Zadar City Walking Tour: Roman Streets & Venetian Walls

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.88 (34 reviews) 91% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/8

Duration1h 30m

GroupUp to 20

LanguagesEN · IT +1

Mobile ticketAccepted

The winged lion of Venice still guards the gates where the old city ends.

A 90-minute walking tour of Zadar's old town follows the Roman street grid through Venetian walls and bastions, with departures at 11 AM (starting at the Greeting to the Sun), 6:30 PM (from the Land Gate), or afternoon timing. The guide speaks English, Italian or French, and you'll pass the Cathedral of St. Anastasia, the Roman Forum, and the Sea Organ installation — no paid museum or church entries required. Minimum age is 13.

1h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Zadar 90-minute city walking tour

Start at Greeting to the Sun
Visit Sea Organ installation
See Cathedral of St. Anastasia exterior
Explore ancient Roman Forum
View two large Roman Columns
Visit 9th century desacralized church exterior
Pass Benedictine Convent of St. Mary
Walk through People's Square
See 16th century City Guard building
See 16th century City Hall building
Walk along Kalelarga street
Pass New Gate
End at Venetian walls with winged lion

The Experience

The morning tour begins at the Greeting to the Sun, the solar panel installation on the waterfront, and moves through the city on foot for the full 90 minutes rain or shine. You'll walk the same Roman street network that has threaded through Zadar since the 1st century BC, passing the Roman Forum and the Pillar of Shame before reaching the Venetian defenses — the walls, bastions and gates built when the Republic governed the coast. The evening tour starts instead from the Land Gate, a 16th-century triumphal arch, and covers the same core but skips the waterfront installations. Both routes end with the winged lion of Venice, the symbol of St. Mark, marking your exit from the old peninsula.

You'll see the Cathedral of St. Anastasia, the city's largest Romanesque church, and a 9th-century rotunda built in pre-Romanesque style — both visible from outside, no entrance fees. The People's Square sits ringed by the medieval City Loggia and Guard, and Kalelarga, the peninsula's main street, follows what was once the Roman Decumanus. The guide will explain why Alfred Hitchcock and other famous visitors called Zadar's sunset the most beautiful in the world, and if you choose the afternoon departure, you'll be there to see it. Bring an umbrella or raincoat; the walk happens regardless of weather.

Possible free tastings of Maraschino liqueur or local cheese may happen along the route, depending on the day. Public transport stops are nearby if you need one before or after. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels but not recommended for pregnant travelers, those with poor cardiovascular health, or anyone with mobility issues.

What’s included

Live guide in English, Italian or French.
90-minute walk through the Roman Forum, Venetian walls and city gates.
views of the Cathedral of St. Anastasia and the 9th-century rotunda from outside.
possible free tastings of Maraschino liqueur or local cheese along the route.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by ZADAR CITY TOUR

Is this one for you?Choose the 11 AM departure if you're arriving in Zadar in the morning and want to orient yourself to the old town before lunch; pick the 6:30 PM tour if you have a free afternoon and want to end the day watching the sunset from the Venetian gates. Private tours work if you're traveling with family or prefer a guide's full attention without waiting for a group to assemble.