvar Town for a wander through the old town and a coffee on the main square, and a final swimming stop near Brač.
Lunch and drinks are served on board the catamaran throughout, one of the better aspects of this particular tour, given how much time is spent on the water.
A good option for those based in Split who want to experience Hvar Town and the Pakleni Islands without committing to an overnight stay.
Worth noting: if Hvar is the main draw, basing yourself on the island and exploring the Pakleni Islands independently will give you considerably more time and flexibility. But as a single-day overview of the region, this delivers.
BOOK | Split full-day 3 island tour
SPLIT FULL-DAY HVAR & PAKLENI ISLANDS CATAMARAN TOUR
A step up from the standard 3 island tour, this one focuses more time on Hvar Town and the Pakleni Islands specifically, making it the better option for those who want to give both destinations proper attention in a single day.
The itinerary covers a swimming stop off Brač, time in the Pakleni Islands' secluded bays for swimming and snorkelling, and a guided walk through Hvar Town's historic centre with free time to explore independently.
Everything else is provided: lunch, wine, water, homemade cakes and fresh fruit throughout. A good day on the water, particularly well-suited to groups.
One practical note: bring sunscreen and a hat. The catamaran deck offers limited shade, and the Adriatic sun in July and August is serious.
BOOK | Split full-day Hvar and Pakleni Islands catamaran tour
WHY TAKE A GUIDED TOUR OF HVAR?
If you know us, you know we default to independent travel. We prefer to wander without a plan, eat where locals eat and figure things out as we go.
But Hvar is an island where guided experiences genuinely add something. The wine region requires transport and local knowledge that a self-drive afternoon can't replicate.
The Blue Cave is only accessible by an organised boat. The hidden interior villages - Velo Grablje, Malo Grablje - are almost impossible to find without someone who knows the roads. And some of the best coastline on the Pakleni Islands is only accessible by water.
Tours also make sense if you're short on time and want to cover ground efficiently, or if you're travelling solo and want to meet people. Some of our longest-standing friendships started on group tours around the world.
So whether you're on Hvar for a day or a month, consider adding one or two.
WHEN TO BOOK HVAR TOURS
Most tours on Hvar can be booked via GetYourGuide, the platform we use throughout this guide. Booking is fully digital, e-tickets go straight to your phone and cancellation policies are generally flexible outside of 24-48 hours before departure.
On timing: book as early as possible for anything involving the Blue Cave, sunset sailing or the Hidden Gems tour.
These sell out weeks ahead in July and August and are genuinely difficult to get at the last minute. For walking tours and cycling tours, a few days’ notice is usually sufficient outside peak season.
Our general rule: if a tour appears on your itinerary, book it before you arrive on the island.
HVAR TOURS FAQ
WHAT IS THE BEST TOUR ON HVAR?
For first-time visitors, the Blue and Green Cave Day Tour is the most popular and for good reason; it's extraordinary and impossible to replicate independently. For those who want to see the island beyond the coastline, the Hidden Gems Day Tour is our pick.
For a half-day option, the sunset sailing cruise is hard to beat.
DO HVAR TOURS SELL OUT?
Yes, particularly in July and August. The Blue Cave tours, sunset sailing and Hidden Gems Day Tour all sell out weeks ahead in peak season. Book as early as possible and treat it as non-negotiable if these are on your list.
WHICH TOURS CAN BE DONE AS A DAY TRIP FROM SPLIT?
The 5 Islands Day Trip, the 3 Island Tour, the Half-Day Blue Lagoon Tour and the full-day Hvar and Pakleni Islands catamaran tour all depart from Split and are excellent options for those based on the mainland.
ARE HVAR TOURS WORTH IT?
For the Blue Cave and the Hidden Gems village experience, yes, without question. These are experiences that require an organised tour.
For the Pakleni Islands, self-hire boat is equally good if you're comfortable navigating independently. For wine tasting, a tour adds context that makes the experience considerably richer than visiting a winery alone.
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ARE YOU PLANNING TO VISIT CROATIA SOON?
Make the most of your time on Hvar with our essential Croatia travel guides.
EXPLORE HVAR
Start with these guides to help plan your time on the island:
Hvar Island Guide — 21 things to know before you visit
WHERE TO STAY ON HVAR
Where to Stay on Hvar Island — hotels, guesthouses and hostels
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HEADING TO CROATIA? YOU’LL LOVE THESE GUIDES
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