In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Blue Cave is on the east side of Biševo, 4.5 nautical miles (8.3 km) from Komiža on Vis (Komiža Tourist Board), and no public boat does it as a day trip from Split: the ship to Biševo leaves Komiža at 08:00, and the first Split ferry reaches Vis at 09:25 at the earliest. The cave ticket is €24 from 20 June to 10 September and €18 from 1 April to 19 June and from 11 September to 31 October (price list); the visit leaves from Mezuporat cove and takes about 20 minutes. Or book a tour: From Split: Blue Cave, Mamma Mia, Vis & Hvar 5-Island Tourad (from €78, 5 stars from 3,303 reviews) does the cave in one day with a boat from Split, so you skip the ferry, the Komiža bus and the ship.
⚠️ The Biševo ship does not wait for the Split ferry. From Split to Komiža on public transport you need a night on Vis, because ship 612 leaves Komiža at 08:00 and the Vis ferry reaches Vis at 09:25 at the earliest (Jadrolinija 602, ship 612).
Getting to Vis from Split
Jadrolinija ferry 602 runs Split to Vis all year and takes about 2 hours 20 minutes (Jadrolinija 602). The adult fare is €7.20 from 1 January to 28 May and from 28 September to 31 December, and €9.10 from 29 May to 27 September; a child aged 3 to 12 pays €3.60 (2026 tariff). Split departures, from the 2026 sailing schedule:
| Period | Days | Split departures (arrive Vis) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan to 28 May, 28 Sep to 31 Dec | Mon to Thu, Sat, Sun, holidays | 11:00 (13:20), 18:30 (20:50) |
| 1 Jan to 28 May, 28 Sep to 31 Dec | Friday | 10:00 (12:20), 17:00 (19:20) |
| 29 May to 2 Jul, 21 to 27 Sep | Mon to Thu | 11:00 (13:20), 18:30 (20:50) |
| 29 May to 2 Jul, 21 to 27 Sep | Fri to Sun | 09:00 (11:20), 15:00 (17:20), 21:00 (23:20) |
| 3 Jul to 20 Sep | Mon, Wed to Sun | 09:00 (11:20), 15:00 (17:20), 21:00 (23:20) |
| 3 Jul to 20 Sep | Tuesday | 11:00 (13:20), 18:30 (20:50) |
Boats back from Vis, Monday to Saturday, leave at 05:30 in every period, and at 15:30 (14:00 on Fridays) from 1 January to 28 May and 28 September to 31 December. On Sundays and holidays the winter ferry leaves Vis at 07:30 and 15:30; from 6 to 31 December the Sunday and holiday ferries leave Vis at 16:30 and Split at 19:00. From 3 July to 20 September the afternoon boats leave Vis at 12:00 and 18:00 (arrive Split 14:20 and 20:20). On 25 December there is no departure from Split at 11:00 or from Vis at 16:30.
A day on Vis is possible only in summer: Split 09:00, Vis 11:20, and back on the 18:00 gives about 6 hours 40 minutes. Outside 3 July to 20 September on a weekday the 11:00 out and 15:30 back give about 2 hours 10 minutes.
Two faster boats also serve Vis. The Jadrolinija catamaran 659 (Split, Bol, Hvar, Vis) ran from 17 August to 20 September 2026, leaving Split at 07:30 for Vis at 09:25, with a Split to Vis fare of €28 (line 659). The state catamaran line 9602 (Split, Milna, Hvar, Vis) leaves Split in the afternoon or evening and reaches Vis the same evening, and Vis to Split sails in the morning, so it is a way to a night on Vis rather than a day trip; the adult fare is €7.20 until 28 May and from 28 September, and €10 from 29 May to 20 September (Krilo schedule, Blue Cave visitor centre).
Komiža harbour. Photo: dronepicr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
From the ferry port at Vis town, Komiža is 13 km away and the bus takes about 15 minutes. The visitor centre says the bus timetable is matched to the ferries: the bus from Komiža leaves an hour before the ferry sails, and the bus from the ferry port to Komiža leaves a few minutes after a ferry arrives (how to get there). The bus ticket is €3.00 each way (€1.50 for children 9 to 12), cash only (Nautički centar Komiža bus timetable).
Tours from Split
A tour beats the public route because it is the only way to see the cave in one day: the boat leaves from Split or Trogir and skips the ferry, the bus and the ship. The public route costs less and gives more time on Vis.
Five-island small-group tour
From €78 · 5 stars from 3,303 reviews · 10.5 hours · free cancellation
From Split: Blue Cave, Mamma Mia, Vis & Hvar 5-Island Tourad is a small-group boat tour that visits Stiniva beach, the Blue Cave on Biševo, the Blue Lagoon, Komiža and Hvar town.
Five islands in seven locations
From €79 · 4.9 stars from 1,752 reviews · 10.5 hours · free cancellation
From Split: Blue Cave, Hvar, Mamma Mia, 5 Islands boat Tourad takes a small group to five islands and seven locations, with at least two hours free in Hvar town and time in Komiža.
Small-group or private, from Split or Trogir
From €145 · 4.6 stars from 8,307 reviews · 10 to 11 hours · free cancellation
Blue Cave, Mamma Mia, Hvar and 5-Island Small-Group Tourad can be booked as a shared or a private tour, departing from Split or Trogir. If weather cancels it, the listing offers another date or a full refund.
Official ticket or tour: the prices side by side
The GetYourGuide figure is the cheapest option in each product. Official prices are per adult.
| What you want | Official | On GetYourGuide | What the tour adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| The cave in one day | Not possible by public boat | From €78 | Boat from Split, five islands in one day |
| Vis by ferry | €7.20 to €9.10 each way | n/a | You choose the sailing |
| The cave ticket | €18 or €24, one transfer and entry | n/a | The tour boat takes you to the cave from Split |
| Ship Komiža to Mezuporat | €3.19 (to 28 May, from 28 Sep) or €4.38 (29 May to 27 Sep) | n/a | The tour boat replaces the ship |
| A private boat to the cave | €460 (1 Apr to 19 Jun, 11 Sep to 31 Oct) or €660 (20 Jun to 10 Sep) for 2 to 12 people | From €145 per person | A guide and a longer route |
The Blue Cave on Biševo
The Komiža Tourist Board puts the cave in Balun bay, on the east side of Biševo. It is 24 m long and 10 to 12 m wide, and visitors enter by small boat through a passage 1.5 m high and 2.4 m wide. The Viennese painter Eugen von Ransonnet made it known in 1884, and it has been protected as a geomorphological natural monument since 1951. The tourist board counts about 50,000 visitors a year (Komiža Tourist Board).
The visitor centre on Biševo explains the light. Geological research in 2019 found a light, yellowish sandy floor at the submerged entrance and in the main hall. In the morning the sun lights that sand from the east through the entrance, the sand reflects more light than the darker rock around it, and the cave fills with a silver-blue glow (visit page). The tourist board gives the best time as between 10:00 and 14:00, depending on the season.
Biševo. Photo: August Dominus, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The cave can only be visited through the concession holder, Nautički centar Komiža, which sells the tickets, and tourist agencies across Dalmatia also organise visits. Visits start from the cove at Mezuporat. Swimming and diving in the cave are banned, and so is sailing or anchoring a boat inside it.
Tickets
The operator’s price list covers 1 April to 31 October. Prices include VAT.
| Ticket | 20 June to 10 September | 1 April to 19 June and 11 September to 31 October |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (over 12) | €24 | €18 |
| Child (6 to 12) | €12 | €9 |
| Child under 6 | Free | Free |
| Private transfer, 2 to 12 people | €660 | €460 |
The ticket covers one boat transfer and entry to the cave, and includes the multimedia exhibition at the Blue Cave Visitor Centre. Payment is by cash, card or bank transfer. A private transfer must be announced at least one working day ahead, and in July and August no more than two private transfers can run at once between 10:00 and 14:00. The operator’s app and modraspilja.hr show the boarding schedule in real time.
Getting from Komiža to Biševo
State ship line 612 sails Komiža, Mezuporat, Salbunara and Porat, run by Nautički centar Komiža. The fare on every route is €3.19 from 1 January to 28 May and from 28 September to 31 December 2026, and €4.38 from 29 May to 27 September; a child aged 3 to 12 pays €1.99. When weather stops a sailing, the trip runs on the next day outside the timetable when the weather allows. The 2026 timetable (line 612), reaching Mezuporat at 08:45 from the 08:00 sailing:
| Period | Sails from Komiža at 08:00 | Last return from Mezuporat |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan to 28 Mar, 1 Nov to 31 Dec | Tuesday, Friday, Sunday | Tuesday 13:30, Sunday 15:00 |
| 29 Mar to 28 May, 28 Sep to 31 Oct | Tuesday, Friday, Sunday | Tuesday 13:30, Sunday 16:30 |
| 29 May to 2 Jul, 31 Aug to 27 Sep | Every day | Tuesday 13:30; Mon, Wed, Sat, Sun 16:30 |
| 3 Jul to 30 Aug | Every day | 17:30 on every day except Friday |
On Fridays there is also a sailing at 14:30 or 15:30 from Komiža, and the Friday returns leave Porat at 09:30 and 17:00. The summer boats make a Biševo day possible for anyone already on Vis. The visitor centre has a multimedia exhibition, and a vehicle takes visitors with reduced mobility from the Mezuporat pier to the centre. The Biševo Geotrail leads to the beaches of Porat, Mezuporat and Salbunara.
Stiniva, Vis. Photo: Ante Perkovic, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Komiža
Komiža lies at the foot of the hill Hum (587 m) and faces west-southwest, so it is sheltered from the northerly winds. Its tourist board describes a fishing tradition that shapes the look of the town (Komiža Tourist Board). The board lists the Venetian castle, the Komuna, and the Fishermen Museum among the sights. The Archaeological Museum in Split also runs the Issa collection in Vis town, open by appointment from 1 October to 31 May (Archaeological Museum Split).
What to see next
- Day trips from Split: the other trips compared.
- Hvar day trip: the other island on the Vis catamaran.
- Brač and Bol day trip: the car ferry to Supetar.
- 3 days in Split: where an island day fits in a long weekend.
- Getting around Split: the ferry port, by the bus and train stations.
- Best time to visit Split: the seasons.
Common questions
How much does the Blue Cave cost?
An adult ticket (over 12) is €24 from 20 June to 10 September and €18 from 1 April to 19 June and from 11 September to 31 October. A child aged 6 to 12 pays €12 or €9, and under-6s are free. The ticket covers one boat transfer and entry to the cave, and includes the multimedia exhibition at the Blue Cave Visitor Centre.
Can you swim in the Blue Cave?
No. Bathing and diving are among the actions banned in the Blue Cave, and boats may not sail in or anchor there. The cave cannot be visited without a ticket from the concession holder, Nautički centar Komiža.
Can you visit the Blue Cave from Split in a day?
Not by public boat. State ship line 612 leaves Komiža for Mezuporat on Biševo at 08:00, and no Split sailing reaches Vis before that. A boat tour from Split covers the cave in a day, or you stay a night on Vis. Jadrolinija ferry 602 costs €7.20 to €9.10.
How long does the cave visit take?
The visitor centre says the tour of the cave with a boatman takes about 20 minutes from leaving the cove at Mezuporat. The cave is 24 m long and 10 to 12 m wide, and it is entered by boat through a passage 1.5 m high and 2.4 m wide.
What is the best time of day for the Blue Cave?
The Komiža Tourist Board says that, depending on the season, the best time is between 10:00 and 14:00. The visitor centre explains that in the morning the sun shines from the east through the submerged entrance and is reflected by the pale sandy floor into the cave.
