Getting to Hvar

Split Airport is the nearest airport to the island, and the best place to fly to if you’re planning on getting to Hvar. See our Getting to Split page for details on which airlines fly there from the UK and Europe.

Getting to Hvar

Getting to Hvar by catamaran from Split

Read on below for car ferries to Hvar!

The easiest way of reaching Hvar (assuming you’re not bringing a car with you!) is to take one of the daily catamarans from Split to the island.

Jadrolinija operate a year-round daily catamaran from Split to Hvar Town, that then travels on to the islands of Korcula (Vela Luka) and Lastovo (Ubli); journey time to Hvar Town is just over one hour. During the peak summer months (June to September, and especially in July/August) they operate additional services on this route.

Jadrolinija also operate a daily catamaran service from Split to Jelsa on Hvar that stops at Bol (on the island of Brac) along the way. Journey time from Split to Jelsa is 1 hour 50 minutes.

Jadrolinija also have a service from Split to Vis that once a week (on Tuesdays) stops at Hvar Town. This service is suitable if you’re trying to get from Hvar to Vis and vice versa…as long as you’re travelling on a Tuesday, that is!

Finally, Jadrolinija also have a daily catamaran (early June to mid September) that travels Split – Bol – Hvar – Korcula – Dubrovnik.

Kapetan Luka operate a year-round catamaran that runs from Split to Hvar Town and then on to Korcula Town. (In the summer months, there is also a stop at Prigradica before Korcula Town.)

Kapetan Luka also run a catamaran that operates a route from Split to Milna (Brac) – Hvar Town – Korcula Town – Mljet – Dubrovnik…and vice versa, of course! This service runs several times a week from the end of April to the end of October, with daily sailings from the end of May to mid October. This service is great for reaching Hvar Town direct from Dubrovnik, as well as from Mljet, Korcula or Brac.

You can book tickets for the Kapetan Luka catamarans to Hvar using the search box below:

Getting to Hvar by catamaran from Dubrovnik

Jadrolinija have a catamaran that sails Dubrovnik – Korcula – Hvar Town – Bol – Split. This catamaran operates from early June to mid-September, sailing daily. The catamaran sails in the early morning from Dubrovnik and makes the return journey in the late afternoon/early evening.

As mentioned above, Kapetan Luka‘s catamaran also sails from Dubrovnik to Hvar. The journey takes just over three hours, and this service runs from the end of April to the end of October (daily from the end of May to mid-October). The catamaran sails from Dubrovnik in the mid-afternoon.

Book tickets for the Dubrovnik to Hvar catamaran using the search box below:

Getting to Hvar by car ferry from Split

There are several daily ferries from Split to Stari Grad on the island of Hvar (journey time 1 hour 40 minutes) with Jadrolinija, a service that is run year-round. There is a greater frequency of these ferries during summer (June to September inclusive). This is a car ferry service (with other vehicles also allowed on board) although you can also use this ferry as a foot passenger.

Getting to Hvar by ferry from Drvenik

There is also a car ferry service from Drvenik on the mainland (about 30km/18 miles south of Makarska) to Sucuraj on the eastern tip of Hvar. This service operates several times a day, year-round, with a higher frequency in the summer months. Journey time is only 35 minutes.

This route is the most suitable for those driving from the south of Croatia (such as from Dubrovnik) and trying to reach Hvar, meaning you don’t have to drive all the way up to Split to get a car ferry. Again, this is operated by Jadrolinija.

Getting to Hvar from the other islands – Brac, Vis

Brac

  • Bol to Hvar Town: part of Jadrolinija‘s coastal catamaran route, this operates daily (summer only)
  • Bol to Stari Grad: SplitExpress have services connecting Bol and Stari Grad – once a day from Bol to Stari Grad, but twice a day from Stari Grad to Bol (summer only)
  • Bol to Jelsa: Jadrolinija operate a once-a-day catamaran on this route (year-round)
  • Milna to Hvar Town: Kapetan Luka operate this service daily (mid-April to end of October; three times a week in the last week of October)

Vis

  • Vis to Hvar Town: Jadrolinija operates this service but only once a week (on Tuesdays) (year-round)

Getting to Hvar by coastal car ferry

Jadrolinija‘s coastal car ferry – Rijeka to Split, Stari Grad on Hvar, Korcula Town, Mljet and Dubrovnik – no longer operates.

Getting to Hvar by ferry from Ancona

Jadrolinija‘s service from Ancona to Split stops at Stari Grad in August.

Getting around on Hvar

If you’re planning on doing a bit of travelling around on the island, the best and most hassle-free way is to hire a car. You can hire a car just for a few hours (to keep costs down) or a day or so. You could also hire a scooter or even a bicycle  – although this probably means that you won’t be going all that far!

Alternatively, buses do run between the towns on Hvar – check local bus stations for timetables. The Hvar Tourist Office website does have schedules for bus routes to and from Hvar Town. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a PDF bus timetable page.)

Boat services to nearby islands

The nearby Pakleni islands are a wonderful set of islands to visit, with their tranquil nature and lush vegetation. You can reach them by taxi boat from Hvar Town – you should see the boats moored in the harbour there. Alternatively, ask at a local travel agency.