Blue Lagoon & Trogir Private Tour

Not every group wants ten hours on the water. This is the half-day route, the Blue Lagoon and UNESCO Trogir, with the boat to yourselves. Whole boat, up to twelve guests, €700.

The point of doing a short day privately is the departure time. The group half-day runs at fixed morning and afternoon slots; privately you leave when it suits, which matters if you are working around a cruise ship arrival, a nap, or a lunch reservation somebody already made.

The channel between Drvenik Mali and Drvenik Veli sits over white sand at three or four metres, which is why it photographs the way it does. It is also why it works for people who do not swim confidently: you can stand a long way out, and the snorkelling is easy enough that children take to it in minutes.

It is about forty-five minutes from Split, entirely inside sheltered water. On a private boat you anchor where the skipper says the light is best rather than where the fleet has already gathered.

Founded in the 3rd century BC, packed onto an island the size of a few city blocks and connected to the mainland by two stone bridges. The cathedral of St Lawrence has the Radovan portal, the most important piece of Romanesque sculpture in Croatia, and the bell tower is climbable if anyone in the group has the legs for it.

An hour covers the square, the cathedral and a gelato on the riva. Two hours covers lunch as well, and privately you can take the second hour.

At twelve people, €58 each, less than the €70 group seat, for a shorter, faster, entirely private version of the same route. The crossover here is around ten people.

Below that, the group half-day is the better buy and the boat is the same one. Above it, there is no argument.

Skipper, sailor, fuel, mooring, insurance, snorkel gear and water are included. This route has no entrance fees anywhere, which makes it the easiest day on the list to budget.