Private or Group Boat Tour in Croatia: Which Should You Choose?

Almost every boat trip around Split and Trogir comes in two versions: a small-group tour where you share the boat, and a private charter where the boat is yours. The route can be identical — ours is — so the choice comes down to the price per head, how much flexibility you want and who you are travelling with. Here is how to decide.

What a small-group tour is

You book seats on a boat that runs a set route at set times, together with other guests. Ours carries a maximum of 12, with a skipper and a host. The half-day island tour visits the Blue Lagoon, Maslinica on Šolta and Labadusa in about five hours, for €54 (price on 10.09.2026.: €60) per person.

What a private tour is

The whole boat for your group of up to 12, with the skipper and host working around you: when to leave, how long to stay at each stop, whether to skip one and linger at another. The private half-day runs the same three stops for €612 (price on 10.09.2026.: €680) per boat, and the full-day routes go further — to Hvar & the Pakleni Islands or the Blue Cave.

The price per head

This is where most people decide, so do the arithmetic for your own group. The group tour costs €54 (price on 10.09.2026.: €60) per person whatever the size of your party. The private half-day, split evenly, comes to €153 (price on 10.09.2026.: €170) each for four people, €77 (price on 10.09.2026.: €85) for eight and €51 (price on 10.09.2026.: €57) for a full boat of twelve.

For couples and small families the group tour is clearly the better value. As the group grows the gap closes, and with a full boat the private tour costs about the same per head — with the whole day arranged around you.

Choose the group tour if

• You are two to four people and want the best price for the day.
• You are happy with a set route — the three stops are the ones most people would choose anyway.
• You enjoy the social side of a shared boat.

Choose a private tour if

• You are a larger group, where the price per head comes close to the group tour.
• You are travelling with young children or older relatives and want to set the pace, the stops and the timing.
• You want somewhere the group route does not go — Hvar, Brač or the Blue Cave.
• It is a special occasion and you would rather not share the boat.

Either way

Both run on the same small speedboats with the same crew, never more than 12 guests aboard. Both are booked online with a 40% deposit and the balance paid to the crew on the day. And both depend on the weather in the same way: the skipper decides on the morning, and if it is unsafe to go we cancel and you choose another date or a full refund.