Things to do in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The 15 best things to do in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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1. 1Mostar

   Cross the Old Bridge in Mostar

   Stari Most arches about 24 m above the Neretva River and is the image most people have of Mostar. It was built between 1557 and 1566 The bridge was destroyed in 1993 during the war and reopened in 2004. The first written record of local divers jumping from it dates to 1664, and the Mostari Diving Club, registered in 1994, still carries on the tradition. The Old Bridge Museum beside it covers the rebuilding work of 1999 to 2004.

   Tip: Watch the club divers in summer rather than jumping yourself, because the water is cold, the stone is slippery and bridge diving has caused serious injuries and deaths.

   Free to visit
   Search tours on TiqetsSources: Mostar Pass (City of Mostar, UNESCO-supported); Mostar Pass (City of Mostar, UNESCO-supported); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (government)
2. 2Sarajevo

   Wander Baščaršija and the Sebilj fountain

   Baščaršija is the old Ottoman bazaar quarter, founded in the 15th century and closed to cars. Its main square holds the Sebilj, the last public fountain of its kind in the city, designed by Alexander Wittek in the Pseudo-Moorish style and installed in 1913. Around it you find coppersmith workshops, the covered Gazi Husrev Bey's Bezistan and the 16th-century Brusa Bezistan, the Clock Tower, old inns and the city's main food streets. Plan a morning here, then use it as your base for the museums and mosques within a short walk.

   Tip: Look for the Sarajevo Original Quality Seal on handmade souvenirs, which marks certified artisans.

   Free to visit
   Sources: Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton)
3. 3Mostar

   Swim beneath the Kravice Waterfall

   Kravice is a semicircular cascade on the Trebižat River, about 7 km from Ljubuški. It drops about 28 m, depending on the water level, into a natural amphitheater around 120 m across. In summer, when the river runs lower, visitors swim in the pool beneath the falls and try water sports. The water level and greenery change with the season, so each visit looks different. The surroundings are a popular picnic area with clear water, trout and other fish, and tickets can be bought online.

   Tip: Go in summer if you want to swim, and expect a different look in each season.

   Adult: BAM 20 (about $11) · Pay at the gateFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: JP Parkovi Ljubuški (kravica.ba); Kravica Waterfall (operator's site)
4. 4Sarajevo

   Walk through the Tunnel of Hope

   During the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted 1,425 days, this tunnel was the only link between the city and free territory. Diggers began on March 28, 1993 and finished on the evening of July 30, 1993, working in great secrecy, with more than 300 people taking part. The Tunnel D-B ran about 800 m under the airport runway; it is only about 1 m wide and 1.5 m high. A preserved section and a museum on the Hrasnica side display items from the tunnel and tell the story of its construction.

   Tip: Take an audio guide: they come in seven languages, including English, and the museum is easier to follow with one.

   BAM[fee]Know the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton)
5. 5Sarajevo

   Stand on the Latin Bridge in Sarajevo

   A ledger from 1541 records the first bridge at this spot over the Miljacka River. A flood washed away its stone successor in 1791, and the Sarajevo trader Abdulah Briga funded the bridge that stands today in 1798. It is named for the Catholic neighborhood on the left bank. On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie a few meters away, an event that led to the First World War. From 1918 to 1993 it was known as Principov Most. The Museum of Sarajevo 1878 to 1918 stands near the site.

   Tip: Pair the bridge with the Museum of Sarajevo 1878 to 1918 nearby to understand the Austro-Hungarian years that came before the assassination.

   Free to visit
   Sources: Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton)
6. 6Sarajevo

   Explore Vijećnica, Sarajevo's old City Hall

   Vijećnica opened on April 20, 1896 as the city hall, in a Pseudo-Moorish design overseen by Alexander Wittek. After the Second World War it became the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was set ablaze on the nights of August 25 and 26, 1992, and nearly 90 percent of the library's collection was lost. Reconstruction began in 1996 and the building reopened on May 9, 2014. Inside, exhibitions cover Sarajevo's history, including how the building itself was rebuilt. It stands on the Miljacka River at the edge of Baščaršija.

   Tip: Look for the exhibition on the building's own renovation, then cross the Miljacka for a view of the facade.

   Check entry at the door
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton)
7. 7Sarajevo

   See Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque in Baščaršija

   Built in 1530 in the center of Baščaršija, this is the most important Ottoman architectural monument in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was designed by Adžem Esir Ali, then chief architect of the Ottoman Empire, as part of the endowment of Gazi Husrev Bey, who governed Bosnia from 1521 until his death in 1541. Notable figures are buried in its courtyard, and a fountain stands nearby, one of the public fountains funded by endowments. The mosque also anchors a cluster of old buildings: a medresa, a library and a museum devoted to Gazi Husrev Bey.

   Tip: The interior can be closed to visitors around prayer times, so check the day's hours before you go.

   Dress modestly; check visiting times
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton)
8. 8Mostar

   Climb the minaret of Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque

   The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque was built in 1618 by Mehmed-pasha Koski, a high Ottoman official, on the banks of the Neretva in Mostar's old town. Its minaret is about 30 m tall and can be climbed for views of the Old Bridge, the river, the old bazaar and the red-roofed houses of the town. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome if they dress and behave respectfully. It is one of the most visited sites in Mostar, so a short stop fits easily into a walk along the river from the Old Bridge.

   Tip: Hours are longer from April to October and can change around religious services, so confirm before you climb.

   Dress modestly; check visiting rules
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Mostar Pass (City of Mostar, UNESCO-supported); Mostar Pass (City of Mostar, UNESCO-supported)
9. 9SarajevoBook ahead

   Visit the War Childhood Museum

   The War Childhood Museum is the world's only museum focused on childhoods affected by war. It grew from a crowd-sourced book and presents everyday objects and personal stories from childhoods affected by war. It won the Council of Europe Museum Prize in 2018. The permanent exhibition sits at Logavina 32, near Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque and Sacred Heart Cathedral, with the closest tram stops at Baščaršija and Katedrala. It opens daily from 11 AM to 7 PM, with last entry at 6:30 PM.

   Tip: Interactive guides for children ages 4 and up and 8 and up are available, and groups of 10 or more should arrange their visit ahead.

   Adult: BAM 15 (about $9) · Pay at the door or book onlineFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: War Childhood Museum; War Childhood Museum (official)
10. 10Sarajevo

    Walk Velika Aleja to the source of the Bosna

    Vrelo Bosne, a protected natural monument of 603 hectares at the foot of Mount Igman, is the source of the Bosna River, about 15 km southwest of the center. Six streams flow through pools and ponds with swans and wooden bridges, and there are benches, play areas and a restaurant known for river trout. The usual approach is Velika Aleja, a 3.5 km lane lined with about 3,000 chestnut and plane trees. You can walk, rent a bike or ride a horse-drawn carriage, a service that has run since 1895. Downstream stands the Ottoman-era Roman Bridge.

    Tip: Come on a hot day: summer temperatures at the source are several degrees lower than in the city.

    Check entry rules at the gate
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton)
11. 11Sarajevo

    Ride the Trebević Cable Car above Sarajevo

    The Trebević cable car opened in April 2018, replacing the original 1959 system that once linked Bistrik with the mountain. It has 33 gondolas, each carrying up to 10 passengers, and the ride from the lower station at Bistrik up to Trebević takes about eight minutes. Trebević is one of the four Olympic mountains from the 1984 Winter Games and rises to 1,629 m above the city. At the top is a viewpoint back across the valley. A tram stop at Vijećnica is the nearest public transport to the lower station.

    Tip: Check the day's operating hours before you go, as they differ across the week.

    BAM[fee]Know the fee?
    Sources: Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton)
12. 12Sarajevo

    Watch the sunset from the Yellow Bastion

    The Yellow Bastion, also called Žuta Tabija, is one of five bastions of the Vratnik defensive wall, fortified in 1729 after the 1697 sack of Sarajevo. It is named for the yellow rock used in its construction and lost its military role after Austria-Hungary took over the city. Today it is one of Sarajevo's most popular viewpoints, looking out over the old town and the valley. During Ramadan a cannon is fired here at sunset to mark the end of the daily fast. It lies about 2.1 km from the center, above the old town on Jekovac Cliff.

    Tip: Arrive on foot rather than by car, since parking nearby is difficult.

    Open-air viewpoint
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton); Destination Sarajevo (Tourist Community of Sarajevo Canton)
13. 13Sarajevo

    See the Sarajevo Haggadah at the National Museum

    The Sarajevo Haggadah is an illuminated Jewish codex made in medieval Spain around 1350, with 142 parchment leaves and 69 painted miniatures of biblical scenes. The National Museum bought it in 1894, and in 1941 the museum director and a curator hid it from German authorities until the end of the war. It is kept in a secure room and shown under controlled conditions. The museum also holds large archaeology, ethnology and natural sciences collections. The museum is open from 10 AM to 7 PM daily except Monday.

    Tip: Ask in advance about viewing: guided visits to the Haggadah room need a request at least three days ahead.

    BAM[fee]Know the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina (official); National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina (official); National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina (official)
14. 14Mostar

    Climb the Franciscan bell tower in Mostar

    The bell tower of the Franciscan Church of Saints Peter and Paul is 107 m tall. The church was built in 1866, damaged in the Second World War and again badly in the 1990s war, and later restored. From the top you can see the Old Bridge, the Neretva River and the Velež and Prenj mountains. The tower is open to visitors from April 15 to October 15, Monday to Saturday, and at other times it can be opened on request through the staff of the Campanile café.

    Tip: Plan your climb for the open season and ask at the Campanile café if you want to visit on a Sunday.

    Dress modestly; check visiting times
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Mostar Pass (City of Mostar, UNESCO-supported); Mostar Pass (City of Mostar, UNESCO-supported)
15. 15Mostar

    Learn about the Old Bridge at its museum

    The Old Bridge Museum sits inside the Tara Tower, one of the two towers that guard the bridge, at Bajatova 4 on the left bank of the Neretva. It was founded in 2006 as a department of the Herzegovina Museum. Exhibits include video and archival material on the bridge's rebuilding between 1999 and 2004, an archaeological site below the entrance with remains of two medieval wooden bridges, and finds from the excavations such as coins, ceramics and stone cannonballs. A viewing platform at the top gives panoramic views of the old town and river.

    Tip: The museum opens daily from April 1 to November 1; outside that period visits are by arrangement.

    BAM[fee]Know the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Mostar Pass (City of Mostar, UNESCO-supported); Mostar Pass (City of Mostar, UNESCO-supported)

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