Booking choice: The half-day Blue Lagoon trip, from $64 per person. Check dates Tour details
Split's boat desks sell two blue-named trips, and plenty of people book the wrong one. The Blue Cave (Modra špilja) is a sea cave on Biševo, beyond Vis, 75 to 90 minutes out by speedboat. You see it from a wooden boat for 5 to 15 minutes and you can't swim in it. The Blue Lagoon is Krknjaši bay off Drvenik Veli, about 14 nautical miles from Split, where you jump in and float over sand.
Five-island Blue Cave tours add to the confusion. Their swim stop at Budikovac, near Vis, is sold as the "Budikovac Blue Lagoon". It's a different lagoon from Krknjaši, and neither is the cave.
The quick answer
Pick the Blue Cave day if you want the famous glowing cave and don't mind 10 to 11 hours on a speedboat for 5 to 15 minutes inside. Pick the half-day Blue Lagoon if you mostly want to swim, or have young kids: 5 hours, Trogir included, back by mid-afternoon. The Blue Cave day includes a lagoon swim too, at Budikovac.
What is the difference between the Blue Cave and the Blue Lagoon?
The Blue Cave is a sea cave on Biševo you visit by boat without swimming. The Blue Lagoon is a shallow bay near Trogir where you swim.
Side by side, with the Budikovac lagoon from the 5-island tours:
| Blue Cave | Blue Lagoon (Krknjaši) | Budikovac lagoon | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Biševo, beyond Vis | Off Drvenik Veli, west of Trogir | Islet off south-east Vis |
| From Split | 75 to 90 min by speedboat | About 45 min of boat time, via Trogir | Part of the 5-island day |
| Swimming | Not allowed | Yes, 2 to 4 m over sand | Yes, shallow water |
| Entry | EUR 18 to 24, cash | Free | Part of the tour |
| Tour length | 10 to 11 hours | 5 hours | 10 to 11 hours |
| Tour from | $89 | $64 | $89 |
Can you swim in the Blue Cave?
No. You stay seated in the wooden tender for the whole visit. The swimming on a Blue Cave day happens at the other stops.
The cave visit is 5 to 15 minutes in a tender with 6 to 8 people. Booker Travel and Toto Travel both say it outright: no swimming inside. You'll swim later at Budikovac, in Hvar, and, depending on the tour, at Stiniva cove and the Pakleni islands. Valiant and Speed Line treat Stiniva as a photo stop from the boat; Day Trips and Gray Line give it 30 minutes in the water.
Where is the Blue Lagoon near Split?
In Krknjaši bay, between Drvenik Veli and Drvenik Mali, about 8 nautical miles from Trogir and 14 from Split.
Two islets, Krknjaš Veli and Krknjaš Mali, shelter the bay, which is why the water stays so flat. It's 2 to 4 metres deep over sand and seagrass, and skippers are asked to use mooring buoys rather than drop anchor on the seagrass (Medgulets). Entry is free. Watch your feet: We Seek Travel warns of sea urchins on the bottom.
Day boats from Split and Trogir arrive around midday and leave by mid-afternoon. The bay is quietest before 11:00 and after 15:00.
What does the half-day Blue Lagoon tour include?
Trogir old town, an hour swimming at Krknjaši and an hour at a beach bar, in 5 hours from $64.
The Blue Lagoon and 3 islands trip by Booker Travel runs like this: 30 minutes by speedboat to Trogir and an hour there, 15 minutes to the lagoon and an hour to swim and snorkel, then 20 minutes to a beach bar for another hour (Maslinica on Šolta can replace it), and back to Split. Snorkel goggles, water and drinks are listed as included. You meet at Booker Travel's office in Split.
It's not for children under 5, pregnant travellers or people with back problems. A windy day makes it bumpy, and strong wind can cancel it, with a refund, a new date or another trip.
Trogir, a swim at Krknjaši and a beach bar in five hours. No Blue Cave, and you're back in Split by mid-afternoon.
Explore the half-day Blue Lagoon trip Tour detailsIs the Budikovac Blue Lagoon the same place?
No. Budikovac is an islet off the south-east coast of Vis, far from Krknjaši. It is the swim stop on Blue Cave tours.
Budikovac lies between the islet of Ravnik and the south-east shore of Vis, about 3 km from Rukavac. A small seasonal restaurant sits by the bay (Medgulets). The lagoon is shallow and bright turquoise, and the stop is the main swim of the day: 75 minutes on Valiant and Gray Line, 1.5 hours on Day Trips.
Bring water shoes. The same source warns of sea urchins near the beach.
Which is better for kids, the Blue Cave or the Blue Lagoon?
The Blue Lagoon for children under about 8: five hours, short boat rides and lots of swimming. Older kids handle the Blue Cave day fine.
The half-day trip takes children from 5. The Blue Cave tours start at 3 or 4 depending on the operator, the cave ticket is free under 6, and ages 6 to 12 pay half. The problem is the length: ten hours on a speedboat, with only 5 to 15 minutes in the cave. For school-age kids who love snorkelling, the Blue Cave day's long stop at Budikovac usually wins them over.
A five-hour trip with two swims, built for families who don't want ten hours at sea.
Check dates for the half-day Blue Lagoon tripCan you do both the Blue Cave and the Blue Lagoon?
On two separate days, yes. In one day, the closest you get is a Blue Cave tour, which swims at the Budikovac lagoon.
None of the tours on this site combine Krknjaši with the Blue Cave; they sit in opposite directions from Split. If you have two days, do the Blue Cave first, while you're fresh and while there's still time to rebook if the cave is closed. Keep the Blue Lagoon as an easy half day later on. See closures and the best time for why the order matters.
Which one should you book, the Blue Cave or the Blue Lagoon?
The Blue Cave if seeing the cave is the point. The Blue Lagoon if you want an easy swim day.
Price-wise, the Blue Lagoon trip starts at $64, and a Blue Cave day from $89 plus EUR 18 to 24 in cash for the cave. For that you get the cave, Komiža, Stiniva, Budikovac and Hvar town: much more ground, much more time at sea. If you want to swim in turquoise water and still have an evening in Split, the half day is the better trade. Packing for either: what to bring and wear.
The full Blue Cave day: the cave first, then four islands and the Budikovac lagoon.
Check dates for the top-rated 5-island tourFrequently asked questions
Is the Blue Lagoon the same as the Blue Cave?
No. The Blue Cave is a sea cave on Biševo, 75 to 90 minutes from Split. The Blue Lagoon is Krknjaši bay off Drvenik Veli, near Trogir, where you swim.
How far is the Blue Lagoon from Split?
About 14 nautical miles. The half-day tour stops in Trogir first and reaches the lagoon after about 45 minutes of boat time.
Is there an entrance fee for the Blue Lagoon?
No. Krknjaši bay is free; you only pay for the boat trip. The Blue Cave ticket costs EUR 18 to 24 in cash.
Which is cheaper, the Blue Cave or the Blue Lagoon?
The Blue Lagoon half day, from $64. Blue Cave tours start at $89, plus the cash cave ticket.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Blue Lagoon & 3 Islands Half-Day Speedboat
Turquoise water and Trogir in half a day, no Blue Cave
Blue Cave, Vis & Hvar 5-Island Tour
- Speedboat, skipper and English-speaking guide
- Snorkel masks, towels and safety gear
- Cave ticket listed as included, but the itinerary says extra fee: check
Blue Cave, Vis & Hvar with Cave Ticket
The one price that already covers the cave ticket and hotel pickup
