About this tour
When Jake from our Global Hobo crew did this Split walking tour, it was a smart double-header: solid Roman history wrapped around Game of Thrones filming locations. Split's the kind of place where a 1700-year-old palace is basically the whole city centre—crumbling walls, narrow lanes, the lot—and this guide threads Diocletian's wild reign alongside Daenerys scenes shot in the same stone corridors. You're looking at just under two hours on foot through the old town and palace basements, moving between what actually happened here and where HBO pretended it did. Decent mix of travellers: GoT fans, history buffs, and curious walkers.
Highlights
- Basement chambers where Grey Worm fought the Harpy—watch the actual scene on a tablet right there
- Dragons' prison cellar where Daenerys chained her lot, still eerily intact below street level
- Photo op on an Iron Throne prop; one of those things you do
- Jupiter's temple guarded by a headless Sphinx—genuinely odd piece of Roman kneecapping
- Diocletian's palace cellars showing how Romans actually lived under the floors above
- Local wine and food recommendations that don't default to tourist menus
What to expect
The walk kicks off in Split's centre and moves steadily through tight old-town streets into the palace proper. Jake found the pacing reasonable—your guide stops at key spots to layer on both the GoT trivia and the proper historical detail. The basements are the highlight: cool, shadowy, and genuinely atmospheric. You'll see where scenes were shot, watch clips on a tablet so you can match them to the real location, and hear the proper story of Diocletian (turns out he was ruthless, vomiting after dinners included). It's not rushed, but it's not a slow meander either—about 100 minutes of actual walking and standing.
The double narrative works because Split's layers are legit. The palace isn't a reconstruction; it's been lived in and rebuilt for centuries. So when your guide explains why a headless Sphinx guards Jupiter's temple (Roman looters and later Christian smashing), you're standing in front of the actual evidence. The GoT angle is the draw for many, but the history holds its own.
Good to know
If you're into either GoT or Roman history—or curious about how a medieval city grew inside an imperial palace—this is a solid entry point. The basement access is included, which normally costs extra. The guide brings tablets with actual footage, so you can see what was filmed versus what's centuries old. It suits all fitness levels and service animals are welcome.
Basements are cool but narrow and uneven underfoot; wear decent shoes. If you're not remotely interested in GoT, you'll still get the history, but about a third of the spiel assumes you care about Daenerys. Can get crowded in summer—nothing chaotic, but you'll share the cellars. The tour leans heavily on local wine and food pitches at the end; that's partly the model.
Bring water and comfortable walking shoes. Included are the basement tickets, a guide, video clips on tablet, discount flyers, and an Iron Throne photo. No lunch included. Groups vary; expect anywhere from 8 to 20 people depending on season. Peak times are late morning and early afternoon in summer.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original Global Hobo summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.