7 Days in Bosnia: The Classic Route

A week is the length most people actually travel for, and this route is the one we suggest by default when someone has not told us otherwise. It works well as a standalone trip, and equally well bolted onto a longer holiday in Croatia or Montenegro, since it starts in Sarajevo and finishes in southern Herzegovina, close to Dubrovnik and the coast.

It gives Sarajevo the three nights it can genuinely use, moves south without backtracking, and leaves enough time in Herzegovina that Mostar is not the only memory of the region. If you have less time, see 5 days in Bosnia; if you have more, see 10 days in Bosnia.

1. Days 1 to 3

   Sarajevo

   Day one: Bascarsija and the walk toward the cathedral and City Hall, ending with coffee somewhere quiet. Day two: the Tunnel of Hope museum in the morning, then the Trebevic cable car and a walk on the old bobsleigh track. Day three: a half or full day trip, either into the Bjelasnica mountain villages or to Konjic, a small town on the Neretva about an hour south that also works as a first step toward Mostar.

2. Day 4

   South to Mostar

   Drive or take the bus from Sarajevo to Mostar, about two hours, with a stop at a canyon viewpoint over the Neretva if driving. Spend the afternoon and evening around the Old Bridge and old town once the day trip crowds have thinned out.

3. Day 5

   Blagaj, Pocitelj and Kravice

   A full day covering three of Herzegovina's best short stops: Blagaj's dervish house at the Buna spring, the Ottoman hillside village of Pocitelj, and Kravice waterfalls if the weather allows swimming. All three sit within about 40 minutes of Mostar and can be strung together in one loop, ideally with a car.

4. Day 6

   Trebinje

   Move south to Trebinje for a change of pace: a stone old town, a riverside promenade and vineyards on the edge of the Mediterranean climate zone. It is close enough to the Croatian border that this day also sets you up well if Dubrovnik follows.

5. Day 7

   Depart, or continue to the coast

   From Trebinje you can loop back to Mostar for a flight out, continue to Dubrovnik in under two hours, or head back north through Konjic to Sarajevo if that is your departure point instead.

• Sarajevo to Mostar: bus, train or car, about two hours. The train ride along the Neretva is one of the more scenic rail journeys in the region, though it runs only a couple of times daily.
• Mostar to Blagaj, Pocitelj and Kravice: a car makes this day dramatically easier, since it is three separate stops in one day. Organised transport exists but adds waiting time.
• Mostar to Trebinje: about an hour and a half by car, longer by bus, and Trebinje to Dubrovnik is under two hours.
• If you do not want to drive, this route still works by bus and organised transport, but expect to trade some flexibility on day five for the convenience.

See Bosnia without a car for a version of this planning without your own vehicle.

• Sarajevo (3 nights): Bascarsija or the Austro-Hungarian centre, both walkable to everything in the plan.
• Mostar (2 nights): the old town near the bridge for atmosphere, or a short walk away for quieter nights with the same access on foot.
• Trebinje (1 to 2 nights): around the old town square, small enough that location barely matters.

Full guides: Sarajevo, Mostar, Trebinje. A country wide overview is in where to stay in Bosnia.

To bring this down to five days, drop Trebinje and treat Herzegovina as Mostar plus one day trip, which is exactly the 5 day itinerary. To extend it, add two or three days at either end: north to Jajce and Banja Luka before Sarajevo, or north to Una National Park, or southeast toward Sutjeska before returning. The 10 day itinerary builds exactly that extension around this same core.