By the Dalmatia Express crew — skippers running the Split–island routes daily, 24/7. Updated August 2026.

Vis island has no bridge to the mainland, and it never will. There is no airport either. Every route starts on the water. This 2026 guide explains how to get to Vis island from Split, with real prices and times. You have three real choices. The Jadrolinija car ferry takes 140 minutes and carries a vehicle. The Krilo catamaran is for foot passengers only. It takes around 70–100 minutes, but it runs on a thin schedule and is not good for day trips. A private taxi boat crosses in about 65 minutes, on your own schedule. This isolation is why the island still feels like old Dalmatia.

Vis is the furthest inhabited island from Split. For most of the 20th century, it was also the most closed. The Yugoslav army used Vis as a fortified base. They built more than thirty military installations here: an underground submarine tunnel, a hidden hospital, and gun positions cut into the cliffs. Foreign visitors were banned until 1989. While Hvar and Brač filled with package tourists in the 1970s and 80s, Vis stayed a closed zone. Real tourism only started after Croatian independence in 1991. That is why Vis still looks the way it does today. You will find vineyards instead of resorts, and konobas (small, family-run Croatian taverns) instead of cocktail bars. Bays like Stiniva (a small, hidden cove with a pebble beach on Vis island’s south coast) still look the way the rest of the Adriatic did decades ago. Getting to Vis takes more planning than a trip to Hvar. That extra effort is exactly what keeps Vis special.

How to get to Vis: every way across, compared

Your choice depends on three simple questions. Do you need a car? Are you trying to do a day trip? Do you want a fixed arrival time, without depending on a timetable? The table below is checked against the operators’ own 2026 schedules, not guessed.

On the Vis route, the sea itself matters more than on most routes. This is one of the most exposed crossings in Central Dalmatia.

Is a private transfer actually worth it? The honest math

Here is the honest comparison. Take the worst realistic version of the “cheap” public route. Compare it with our boat at its best — one full boat of 14 people sharing one hull, Split Airport → Vis Town.

A full boat costs a little more per person — but you arrive hours sooner, private and door to door. And it is the only way across at odd hours.

What else you get with Dalmatia Express

• Private — just your group. No strangers, no packed ferry deck.
• Met at the gate. Our driver takes your luggage, walks you to the boat, and the crew helps you off — door to door.
• Radar cabin, licensed crew. Safe in rough sea, and we sail when the catamarans are cancelled.
• 24/7, on demand. Book by call, SMS or WhatsApp — even mid-flight — and we are waiting when you land.
• The scenic route. Open sea, islands and hidden coves the whole way, not a crowded car deck.
• Concierge on board. Crew tips on the best beaches, konobas and what to see.
• Special rates on our tours. Transfer guests get preferential pricing on our Blue Cave and island excursions.
• Trusted names. Chosen by Mate Rimac (the Croatian supercar founder) and a James Bond film production.

The part nobody tells you: the last catamaran to Vis Town leaves around 19:00 in peak season. If your flight lands after that — delayed or late-night — there is no public boat until morning. That means a Split hotel night (€100–180) plus next-day tickets, or long hours at the port. Our closed-cabin boats run 24/7. They still sail in a bura (the strong north wind) when the catamarans cancel.

Skipper’s tip: 4 or more people with luggage, or any flight after about 19:00? The private boat usually wins on total cost once taxis, tickets and a possible hotel are added — and it always wins on time.

See our Split → Vis prices, or tell us your flight time — we reply 24/7.

Jadrolinija car ferry: Split–Vis Town, the standard route

The Jadrolinija car ferry (line 602) is the main way to get to Vis if you bring a vehicle, want the lowest fare, or have flexible dates. It sails from Split’s ferry port to Vis Town harbour in about 140 minutes. 2026 fares: €7.20 per adult foot passenger off-season (1 Jan–28 May and 28 Sep–31 Dec), €9.10 in season (29 May–27 Sep). Children 3–12 pay €3.60 all year. A standard car up to 5 metres costs €40.60 off-season or €52.00 in season. So a couple with a car pays roughly €55–€70, depending on the month.

This is a reservation-based line. A ticket for a specific sailing also reserves your place, car included. This matters in July and August, when car spaces sell out. Jadrolinija recommends arriving 60 minutes early in summer with a car, 30 minutes in winter. There are two to five sailings a day, depending on season — check the current timetable.

Skipper’s tip: travelling with a car in July or August? Book your Split–Vis ferry ticket online days ahead, not at the port. We often see people arrive on the day and find all car places gone for the next two sailings. Then they wait four hours in Split with a rental car and nowhere to leave it.

Split–Vis catamaran: the foot-passenger route, and its timing problem

If you travel without a car, the standard public option is the fast catamaran: Krilo (Kapetan Luka) line 9602. It runs Split–Milna (a port on Brač island)–Hvar Town–Vis Town in about 1h10–1h40, depending on stops. Fares are around €7.20–€10.00. It lands right in Vis Town and is one of the cheapest ways across. But it has one problem. For most of the year, there is only one useful sailing a day in each direction: a late-afternoon or evening departure from Split, and an early-morning return from Vis. It is built for one-way, overnight travel — not for a same-day round trip. Jadrolinija also runs a second, summer-only fast ship: line 659, Split–Bol (a town on Brač)–Hvar–Vis, daily from about June to September. Jadrolinija’s own page says it suits comfortable day trips. Both lines are seasonal and change month to month, so check the current timetable.

The day-trip problem: why timing is everything

This surprises more visitors on Vis than on any other Split island route. Split to Hvar has close to twenty sailings a day in peak summer. Split to Vis has very few, most of the year. A same-day round trip realistically works only in high summer, via the car ferry: an early departure (around 09:00, arriving on Vis about 11:20) and a late return (Vis departures around 12:00, 15:30 or 18:00, arriving in Split by 20:20). The summer line 659 catamaran can also work on the right day. Outside those windows, a real day trip is usually not possible on public boats. Vis’s own tourist board says a typical Blue Cave trip leaves in the morning. So you cannot arrive and visit Biševo (the small island next to Vis, home of the Blue Cave) on the same day. The logistics here are tighter than on Hvar or Brač. If your trip depends on one fixed day, confirm the exact sailing times first.

Skipper’s tip: only one day on Vis, and you want Stiniva Bay, Komiža (a fishing town on the west coast of Vis island) and the Blue Cave? Do not build your day around the public boat’s return time. It forces you off the island by early or mid afternoon in most seasons. Book us for the way home instead, and leave when you are actually done.

Private taxi boat: Split–Vis in 65 minutes, on your schedule

We run this crossing daily. It is a route where a private water taxi makes a clear difference: about 65 minutes door to dock, against 140 minutes on the car ferry, or one fixed evening slot on the catamaran. A private transfer with our Split to Vis taxi boat costs €460–€1,000 for the whole boat, not per person. A group of four to six splits that into a reasonable per-head cost. You also get a fixed departure time, direct routing to Vis Town, Komiža or a private dock, and no queue at the Split terminal in the August heat.

Our fleet is closed-cabin and radar-equipped — Great White 49, 39, 35 and the Lolivul 9. These boats are built to keep sailing in rough sea, when public catamarans stop. Vis sits further out in open water than Hvar or Brač. It is one of the routes most exposed to the bura and jugo (the strong north and south Adriatic winds). When those winds pick up, fast catamarans are usually cancelled first. People can be stuck for a day or more. We are often still sailing when that happens — that is usually why people choose us instead of waiting out a cancelled sailing. Message us with your dates and group size through our contact page for a fixed quote.

Onward to the Blue Cave, and Vis Town vs Komiža

Most people who reach Vis also want the Blue Cave (Modra špilja) on neighbouring Biševo. Your base matters. Both the car ferry and the catamaran land in Vis Town, on the island’s east side. Komiža, on the west coast, is reachable from there by bus, taxi or car. The Blue Cave sits roughly 6 nautical miles off Komiža. Fast boats reach the cave area (Mezuporat cove) in about fifteen minutes — clearly quicker than from Vis Town. If the cave is your priority, base yourself in Komiža. If you want a walkable old town, choose Vis Town. Our sibling guide Komiža or Vis Town (2026) explains the differences in detail.

The cave charges a separate entrance fee, usually paid in cash at Mezuporat cove. Reported prices vary a lot by source and season — roughly €10–€24 per adult — so check the current price, and do not trust any single figure, ours included. Most Komiža boat tickets do not include it. The light is best in late morning. July and August queues are long, so go as early as you can. The crossing to Biševo is small-boat, open-water sailing — one of the first things cancelled on a windy day. Our Blue Cave excursion uses the same closed-cabin, radar-equipped boats, so we can often still cross when open boats stay in port. Still deciding if it is worth the day? Read Is the Blue Cave worth it (2026) first.

Which option should you actually pick?

Bringing a car, flexible on dates: take the Jadrolinija car ferry. It is slow, but cheap and reliable all year. Travelling light, happy to go one-way and stay overnight: Krilo gets you there for under €10. Working on a tight schedule — a same-day trip, a flight, a group that does not want to be split across ferry queues: a private taxi boat is built for exactly that. It is usually the only way to guarantee you are back in Split when you need to be. The same idea applies to Split to Korčula, another far-out island where a private crossing solves problems the public timetable cannot.

Message the crew through our contact page with your dates and group size. We will tell you honestly whether a private transfer suits your trip, or the public ferry will do just as well.

See Vis island before you go

FAQ: getting to Vis island

How do you get to Vis island from Split?

By sea only — there’s no bridge or airport on Vis. Choose the Jadrolinija car ferry (line 602, ~140 min, takes vehicles, year-round), the Krilo catamaran for foot passengers (line 9602, ~70–100 min, seasonal, usually one sailing a day), or a private taxi boat (~65 min, on your own schedule, any date).

Is there a fast boat or catamaran from Split to Vis?

Yes — Krilo (Kapetan Luka) line 9602, foot passengers only, via Milna and Hvar Town. In peak season, Jadrolinija also runs a separate summer catamaran (line 659) via Bol and Hvar. Both are seasonal — check the current timetable.

Can you visit Vis island as a day trip from Split?

A real day trip is only possible in high summer, via the car ferry’s early-out, late-back timetable, or the summer line 659 catamaran — and even then it is a long day. Outside those windows a genuine day trip is not possible on public boats. A private taxi boat lets you set your own return time in any season.

How much does it cost to get to Vis from Split?

Public fares run roughly €7–€10 per adult one way, plus €40–€52 for a standard car on the ferry. A private taxi boat costs €460–€1,000 for the whole boat, splitting down to a reasonable per-head price for a group travelling together.

Why was Vis closed to visitors for so long?

It was a fortified Yugoslav military base with more than thirty installations, closed to foreign visitors until 1989. That isolation is a big part of why the island stayed undeveloped and still feels different from Hvar or Brač today.

Do you land in Vis Town or Komiža?

Both the car ferry and the catamaran land in Vis Town, on the island’s east side. Komiža, on the west coast, is the better base for the Blue Cave, since it’s a much shorter hop to Biševo. A private transfer can land you at either.

Once you land, three things people come to Vis for: the island military tour of Cold-War tunnels, the Blue Cave trip from Komiža, and the B-17 wreck dive (a US World War II bomber that sank off Vis) with the local dive centers.

For wheels once you land, Vis Rent by the waterfront tower in Vis Town rents scooters, e-bikes and small cars — book ahead for July and August.

Related guides

• Blue Cave and Vis day trip from Split — how to fit the Blue Cave and Vis island into one day.
• Korčula from Split — how to reach Korčula, the walled old town island, from Split.
• 7-day island hopping from Split — a one-week route for hopping between islands from Split.

Sources & further reading

• Jadrolinija — Split–Vis car ferry line 602 (official)
• Krilo Fast Ferries — sailing schedule, line 9602 (official)
• Vis Tourist Board — the Blue Cave, official visitor information
• Port of Split — live departures and berths