How to get to Hvar: ferries, catamarans and ports in 2026

The four places a boat can drop you on Hvar

Hvar is long and thin. The island measures 68 kilometres end to end, but the road from Hvar Town out to Sućuraj runs 84 kilometres, and the ports sit a long way apart. The one you arrive at decides most of your first day.

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Sućuraj sits at the far eastern tip of the island. The crossing is short and cheap, but the drive afterwards is genuinely long. It makes sense if you are already driving down the coast, and very little sense if your final stop is Hvar Town.

One detail worth checking on your ticket: a few Split sailings dock at Vira instead of in Hvar Town itself. Vira is a bay about 10 minutes from Hvar Town, and the bus transfer into town is included in the ticket price.

Catamaran or car ferry: which to take

The catamaran from Split to Hvar Town is the normal way to reach the island. It is the fastest, it runs most often, and it puts you in the middle of town rather than half an hour away from it. The car ferry exists for vehicles, and for the days when the wind stops the fast boats.

• Take the catamaran if you are travelling without a car. It is faster, it runs all day in summer and it puts you in the middle of Hvar Town. Three operators cover the route from Split: Jadrolinija, Kapetan Luka Krilo and TP Line. Some sailings call at Milna on Brač, which adds about 20 minutes.
• Take the car ferry if you are arriving by car. It is the only way to bring a car over from Split, it docks at Stari Grad, and foot passengers are welcome on it too.
• Wind decides more than the timetable does. Catamarans are the first thing cancelled in strong bura or jugo, while the larger car ferry usually keeps sailing.

Check the departures for your date

Pick a route and a date and the tool below lists every sailing on it, from all operators, in the order they leave. Times come from the official schedules published by the operators and the Croatian Coastal Liner Services Agency, and they update daily.

Frequency changes far more than most guides admit. On a mid July day there are 18 departures from Split to Hvar Town, the first around 07:30 and the last around 18:50. On a mid January day there are two, both in the afternoon.

The car ferry to Stari Grad is steadier through the year: roughly seven crossings a day in summer and five in winter. Drvenik to Sućuraj runs eleven times a day in summer and eight in winter. In July and August a boat leaves every hour or two, so you do not have to plan the day around it. In November you do.

What a ticket costs

There are two kinds of line to Hvar and the price gap between them is large. Most visitors never notice it.

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The cheaper fares are open to everyone, not only to residents. Only a handful of those sailings run each day and islanders use them, so they sell out first. If you are flexible on departure time, they are worth checking first.

Dubrovnik, Korčula and island hopping

Dubrovnik to Hvar

There is a direct catamaran, but only in the summer season. In July there are three sailings a day, run by TP Line and Kapetan Luka Krilo, taking 3 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours 40 minutes and calling at Korčula and sometimes Mljet on the way. Departures leave Dubrovnik in the morning and mid afternoon, so it is a half day journey rather than a hop. Out of season the route does not run and you travel via Split.

The neighbouring islands

Hvar is well connected to its neighbours in summer, which makes island hopping realistic without going back to the mainland.

• Korčula to Hvar: five catamarans a day in July, 70 to 90 minutes, 25 euros.
• Milna on Brač to Hvar: three a day, 30 to 45 minutes, 15 euros.
• Vis to Hvar: two a day, 40 minutes, 25 euros.
• Bol on Brač to Hvar: one a day, 45 minutes, 25 euros.
• Pomena on Mljet to Hvar: one a day, about 2 hours, 25 euros.

Most of these run from roughly late May to late September. Outside that window the mainland is usually the only practical link between the islands.

Arriving at each port

Four ports, far apart on a long island. Tap a port on the map for what to expect there, and to jump straight to its departures.

Two of them need a word of warning. In Hvar Town the historic centre is strictly pedestrian, so nothing can meet you at the pier and every arriving passenger walks the three minutes to Dolac, which is both the taxi rank and the bus station. At Stari Grad the port sits outside the town itself, so even if you are staying in Stari Grad you are not there yet.

Bringing a car, and coming from Split Airport

Driving down the coast: Drvenik to Sućuraj

If you are coming from Makarska, Ploče or Dubrovnik with a car, the Drvenik to Sućuraj ferry saves the backtrack to Split. The crossing is 30 minutes and runs eight to eleven times a day depending on the season.

Be honest about the drive on the other side. Sućuraj to Hvar Town is around 1 hour 45 minutes on a narrow road along the spine of the island. It is a beautiful drive and a long one. For Sućuraj, Zastražišće or the eastern villages it is the obvious route. For Hvar Town it usually is not.

From Split Airport

Split Airport sits at Kaštela, about 25 kilometres from the ferry terminal in Split. There is no boat from the airport to Hvar. You travel into Split first, by airport shuttle bus, city bus or taxi, then sail from the main harbour. Allow at least 90 minutes between landing and your sailing in summer, because the road into Split is slow in July and August.

Five things worth knowing before you book

• Book catamaran tickets ahead in July and August. Seats sell out days in advance on the popular afternoon sailings.
• A full catamaran is not a dead end. Foot passengers can almost always still get on the car ferry to Stari Grad. Slower, but it sails.
• Vehicle space is what really sells out. Bringing a car in August means booking the deck space early or queuing.
• Watch the wind. Operators publish cancellation notices on the day, and the car ferry is the fallback.
• Sort out the last few kilometres before you sail. No boat drops you at your front door, and phone signal on the water is patchy.

Whichever port you arrive at, the last stretch is on you. Booking it while you are still on the water means you walk off the boat and straight into a car.

Common questions

How long is the ferry from Split to Hvar?

The fast catamaran to Hvar Town takes 50 to 65 minutes. The car ferry to Stari Grad takes 1 hour 50 minutes.

How much is the ferry from Split to Hvar in 2026?

Commercial catamarans charge 25 euros. State subsidised lines charge 10 euros in season and 6.40 euros out of season, but they run less often and sell out sooner.

Can I take a car to Hvar?

Yes, but only on the car ferries. Split to Stari Grad and Drvenik to Sućuraj both carry vehicles. Catamarans do not.

Does the ferry go to Hvar Town or Stari Grad?

Both, but not on the same boat. Catamarans go to Hvar Town. Car ferries from Split go to Stari Grad, about 20 minutes apart by road.

Is there a direct ferry from Dubrovnik to Hvar?

Yes, in the summer season. Three catamarans a day in July, taking 3 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours 40 minutes, for 50 to 55 euros. Out of season you travel via Split.

Is there a ferry to Hvar in winter?

Yes. Between December and March there are two or three catamaran departures a day from Split to Hvar Town and five car ferries to Stari Grad, so travel is possible but needs planning.

Where do I find the official timetables?

Straight from the operators: Jadrolinija, Kapetan Luka Krilo, TP Line. Every schedule is also approved and published by the Croatian Coastal Liner Services Agency.