Visit Bosnia and Herzegovina: itinerary, Sarajevo and Mostar

Where the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian worlds meet, Bosnia and Herzegovina blends Sarajevo's bazaar, Mostar's Old Bridge above the Neretva, waterfalls where you can swim in summer and still wild mountains, with a remarkably generous welcome.

Why visit Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Bosnia and Herzegovina offers a rare concentration of European history, where mosques, Orthodox and Catholic churches and a synagogue stand side by side in the same Sarajevo neighbourhood. Its Ottoman towns, emerald rivers and mountains can be explored on a small budget, only a few hours from the Dalmatian coast, making it an easy stop on a Balkan journey in Europe.

What to discover in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Sarajevo, between East and Central Europe

The capital reads like a timeline: the Ottoman bazaar of Baščaršija and the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, then, a few steps further, the Austro-Hungarian facades of Ferhadija street. The Latin Bridge recalls the 1914 assassination, and the Tunnel of Hope museum, near the airport, the siege of 1992 to 1995. The Mount Trebević cable car, reopened in 2018, climbs in about ten minutes towards the bobsleigh track of the 1984 Olympic Games. Plan three nights for the city and its heights.

Mostar and the Neretva valley

The train between Sarajevo and Mostar takes about two hours and follows the Neretva gorges, one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the region. In Mostar, the Old Bridge, destroyed in 1993 and rebuilt identically in 2004, is UNESCO-listed. Day trips from Dubrovnik, on the coast of Croatia, crowd the centre between 11 am and 4 pm: stay overnight to see the bridge quietly in the evening and early morning. One night is enough, two with the surroundings.

Herzegovina, waterfalls and Ottoman villages

Around Mostar, a day loop links the Kravice waterfalls, about forty kilometres away, the fortified village of Počitelj clinging to its hill and the Blagaj dervish tekke, about twelve kilometres away, built at the foot of a cliff where the Buna spring gushes out. Swimming at Kravice is possible from June to September. Further south, Trebinje and its plane trees make a peaceful stop less than an hour from Dubrovnik and close to the border of Montenegro. Allow one day by car per area.

Jajce, Travnik and central Bosnia

About two and a half hours' drive north-west of Sarajevo, Jajce surprises with its waterfall of around twenty metres dropping right in town, below a medieval royal fortress. A few kilometres away, the small wooden watermills of the Pliva lakes can be visited freely. On the way, Travnik, former seat of the Ottoman viziers and birthplace of Nobel laureate Ivo Andrić, keeps its painted mosques and a fortress. A one-night stop in Jajce then lets you continue to Banja Luka or Una National Park.

National parks and mountains

Sutjeska National Park protects Perućica, one of the last primeval forests in Europe, and Maglić, the country's highest peak at 2,386 metres, on the Montenegrin border. In the north-west, Una National Park offers rafting and the Štrbački buk waterfall. In the east, the Ottoman bridge of Višegrad, UNESCO-listed, lies about twenty kilometres from Serbia. Minefields remain in the mountains: always stay on marked trails, ideally with a local guide. The hiking season runs from June to September.

Cities to visit in Bosnia and Herz.

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Must-sees in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Eight places that tell the story of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from its Ottoman bridges to its mountains.

Mostar Old Bridge

A 16th-century Ottoman arch rebuilt in 2004, from which divers leap into the Neretva more than twenty metres below.

Baščaršija Bazaar

The Ottoman heart of Sarajevo, with its Sebilj fountain, coppersmith workshops and cafés serving traditional Bosnian coffee.

Tunnel of Hope

A museum in a house at the edge of the airport, where you walk a few metres of the tunnel that supplied Sarajevo during the siege.

Kravice Waterfalls

An amphitheatre of travertine falls on the Trebižat river, where swimming is possible in summer in a natural pool.

Blagaj Tekke

An Ottoman dervish monastery set against a cliff, above the emerald green spring of the Buna, near Mostar.

Jajce Waterfall

A waterfall where the Pliva meets the Vrbas right in the town centre, lit up in the evening and visible from a viewpoint.

Višegrad Bridge

An eleven-arch Ottoman bridge over the Drina, UNESCO-listed and immortalised by Ivo Andrić's novel.

Lukomir Village

A shepherds' hamlet perched at nearly 1,500 metres, known for its stone houses with steep roofs on the edge of a canyon.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the train between Sarajevo and Mostar?
About two hours for 130 kilometres. The route follows the Neretva gorges and Jablanica lake, with better views than by road. There are few departures per day: check the timetable at the station and arrive early in summer.
When can you see the Mostar Old Bridge divers?
Members of the divers' club jump mainly in summer, during the day, once enough money has been collected from onlookers. A diving competition is held every summer. Never attempt the jump yourself without supervision from the club.
Can you swim at the Kravice waterfalls?
Yes, swimming is allowed in the pool at the foot of the falls, usually from June to September, and there is an entrance fee. In July and August, come before 10 am or after 5 pm to avoid tour coaches from the coast.
Can you visit Mostar on a day trip from Dubrovnik?
Yes, about 140 kilometres separate the two cities, two and a half to three hours by road including the border crossing. A same-day return is tiring and leaves little time: a night in Mostar also lets you see Blagaj and Kravice.
Are landmines a danger for hikers?
The risk is low on marked trails and in tourist areas, but some land remains contaminated since the war of the 1990s. Never leave marked paths, respect the red skull warning signs and prefer a local guide in the mountains.
What can you see at the Tunnel of Hope museum?
The museum occupies the house where the tunnel dug in 1993 under the airport runway began, besieged Sarajevo's only link with the outside. You walk through a short original section and discover objects and period films. Allow about an hour.
How do you get up Mount Trebević from Sarajevo?
The cable car leaves from the Bistrik neighbourhood, a few minutes' walk from Baščaršija, and reaches the heights in about ten minutes. At the top, a path leads to the old graffiti-covered Olympic bobsleigh track, which takes about an hour to walk.
How does Ramadan affect a stay in Sarajevo?
Life goes on normally for visitors: restaurants and cafés stay open during the day. In the evening, the breaking of the fast livens up Baščaršija, announced by a cannon shot from the Yellow Fortress. It is a convivial moment, but book if you plan to dine at iftar time.
Can you drive to Lukomir village?
A partly unpaved road leads there from the Bjelašnica ski area, passable by car from late spring to autumn but often cut off by snow in winter. Many visitors go with a Sarajevo agency combining a hike and a meal with a local family.
Are there checks between the Federation and Republika Srpska?
No, there is no border or check between the two entities. You will only notice the change of alphabet on signs, with Cyrillic dominant in Republika Srpska, and sometimes different flags. Currency and travel documents remain the same.

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