Best Day Trips from Sarajevo: 7 Places Worth the Drive
The best day trips from Sarajevo are Mostar and Herzegovina (Old Bridge, Blagaj, Počitelj, Kravica Waterfalls) and Travnik with Jajce (Ottoman town, royal fortress, Pliva Waterfall). Both are about two and a half hours away and take a full day. Closer to the city you can visit Konjic, the mountain village of Lukomir or Visoko, and for history the Srebrenica Memorial is a sombre but important trip.
Which day trips from Sarajevo are best?
Day trip
Distance
One way
Best for
Mostar and Herzegovina
130 km
~2.5 h
First-time visitors, photos, waterfalls
Travnik and Jajce
160 km
~2.5–3 h
Medieval history, waterfall in town
Konjic and Jablanica
60–80 km
~1–1.5 h
Short trip, river views, Tito’s bunker
Lukomir village
50 km
~1.5 h
Hiking and traditional mountain life (summer)
Visoko
30 km
~40 min
Half day, the much-debated “pyramid” hill
Srebrenica Memorial
150 km
~2.5–3 h
Understanding the 1995 genocide
1. Mostar and Herzegovina
The most popular day trip from Sarajevo follows the Neretva river south. A full day usually covers Konjic and Jablanica lake on the way, the Old Bridge and bazaar in Mostar, the Dervish House at the spring of the Buna in Blagaj, the stone village of Počitelj and a swim or walk at the Kravica Waterfalls. Read more in our guide Is Mostar worth visiting?
Head north-west into central Bosnia. Travnik was the seat of the Ottoman viziers of Bosnia and has a fortress, painted mosque and old stone houses, and it is the birthplace of Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andrić. Jajce, the last capital of the Bosnian kings, has a waterfall in the middle of town, royal catacombs and the Pliva Lakes watermills. See our guide to things to do in Jajce.
Konjic has an Ottoman stone bridge over the Neretva and, hidden in the hills nearby, Tito’s Cold War nuclear bunker (ARK D-0), which can be visited on guided tours. A little further, Jablanica is known for the bridge on the Neretva from the famous 1969 war film and for lamb roasted on a spit at the roadside restaurants. Both are on the way to Mostar.
4. Lukomir
Lukomir, on Bjelašnica mountain at around 1,500 metres, is one of the highest and most remote villages in Bosnia, with stone houses, shepherds and views over the Rakitnica canyon. The road is only reliably open from late spring to autumn, so this is a summer trip, ideal for hikers.
5. Visoko
Just 30 km from Sarajevo, Visoko was an important centre of the medieval Bosnian state and is known today for the Visočica hill, promoted as the “Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun”. Scientists consider it a natural formation, but the site and its tunnels attract many curious visitors. It works as a half-day trip.
6. Srebrenica Memorial
The Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Centre and cemetery honours the victims of the July 1995 genocide. It is a long and emotional day, but for many visitors it is essential for understanding modern Bosnia. In Sarajevo itself, our Sarajevo War Tour with the Tunnel of Hope covers the siege of the city.
7. The Olympic mountains: Trebević, Jahorina and Bjelašnica
Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, and the mountains are close. Trebević is a cable car ride from the old town and has the abandoned Olympic bobsled track; Jahorina and Bjelašnica are ski resorts in winter and hiking areas in summer, both under an hour’s drive.
Should you do day trips with a tour or on your own?
Buses reach Mostar, Konjic, Travnik and Jajce, but they do not stop at Blagaj, Počitelj, Kravica or the Pliva Lakes, so one bus day usually covers one town. With a guided tour or a private driver-guide you can see four or five places in a day. If you have more time, our 4 Days Bosnia Tour Package combines Sarajevo, Mostar, Travnik and Jajce with hotels included.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular day trip from Sarajevo?
Mostar, usually combined with Konjic, Blagaj, Počitelj and the Kravica Waterfalls.
Can you visit Dubrovnik as a day trip from Sarajevo?
It is possible but long: about five hours each way with a border crossing. It is better to stay overnight, or see our Dubrovnik to Sarajevo route guide for stops along the way.
How many days do I need in Sarajevo with day trips?
Plan two days for Sarajevo itself and one day for each day trip, so four days covers the city, Mostar and Travnik with Jajce. See how many days in Sarajevo for a day-by-day plan.
Planning a trip to Sarajevo? Here is how many days you need, with simple 1, 2 and 3-day itineraries covering the Old Town, war history, Olympic Trebević and day trips.
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