REVIEW · SPLIT
Split City Tour By Electric Rickshaw┃Riva Ride
Book on Viator →Operated by Riva Ride · Bookable on Viator
Electric rickshaws make Split easy to love. This private Split city tour glides you through the Stari Grad highlights without the usual shoe-leather slog, with a guide who explains what you’re seeing as you roll past.
I love that you get tight, high-impact stops—Diocletian’s Palace up front, plus major Roman gates—so you’re not wasting your limited time.
One thing to keep in mind: the ride is short, so the price can feel steep if you’re expecting a long, walk-heavy tour.
In This Review
- Key things to know before you go
- The smart way to tour Split’s Old Town: Electric rickshaw logic
- Start in Diocletian’s Palace, where the whole city begins
- The Roman gate tour: Brass Gate, Golden Gate, and the Silver Gate
- Prokurative Square and Old Split lanes: where the city breathes
- Grgur Ninski Statue: a quick stop with big language significance
- Sustipan park: views and a breather away from the densest streets
- How long 1–1.5 hours really feels (and who it suits best)
- The guides are the difference: Toma, Blaz, Gabby, Jo, Francis, Thomas, and Mike the Bike
- Price in plain terms: $48.06 for a fast, story-led highlight ride
- One thing to watch: rare arrival hiccups
- Should you book Riva Ride Split City Tour?
- FAQ
- What’s the duration of the Split City Tour by Electric Rickshaw
- Is this tour private
- What language is the tour offered in
- Do I get a mobile ticket
- What stops are included during the tour
- Is admission included at the stops
- Is cancellation free
- What if the weather is bad
- Are service animals allowed
Key things to know before you go

- A private rickshaw loop means only your group rides, so your photo stops and pace aren’t competing with a crowd.
- Roman gate circuit plus Palace sights keeps the story of Split focused, from entrances to the old city lanes.
- Sustipan park is the breather: views and shade after the denser Old Town streets.
- Guides bring personality—you may meet guides like Toma, Blaz, Gabby, Jo, Francis, Thomas, or Mike the Bike.
- Easy-on-the-body sightseeing: rickshaws can be a smart choice when the day is hot or when stairs are a hassle.
- Weather matters since the experience requires good weather, so plan for flexibility.
The smart way to tour Split’s Old Town: Electric rickshaw logic

Split’s Old Town can feel like two worlds at once. You’ve got the big, iconic Roman pieces—then you’ve got tight lanes where you’re constantly weaving around other visitors. An electric rickshaw solves the awkward middle by getting you close to everything that matters while keeping you moving smoothly.
This is a private tour, offered in English, running about 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes. The time window is perfect when you’re on a cruise stop, have limited daylight, or want to understand what you’re looking at before you wander on your own.
You’ll also appreciate the practical bits: mobile ticket, near public transportation, and service animals allowed. And in the “can we do this?” category, it’s designed so most travelers can participate, which is a big deal in a place where the ground can be uneven and the streets can be tight.
You can also read our reviews of more city tours in Split
Start in Diocletian’s Palace, where the whole city begins

The first stop is Diocletian’s Palace, and that’s the right move. This is where Split’s identity clicks into place: you’re not just seeing buildings, you’re understanding why the city was shaped the way it was.
As you drive through the old streets, your guide shares stories about the Palace’s creation and the surrounding historical buildings. Even if you’ve only read a little before arriving, this stop helps you connect details you’ll see later—like why certain gates, corridors, and courtyards matter.
The stop time is short (about 5 minutes), so don’t treat it like a deep museum visit. Instead, treat it like a guided orientation. You’ll get enough context to make your later strolling more meaningful.
The Roman gate tour: Brass Gate, Golden Gate, and the Silver Gate
After the Palace area, you’ll hit a set of landmark entrances that frame the Old Town. The tour includes the Brass Gate, the Golden Gate, and the Eastern (Silver) Gate—and that’s more than trivia. Roman gates are like bookmarks in a city’s layout.
- Brass Gate: the smaller of the principal Roman gates into the old town, the kind of detail that makes your guide’s explanations more fun than a generic drive-by.
- Golden Gate: one of the other main Roman gates, so you’re comparing scale and significance as you go.
- Eastern (Silver) Gate: a secondary gate of Diocletian’s Palace, which adds variety to the story rather than repeating the same point.
Each stop is listed at about 5 minutes, and that’s exactly how you should use it. Look at the entrance, absorb the story, then keep moving. If you linger too long at one gate, the loop loses its momentum.
Also, since the listed admission at these points is marked as free, you’re not paying extra at each stop. That helps keep the tour feeling like a single package rather than a stack of mini-ticket obligations.
Prokurative Square and Old Split lanes: where the city breathes

Next up is Prokurative, a Mediterranean-style square in the center of town. At about 3 minutes, it’s not meant for hanging out all afternoon. It’s more like the tour’s reset button—an open-air pause so you can recalibrate before you return to the narrow streets.
Then you’ll drive through the narrow lanes of the old town, including Old Split (about 10 minutes). This is where the electric rickshaw earns its keep. Those streets can be packed, and the walking detour can eat up time fast—especially if you’re trying to see a lot in a short day.
If you’re the type who likes to understand how neighborhoods work, these drives help you build a mental map. You’ll start to notice what’s nearby, what the main routes feel like, and where you can comfortably return later if something catches your eye.
One review highlighted how the rickshaw was a great way to take in the old town and gardens without getting cooked in the heat. That matches the reality of Split in high season: time outside can be brutal, and shade is not guaranteed on foot.
Grgur Ninski Statue: a quick stop with big language significance

The Grgur Ninski Statue is short (about 5 minutes), but it’s a memorable kind of stop. This statue honors Gregory of Nin, an advocate of the Old Slavic language and the Glagolitic folk script.
This is the kind of stop that gives your tour more depth than “here’s another old monument.” It also helps you connect Split to the broader cultural story of Croatia—not just Roman stonework.
If you’ve ever wondered why Glagolitic writing shows up in places like Dalmatia, this stop is a useful prompt. Even without a long lecture, you leave with a clearer sense of why language and identity matter here.
Sustipan park: views and a breather away from the densest streets

The final big highlight is Sustipan, listed at about 15 minutes. This is your chance to slow down. The tour description calls it a wonderful park with beautiful views, and that’s exactly what you want after Old Town driving.
This stop is valuable because it changes the scenery and the pace. Instead of tight lanes and entrances, you’re shifting into a more open, calmer setting where you can actually take in the harbor and the city spread.
One longer account in the information set described a setup that includes park time and viewpoint-style cruising (including Marjan Forest and Kasjuni Beach areas). Those extra scenic stretches aren’t guaranteed in the written stop list, but the important takeaway is consistent: the tour uses Sustipan to give you a “see it from a distance” moment.
And that’s a smart strategy. If you spend your day only inside Stari Grad, you end up with great photos—but less understanding of how Split sits along the coast.
How long 1–1.5 hours really feels (and who it suits best)

Duration: 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes is short enough to feel efficient, but long enough for the guide to add real context. The best part is that you’re not trapped in a long bus-style tour. You get the highlights, then you can do what you actually came to do: roam, eat, and decide what you want to see next.
This tour is especially good for:
- Cruise passengers who need high value fast
- People who want Old Town context before walking on their own
- Anyone dealing with a hot-weather day, since being on wheels reduces time in the sun
- Travelers who prefer a private setting for questions and photo stops
It’s also a decent fit if you’re returning after a brief arrival and want your bearings. One guide named Mike the Bike was praised for getting people oriented quickly, including where to head for food afterward.
The guides are the difference: Toma, Blaz, Gabby, Jo, Francis, Thomas, and Mike the Bike

The biggest pattern in the information you provided is simple: the guides make this tour work. You’ll hear history in a way that sounds like a story, not a textbook. And you’re not just being told dates—you’re being shown how the city connects.
Examples of guide names that come up often include Toma, Thomas, Mike the Bike/Michael, Blaz, Gabby, Jo, Francis, Josh, and Josko. More than one person mentioned strong English and a guide who could explain each stop with humor and personality.
There’s also a practical angle. One guest said the guide was great even with a handicap and tailored the experience. Another mentioned the rickshaw being comfortable and enabling them to go places without dealing with lots of steps. So while I wouldn’t assume every situation is identical, the overall design seems friendly to travelers who want to avoid harsh walking routes.
Price in plain terms: $48.06 for a fast, story-led highlight ride
At $48.06 per person, this tour isn’t budget-leaning. It’s closer to what you pay for a guided experience that saves time.
One piece of feedback pointed out that the cost felt high compared with a shorter “value feel” window, especially around the price per hour. That’s a fair concern. If you’re the kind of traveler who wants to roam for hours and soak it in at your own pace, you might decide this is too pricey.
But if you value:
- time saved in a tight Old Town
- guided context that makes your photos and later walking click
- a private group experience
then $48.06 can make sense. You’re paying for a human guide plus the convenience of an electric vehicle that keeps the day from turning into one long endurance test.
My practical take: treat it like an investment in understanding. If you plan to spend the rest of your day exploring, having the Palace and gates explained first can turn a casual walk into something far more rewarding.
One thing to watch: rare arrival hiccups
Most of the feedback is glowing, with a very high rating and lots of recommendations. Still, one report described a rickshaw that didn’t arrive, followed by an apology and a refund.
That doesn’t mean you should panic, but it does mean you should use common sense. If you’re arriving by cruise or on a tight schedule, I’d double-check your meeting details ahead of time and keep a little buffer. The good news is the tour offers confirmation at booking, and you’ll get a setup designed to be easy to find.
Should you book Riva Ride Split City Tour?
Book it if you want a fast, guided hits tour that covers the core landmarks—Diocletian’s Palace, Roman Brass/Golden/Silver gates, Prokurative, Old Split lanes, Grgur Ninski, and Sustipan park—in a way that feels manageable.
Skip it (or think twice) if you’re sensitive to price for a short ride. If you’d rather spend two or three hours wandering slowly with no structure, you might get more satisfaction walking independently.
If you’re deciding on the fly, here’s the simplest rule: if you want to understand Split quickly and then go have a great day on your own, this is a smart pick.
FAQ
What’s the duration of the Split City Tour by Electric Rickshaw
The tour runs about 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes.
Is this tour private
Yes. It’s a private tour/activity, and only your group participates.
What language is the tour offered in
The tour is offered in English.
Do I get a mobile ticket
Yes. A mobile ticket is included.
What stops are included during the tour
The tour includes Diocletian’s Palace, the Brass Gate, Prokurative, the narrow streets/Old Split area, the Golden Gate, Grgur Ninski Statue, the Eastern (Silver) Gate, and Sustipan park.
Is admission included at the stops
The stop details provided list admission ticket free for the sights along the route.
Is cancellation free
Yes. You can cancel for free up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
What if the weather is bad
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Are service animals allowed
Yes. Service animals are allowed, and the experience is stated to be suitable for most travelers.





























