Ancient City · Roman · Croatia
Salona
Salona is the ruined capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia, in the town of Solin 6 km from Split, and one of the largest cities of the late empire with perhaps 60,000 people. Its walls, amphitheatre, early Christian basilicas and cemeteries spread across open fields and olive groves, rarely crowded.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0
Salona tickets: which one for you
Our pick for each kind of visit, with live dates and prices from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most.
Best for: First visit, about two hours
A guide walks you from the cemetery to the amphitheatre and makes sense of the scattered foundations, which are hard to read without help.
- Salona and Klis in half a day: From solin small group salona and fortress of klis tour Small group with transport from Split, the ruins first and then the hilltop fortress above, the most efficient way to see both in a morning.
- Active travellers by e-bike: From solin salona and klis fortress e bike tour Electric bikes make light work of the distances across the site and the climb to Klis, with a guide and plenty of time for photographs.
Tickets and tours: all the options
Entry is paid at the small ticket office by the Tusculum, the house built by the archaeologist Frane Bulic at the northern entrance. The single ticket covers the whole site, including the cemetery area of Manastirine, the city walls and the amphitheatre. A combined ticket also covers the Archaeological Museum in Split within seven days, and a small museum room at the Tusculum shows inscriptions and fragments.
Nothing on GetYourGuide is sold for entry alone. The products are guided walks at Salona, small-group half-day trips from Split that combine the ruins with Klis fortress, and private tours by car adding Trogir, Diocletian's Palace or the Kastela castles. There is also an e-bike tour from Solin and an outdoor day with rafting on the Cetina river and a brief visit to the ruins. Private tours suit families and travellers with limited time, while small-group trips give a good balance of price and explanation. Check whether the entry fee is included, as many tours leave it to be paid on the spot. The sensible choice is to take the city bus from Split, buy the ticket at the gate and walk the site on your own, or join a short guided walk if you want the history explained.
What to see at Salona
Tusculum and Manastirine
Start at the Tusculum, the summer house of the archaeologist who led the excavations, with fragments set into its walls. Just beyond lies Manastirine, an early Christian cemetery outside the north walls, with the remains of a basilica built over the graves of martyrs. Stone sarcophagi lie scattered around, some with carved lids and inscriptions.
Episcopal centre
Walk south through the walls to the heart of the late Roman town, the bishop's complex. Here two basilicas stand side by side with a baptistery between them, and the outline of the octagonal font is clear. Salona was the seat of the metropolitan bishop of Dalmatia, and these churches show how Christian buildings developed in the 4th and 5th centuries.
17 tickets and tours for Salona
Live dates and prices from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most tickets.
Porta Caesarea and the walls
To the east, the Porta Caesarea was the main gate of the early town, flanked by octagonal towers. From here follow the city walls, reinforced over the centuries with towers, for a good view across the site. Remains of the aqueduct that served the town lie nearby.
Forum and theatre
In the southern part of the old town, close to the modern road, lie the forum and the theatre. Only the foundations of the theatre and parts of its stage survive, but you can see its curved shape and imagine the seats. The forum area beside it held temples and public buildings, now mostly traced by low walls.
Amphitheatre
At the western end of the site stands the amphitheatre, the most impressive monument at Salona, built into the city walls in the 2nd century AD. It held around 17,000 spectators, and the lower arches, entrances and the arena floor survive. Walk around the outside to see how its outer wall formed part of the town's defences.
A short history
Salona grew from an Illyrian settlement and a Greek trading post near the river Jadro, and became the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia after it sided with Julius Caesar in the civil war. Augustus fortified its walls, and the city spread east and west as it prospered. Emperor Diocletian, who was born near here, built his retirement palace 6 km away in what is now Split. In the 4th and 5th centuries many churches were built, and Salona became a centre of early Christianity. Julius Nepos, the last western emperor, lived here until 480. Avars and Slavs destroyed the city in the 7th century, and survivors fled into Diocletian's Palace. Excavations began in the 19th century.
Getting there
Solin lies just north-east of Split. City bus 1 runs from the centre of Split, near the old town and the Green Market, to Solin in about 25 minutes, with buses every 20 to 30 minutes. Get off in Solin near the ruins and walk about ten minutes to the northern entrance by the Tusculum. Buses towards Kastela and Trogir also pass close by. Split airport is about 20 km west, a drive of around 20 minutes. By car there is parking near the entrance. From the Split ferry port, a taxi takes about 15 minutes, and many visitors combine the ruins with Klis fortress, a further ten minutes uphill.
Rules and what to bring
Do not climb on the walls, move stones or sit on the sarcophagi. The site is large and open with very little shade, so bring water, a hat and sunscreen in summer, and wear sturdy shoes for the uneven ground and long grass. There is a toilet at the Tusculum entrance. There are no cafés inside the site, but there are some in Solin, a few minutes' walk away.
When to go
Salona is rarely busy, even in high summer, as most visitors to Split never leave the old town. Tour groups arrive mainly in the morning between 10 am and noon. The early morning and late afternoon are the best times, when the light is softer and the heat less intense.
The site is very exposed, and in July and August temperatures can rise above 35 degrees by noon. Spring, from April to June, is the ideal time, with green fields and flowers among the ruins, and September and October are also pleasant. In winter the site is very quiet and hours are shorter. Allow two to three hours to see the main areas on foot, from the Tusculum to the amphitheatre. The site is spread out, so plan your route and carry water. If you add Klis, allow half a day in total.
Combine it with
Klis fortress, on a ridge above Solin, is ten minutes away by car or bus and offers views over Split. Diocletian's Palace in Split was built by the emperor who came from Salona, and the Archaeological Museum of Split holds sarcophagi and inscriptions from the site. Trogir is 20 minutes west.
At a glance
| Hours | 9 am to 8 pm June–September, 9 am to 6 pm October–May |
|---|---|
| Closed | Open daily; closed on public holidays |
| Entry fee | from EUR 8; children and students EUR 4; under-6s free |
| Time needed | 2 to 3 hours |
| Best time | Morning or late afternoon; April to June and September to October |
| Booking | Pay at the gate; tours from Split usually add Klis fortress |
| Access | Grass and gravel paths across a large, open site with little shade; uneven ground, not easy for wheelchairs |
| Getting there | City bus 1 from central Split to Solin, about 25 minutes, then a 10-minute walk |
| Founded | 250 BC (3rd century BC (midpoint)) |
| Abandoned | AD 650 |
| Civilisation | Roman |
| Checked | October 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
When is Salona open?
9 am to 8 pm June–September, 9 am to 6 pm October–May. Open daily; closed on public holidays.
How much is the entry fee for Salona?
Entry fee: from EUR 8; children and students EUR 4; under-6s free.
How long do you need at Salona?
Allow 2 to 3 hours for Salona.
Do I need to book Salona in advance?
Pay at the gate; tours from Split usually add Klis fortress.
Can I book a ticket or tour for Salona online?
Yes. GetYourGuide lists 17 tickets and tours for Salona, with live dates and prices and free cancellation on most of them.
When is the best time to visit Salona?
Morning or late afternoon; April to June and September to October.
How do I get to Salona?
City bus 1 from central Split to Solin, about 25 minutes, then a 10-minute walk.
Is Salona accessible, and what is the terrain like?
Grass and gravel paths across a large, open site with little shade; uneven ground, not easy for wheelchairs.
Is Salona worth visiting?
Worth it for a peaceful walk through the Roman capital of Dalmatia, with its amphitheatre and early Christian basilicas, a short bus ride from Split. Skip or shorten it if you want standing buildings like Diocletian's Palace: the ruins here are mostly low walls and foundations.
How old is Salona?
Salona dates from 250 BC (3rd century BC (midpoint)). It was abandoned in AD 650.