You won't just see the sites on this Sarajevo tour — you'll get to enjoy the rhythm of the city and experience local life through its flavors, from traditional coffee to snacks and sweets. As you nibble, explore the old city centre and hear the dark stories of Sarajevo's turbulent past as well as the brighter stories of its present.
Your Sarajevo walking tour will leave from the beautiful National Library/Old City Hall and lead you to the Old Town — specifically, Bravadziluk Street, which is lined with eateries serving up traditional Bosnian food. You'll get to sample the famous Sarajevo burek (filo pastry filled with meat, cheese, and spinach).
After we've snacked, we'll head to Kazandziluk (Coppersmith Street), where you can feel like you've stepped back into the 16th century as you browse the copper crafts, from jewellery to pottery. Our walk along here will lead us to the historic Bascarsija, an outdoor market that was built in the 15th century. We'll also stop to see the 15th-century Morica Han (a han is a roadside inn) that's the only preserved han in Sarajevo.
Your Sarajevo tour will continue along Saraci Street until we reach the historic Gazi-Husrev-beg Mosque and Sarajevo's 17th-century clock tower. We'll also visit the site where Franz Ferdinand was killed and world history was changed forever.
We'll then admire the beautiful Bezistan indoor market before reaching what is perhaps the most interesting spot of Sarajevo: the Sweet Corner, named for the local pastry shops that have been here for centuries. This is also where the old Turkish part of the city ends and the newer Austrian part begins. We'll stop here and try some delicious cevapcici (little skinless sausages served in pita bread).
Next up, we'll head to the Old Temple (a Jewish synagogue from 1581) and stop in at a café where you'll try the most important drink in Sarajevo: traditional Bosnian coffee. Once our coffee break is over, we'll explore the main pedestrian zone of the city, Ferhadija Street, where we'll catch a view of the amazing Sacred Heart Cathedral from 1889, the Serbian Orthodox church of The Most Holy Mother of God (built in 1863), and finally the Square of Liberation, where local Sarajevans gather to play chess 365 days a year, no matter the weather.
We'll then make a stop for some famous baklava at Sarajevo's market hall before continuing on to the Eternal Flame memorial, dedicated to the victims of Nazi terror during WWII.
We'll walk down the street of Marshall Tito (yes, the main street of Sarajevo is still named after the president of the former Yugoslavia) toward the historic National Theatre, the main stage for the biggest cultural event in Sarajevo: the Sarajevo Film Festival.
We'll finish up our Sarajevo tour with a walk along the River Miljacka to the last spot of our tour, the amazing Academy of Fine Arts, located in a former evangelist church.
Sarajevo (Bosnian pronunciation: is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an estimated population of 369,534. The Sarajevo metropolitan area, including Sarajevo, East Sarajevo and surrounding municipalities, is home to 688,354 inhabitants. Moreover, it is also the capital of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity, the capital of the Republika Srpska entity, and the center of the Sarajevo Canton. Nestled within the greater Sarajevo valley of Bosnia, it is surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans.
Sarajevo is the leading political, social and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a prominent center of culture in the Balkans, with its region-wide influence in entertainment, media, fashion, and the arts.The city is famous for its traditional cultural and religious diversity, with adherents of Islam, Orthodoxy, Judaism and Catholicism coexisting there for centuries. Due to its long and rich history of religious and cultural variety, Sarajevo is sometimes called the ""Jerusalem of Europe""or ""Jerusalem of the Balkans"".It was, until late in the 20th century[when?], the only major European city to have a mosque, Catholic church, Orthodox church and synagogue within the same neighborhood. A regional center in education, the city is also home to the Balkans' first institution of tertiary education in the form of an Islamic polytechnic called the Saraybosna Osmanli Medrese, today part of the University of Sarajevo.
Although settlement in the area stretches back to prehistoric times, the modern city arose as an Ottoman stronghold in the 15th century. Sarajevo has attracted international attention several times throughout its history. In 1885, Sarajevo was the first city in Europe and the second city in the world to have a full-time electric tram network running through the city, following San Francisco. In 1914, it was the site of the assassination of the Archduke of Austria that sparked World War I. Seventy years later; it hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics. For nearly four years, from 1992 to 1996, the city suffered the longest siege of a city in the history of modern warfare (1,425 days long) during the Bosnian War.
Sarajevo has been undergoing post-war reconstruction, and is the fastest growing city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The travel guide series, Lonely Planet, has named Sarajevo as the 43rd best city in the world, and in December 2009 listed Sarajevo as one of the top ten cities to visit in 2010. In 2011, Sarajevo was nominated to be the European Capital of Culture in 2014 and will be hosting the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2017.
During the rule of the Bosnian Kingdom, Visoko valley was a very important trade, cultural and educational centre of the Bosnian Church. Old Town „Cajengrad“ is a medieval fortress which served to defend Bobovac from enemies and today represents an archaeological site.
In recent times, tourists are attracted by the archeological finds of the alleged pyramids, which the archeologist Semir Osmanagic assumes is the work of an advanced civilization that settled in the areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina before the Illyrians. In any case, the pyramidal mountains surrounding Visoko are an interesting natural phenomenon.
On this tour we will visit Travnik and Jajce, the two Bosnian gems which represent the fascinating heritage and history of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Travnik, the Viziers town and Jajce, a King’s town.
Driving from Sarajevo our first stop is Travnik which was one the capital town of governors’, also known as the Ottoman Vizier Town. We will see the colorful mosque of Sultan Sulejman which is specific for the amount of color interlaced into its decoration. We’ll pass on to the vizier tombs, known as the Ottoman Turbe and a picturesque cemetery. Also we will visit the monastery of St Luke and the Church of St Mary. Then we’ll walk up the hill to see the Travnik Fortress and beyond the fortress you will see an uphill trail which leads up to the famous mount Vlašic.
Next stop will be Jajce. Known as the King's town, just like Travnik, located in a valley and watched over by a fascinating roman Fortress. Differently to Travnik, the Jajce fortress stands in the middle of the town and everything else is built around the hill where the fortress is located. Jajce is a town built in the 14th century, during those times it was the capital of the Independent Kingdom of Bosnia. It was protected by a large city gate which we will also visit. After, we move on to the most famous site of Jajce, which is the river Pliva waterfall which is located below the old town and this is the place where the river Pliva flows into the river Vrbas.
In this location, we will have a break with lunch and refreshments. You will enjoy the relaxing sounds and scents of these natural surroundings.
The Medjugorje tour is ideal for catholic pilgrims and those wanting to connect with their faith. It is visited by millions of people from all around the world during the year.
The Medjugorje tour departs from Sarajevo, driving through a variety of beautiful locations of Herzegovina. We will pass through the tunnel of Bradina near the Jablanicko lake. This lake was formed artificially many years ago from the river Neretva. It starts below the town of Konjic and covers a wide valley. We will make a short visit to Blagaj, home to Buna river spring – the most beautiful, powerful and clean river spring where we will have a traditional lunch. After 1h of driving we will arrive to our destination. Medjugorje is visited by millions of catholic pilgrims during the year. It is believed that the Virgin Mary has been appearing to the Medjugorje visionaries since 1981.
We will take you to the apparition hill which is specific for the spiritual peace which it provides. If lucky you might even see one of the visionaries having an apparition or sharing a message from Mother of God. One of the visionaries has an apparition on the 25th of every month during the year. Medjugorje is a unique religious experience for all catholics and the ideal destination to grow one’s faith and find inner peace with God.
Returning from Medjugorje we will also visit city Mostar. There you will see the most famous locations of this beautiful city on the river Neretva. You’ll visit the Old bridge known for famous cliff diving events. You will hear the history and story of the rise and fall of the old bridge, and maybe you might even see a diver jumping into the cold river of Neretva 20 meters below.
With its long and warm summers, and short and mild winters, this small town is considered to be one of the coastal towns which have the greatest number of sunny days in the year. Morning ride will take us through interesting suburbs of Sarajevo and areas of central Bosnia until we pass Ivan Mountain and enter Herzegovina region. The first stop of the day is a short visit to Mostar town with focus at Mostar’s old bridge, old bazaar and old town. After Mostar, we will visit Blagaj, home to Buna river spring – the most beautiful, powerful and clean river spring where we will have a traditional lunch.
After 2 hours of driving we will arrive to our destination - Neum, the only BH seaside city which is situated on the southern part of the Adriatic coast. Ever since the ancient times, the area of Neum was well known as an important crossroad of different roads which led from the seaside to the mainland. Bathing season in Neum lasts from June to September. Thanks to the policy of moderate Neum pricing, a large number of guests choose this town as vacation destination during the season as well as in off-season time.
Of course Neum is not considered only for its beautiful beaches, sea and comfortable accommodation that make the vacations great. A rich gastronomical offer of Neum’s specialties in a great number of restaurants and taverns, terraces with “live” music, promenades, sport terrains, and other fun choices, will make our sojourn ampler and more pleasant. While in Neum we will take a boat tour and explore the whole Neum bay while having a lunch. After that you will have some free time for your own activities and we are going back to Sarajevo.
On this tour you will see the true beauty and abundance of the Bosnian nature. The Olympic mountains of Sarajevo; Bjelašnica, Trebevic, Igman, and Jahorina gained worldwide popularity after the 1984 Olympics as some of the best skiing spots in the world.
During the ride you will learn about the 1984 Olympic Games in Sarajevo and the beauties that surround the town – Bjelasnica, Igman, Trebevic.You may be surprised to know that some of the best skiing than can be done in region of Balkans can be done in Sarajevo surrounding mountains: Bjelašnica and Igman.
First we will visit the serene mount Igman. On Igman, you will see the Veliko Polje Valley which hosted Nordic Events during the Olympics. After this you will see Malo Polje Valley which was host to Ski Jumping competitions during that time. The area of Igman has traditionally been used for recreational cross-country skiing. During Sarajevo’s Olympic bid, the two ski jumps were proposed as separate venues. Igman is also popular skiing resorts due to the advantageous geographical locations, remarkable skiing trails with abundant winter snow and mild slopes and favorable climate.
After Igman we will discvover mountain Bjelasnica distanced only several minutes. This mountain was home to most alpine ski competitions during the 1984 Olympics. It is a unique skiing phenomenon among all European Ski Centers. Covered in spacious skiing slopes for more than 6 months during a year, Bjelašnica is favored by many skiers from around the world. We will see Studeni potok (Ice river) which is one of the most beautiful things on this mountain.
At the end of the tour we will go to ethno village Lukomir where we will have a traditional lunch. At almost 1,500m, the village of Lukomir, with its unique stone homes with cherry-wood roof tiles, is the highest and most isolated village in the country. Indeed, access to the village is impossible from the first snows in December until late April and sometimes even later, except by skis or on foot. A newly constructed lodge is now complete to receive guests. From there, you can do some magnificent hiking in the area along the ridge of the Rakitnica Canyon, which drops 800m below.
Neretva rafting will give you an adrenaline buzz of rafting on the magical and wild emerald river Neretva within the canyons of Herzegovina. Neretva is a breathtaking river which was given a special name by the Romans, due to its characteristics, who inhabited the country in the medieval times. They called it the flowing queen goddess. Some of the most interesting rafting tours on the Neretva start from the village Glavaticevo into the town of Konjic. This rafting tour is about 23km in length, lasting for an average of 5 hours.
The participants of the Neretva rafting adventure are all given the necessary equipment, which includes the swimming jacket, helmet, paddle, and diving suits. The rafting on river Neretva is guided by a certified rafting professional so you can rest assured that you are in safe hands. All you need is some adventurous spirit and desire to explore. During the Neretva rafting adventure, you will see some amazing sites such as rapids, canyons, and waterfalls. You will take breaks within the canyons which provide the ambient of the wild untouched nature. The rafting adventure is filled with adrenaline given by the unexpected rapids throughout the river. If you desire a day packed with inspiration, adrenaline, adventure and fresh air, this is an experience that you should not miss.
Additional activities can also be included in the Neretva rafting tour. These can include activities such as relaxing on the Džajic beach, cliff jumping, barbecue, and climbing. You can contact us or speak to our tour guide for arranging additional activities. At the end of the rafting adventure on Neretva, we will have lunch at the local restaurant which provides traditional cuisine, grilled food, and refreshments.
Explore the wild Bosnia and relax your spirit in the heart of the untouched nature. Travel back in time and relive the ancient times of Bosnia at the Ethno Beys village.
Bijambare is located on the Nisici plane, some 35 km away from Sarajevo. Bijambare is known for the enchanting dense forest and the Bijambare (read biyambare) caves. The Bijambare caves are composed of several smaller caves, 3 of which are open to visitors. The first cave we will explore is the central Bijambare cave, this is also the most popular cave in the Bijambare park. This cave is more than 400 meters long. It has passageways which lead to four different chambers. These chambers are naturally decorated with stalactites which hang from the roof of the cave resembling large curtains. The floor of the cave is covered in stalagmites. The largest chamber, which is the fourth chamber, is known as the chamber of music, due to its acoustic traits. The central Bijambare cave is the home of various species such as bats and crickets.
Within these caves many fossils have been discovered, even going back to the ice age. These fossils include animal skeletons and paleolithic cave men remains. The lower Bijambare cave is located 100 meters away from the central bijambare cave. We will explore this cave too and walk further down the forest to the Ethno Beys village. This is an authentic Bosnian village. There you can see many different artifacts and exhibits common to the Bosnian traditions. The Ethno Beys village is built with original ancient techniques and materials which are 200 years old.
You will have the chance to travel back in time and relive the ancient life of Bosnia. We will also take some photos and have a traditional local meal in the traditional house in village.
Kraljeva Sutjeska is located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the area of the municipality Kakanj. It is situated in the valley of the river Trstionica. This is a peaceful settlement where you can see preserved authentic Bosnian houses, people wearing clothes that were used in this region in the past, and everything in it looks as if time had stopped.
The Franciscan monastery, a magnificent medieval building that defies time and space, stands at the foot of a hill. It was built in the first half of the 14th century and in its long history it was destroyed several times. Its current design dates from the year of 1890. Although the library and the archives were destroyed by fire, as were many other valuable items, there is still a rich archive of cultural and historical material in its chambers.
Kraljeva Sutjeska is not only famous by the Franciscan monastery that dominates this area, it is also famous by the oldest house in this part of the country – The Dusper House, that was built in the early 18th century and it represents a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina that is protected by the country. Kraljeva Sutjeska is a settlement where one of the oldest mosques in Bosnia in Herzegovina is located. A few kilometres away from Kraljeva Sutjeska there is the royal city of Bobovac that hides a lot of historical stories, just like Kraljeva Sutjeska.
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Driving from Sarajevo to Kraljevska Sutjeska 2 hours approximately (mostly with highway); guests will see part of Zenica from transport.
• Kraljevska Sutjeska sightseeing of city center 1.5 hours approximately (traditional houses and citizens in traditional clothes); city has strong history so I will recommend to join a guided visit, because there is too much to remember).
• Guests have the opportunity to visit the Franciscan monastery, accompanied by the guardian (1.5 hours approximately); the monastery is a church, a museum exhibition and one of the richest the monastery library.
• Driving back to Sarajevo (2 hours approximately).