Bosnia and Herzegovina captivates visitors with its blend of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Yugoslav heritage. From Sarajevo's historic bazaars to Mostar's iconic Old Bridge, this Balkan gem offers stunning natural beauty, rich culture, and some of Europe's most affordable travel experiences.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Mostar
Mostar is built around the Neretva River gorge and the reconstructed Ottoman-era bridge, Stari Most, which was destroyed in the 1993 war and rebuilt using original masonry techniques. The Old Town's cobbled bazaar street, Kujundziluk, is lined with copper and metalwork stalls, and the town still carries visible shrapnel scars on many buildings just a few streets back from the tourist core. It works well as a full day out from Sarajevo, combining the bridge, the old bazaar, and one or two mosque courtyards.
Highlights: UNESCO-listed Stari Most (Old Bridge) · Kujundziluk bazaar with Ottoman craftsmen · Blagaj Tekke dervish monastery at source of Buna River · War damage and reconciliation murals · Excellent cevapi and fresh Herzegovinian wine
Kravice Waterfalls & Pocitelj
This pairs a natural swimming spot with a fortified Ottoman hamlet, both south of Mostar toward the Croatian border. Kravice is a wide, tiered waterfall on the Trebizat River that drops into a large pool used for swimming in summer, more like a natural amphitheatre than a single cascade. Pocitelj is a small fortified village on the Neretva, built up a steep hillside around a stone tower and mosque, largely restored after war damage. Combining both in one day means most of the day is transit and the stops themselves are short.
Highlights: 25-metre crescent waterfall with turquoise swimming pools · Pocitelj medieval Ottoman village perched on hillside · Riverside picnic areas and swimming · Fruit orchards and pomegranate stands in autumn
Jajce
Jajce is a walled hill town in central Bosnia known for the waterfall that drops directly into the Pliva River at the edge of the old town, and for its role as the site where Yugoslavia's postwar government was proclaimed in 1943. The old fortress above town and a network of catacombs beneath it round out a day that combines a striking natural feature with layered medieval and 20th-century history. It's a longer day trip, so most of it is spent seeing the town's core sights rather than lingering.
Highlights: 21-metre Pliva Waterfall cascading into town centre · Medieval fortress with panoramic views · Catacombs beneath the town · Pliva Lakes with historic wooden watermills · AVNOJ museum (birthplace of Yugoslav federation 1943)
Travnik & Plava Voda
Travnik was the seat of Ottoman-era Bosnian viziers and is the birthplace of Nobel laureate Ivo Andric, whose novel Travnicka hronika (Bosnian Chronicle) is set in the town during that period. Its old town climbs toward a hilltop fortress, and Plava Voda ('Blue Water') is the spring-fed stretch of the Lasva River just below it, lined with cafes and known for exceptionally clear, cold water. This is one of the shorter trips on the list, so it comfortably fits as a half-day or can be paired with another stop in central Bosnia.
Highlights: Sarena Dzamija (Painted Mosque) with elaborate facade · Medieval fortress twin towers · Plava Voda (Blue Water) spring with riverside restaurants · Ivo Andric birthplace museum · Travnik cevapi — distinct skinnier style from Sarajevo variety
Vrelo Bosne & Ilidza
Vrelo Bosne is the karst spring where the Bosna River emerges, a park of small islands, footbridges, and channels of clear water shaded by tall trees, reached via a long tree-lined avenue in the Ilidza district. It sits at the opposite end of Sarajevo's old Austro-Hungarian promenade culture, making it the easiest and shortest trip on this list, suited to a half-day rather than a full one. Ilidza itself was developed as a spa resort under Austro-Hungarian rule and still has that character around the tram terminus.
Highlights: Crystal-clear springs at source of Bosna River · Tree-lined walking and cycling paths through park · Horse-drawn carriage rides through the park · Ottoman-era stone bridge and formal gardens · Combine with Tunnel of Hope Museum nearby
Bjelasnica Mountain & Lukomir Village
Bjelasnica hosted the alpine skiing events for the 1984 Winter Olympics and its slopes are still used for winter sports, but the more distinctive day trip is the drive beyond it to Lukomir, Bosnia's highest and most isolated permanent village, perched on the edge of the Rakitnica canyon. Lukomir keeps a semi-nomadic pastoral way of life, with stone-roofed houses and shepherds moving flocks to the canyon rim in summer. The village is only accessible in warmer months, since snow cuts it off for much of the year, and the unpaved final stretch genuinely requires 4WD or a capable guide.
Highlights: 1984 Winter Olympics ski slopes · Lukomir village — Bosnia highest isolated village at 1,469m · Traditional stone houses with wooden shingle roofs · Rakitnica Canyon panoramic viewpoints · Alpine wildflower meadows in June-July
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Organized day tours from Sarajevo run $30-55 per person including transport and guide. Mostar + Kravice + Počitelj combo tours are the most popular, running $40-50.
- Private
- Hire a private driver/guide for $80-120 per day — excellent value for groups of 3-4 splitting the cost. Allows flexible itinerary and personalized local knowledge.
- Public
- Regular bus services connect Sarajevo to most day trip destinations. Mostar buses run hourly ($10-14 one-way), Travnik buses run frequently ($7). Check getbybus.com for schedules.
- Rental
- Car rental from $25/day in Sarajevo — recommended for Bjelašnica, Lukomir, and more remote destinations not served by public transport.
Multi-day tours from Bosnia And Herzegovina
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from Bosnia And HerzegovinaWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start early — depart Sarajevo before 8 AM to reach Mostar or Kravice before tour bus crowds arrive, particularly from June to August
Combine destinations on the same route: Mostar + Blagaj Tekke + Počitelj + Kravice Waterfalls forms a perfect southern Herzegovina day trip by car
The M17 Sarajevo-Mostar road follows the Neretva River canyon — one of the most scenic drives in the Balkans, worth taking the time to stop for photographs