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

Split to Hvar has three honest options. The best one depends on how you travel. Are you a foot passenger with light bags? Take the catamaran (a fast passenger boat) straight to Hvar Town, the main town on Hvar island. It takes about 50–60 minutes and costs about €10–25 per person. But it only works if the timetable fits your day. Do you have a car? Take the car ferry to Stari Grad, a historic port town on Hvar island. That crossing takes about 2 hours, plus a 20-minute drive to Hvar Town. Are you a group? Do you land late at the airport? Is the wind too strong for the catamarans? Then take a private taxi boat. It takes 55 minutes from dock to dock. It costs €370–900 for the whole boat. We run this crossing every day of the year. Here is the honest breakdown.

Do you want the complete picture first? Our full Split to Hvar ferry guide lists every catamaran and car-ferry sailing, with live 2026 timetables and prices.

The fast catamaran is how most independent travellers go from Split to Hvar. The reason is simple: it lands in the middle of Hvar Town’s harbour, two minutes on foot from the main square. The two main operators in 2026 are Jadrolinija (line 641, sailing about 1 May to 11 October) and Krilo / Kapetan Luka (about 20 March to 15 November). The crossing takes about 50 minutes with Krilo and up to one hour with Jadrolinija.

In peak summer there are close to 18–20 sailings a day across all operators. Outside the season this drops to two to four. A foot-passenger ticket costs about €10–25 one way, depending on operator and season. Children pay about half. Always check the exact price on the current 2026 timetable before you plan your day around it.

The problems are real, though. In July and August, seats sell out days ahead. There is no space for cars. Bags go on open racks. The catamarans are also the first boats cancelled in strong wind. The bura (a strong, cold north wind) and the jugo (a warm south wind) stop the low, light catamarans long before they stop the big car ferries. The last boat back to Split usually leaves Hvar around 20:00. That is what makes a day trip possible.

Skipper’s tip: Book the catamaran as soon as your dates are fixed — not the night before. The cheap morning and evening sailings sell out first. In August, whole days sell out. If you fly in and out in the same week, buy your return ticket at the same time. The ticket machines at Split port have long queues by mid-morning.

Option 2: The car ferry to Stari Grad (only if you are bringing a vehicle)

If you want a car on Hvar, you do not sail to Hvar Town at all. You take Jadrolinija’s car ferry (line 635) to Stari Grad, the island’s vehicle port, about 20 km from Hvar Town. The crossing takes about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours.

Two things to know. First, your ticket for a specific sailing is also your car’s reservation for that sailing. So in peak summer, book the crossing well ahead. If you do not, you can wait for hours in the vehicle queue at Split. Second, Stari Grad is not Hvar Town. After you drive off the ferry, you still have a 20-km drive across the island — about 20–35 minutes — or a local bus that meets the ferries. Is your accommodation in Hvar Town, and do you not really need a car? Then the catamaran is simpler, and often cheaper than ferry plus fuel plus parking.

Option 3: The private taxi boat (door to dock, on your clock)

A private taxi boat is not a bigger ferry ticket — it is a different way to travel. We pick you up at the Split Riva (the seafront promenade in Split’s centre) or straight from Split Airport. We land you on Hvar in about 55 minutes, exactly where you want to be: Hvar Town’s harbour, a villa dock, or a beach on the Pakleni Islands (a small group of islands in front of Hvar Town, popular for swimming). You can stop for a swim on the way. One price covers the whole boat — €370–900 for Split–Hvar, depending on the boat and the season. For four to twelve people, that is often close to what a family pays for catamaran tickets — without the fixed timetable.

The private boat matters most when the scheduled options fail you. A midnight flight into Split. A nine-person group with luggage that the catamaran will not seat together. A departure two hours after the last public sailing. A windy morning when Jadrolinija and Krilo have both cancelled. Our fleet — the closed-cabin Great White 49, 39 and 35, plus the Lolivul 9 — has radar and is built for sea states that stop the fast catamarans. When the catamarans stop, we are often still sailing.

Skipper’s tip: Does your flight land after about 19:00? Do not plan on a public catamaran to Hvar the same night — the last one has usually gone. A private transfer straight from the terminal is almost always faster and less stressful than an airport hotel plus a morning ferry. See our Split Airport to Hvar page for how the pickup works.

Split to Hvar at a glance: catamaran vs ferry vs private boat

Prices and sailing times are 2026 figures, checked against the operators’ own timetables. Fast-ferry prices change with season and demand. Treat the catamaran range as a guide and check the live schedule for your date. Do you want a fixed price on your own schedule instead? See live boats and prices on our Split to Hvar taxi boat page.

So which should you actually pick?

Are you one or two people, travelling light, with a flexible day? Then the catamaran into Hvar Town is the clear choice — book ahead and you are set. Do you really want a car on the island? Take the Stari Grad ferry. But be honest: will you use the car enough to accept the drive and the island’s tight, paid parking? Are you a group, carrying luggage, arriving at an odd hour, or watching a bad forecast? Then the private boat turns a hard travel day into the easiest hour of the trip. It is also the only option that ignores the public timetable completely. You can see live boats and pricing on our Split to Hvar taxi boat page.

Hvar is also the natural starting point for the other islands. From here you can continue from Hvar to Dubrovnik by sea. You can run a half-day trip to the Blue Cave on Biševo (a famous glowing sea cave on a small island near Vis). Or you can island-hop toward Vis, Brač, Šolta and Korčula.

Coming straight from Split Airport?

Split Airport is about 25 minutes by road from the Split ferry port. If you rely on a public catamaran, you must first reach the port, then hope a sailing fits your flight. In peak season it often does not — especially for late arrivals. A private boat can collect you near the airport or at the Riva and take you straight to Hvar in under an hour. Airport–Hvar transfers cost €400–900 for the boat. Full details are on our Split Airport to Hvar page.

Planning your crossing? Message the Dalmatia Express crew with your dates, group size and flight time. We will tell you honestly whether the catamaran or a private boat is the smarter choice for your trip.

See Hvar Town before you go

Split to Hvar: frequently asked questions

How long is the ferry from Split to Hvar?

The fast catamaran to Hvar Town takes about 50–60 minutes. The car ferry to Stari Grad takes about 2 hours, plus a 20–35 minute drive to Hvar Town. A private taxi boat runs Split to Hvar in about 55 minutes, dock to dock.

Is there a direct ferry from Split to Hvar Town?

Yes. The passenger catamarans (Jadrolinija line 641 and Krilo / Kapetan Luka) sail directly into Hvar Town harbour. The car ferry does not — it goes to Stari Grad, about 20 km away. So if you want to arrive in Hvar Town itself without a car, take the catamaran or a private boat.

How much is the Split to Hvar catamaran in 2026?

A foot-passenger ticket costs about €10–25 one way, depending on the operator and the season. Children pay about half. Krilo is often the cheapest outside peak season. Jadrolinija’s peak fare of about €25 sits at the top of the range. Always check the exact price on the current timetable.

Can you take a car from Split to Hvar?

Yes, on the Jadrolinija car ferry to Stari Grad. In high season (29 May–27 September 2026), budget about €8.40 per adult and €47.60 for a standard car — roughly €56 one way. Book your exact sailing ahead in summer, because your ticket is also your car’s reservation for that crossing.

Can you do Split to Hvar as a day trip?

Yes. In peak season there are up to 18–20 catamaran sailings a day, and the last boat back to Split leaves Hvar around 20:00. That makes a day trip easy — spend it in Hvar Town or around Stari Grad. Book both legs in advance in July and August, because popular departures sell out.

What happens if the Split to Hvar ferry is cancelled?

Fast catamarans are cancelled first in strong bura or jugo winds, because rough sea affects them far more than the big car ferries. If the public boats stop, our closed-cabin private fleet with radar can often still make the crossing. This is one of the main reasons people book a private taxi boat in the shoulder season.

Is a private boat from Split to Hvar worth it?

For a group it often makes sense. One boat price (€370–900) covers up to about a dozen people. You leave when you want, not when the timetable says. And you land exactly where you are staying. For a solo traveller or a couple with a flexible schedule, the catamaran is cheaper. It comes down to group size, timing and luggage.

How do I get from Split Airport to Hvar?

Reach the Split ferry port (about 25 minutes by road) and take a catamaran if one fits your flight. Or book a private boat that collects you near the airport and runs straight to Hvar in under an hour. Airport–Hvar private transfers cost €400–900 per boat. See our Split Airport to Hvar page for details.

Ready to book? Get a quick quote from the crew — tell us your dates and group size, and we will reply with the best way across.

Is a private transfer actually worth it? The honest math

Take the worst realistic version of the “cheap” public route and compare it to our boat at its best — a full boat of 14 sharing one hull, Split Airport to Hvar Town.

For a full boat you pay less per head than the “cheap” route — and arrive hours sooner — often half a day saved.

The part nobody tells you — a late or odd-hour arrival

The last fast catamaran to Hvar leaves around 20:30 in peak season. Land after that — a delayed flight, a cheap late-night arrival at 23:40 — and there is no public boat to the island until morning. Now you are choosing between a night in a Split hotel (€100–180 in season) plus next-day tickets and more transfers, or hours on a bench at the port. Either way you have lost the first night of your holiday.

Our closed-cabin boats run 24/7 — we meet a midnight flight and put you on Hvar within the hour, whatever the timetable says. In a bura, when the catamarans are cancelled, the radar cabin still sails.

Skipper’s tip: 4+ people with luggage, or any flight after ~19:00 → the private boat usually wins on total cost once taxis, tickets and a possible Split hotel are added up, and it always wins on time.

What else you get with Dalmatia Express

• Private — just your group. No strangers, no shared seats, no packed ferry deck.
• Met at the gate. Our driver takes your luggage, walks you to the boat, and the crew helps you off at the other end — door to door.
• Radar-equipped, licensed crew. Safe even 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. Our crew share the best beaches, konobas and sights — guests say we even help them pick where to eat.
• Special rates on our tours. Transfer guests get preferential pricing on our Blue Cave and island excursions.
• Trusted by names that could pick anyone. Chosen by Mate Rimac and a James Bond production.

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

Related guides

• Where to stay on Hvar — how to pick a base on Hvar island, from Hvar Town to quieter villages.
• Stari Grad or Hvar Town? — helps you choose which Hvar port town suits your trip.
• Hvar transfers in rough sea or at night — what happens to your transfer when the sea is rough or the ferry runs late.
• Split to Jelsa — every way to travel from Split to Jelsa, a small harbour town on Hvar.

Sources & further reading

Timetables, fares and season dates were checked against the operators’ official 2026 information:

• Jadrolinija — Split–Hvar catamaran (line 641) and Split–Stari Grad car ferry (line 635)
• Krilo / Kapetan Luka — 2026 sailing schedule
• Split Airport — arrivals and ground transport

Fast-ferry fares and departure times change through the season; confirm your exact sailing on the operator’s site before travelling.