Listing the places in the itinerary, means very little if you don't have the chance to enjoy them. Arrive, take a photo and go on, is a whole lot less than having an opportunity to swim, take your time in a certain place, and listen interesting stories about the location. Losing the opportunity to stay in a certain place significantly influences the impression of the trip.

External Blue cave tours
On average minimally 30% less interesting places compared to the Three Caves Tour.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
On average 30% more visited places in relation to other tours. Opportunity to eperience the full impression of visited locations.

Inside the Green cave you will find the same problem like in the case of Stiniva. Due to many boats inside and outside of the cave, swimming is a risk. You can not compare the experience of the cave with or without a crowd, when you can take a picture from an angle of your choosing. Photographing the cave with the crowd in is not possible if you want a shot with no boats or people in it.

External Blue cave tours
Most providers do not make it possible to take a swim at all, or they just let you swim between the propeller blades.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
We arrive while there is no crowd, so that you can explore, photograph and enjoy the cave.

The problem of visiting the Green cave in frequent hours is that it is impossible to do it so the guest stays satisfied. Do not wonder if the skipper on the tour that you choose deceides to leave the cave after just a few minutes .

External Blue cave tours
Most providers visit the cave in high frequency hours and stay in it only for about 5-10 min.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
We visit the Green cave at the time when there are no crowds, allowing for a safe swim.

A better question may be: in what way will we visit this beautifull place?
Entrance by tour boats is not possible or allowed. If you wish to reach the beach itself, take a photo of the beach and the cove as you have seen on line than it can only be done in two ways: either by swimming 30 meters or using the little row boats tied to a rope which marks the swimming area. It takes at least 15 min to do something like this. Due to the crowd of ships and people on the beach, and loud music during rush hour, your experience of beautifull Stiniva will considerably be diminished.

External Blue cave tours
Visits to Stiniva are mostly during rush hours, often no longer than 10 min duration, without the possibility of visiting the interior of the cove.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
Visiting at the time when there is no crowd, we encourage swimming ad transfering the guests to the beach by tenders.

The biggest problem of most of the providers is that their ships arrive when it is crowded which is not something that the skipper can hardly effect. Also it is common for the skippers to sugest to go on and that you will have a better time somewhere else.

External Blue cave tours
Most providers do not make it possible to swim in Stiniva.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
We arrive at the time when there is no crowd and the guests are always recommended to take a swim.

A reliable answer to this question can be had on the morning of the departure of the trip. Do not expect a 100% reliability of the answer more than 3 days before the trip. A portion of tour providers knowingly say that the cave can be visited even though they know that it is closed for visitors on that day.

External Blue cave tours
Some of the providers will not warn you at all that the cave is closed or you will just be told that they closed it down half an hour after the departure.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
Before the trip you will be informed that the cave is closed . Track the Blue cave availability on our web page.

Typically from mid June till early September during most of the day, waiting in line to visit the cave is an hour or more. The guests are informed that upon reaching the cave they can take a number and go take a walk or a swim and then return to the line when the number turns up. It is not a con but the fact is that the time of the trip you have bought is running on and is wasted on something you did not plan for.

External Blue cave tours
During the season waiting in line is typically 50 min to more than an hour.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
Typically 20 minutes, often less than 15 minutes.

Most street vendors have never been on the trip that they are selling and this is also very common with agency employees. When listing all the places that are visited and general data, a lot of space for manipulation is left-willingly not mentioning the details that will considerably deminish your experience.

External Blue cave tours
Most vendors have not been on the tour, most vendors work on commision.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
People who communicate with the guests have been on the tour and are knowledgable in high detail about the tour and the problems.

The smell of alchohol, loud music, small beaches filled with people, ad filled up restaurants is what you can expect at Palmizana during frequent hours. This beautifull cove gives out a completely different impression and offers many possibilities if you visit it at times when there is no crowd.

External Blue cave tours
From mid June till the beggining of September, in 95% of the time they arrive when the crowds are in.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
We arrive always when there is no crowd.

Some of the providers use all sorts of tricks so they could make their trip look better than it is. One of the ways to make it look better is by false rating (rating with stars on their web site) which is not relevant at all as it is easily manipulated, and through their own associates rating them on Google bussiness (if you look carefully, very often the reviews are all signed with Croatian names). The tricks are numerous while on the other hand their reviews on relevant pages are non existant or poorely placed.

External Blue cave tours
Only 20% of the providers from Split, Hvar, etc... have reviews on the worlds largest travel site. Only 5% of them have reviews worthy of your attention.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
In the context of Blue cave excursions, the highest number of positive reviews on the worlds largest travel site.

If there are groups of younger people on the boat of the provider that you choose, than you can be pretty certain to expect loud music which may not suit the natural locations you are due to visit. If the boat takes more than 10-12 persons on board, the trip loses its small group tour identity. The question you need to ask yourself is : do I fit in the tour you are offering?

External Blue cave tours
All kinds of ages but mostly younger people, persons on board often 12-30.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
Mostly experienced travellers on all sorts of tours, not for the guests seeking: loud music, alchohol, party style. Persons on board: mostly 6-10.

Dull exposition of data about a certain place or a total absence of guidance at all, can severely deminish your final impression of the tour. You did not buy a ticket for public transportation, you bought one for a trip where you want to know what is so interesting about the places you are visiting.

External Blue cave tours
Mostly just a taxi drive instead of a tour with dull presentation, static type of tour, individual activities without skippers attention.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
Guidance by the skipper is always one of the greatest values of the trip. All skippers go through necessary training. Light adventure type with numerous activities, oversight and cooperation by the skipper.

Listing the visited places is probably a way to lure the customers by promising more. You can find all sorts of lists. In the names of all sorts of tours are 5,6 islands (in the future probably even 7) + 3caves + Zlatni rat etc. Also there are ''decorations'' that are there to boost the sales like fruit refreshment, water, croissant, glass of wine... all just to lure the guests. Is it all attention to the guest or is it just a ''pretty package''?

External Blue cave tours
Commonly "pretty package"
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
The name of this tour does not represent a description of visited places, but is rather a trademark. The number of the caves visited does not correspond to the number if caves that are actually visited. No extras are included in the price, you pay for the experience and fond memories.
Note:
Be carefull, especially in Hvar town, if someone is offering you a tour under the trademarked name. Such trips do not match the content of our tour, it is not the tour (Three Caves Tour) that you read about online.

When a provider lets you use snorkeling equipment it does not mean that snorkeling activity is included in the program. Skippers are not instructed to know which locations are interesting for snorkeling activity. If you take into account that you will take a swim 2 or 3 times at the most during the trip, the question is what are the masks even for?

External Blue cave tours
Free usage of the masks is just one of the ''decorations'' for boosting the sales of the trip, skippers have no knowledge of interesting locations.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
Snorkeling on certain locations (3+2) under skippers recemmendations, masks are free to be used at all locations.

The providers often exclude a warning that some places are dangerous to jump from. The guests are even enchouraged to jump, from a point above the Green cave that is more than 10 meters high or other even higher places which is way too demanding for an unexperienced jumper. Every year there are injuries.

External Blue cave tours
You are jumping on your own responsibility even though you may not be aware of it-passenger insurance on the boat does not cover any injuries contracted outside the boat.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
You may jump only from places previously designated for it, you do not have to be an experienced jumper and in a case of injury you are insured. At all other locations we do not recommend jumping and you will be warned not to do it unless you have sufficient experience.

Are you covered by all of the necessary insurance policies for the duration of the trip?

External Blue cave tours
You are usually covered by one policy that covers only insurance while you are on the boat. Most commonly they do not cover injuries sustained while you are not on the boat but are on the tour. The time you spend off the boat is minimally 4 hours.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
You are insured for the entire duration of the trip, the only condition is that you behave according to the instructions of the guide. Often you are covered for the entire duration of the trip with two different insurance policies. The third and the most important insurance policy is the engagement of our skipper who is oversseing, directing and cooperating in the activities along you.

You know how it goes everybody speaks kindly of its own. What to do? Ask the provider to show you at least 3 articles which speak about the reliability of the boat and the skipper. The guests who have already taken part in the tour will surely give you a more real evaluation than the owner (provider) himself. Do not fall for ''decorations'' like wifi, shower and similar, that has nothing to do with safety on the sea.

External Blue cave tours
Avarage
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
Boat for choppy waters, well-trained skippers

Do not let confections and decorations affect your judgement. We have been using the same types of boats since 2008 and it is one of the main reasons for best Blue cave reviews in Croatia.

External Blue cave tours
Many boats are not designed for choppy water and that could cause uncomfortable ride and injuries.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
Our most celebrated tour is done with the boats from the same manufacturer since 2008. It is one of the reasons for all our positive reviews related to capabilities. Using larger boats it would not be possible to do the Three Caves Tour program.

When we are talking about speedboat rides, the drive from Split to the Blue cave takes one and a half to two hours. After 40 minutes, the ride becomes tedious for the passengers, especially if the weather is unfavourable.

External Blue cave tours
On average one and a half to two hours.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
First break is after 50 minutes and that first leg of the trip is also the longest one. Later on the breaks are often.

External Blue cave tours
Average, despite a large discount, it is very likely that the service will not justify the price.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
We do not give discounts because the trip is worth more than the asking price.

If you take into account: the state of the sea on the day of the trip, the engagement of the skipper-guide, visited locations and their number, the time spent in relation to what has been seen and other relevant factors, then:

External Blue cave tours
price in relation to the experience: on average 5-7
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
price in relation to the experience: 9-10

External Blue cave tours
Aside from a longer stay at the Blue cave due to congestion, Hvar town and Palmizana, the stay of all sorts of providers at the rest of top locations is on average about 10-15 minutes.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
On all top locations (especially in the nature) we stay a minimum of 25-30 minutes.

External Blue cave tours
When the weather conditions are favourable: you will visit all or most of the locations listed but not long enough, with a noticeably diminished positive impression.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
When the weather conditions are favourable: you will visit all locations with enough time to spare at each of them and your impression will be noticeably positive.

The ratio of what you are promised to get and what you actually get for your money will tell you the actuall worth of the trip.

External Blue cave tours
On average 70%
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
90%-100%, often positive extras, the things that nobody told you about to get you to buy the trip.

From all of these questions & answers:

External Blue cave tours
Average at the most.
Ilirio's Three Caves Tour
Distinctively positive experience.