Our 2-week Best of Bosnia & Herzegovina Itinerary

How to travel around the country

Exploring Bosnia and Herzegovina is best done by renting a car, but it’s also very much doable by public transport. It just means missing some stops on the longer journeys between main destinations – but honestly, not that many.

We did this journey by car, but we did extensive research on the ground and online to find the best ways to make the most of this itinerary by public transport.

Doing it by public transport is more than possible, and our newly found friend Victor from Chile, whom we picked up on the way to the country’s highest peak, is proof. He spent months traveling the Balkans exclusively by public transport, and he’s seen a lot!

To make it easier, we added tips on how to get around by public transport to each day’s overview.

Places you visit and for how long

Destination	Nights	Hotel
Sarajevo	2	Apartment Star – it was comfy with free parking
Sutjeska	2	Camp Nomad – closest to the trail
Lukomir	1	Etno Koliba Lukomir – loved the breakfast and views from the room
Jablanica	2	Vista Lago (on the lake) and Hotel & Spa (in the city)
Mostar	2	Emporia Hotel – we loved this stay (incredible food & pool)
Livno	1	Apartment Bor – it was comfy and well located
Jajce	1	MIMA – simple stay right inside the fortified walls with the nicest host
Bihac	2	Motel Medium – stayed here to have less driving to spots we wanted to see (otherwise, Central Apartments is a perfect choice in the city)

Day-by-day itinerary

The best place to start this two-week trip is in the capital, Sarajevo. We did exactly that, and we assume you will too, since it has the best flights.

Day 1: Sarajevo highlights

On the first day, if you have an afternoon, you can easily see the main sights, explore Baščaršija, the historic center, and visit the stunning city hall (Viječnica) and the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque.

If you arrive in the city late, we recommend extending your stay to three nights, as otherwise you will not be able to see all our recommended places.

Sarajevo was one of the easiest Balkan capitals to explore. The main area is completely walkable, and you can see most of the main attractions in half a day.

At the end of the day, walk up to one of the fortress ruins to see a sunset over Sarajevo.

We first walked uphill past Kovači Street to the Yellow Fortress, and since it was super busy, we decided at the last minute to walk even higher to the Red Fortress.

There is no cafe there, and it was just us and two other couples. While the sunset wasn’t as spectacular as we expected, the city view was great.

While in Sarajevo, don’t skip trying some traditional food! We had amazing homemade-style food at ASDŽ Aščinica and tasty Ćevapi at Ćevabdžinica Željo on the recommendation of Arijana’s brother Alen, who had been in Sarajevo before. Both were amazing – 10/10.

For dessert, we went to Slastičarna Ramis. For traditional Bosnian Coffee (Kahva), baklava, and Salep, a drink we absolutely love, we sat down at Caffe Ayna.

Another thing you shouldn’t miss while in Sarajevo is the Trileće dessert. It’s so freaking good. We had it first in Albania and now again in Sarajevo.

Our friend Muhammed and his wife Amina, who live in Sarajevo, took us to Morića Han, a former caravanserai where Caffe Divan serves up an absolutely amazing Trileče. Sorry, no photo this time (you’ll have to trust us!).

Day 2: Trebević mountain, activities, and Caves

On the second day, we recommend doing the Bobsled Track Ride (luge), one of the most unique experiences in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. We absolutely loved it, as it was so fun, and since it’s so safe, anyone can do it.

Sarajevo hosted the Winter Olympics in 1984, and the Trebević mountain luge track was an important part of it. Unfortunately, only a few years later, it became a frontline in the war, and much of it was destroyed.

Thankfully, a local from the luge team cleaned it up and repaired parts of it in recent years. Now it’s in good enough shape that you can actually do a luge ride down part of it.

The luge track rides are organized by Mirza, an Olympic athlete who represents Bosnia and Herzegovina in the sport of luge. So you know you’re in good hands!

Fun fact: After our luge ride with Mirza, we met him twice more during our trip. First in Lukomir, and second on the scenic road from Lukomir to Konjic, where he was assisting a multi-day biking group. Talk about being active!

If you don’t want to do the bobsled ride, we recommend a bike tour on Trebević, which also includes a ride down the luge track (on a bike).

Otherwise, if you’d rather see the luge track and Trebević Mountain by yourself on foot, you can take the cable car up. There are also a few viewpoints at the top with views of Sarajevo. Sadly, during our visit, visibility was super bad because smoke from nearby wildfires filled Sarajevo.

Another popular place outside of Sarajevo is the Bijambare Caves, about a 1-hour drive away. Depending on what time you visit Trebević, you can also squeeze in a visit there.

Most people visit Bijambare for the upper cave, which has a big opening where you can take fantastic photos. That part was cool!

To be completely honest… We’ve seen countless caves in many different countries, so while Bijambare Caves were interesting, they aren’t as spectacular. But if you haven’t seen many caves, it could be a good day trip out of Sarajevo.

Getting to the caves requires a car, and if you’re not driving, we recommend a tour from Sarajevo instead. The only bus that can take you there isn’t very reliable and doesn’t run often, since it’s an intercity bus.

Day 3 and 4: Sutjeska National Park (skip if you’re not into hiking)

Sutjeska is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s oldest national park and also the place where you can go hiking to the country’s highest peak. It’s about a 2-hour drive from Sarajevo.

On the way to Sutjeska, if you have your own car or if your rental company lets you drive on gravel roads (probably not), we recommend a detour across Zelengora.

Zelengora means Green Mountain, and it offers beautiful scenery, with multiple lakes like Orlovačko and incredible views throughout. But since we were there in September, it was already more yellow/brown.

On arrival in Sutjeska, you can visit the World War II monument in Tjentište or take a guided tour through Perućica, a primeval forest reserve and Europe’s largest rainforest. It’s been practically untouched for hundreds or even thousands of years.

The next morning, start early and head to Prijevor, the starting point for the hike to Maglić, the highest peak in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the hike to the stunning Trnovačko lake.

A few years ago, we hiked Bobotov Kuk, Montenegro’s highest peak, so it made sense to summit Maglić as well!

After hiking up Maglić, we continued the route to Trnovačko Jezero, where we got amazing views of the lake and its heart shape. This view alone was worth the hike.

We’re so happy we decided to do this hike, and even though the climb up to Maglić was a bit more exposed and challenging than we thought, it was so worth it and one of the best experiences of our Bosnia and Herzegovina itinerary.

This is the exact trail we followed, but we started with Maglić first, since descending down the steep rocks would be much more dangerous.

You can also just hike to Trnovačko Lake and back, a pretty easy 1.5-hour hike each way.

If you plan to go hiking without renting a car, there are multiple daily buses from Sarajevo to Tjentište, the main town of the Sutjeska valley (and back).

Start your hike up to Prijevor early in the morning. That’s when you’re most likely to find other hikers driving up who can give you a ride.

That’s how we met our new friend Victor from Chile. We picked him up at the start of the access road, a 1-hour drive to the hike’s starting point, and then we spent the whole day hiking together.

Day 5: Lukomir, the highest inhabited village in the country

Leaving Sutjeska, the next destination is Lukomir, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s highest inhabited village, about a 3.5-hour drive away. If you’re skipping Sutjeska hiking, Lukomir is a 2-hour drive from Sarajevo.

The village of Lukomir is truly a unique place not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also in the Balkans.

What’s fascinating is that the village’s location is extremely strategic and well thought out. In the past, villagers lived elsewhere, but many died there because of frequent avalanches, rockfalls, and similar dangers.

This location let them live in peace without worrying about that, plus it had a nearby spring and enough land for at least some crops.

In the village itself, there’s not much to do beyond walking through it, watching flocks of sheep, having traditional food, and checking out the viewpoint above the village, which offers an amazing view of Lukomir and the Rakitnica Canyon below.

Since we had our own car rather than a rental, we decided to drive straight to Lukomir and stay the night.

The place we stayed at is owned by a descendant of one of the villagers who settled Lukomir. The breakfast was amazing, and we also had dinner there. The sirnica (burek but with cheese) was the best one we had on the whole trip.

They also had a wide selection of homemade juices that were super tasty, and the hosts were very kind and welcoming.

How to get there

The last 12 kilometers of the road to Lukomir are unpaved, and you can’t drive a rental car on it. That means most tourists visit Lukomir by parking at the end of the asphalt and hiking, or by taking a tour from Sarajevo.

You can get to Lukomir by rental car if you park in the village of Umoljani and hike the rest of the way, about 2 hours one way. That way, you can also stay a night if you’d like, even if you don’t drive completely to the village.

Check the loop trail page for all information. We only did part of the Lukomir-Umoljani hike the morning before leaving to get some different views of the area.

If you plan to visit on a tour, sleeping in Lukomir doesn’t make much sense, as continuing your journey afterward would be extremely hard to organize. That’s why, if you don’t plan to drive up yourself, add one more night in Sarajevo, where you will return.

There are many tours available, but our favorite is the full-day hiking tour. If you can’t do the hike, we recommend the private 4×4 tour.

Day 6: Lukomir to Konjic and Jablanica

After sleeping over in Lukomir, or spending another night in Sarajevo if you do a day trip, it’s time to reach a really cool part of the country, which is the area along the Neretva River.

Note: If you’re not driving, your only assignment is to get from Sarajevo to Jablanica. There’s a frequent bus connection and also a train, but the bus is the best option and takes just under 2 hours.

Departing Lukomir/Umoljani by car, do what we did. Drive the scenic road south through a fascinating landscape under the Visočica mountain range instead of taking the “faster” route.

Google Maps will recommend the road north towards Hadžići and Sarajevo, but the road south is a better choice, even if it takes about 30 minutes longer.

Our hosts in Lukomir recommended that road, and we’re so thankful, as it was a great addition to our trip. The scenery reminded us of the stunning Durmitor Mountains in Montenegro. So pretty!

We also saw several Stećci, medieval tombstones, along the road.

After a long, steady descent, we soon reached the Neretva River. There, several bridges offer great views of the water, and in the summer, you can swim at one of the beaches.

There’s also a fantastic restaurant, Dva Ribara, where you can stop for lunch with river views (their fish is popular). Since we had a super-filling breakfast in Lukomir, we didn’t stop for lunch.

This is also where Neretva River rafting takes place, but since we already had a different rafting experience planned in Una National Park at the end of the trip, we didn’t do it here.

Next, after seeing the Neretva River, we visited Boračko Jezero, a popular summer swimming lake with small beaches along the shore, a bar or two, and a few nearby restaurants.

Our last stop before checking into our hotel in Jablanica was Konjic, a small city with a picturesque bridge over the Neretva River. There’s not much to do in Konjic itself, beyond a short walk along the river.

Day 7: Fun activities near Jablanica (Via Ferrata, Kayaking, Swimming)

While people love Jablanica Lake, for us the highlight of our stay in Jablanica was the Neretva River from Jablanica south toward Mostar. Especially the Grabovica section, a lake created by the dam downstream.

We went on the newly opened Via Ferrata route called Prenjska Vrata at the river’s narrowest point, and it was such a fun experience!

It was definitely a bit more challenging than we expected, but maybe because it was our first proper Via Ferrata ever, and you do need good upper-body strength to pull yourself up on many parts.

The cool thing is that to start the climb, you first need to kayak for about 15 minutes, since it’s only accessible from the water.

After finishing the Via Ferrata, we also decided to kayak the 6km route across Grabovica Lake to Diva Grabovica Beach. This was an equally tough activity, especially since you also need to kayak the 6km back.

If you’re lucky with your timing, the kayaking company organizes a boat that connects to your kayak and then drags you back to the starting point. We were there in mid-September, so the days were already shorter, and we missed the return boat by about an hour.

So we kayaked back the same way we came, for a total of 12km. It was scenic kayaking, for sure, but the wind made the return trip harder.

If you’re not into climbing and Via Ferratas, definitely don’t skip doing the kayaking, as it’s one of the highlights of our two weeks in Bosnia and Herzegovina. You can book the kayaking online.

Food in Jablanica

Jablanica is popular for lamb, and you see it everywhere. We decided to try it at Sedmica restaurant, but unfortunately, we weren’t happy with it.

Since we hadn’t had it before, we thought it was just badly made at Sedmica. But then we had it again elsewhere on the trip, and we realized it just isn’t for us.

We returned to Sedmica another time, and the other food was good and served quickly. We also had fantastic doner kebabs at Best Bite.

Day 8: Drive down the Neretva River to Mostar

On day eight, you have one of the best drives in B&H ahead of you. The route from Jablanica to Mostar along the Neretva River has some of the best views in the country.

Along the way, you can stop at the Diva Grabovica viewpoint for that iconic view of the river and train passing the bridge (if you visit at the right time).

If you’re up for a refreshment in the summer, there are multiple swimming spots along the way, like the beaches of Grabe and Sastavi. Further down near Drežnica, there are multiple spots great for enjoying the water, like Kupalište na Drežanki.

When we were supposed to go chill at these swimming spots, a storm came in, so we skipped it.

Public transport tip: On the bus from Jablanica to Mostar, sit in the front or on the left side of the bus so you get the best views (same for the train). For us, the area between Jablanica and Grabovica Dam was the best part.

It’s a 50-minute drive from Jablanica to Mostar, so if you leave in the morning and add a few stops along the way, you’ll arrive in Mostar right for hotel check-in.

In the afternoon, you can easily visit Mostar’s old town and its bridge. However, we recommend visiting the Blagaj heritage site first, then spending the rest of the afternoon in the old town.

Blagaj is super close to Mostar and takes about 1 hour for a full visit if you don’t plan to have lunch there. Otherwise, if you don’t want to do it that day, you can do it the next day.

Dessert tip: After watching the sunset in Mostar, we grabbed delicious pancakes at Petit Crepes. They might be French-style pancakes, but they’re similar to the ones we’re used to in the Balkans.

Day 9: Kravica Waterfall, Počitelj, and Bunski Kanal

This full day in Mostar is all about seeing what the area has to offer.

We recommend waking up early and going to Kravica Waterfall, as it’ll be the least busy in the morning. We arrived at Kravica right at opening and had the place almost empty for about 1 hour. Plus, the sun shines on the waterfall area very early in the day. So it was already very nice.

While the entrance fee is high (10 EUR), Kravica Waterfall is still worth visiting. Realistically, it’s the most unique waterfall in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and you can spend plenty of time there, swim, and eat and drink at the restaurants.

Kravica is a great spot for swimming, and we went swimming there too.

But it can get super crowded, even though the swimming area is somewhat big, and it lacks space on the water’s edge to lie down and chill.

So if you’re looking for a similar swimming spot with a bit more space, check out Kupalište Božjak, as there are multiple similar swimming spots downstream on the same Trebižat River that creates the Kravica Waterfall.

After Kravica, the best next stop is Počitelj, a picturesque historical Ottoman village perched on a hill right next to the Neretva River. Most visitors park at the river parking lot, but we parked at the upper gate so we could visit the towers first, then descend to the other part.

On the way back to Mostar, we recommend a short stop at Bunski Kanal (the canal of Buna), where the Buna River ends by flowing into the Neretva.

It’s a stunning place where countless waterfalls flow down into the Neretva from above. Unfortunately, since we were there in mid-September after a very dry summer, the waterfalls were super small.

Day 10: Leave Mostar to see wild horses above Livno

Today’s mission is to drive two hours from Mostar to Livno. There, you can see hundreds of wild horses on a mountain plateau above the city, which are among the only ones in Europe.

The horses here come from workhorses set free between the 50s and 70s, when machines became more accessible.

The story goes that the villagers didn’t want to take care of them anymore because it was too expensive, and they also didn’t want to slaughter them. So they let them go.

This was the absolute highlight of our trip in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we can’t believe we almost removed it from our itinerary.

The easiest way to see the horses in Livno is on a tour or with your own car. The unpaved gravel road on the mountain plateau is similar to the one in Lukomir, and you can’t drive it with a rental car.

We went in our own car, and even though it was a small Citroën with almost no ground clearance, we were fine. We actually went up the mountain twice, once for sunset and then again the next morning. We arrived a bit late, as we enjoyed our Mostar hotel’s pool until the last moment.

The best time to see the wild horses in Livno is likely in the morning and throughout the day. In our experience, the horses move into more remote areas by late afternoon. But in the morning, we saw hundreds of them. They even blocked the road at one point!

Beyond seeing the horses, we didn’t do anything else in Livno, since that was the main reason we came.

Public transport tip: Book your Mostar to Livno bus in advance, as there aren’t many and they fill up in the season. The bus is easy to recognize, as it usually has a big painting of a horse on the side.

Day 11: Livno to Jajce through Rama Lake and a riverside lunch

It’s time to head to the Bosanska Krajina area, in the northwest of the country, which most tourists skip. Today’s final destination is Jajce, the walled city famous for its waterfall, but we made two stops along the way to break up the drive.

Our first stop after 1 hour was the viewpoint above Rama Lake, then we drove down to the lake and the village of Šćit, where, in the summer, you can go for a boat ride or swim.

From Rama Lake, we continued north toward Jajce and, after 1.5 hours, stopped for lunch at Semešnica, a scenic riverside restaurant.

It’s popular for fish, but we didn’t feel like fish, so we had some tasty Pljeskavica and a chicken dish. Make sure to grab a table right by the water, since on a hot day it’ll cool you right down.

After Semešnica, it’s just a 50-minute drive to Jajce.

If you leave Livno in the morning, you can easily arrive in Jajce for hotel check-in. That gives you enough time to see the city’s main highlights that afternoon, as the main part of Jajce isn’t big. You can see it in about 1-2 hours.

The most popular place in Jajce is the Pliva waterfall right in the city, and you can see it from two free viewpoints and one paid viewpoint. The paid viewpoint just below the waterfall costs 5 EUR, and we don’t think it’s worth it unless you’ve never stood that close to a waterfall before.

You can see it for free from the viewpoint across the gas station. There’s also another free spot on the opposite side of the river, about a 20-minute walk away – we liked that one the most.

If you’re looking for a good restaurant in Jajce, check out Pizzeria & Bar Maslina, which a local from Jajce recommended to us. The food was really good.

Public transport tip: Unfortunately, there is no direct bus from Livno to Jajce, so you first have to take a 2-hour bus from Livno to Donji Vakuf, then a 45-minute bus from Donji Vakuf to Jajce. If you take the first connection, you can arrive in Jajce as early as 12:45, since the total drive is just under 3 hours.

Day 12: Drive to Bihać with Pliva Lakes, watermills, and other stops on the way

This is a very long day. To get to Bihać, the next destination, we recommend heading north from Ključ toward Sanski Most, then past Bosanska Krupa. It takes 1 hour longer, but there is more to do.

Unfortunately, the bus from Jajce to Bihać doesn’t make stops that would allow you to visit places along the way.

But before leaving Jajce, stop by Pliva Lakes just outside the city, where you can swim in the summer. Then, there’s Mlinčići, a group of picturesque small watermills built on a series of waterfalls, and a cute small boardwalk called the “Bridge of Love”.

It’s all close together, so it’s a perfect mix of things to do before leaving Jajce.

On the way, our first stop after about 1 hour was Ključ Fortress, a stunning fortress built atop a mountain ridge. The region of Bosanska Krajina is full of fortresses like this.

Another 50 minutes later, we reached Dabarska pećina (Beaver Cave), a really interesting cave with a large opening. In our opinion, it’s much cooler than Bijambare in Sarajevo. Just keep in mind that the last 1.5km of the road is unpaved, and most people leave their car and walk the rest of the way (about 20 minutes).

We drove all the way down, and the only issue was the narrow road, which is hard to navigate if you meet another car. But we didn’t meet anyone, as we were late in the season.

From the cave, a 30-minute drive got us to Bliha Waterfall, which, compared to other waterfalls we’ve seen so far on this trip, wasn’t as spectacular. When we visited in late September, only a trickle of water was flowing. But if there’s a lot of water during your visit, it’s worth a stop.

After that, the last stop before reaching Bihać is Ostrožac Castle, a beautiful castle on the outskirts of the city, another 1.5-hour drive from the Bliha Waterfall.

As you can see, this is a long day, so starting as early as possible is crucial so you don’t have to rush. In the summer, with long days, it’s less of a problem. But in the spring and fall, like our visit at the end of September, the days are short, and it’s hard to fit it all in if you start late.

Day 13: Rafting, Una National Park, Štrbački Buk

The highlight of the last full day in Bosnia and Herzegovina is rafting on the Una River just south of Bihać.

We’ve been looking forward to this for the past few years, ever since we first visited Plitvice Lakes in Croatia and realized the Una River is just across the border and offers a super fun rafting experience.

Una National Park is home to Štrbački Buk, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most impressive waterfall. If you choose a rafting option that includes it, you’ll see the waterfall during the tour. That way, you’ll see the area’s main attraction while rafting. Plus, the ticket is included.

We visited Štrbački Buk again by car, but honestly, if you’ve already seen it on the rafting tour, you don’t need to come back.

If you don’t want to go rafting, spend the day exploring the Una River area. Not only Štrbački Buk, but also the other famous waterfall area at Martin Brod farther south, plus other fortresses. But keep in mind that it only really makes sense if you’re driving, as public transport doesn’t really exist for this part.

Martin Brod is a cool little place to explore, and we liked it, but it’s nothing compared to Štrbački Buk. So if you don’t have extra time, it’s okay to skip it.

Other places worth checking out include Japodski Otoci and Dvoslap, much closer to Bihać, where you can swim at one of the beaches on the Una River.

For lunch or dinner in Bihać, we recommend Caffe Pizzeria “City”. We ate there twice on our rafting guide’s recommendation, and everything we had was simply great.

Day 14: Leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina

This concludes our two-week Bosnia and Herzegovina itinerary, so let’s talk about how to leave the country.

The most standard option, of course, is to drive the 5 hours back to Sarajevo if you have a flight out from there (the bus takes 6.5 hours). Plus, returning your rental car to the same spot is the cheapest option.

Alternatively, you can fly out from Zagreb, since the bus to Zagreb takes just 3 hours.

Optional day trip (Plitvice Lakes in Croatia)

If you have some extra time, the famous Plitvice Lakes are literally a 45-minute drive away. Just keep in mind that to cross the border to Croatia with a rental car, you need to pay a cross-border fee to the rental company (60-100 EUR).

To avoid paying the cross-border fee, or if you don’t plan to rent a car, you can take a cheap bus from Bihać to Ličko Petrovo Selo and then a bus to Plitvice Lakes (or a taxi).

To make the most of your time, take the earliest bus in the morning from Bihać. That way, you can even visit Plitvice Lakes and return to Bihać the same day. Just make sure to book your bus connections in advance so you don’t have to take an expensive taxi across the border.

Otherwise, if you’d rather stay a night, we recommend staying in Rakovica. On our last visit, we stayed in a great apartment in Grabovac, which is also well located.

Best time to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina

To have the best time exploring Bosnia and Herzegovina for two weeks, you should visit between May (mid-Spring) and the fall (October). That will give you the best weather for enjoying everything outdoors.

Personally, September and October are our favorite months to explore the Balkans. For example, we did a big road trip in Croatia in September/October and also went to Albania in October.

Of course, for swimming in rivers and lakes, summer is the best, specifically July and August.

The mistake we did on our trip

On our trip, we made the mistake of visiting Sutjeska later in the trip, not right after Sarajevo.

If you plan to hike in Sutjeska, the best way is to start and end in Sarajevo. Drive to Sutjeska, hike, then return to Sarajevo to continue the rest of the trip. It’s a 2-hour one-way drive, so not a big deal.

Any other option won’t fit well into your trip and will completely mess up the route. Again, we know firsthand!

How much does a two week trip cost?

• Standard rooms cost between 25 and 50 euros.
• Meals cost about 10 euros.
• Tickets are from 5 to 10 euros.
• Activities and tours are 30 to 60 euros.
• It’s easy to cover about 2000 kilometers in two weeks.

A budget two-week trip in Bosnia and Herzegovina costs 800 euros, while a mid-range trip with a rented car costs between 1500 and 2000 euros.

Is B&H safe and worth visiting?

To this day, the question about safety in Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the first things everyone asks.

We’re happy to report that it’s a super-safe country, much like other Balkan countries, no different from Croatia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a developed country, and while the government has its shortcomings, the Bosnian people are friendly, welcoming, and fun to be around.

We had a fantastic time exploring the country, and we hope this itinerary helps you do the same!