Uncover Hidden Gems: The Best Day Trips From Hvar Island!

Last updated on August 16th, 2026 at 11:34 am

If you’re staying in Hvar for a few days and wondering how to make the most of your time, I highly recommend exploring the nearby scenic islands, heritage towns and iconic beaches – you’re completely spoilt for choice when it comes to day trips from Hvar Island!

Hvar makes the perfect base for Island-hopping around the Pakleni Islands, just off shore, visiting Vis Island, the Blue Cave and on the island itself you have gorgeous scenery, lavender fields, vineyards and the utterly charming Stari Grad, there’s plenty of experiences absolutely worth adding to your itinerary – especially if you’re staying in Hvar Town and want to see a different side to the area – Hvar Town and the picturesque islands are the perfect combination!

I’ve taken several excursions, including one of the best – private sailing the Pakleni Islands, and I can honestly say a day trip from Hvar Island to the region’s most beautiful places is a must – whether you have half or a full day spare! Here’s my pick of the very best day trips from Hvar Island!

Best Day Trips From Hvar Island (My Top Picks)!

Short on time? These are the best day trips from Hvar Island I’d personally recommend booking first!

• Private Pakleni Island Sailing Trip – best overall day trip from Hvar
• Blue Cave & Vis Island – best iconic Croatia experience
• Stari Grad & Inland Hvar – best cultural escape

Visiting Hvar between June and September? The best boat tours often sell out several days ahead – especially Blue Cave and private sailing trips.

1. PAKLENI ISLANDS (Palmizana, Mlini Bays & More)

Mlini Bay (left) and Laganini beach club

Fancy a dreamy escape just off the coast of Hvar Town? A Pakleni Island-hopping boat trip is the most popular day trip from Hvar, there are 16 (tiny) islands in total and 3 offer beautiful over-water restaurants, seaside konobas, small beach clubs and clear-water swimmable bays all just 10-30 minutes from the coastline, a must when visiting Hvar for the first time!

Most visitors aim for the bays of Palmizana or Mlini, which are real highlights and boast my favourite two spots, Laganini beach club – a boutique boho hangout and Mamato – a fantastic restaurant with an epic seaview and there are several ways to get there but the best is private sailing, where you’ll spend the day gliding past wonderful island scenery and swimming in secluded coves – without another tourist in sight, which makes the whole experience feel a lot more elevated and unhurried! View this sailing trip.

Sailing around the Pakleni Islands is one of the most underrated and scenic day trips from Hvar as small speed boats are usually the go-to, this trip however, is the calm alternative and my personal favourite for exploring this gorgeous group of islands – especially if you want a more stylish and relaxed ambience to crowded group tours, honestly you’ll see so much more and have a far better experience!

How To Get There

For the absolute best Pakleni Island experience I recommend this private Pakleni Islands sailing trip, it’s ideal if you want luxury without chartering a yacht and visit the true highlights and hidden gems of the islands with gorgeous passing scenery! For those solo (and sociable) adventures this small group sailing trip is perfect.

There are inexpensive shared taxi boats that leave from Hvar Town Harbour to the Pakleni Islands, but you will be committing to spending the day at one island (dropping you off at either Palmizana, Mlini or Jerolim bays), taxi boats don’t run between the islands and pick-up/ drop-off timings are set.

View prices & dates for the luxury Pakleni Islands sailing boat trip for a relaxed, scenic and stylish experience on the water!

My favourite Hvar day trip: If I could only recommend one experience, it would be the stylish private Pakleni Islands sailing trip. It felt far more relaxed and exclusive than the larger speedboat tours, and swimming in the quiet picturesque coves around Palmizana and having drinks at dreamy Laganini is one of my favourite pastimes!

2. VIS ISLAND & BLUE CAVE

Komiza on Vis Island

A full-day boat trip to see the Blue Cave and a few highlights of gorgeous Vis Island is one of the most popular day trips from Hvar, and while I usually recommend staying on Vis Island for a few nights, this iconic experience from Hvar Island is the next best thing and perfect for first-time visitors looking to explore beyond Hvar and Pakleni Islands, but be warned – this is quite the whirlwind tour!

You’ll tick-off a few must-see Adriatic gems including the illuminous Blue Cave, the Blue Lagoon’s turquoise shallow beach coves and iconic Stinva Beach on Vis Island – dubbed as James Bond beach. A fantastic large white pebbled beach flanked by dramatic cliffs, where you will swim to shore and be blown away by the scenery! It was this first boat tour that made me return to Vis Island for many summers after see the tour details!

With a private boat you’ll have options to explore either authentic Komiza set within a ridiculously attractive bay backed by mountains – like something from a bygone era or Venetian-built Vis Town, both beautiful spots on Vis Island for lunch and a wonderful destination to round off your boat tour from Hvar! Sometimes the boat stops at picturesque Palmizana in the Pakleni Islands, if so – don’t miss Laganni for drinks!

How To Get There

For a wonderful day trip I recommend booking the full day Blue Cave and Vis Island private boat tour, which leaves directly from Hvar Town Harbour – one of the best day trips from Hvar Island – make sure to include Komiza on Vis Island! You’ll have the freedom to stop here – and swim spots for longer, avoiding crowds and wait times! You can also check out my full review of this boat tour here!

See availability for this private boat tour for couples and groups or small group boat trip for solo adventures!

Tip! If you’re planning several boat trips during your stay, I highly recommend basing yourself in Hvar Town for easy access to the marina and excursions. You can read my full guide on where to stay in Hvar Island here.

3. Hvar Island’s LavEnder Fields & viewpoints

Napolean viewpoint (left)

Hvar Island’s beauty doesn’t stop at the coastline, the rugged and mountainous interior is also a sight to behold and exploring the the hidden gems, beautiful lavender fields, lost villages and picturesque viewpoints is a real treat – it’s a great option if you’ve seen the coastline highlights and want to discover an authentic side of Hvar that not many visitors get to see (or even know is there)!

It’s one of the island’s best kept secrets and often these villages and spectacular viewpoints are totally free of tourists. When I visited the abandoned village (Malo Grablje) I was the only person there – and the view from Napolean will definitely exceed all expectations (pic above left), it’s similar to the fortress, but free and surrounded by nature!

Some of the best experiences include walking through charming villages and enjoying the rolling hill landscape with lavender blooms between June and July and glimpses of the bright turquoise sea from every direction! I was lucky enough to be guided around by a local friend on a motorbike, but if you don’t have time to make fast friends, I recommend this hidden gems tour, which hits the same locations – a boutique-style small group experience!

How To Get There

If you want everything taken care of including navigation then I recommend the exclusive hidden gems tour, or when in Hvar you can organise car/scooter hire – but be quick as there’s not many!

View prices and dates for this lavendar fields and villages day trip from Hvar Town today!

4. STARI GRAD

Stari Grad harbour

Stari Grad is a must day trip if you’re staying in Hvar Town, you’ll get to see a totally different side to the island, the second largest town with a rich history, charming heritage centre and ancient cobbles, perfect for romantics and also explorers, Stari Grad is beautiful and worth a morning or afternoon’s visit!

You can see the highlights in a couple of hours, which includes the tranquil harbour with colourful Venetian buildings and fishermen’s boat’s and wandering the old town character-filled lanes, lined with small boutique’s and art shops – I recommend Antika Restaurant for a particularly lovely lunch with ambience and well presented dishes (pasta especially)!

Stari Grad also gives you a quieter alternative to Hvar Town, and it’s actually one of the best areas to stay in Hvar if you prefer a slower, more authentic atmosphere or – if you’re driving or have rented a bicycle you might also want to swing by the ancient Stari Grad Plain and Hora Winery set amongst rolling vineyards and only 10 minutes from the centre.

How To Get There

Stari Grad is just 30-minutes from Hvar Town by car (rental or taxi) or bus, I have always gotten the bus, which located behind the cathedral in the town square, the schedule in either direction is every hour from 9am until around 10pm, but three hours is plenty to explore the town itself.

For keen cyclists, you can also take a unique cycle excursion, which takes you through Stari Grad Town and on to the plain fields and two smaller villages, this cycle tour is top rated!

I have detailed all my Stari Grad tips in this full Hvar Town to Stari Grad day trip guide!

5. SOUTH HVAR BEACHES & RED ROCKS

Mlini Beach

For beach and scenery lovers, one of the absolute best day trips from Hvar Town is beach-hopping around some of the more off-the-beaten path beaches and secret coves of south Hvar Island’s mountainous and rugged hill coastline including the dramatic red rocks, which a wonderful experience – but trickier to navigate over land due to the steep gravel paths!

And the best beaches on Hvar Island such as Lusica Beach, Dubovica and Malo Zarace Beach are completely natural and only accessible by boat. I recommend this private beach-hopping speedboat tour, which is the easiest way to explore the most picturesque beach coves and jaw-dropping landscapes, trust me arriving directly into the mountain-backed bays from the water is incredible and an alternative to crowded beaches in the peak summer months!

It’s by far one of the best boat tours from Hvar for exploring the coastal highlights of Hvar and the secret coves, I personally love this trip for the beautiful bays and swimming areas, not many visitors to the Island get to experience this, yet it’s one of the best day trips from Hvar Island and a excellent complement for stays in Hvar Town!

How To Get There

If you’re willing to Rent an ATV  you can reach the top of these beaches including postcard-perfect Dubovica Beach and hidden gem Lucisca Bay and walk down the gravel cliff paths to the beach (off-limits to cars). I much prefer this exclusive beach-hopping boat trip to explore around the island’s beautiful bays and landscape – it’s worth splurging on for couples.

See availability for summer and reserve this wonderful private boat excursion to explore the best of Hvar’s epic coastline!

6. Hvar VINEYARDS & ROLLING HILL LANDSCAPE!

Hvar has a long history in winemaking due to its incredible Mediterranean climate and tasting the local wine straight from the vineyards with wonderful rolling hill landscapes and stunning vistas is one of my favourite things to do on Hvar Island.

A wine tasting tour, visiting more than one location is best, especially those that include Hvar lavender fields (between June and July) and scenic stops on the way, it’s easily one of the most enjoyable and relaxed day half-day trips from Hvar Island, especially for couples as a lot of the stops feel very romantic, explore this wine tasting experience.

As well as the picturesque locations and fantastic photo opportunities, you’ll also get to see inside the beautiful and traditional candle-lit cellars while you try a variety of grapes alongside a tasty charcuterie board – a couple of summers have past since I first booked myself on this wine tour and I have great memories of both the wine, locations and company – it’s almost time to revisit my favourite spots!

Tip! I recommend pairing this afternoon of wine with at evening at romantic Park Hvar Restaurant, one of the best restaurants in Hvar Town for the ultimate day of food and drink!

How To Get There

For the best experience, I recommend joining an wine experience tour (private or group) so all the logistics of getting from different sides of the islands are taken care of – and you can relax and just enjoy the scenery and sample the wine without worrying about driving, availability or transport!

Reserve your spot on this wonderfully scenic Hvar wine tour of rolling hill vineyards and charming wineries!

Best Day Trips From Hvar Summary:

• Best overall: Private Sailing Pakleni Islands
• Best luxury: Private Sailing Pakleni Islands
• Best adventure: Blue Cave & Vis Island
• Best scenery: Hvar Beaches & Red Rocks
• Best cultural: lavender fields & secret villages
• Best inland: Hvar Wine Tour

Dubovica Beach – South Island Beaches!

TIPS FOR PLANNING DAY TRIPS FROM HVAR ISLAND

When To Visit

For the best experience, great weather and fewer crowds, mid-May to mid June or September are the best times to visit Hvar and enjoy these incredible day trips from Hvar, especially for boat tours and swimming (warmest is September). July and August are the hottest and liveliest months – if you’re visiting, a private boat trip will be a wonderful escape!

When To Book

Hvar is one of Croatia’s most popular destinations, and day trips like the Blue Cave or Pakleni Islands often sell out fast. If you’ve got your eye on a top-rated tour, it’s best to lock it in early – at least 1-2 weeks in advance – check availability for your dates today!

Morning Tours

If you’re planning a half-day boat trip from Hvar Town, aim for a morning departure. The sea is a lot calmer, the light is perfect for photos, and you’ll arrive before the midday rush and I also recommend early departures for the villages and Stari Grad – perfect timing for quiet lanes and lunch!

Pack The Essentials

For beaches and boat trips pack water shoes for swimming, a waterproof phone case, a thick towel for the pebbles and cover-ups, Hvar sun is strong and the boats are always chillier on the return journey with the exception of humid July and August! Also bring cash and card – you always need both in Croatia!

If you’re looking for more incredible island-hopping ideas? Check out my guide to the best boat tours from Hvar – a full review, my top experience and tips!

DAY TRIP FROM HVAR FAQ

Can you do day trips from Hvar Island?

Yes! There’s plenty of places to visit from Hvar. It’s an amazing base, surrounded by islands, beautiful landscapes and authentic villages, even nearby Adriatic gems like Vis Island and the Pakleni Islands! If you’re staying on Hvar for 3-5 days, I highly recommend booking one or two day trips from Hvar to explore more highlights of the area, especially if it’s your first visit to Hvar!

What are the best places to visit from Hvar Island?

The best places to visit from Hvar, Croatia, include Vis, Stiniva Bay, the iconic Blue Cave and the small group of Pakleni Islands – ideal for stylish and luxury sailing! If you are looking for a mix of adventure, scenery, dreamy lunch spots and hidden gems, these destinations are ideal!

Can you do a day trip from Hvar to Dubrovnik?

No! I strongly recommend two separate trips for Hvar and Dubrovnik; the distance is around 3.5 hours each way, which is too far for a comfortable day trip! Both places are fantastic and need 3-4 nights minimum in each to see the highlights!

Can you do a day trip from Hvar to Korcula?

Yes, you can do a day trip from Hvar to Korcula, the ferry leaves directly from Hvar Town and arrives in Korcula Town port, it works if you take the earliest ferry to maximise your time. But, Korcula just like Hvar is so beautiful I really recommend staying for 3-4 nights to do it justice!

Can you do a day trip from Hvar to Vis Island?

Yes – and it’s one of the best boat tours from Hvar if you want to combine iconic sights like the Blue Cave with quieter swimming spots and beautiful coastal scenery – it’s one of my personal favourite day trips from Hvar Island, especially private boutique tours or small group boat trips!

Ready to explore Hvar by sea?
Don’t miss the island’s most unforgettable experience! Discover the best Hvar boat tours for 2026

Still planning your Hvar Island itinerary!

Planning your trip to Hvar? I’ve also shared a complete what to do travel guide for first-time visitors, my favourite things to do, that pairs perfectly with the best day trips from Hvar Island!

• Complete Guide To Hvar Island – top tips & need to know for first time visitors!
• Where To Stay In Hvar Island – the best areas, boutique hotels & luxury stays!
• Best Things To Do In Hvar Town – heritage sites, attractions & experiences!
• Boat Trips From Hvar – islands, bays & coastal towns worth visiting!
• Best Beaches On Hvar Island – beautiful bays beachclubs!
• Guide To The Pakleni Islands – best bays, restaurants & tips!
• Stari Grad From Hvar Town – what to see, do & how to get there!
• Best Restaurants in Hvar Croatia – wine bars, seafront terraces & more!
• Blue Cave Review – full review & tips!

Where To Visit Next In Croatia!

• Where To Stay In Split
• Where To Stay In Dubrovnik
• Where To Stay in Korcula
• Where To Stay in Vis Island

• Best Things To Do In Split
• Best Things To Do In Dubrovnik
• Guide To Korcula Island
• Guide To Vis Island

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