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Zadar riva waterfront — water taxi route Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town

Airport transfer · 3 h 15 min · from €970

Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Water Taxi & Private Transfer

From the harbour nearest the airport, with the short road leg arranged straight to the Hvar Town riva: private, direct and timed around you, not a ferry schedule.

No. 01

The route in detail

The crossing takes about 3 h 15 min in normal conditions, threading the northern Dalmatian islands. We run fast, comfortable speedboats that carry up to 12 passengers between them, so groups larger than five simply get a bigger boat or a second one. Which boat sails is decided on the day, according to the group, the sea and what is free.

Luggage travels free, night and early morning departures are available on request, and if the weather turns we agree a new time or refund you. For airport runs your skipper tracks the flight and waits if it is late.

Coming this way, Zadar Airport (ZAD) sits 3 h 15 min from the Hvar town riva and the boat waits for you rather than the other way around. The price is set per boat, so a couple and a group of twelve pay the same €970 for the same crossing, and the return leg is booked at the same rate.

Journey time3 h 15 min

From€970 per boat, one way

DirectionZadar Airport (ZAD) ⇄ Hvar

Capacityup to 12 passengers

Boatsfast covered speedboats, up to 12 seats

Luggagefree, including strollers and dive bags

Bad weatherrescheduled or refunded in full

Return legHvar to Zadar Airport (ZAD)

No. 02

Price and how many of you

Price is per boat, one way. Up to 5 passengers pay the same €970, and the same rate applies in the opposite direction. Split between the group, the Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town transfer gets cheaper with every extra seat you fill.

Book this transfer WhatsApp

Pricedper boat, not per person

1 to 5 guestsfrom €970 one way

6 to 12 guestslarger boat or two, fast quote

Round triptell us both legs in one message

Replyfast, 8 am to 10 pm

All routesWater taxi prices from Hvar

What Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town costs per person

Group	Total, one way	Per person
1 passenger	€970	€970
2 passengers	€970	€485
3 passengers	€970	€323
4 passengers	€970	€243
5 passengers	€970	€194
6 to 12 passengers	fast quote	lower again

Nothing is added per suitcase, per child or per stop, and the €970 covers the whole boat from Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town. Night and early morning departures are available on request and are quoted the same way.

No. 03

Leaving Zadar Airport

Harbour transfer included

Zadar Airport is a short drive from the water, and that road leg is arranged with the boat, so you step off the plane and onto the boat without organising anything in between.

Through the northern islands

The 3 h 15 min line threads the low limestone islands of northern Dalmatia, a stretch of coast most visitors to Hvar never see, before opening into the Hvar channel.

The awkward airport made simple

Zadar is the odd one out for Hvar connections: no direct ferry and a long day of buses. A private boat turns the most difficult arrival airport into the most straightforward one.

No. 04

Meet and greet, and how booking works

Pickup: The harbour nearest the airport, with the short road leg arranged, where the skipper meets you, helps with the bags and gets you straight on the water. Drop off: the Hvar Town riva, in the centre of everything: your hotel, villa or first coffee is a short walk away.

Send the route, date, time and number of passengers through the form or on WhatsApp, we confirm availability and the exact price with a fast reply, and your boat is booked. Planning a return? Tell us both legs in one message and we schedule the round trip together.

Pickupconfirmed with your booking

Bagsthe skipper helps you load

Book byform or WhatsApp

Confirmationavailability and exact price, fast reply

Noticesame day often possible, a day ahead is safer

Paymentagreed when we confirm the booking

No. 05

Water taxi or bus and ferry?

From Zadar the scheduled route to Hvar means a bus or car to Split first, so the whole day disappears into connections. Here is the honest comparison for Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town.

	Private water taxi	Bus or car plus scheduled boat
Door to door	3 h 15 min on the water plus the short road leg	Transfer into the city, then whatever sailing is left that day
Departure	the hour you choose, including night and dawn	a fixed timetable with a handful of sailings
Luggage	free, the skipper loads it	carried between bus, terminal and boat yourself
Cost	from €970 per boat for up to 12	cheapest per person, more once taxis are added
If the flight is late	the skipper tracks it and waits	you miss the connection and wait for tomorrow

For two people with a flexible day the scheduled option usually wins on price. From three or four people upwards, once you count the taxis at either end and the hours lost, the private Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town boat is often the cheaper way to spend the day as well as the faster one. See how to get to Hvar for every route onto the island.

No. 06

Weather, changes and cancellations

The northern leg is sheltered by islands for much of the way, which is why this route often runs comfortably on days when the open channels are choppy.

Safety decides, and it decides early: if the forecast for your Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town slot looks wrong we call you the day before or the same morning and offer an earlier hour, a later one or the next day. If nothing works, any prepayment comes back in full. Changing the time or the number of passengers costs nothing as long as we know before the skipper leaves the berth at Zadar Airport (ZAD).

The summer pattern on this coast is a calm morning, a north-westerly maestral building from late morning and easing at dusk. If your crossing is flexible, the first hours after sunrise and the last hour before sunset are usually the smoothest, and on a 3 h 15 min run like Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town that is worth knowing. For airport transfers we work backwards from the flight instead, and the skipper takes the sheltered line if he has to.

Cancelled by weatherfull refund or a new time

Changed by youfree until the skipper leaves the berth

Rough seaa sheltered line, a few minutes longer

Calmest hoursearly morning and around sunset

This route3 h 15 min, Zadar Airport (ZAD) ⇄ Hvar

Seasicknesstell us and we plan the calmest slot

Life jacketson board, including childrens sizes

No. 07

The route on the map

No. 08

The other water taxi routes

Same boats, same per-boat pricing, eleven other destinations into Hvar town. If Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town is only one leg of the trip, we can price the rest of it in the same message.

Split Airport (SPU) to Hvar1 h 30 min · from €800 Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) to Hvar3 h 45 min · from €1500 Split (city port) to Hvar1 h · from €800 Vis to Hvar40 min · from €500 Bol (Brac) to Hvar45 min · from €800 Korcula Town to Hvar1 h 15 min · from €700 Vela Luka (Korcula) to Hvar1 h · from €550 Pakleni islands to Hvar15 min · from €120 Palmizana to Hvar20 min · from €120 Vela Garska to Hvar25 min · from €100 Vlaka (fisherman's house) to Hvar20 min · from €100

Every route runs in both directions. The full table of times and prices is on the water taxi Hvar page.

No. 09

Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town, common questions

How long does the Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town water taxi take?

About 3 h 15 min dock to dock in normal sea conditions, and the same in the opposite direction. If the sea is up the skipper may take a more sheltered line, which can add a little to the crossing.

How much does a water taxi from Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town cost?

From €970 per boat, one way. The price is per boat and not per person, so two people and twelve people pay the same for the same crossing: that is €485 each for two, €243 each for four and €194 each for five. The return leg is booked at the same rate.

Where exactly does the boat leave from?

The harbour nearest the airport, with the short road leg arranged, where the skipper meets you, helps with the bags and gets you straight on the water. The exact spot is confirmed in writing with your booking, together with a phone number for the skipper.

How many passengers fit on the boat?

Up to 12 across our boats. Which one runs your transfer depends on what is free that day and on the size of the group: over five passengers we send a larger boat or a second one.

How far in advance should I book the Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town transfer?

In July and August a day or two ahead is sensible for Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town, and for an early morning or late night slot the earlier the better. Outside the peak weeks same-day bookings are often possible; send the request and you get a straight yes or no quickly.

Do you track the flight?

Yes. Your skipper follows the flight and shifts the pickup if you land late, and for departures we plan backwards from check-in time with a safety margin built in. Luggage travels free.

Is the water taxi faster than the ferry or catamaran?

From Zadar the scheduled route to Hvar means a bus or car to Split first, so the whole day disappears into connections. The private boat runs 3 h 15 min direct and leaves at the hour you choose, which is usually the difference between arriving in time for the day and arriving in time for bed.

Can we stop for a swim on the way?

On airport runs the schedule usually rules it out, but if you have time in hand just ask and the skipper will find a cove.

Can you run at night or very early in the morning?

Yes, on request, and it is one of the most common reasons people book. Early departures for morning flights and late arrivals after evening landings both run on the Zadar Airport (ZAD) to Hvar Town route, and the sea at those hours is usually calmer than at midday.

Does the transfer run in the other direction?

Yes, at the same price: Hvar to Zadar Airport (ZAD). Tell us both legs in one message and we schedule the round trip together.

What about luggage, children and pets?

Normal holiday luggage travels free, including suitcases, strollers and dive bags. Children of any age are welcome and there are life jackets in kids sizes on board; small pets can come along if you mention them when booking.

What happens if the weather is bad?

Safety decides. If the sea is too rough we move the transfer earlier, later or to the next day, and if nothing works any prepayment comes back in full. The northern leg is sheltered by islands for much of the way, which is why this route often runs comfortably on days when the open channels are choppy.

Travelling the other way?

Same boat, same price, opposite direction.

Hvar to Zadar Airport (ZAD)All routes & prices

While you are on Hvar

A whole day on the water instead of a transfer, a boat you skipper yourself, or the beaches you can only reach by sea.

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