Things To Do In Sarajevo and Mostar - A Perfect 5-day Itinerary!

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If you like going somewhere a little different, a visit to discover Sarajevo and Mostar in Europe might be just the ticket for your next city break. We were surprised in the things to Do In Sarajevo and Mostar and found each city fascinating to discover. The train ride between the 2 has amazing views!

We’ve travelled extensively in the Balkans as independent travelers. We have used planes, trains, and cars to get to and between cities and know how to navigate between countries.

Specifically, we have spent time exploring both Sarajevo and Mostar and have pulled together a list of 12 cool things to do and see along with recommendations of where to stay! Oh and why you should book the train between the two cities for a glorious journey through the mountains!

Bosnia Hervegovina Travel Basics

Size. This is a small country of 51,197 square kilometers, with almost 50% of the land covered in forests.

A stone bridge and wall in Sarajevo with a mosque minaret and homes behind built onto a hillside. — Sarajevo City

Money. The currency is the Marka, which is only bought/ exchanged in country. Use ATMs for cash as needed but nearly everywhere accepts credit cards.

Language. Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian are all official languages. English is widely spoken and used in most tourist areas.

Fun Fact. Good news if you love caffeine. Bosnia Herzegovina is in the Top 10 coffee drinking countries (per capita) in the world. Think Turkish coffee!

Did you know? Sarajevo hosted the 14th Winter Olympics in 1984.

Sarajevo & Mostar Itinerary

We suggest you spend 5 days minimum on a first visit to Sarajevo and Mostar. Start in Sarajevo and spend 3 full days/nights) here before taking the train (see below) to Mostar on the morning of Day 4. Enjoy rest of Day 4 in Mostar and a full final day here. Fly out morning of Day 6.

Getting To Sarajevo

London Luton (UK) has direct flights with Wizz Air. Check their site for schedules as they change seasonally.

There are numerous options from within Europe hubs which also serve other continents including Istanbul, Frankfurt and Paris. UAE has connections including Doha and Abu Dhabi.

Note: Bosnia Herzegovina is not a member of the EU although it has declared ambition to join.

🎒TPOP Tip:

Consider combining Sarajevo & Mostar with a road trip to Montenegro. It’s only a 2 hour drive from Mostar to Herceg Novi, and just a little longer to the beautiful Bay of Kotor.

How To Get Around Sarajevo

The first thing that may strike you about Sarajevo is its location, nestled into the mountains. The beauty of this location seems to make it all the harder to absorb the 1990s tragedy.

But, chatting with taxi drivers, hotel staff and Sarajevo locals, you will sense oozing positivity, despite visible scars across the city. There is something about ‘the feel of this city’, that it is grateful you have come to visit, scars & all 🙂

Hanging baskets of flowers surround the entrance to a restaurant in Sarajevo. — Beautiful Street Cafes

Women walking downhill in central Sarajevo — Make Time for Shopping

Cool Things to Do in Sarajevo, Bosnia

Green and white umbrellas hang upside down between ends of a street.

1. Visit The Latin Bridge District

This structure connects the banks of the Mailjacka river and is a central landmark from centuries ago. At one end of the bridge you see where the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated in 1914.

Those of you are history buffs will know more than me! In short, the events following tragedy ultimately led to the start of WW2. Sobering fact, and another reminder of the turbulent events that these cities have risen from.

2. Relax in Basarsija – Old Town

We love this part of the Sarajevo. Cobbled streets, wobbling with life and activities at every turn. Look one way and you will see a woman hard at work baking traditional borek and pastries.

Woman rolling out pastry to make borek, local bread — Making traditional Borek

Next door you can spot a repair shop. Adjacent, a master craftsmen is delicately decorating a copper plate by hand. As travelers who love to connect with local people it’s a perfect way to discover Sarajevo and Mostar living at a more personal level.

It is interesting to see the Turkish influences here back to Ottoman times blended with eastern European life. Cafes and restaurants surround you, so just take your pick sit back and let life pass by.

3. Visit the Tunnel of Hope

Walk through the 20 meters or so part of this tunnel open to us tourists, it may send shivers down your spine. The idea that for years during the war this 800 meter tunnel operated under the runway at the airport is hard to digest.

All supplies to the besieged city were smuggled in via the tunnel. People too came in and out this way. It must have been terrifying to exist in this way for so long.

Take a guided tour to get a deeper understanding of the human courage it took to build this. Check on-line for tickets.

Steps leading to an underground tunnel used during the Bosnian conflict. — Going into the tunnel

A glass box attached to a wall contains a miniature of the Tunnel of Hope in Sarajevo — Mock up of tunnel

4. Eating and Drinking in Sarajevo

So let’s lighten things a little. Back in the old city, it’s food central. In Sarajevo we discovered (or rediscovered) Borek, this delicious pastry filled with a local white cheese. It’s common across the Balkans but each place puts a little twist on their recipes.

A freshly baked savory pastry with a cheese filling.

For meat eaters, Cevapi is a favourite dish. These are a daily staple for residents and well many of us travelers too! We enjoy hanging around for a wine or beer at what is called a Kafana, chatting with Sarajevo locals.

People are friendly, interested and share their political views quite openly but with no pressure. Fun!

There is also plenty Bosnian home-made rakija for sale in the marketplaces around town. Cherry and pomegranate are favorites after a good bit of tasting although we enjoy new samples every time we visit a new Balkan town!

A plate of cheese and vegetables served as a salad in Sarajevo.

Tourist enjoying Bosnia coffee at a cafe in Sarajevo.

Bosnian Coffee was another first. It reminded me of Turkish coffee in a way and was always served with a glass of water and in the most beautiful traditional cups in cafes. These are great souvenirs and for sale everywhere!

5. Walk To The Yellow Fortress

After all that eating you may need a climb. Make your way up the hill towards the yellow fortress by cable car (walk back down!).

This fortress is situated on top of one of the several hills surrounding the city and offers amazing views.

Woman standing on a hill top in Sarajevo with the city behind her and its roof tops in red tile. — Beautiful Views over Sarajevo

There is a restaurant, with outdoor seating are at the top. It’s a beautiful spot for a picnic (if you haven’t stuffed yourself full of Borek already). Sit, contemplate and soak in the city’s past, present and future.

6. Pay Respects in Sarajevo

Walking down from this point back into the city center, pass by fields of white grave stones marking those whose lives were taken in the troubles.

White grave stones mark where many who died during the war are laid to rest.

It is moving to stop and walk through a couple of these, reading what you can. Who lay here, what was their story? Such a difficult part of history here. It feels important to pause and pay respect to these short lives.

Signage in Sarajevo advertising various local places to visit.

7. Pause At Sarajevo’s Roses

Walking around the city you will come across these red ‘roses’ on many pavements. These are poignant memorials to lives lost.

Below you can read the words of the people impacted and their efforts to never forget where loved ones fell.

A plaque explaining the red splatters (roses) scattered around the city of Sarajevo.

Sarajevo Roses are painted on pavements as a tribute to where people died during the war — Sarajevo Roses

8. Day Trip From Sarajevo to Trevevic

We recommend a half day heading out of the city to Trevevic, the nearest mountain and where the bob sled track from the games was constructed.

Destroyed during the war, it is now beautified with graffiti like other parts of the city. This area has hiking paths, cycling, climbing and lots of space for families to enjoy a range of outdoor activities.

In the winter months it is a popular ski destination only 30 minutes drive from the city. There are lots of mountain cabins to rent out of town too!

‘Top 10 Europe’ Train Ride – Sarajevo to Mostar

We took a chance to book this train because we had read so much about how beautiful it is. We were told the route was unreliable, the trains ancient and they broke down a lot.

But the appeal of travelling for a couple of hours through the mountains is hard to pass up. The route borders cliffs and meanders along the Neretva River between the two cities.

Arriving in Mostar, the station is 15 mins from the city center. It’s an easy walk, or quick taxi ride if you have luggage.

Forrested hillsides and rivers as seen from a train window in Bosnia — Window Views from The Train

Best Things to Do in Mostar

Mostar oozes Ottoman legacies, with its famous stone bridge over the Neretva River dating back to 15th and 16th centuries. It’s easy to walk around the incredible mix of mosques, Turkish architectural homes, workshops, cafes, and so much more.

It is a small town and so a couple of days is a good plan for exploring it, but from here you can definitely go further afield within Herzegovina.

Getting Around Mostar

A stand with hand made copper cups and coffee pots brown in colour with engraving decor.

It is flatter to walk around than Sarajevo with its hills. But with lots of old streets and cobbles, do wear trainers as the miles add up over the day. Here’s out to spend 2 days in Mostar.

9. Stari Most (or Mostar Bridge)

A symbol of reconciliation, the bridge was destroyed in the 1990s, and rebuilt with the help of international bodies, including UNESCO in 2004. It is busy and touristy in parts!

Being so accessible from Dubrovnik, it has been discovered, so be prepared for crowds around the bridge and old city. If you go out of season you will find it calmer.

Of course, if it’s busy, just accept this and enjoy the frenzy as competitors jump around 20 meters from the bridge peak into the water. This is their job and they ask tourists to contribute which is fair in my mind.

Also this sport is taken seriously with competitions running throughout the summer. A TV broadcasted even was ongoing when we visited.

On one end of the bridge you can visit the Old Bridge Museum (fee) to learn more about the re-building and the original structure. It was small but interesting to visit.

Families also love being in the water, tubing and looking down onto the River Neretva at the weekend it was a happy sight of family fun.

10. Visit Sniper Tower Mostar

Near to but away from the frenzy of the city center we walked to another sad site from the war.

Now abandoned, this was at one point a bank, on a street that signaled sides – Croat and Bosnia. It was taken over as a sniper tower by Croatians during this period.

An abandoned concrete building which was once a sniper tower.

It is closed but walking around the concrete shell, digesting the bits of graffiti, it is another reminder of what people here endured. It’s enough just to walk through the gardens that surround it and have your own personal reflections.

Grafitti on a building in Mostar depicts a person lying with their feet up in the air in a panicked look.

11. Find a Mostar Rooftop for Sunset

The beauty of the hills surrounding Mostar is magnified while watching with a sunset.

Women sitting at a table having dinner with famous Mostar arched bridge behind her. — Perfect Dinner Spot in Mostar

We enjoyed Sky Lounge with it’s chilled music vibe and fun cocktails. Check online as new places continue to open.

12. Discover Mostar Old Town

This is fun to explore, find a spot for dinner and people watch. Whether you find a pavement spot or sit aloft on a balcony on the river banks, there are so many nice places to immerse yourself in the Mostar of today.

We found sticking to traditional, local food the most affordable and tasty option. The wine here is surprisinsgly good too but I struggled to find it back in the UK or USA.

Center of Mostar City with narrow streets and local shops

Souvenir shops in Mostar with many local brightly coloured crafts for sale including lamps.

Transfer from Mostar to Dubrovnik

It’s easy to transfer from Mostar to Dubrovnik and a pretty drive through the mountains. We recommend using Boots and Bicycles Adventures. for a transfer. They offer some great outdoor trips too!

Stops en route include cliff monasteries, fruit stands and family- run cafes. The border crossing is easy and we have yet to experience any major delays.

Alternatively drive to Montenegro and enjoy some costal time in Kotor or anywhere on this beautiful stretch of the country.

Where To Stay In Sarajevo and Mostar

Sarajevo

We recommend City Hotel Boutique, centrally located and a good base to walk around the heart of Sarajevo. It’s about 10 minutes to the Latin Bridge and you can book it directly or via Booking.com.

It has a nice rooftop patio – pleasant to sit out at night. No bar in this hotel so head out and explore the many open-air cafes and bars around the center.

Mostar

Splurge a little at the Hotel-Restaurant Kriva Ćuprija! Built within a heritage-listed limestone house you will be based less than 750 feet from the famous Mostar Bridge. However it’s very quiet.

It has a beautiful terrace looking out to the Radobolja River. The food is traditional and very high quality. Rooms have A/C, mini-bar and all mod cons but more important the views are stunning!

A Little History of Sarajevo and Mostar

Thirty years ago, in March 1992, the country declared independent after a referendum. However, it was boycotted by Serb Bosnians.

The armed resistance that followed hit world headlines and catapulted this fledging country of Bosnia Herzegovina into a terrible conflict.

Reports beamed terror into our homes and a visit to Sarajevo or Mostar would have been impossible.

A graveyard on a hillside in Sarajevo from the 1980s conflict — Hillside Graves From War

Bosnia’s capital Sarajevo was besieged for the longest time in modern memory, until a final peace agreement was signed in Paris in 1995. The siege of Sarajevo started in April 1992 and did not end until February 1996.

It’s surprising to appreciate that even now, 3 decades later, different views on the country’s direction remain.

FAQs

Is It Better to Stay in Sarajevo or Mostar?

Either city is a wonderful destination on its own. Mostar tends to be popular with day trippers from Croatia or Sarajevo.

However from our several trips to Mostar we believe you don’t really get a sense of the city without staying overnight. If your time is tight though, do a day trip to get a taste of life here!

Sarajevo is the bigger city and we feel there is more to do here so you can easily spend 3-4 days and have plenty of activities to enjoy. If you have to choose, we suggest Sarajevo – the capital – for a first visit to this country.

Is It Safe to Visit Bosnia?

Yes in our experience it is as safe to visit Sarajevo and Mostar as most other cities in Europe. The biggest danger is probably driving (which we haven’t done during our visits) and straying off into areas with old landmines from the 1980s conflict.

Petty crime is possible in crowded bazaar areas and streets full of tourists at peak times but no more than any other city we have visited. We found locals friendly and happy to engage with us.

A map explaining different sights in the city of Sarajevo.

Wrap Up! Sarajevo and Mostar

Bosnia Herzegovina is a small country but packs a big punch in terms of its history, it’s natural beauty, accessibility, culture and people. Oh my gosh, and it’s food and wine! Delicious!!

You can easily spend a few weeks exploring the mountains, hiking, camping, cycling. The beautiful countryside is a terrific place for a family holiday too and good value when you get here.

We hope that our ideas on things to do in Sarajevo and Mostar inspire you to built your own fabulous itinerary and you discover this wonderful region of Europe.