Planning a trip to Tuzla? Here's how to spend three days in Bosnia and Herzegovina's city on the salt lake — exactly the way I'd recommend it to my own friends, as someone who's lived in Bosnia since 2021.
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Okay, it's almost a little embarrassing, but: until August of this year, I'd only ever driven through Tuzla, even though it's Bosnia's third-largest city. When Nermin and I had a few days to relax and get out of town after the Sarajevo Film Festival , we finally settled on the central Bosnian industrial city.
What I knew about Tuzla going in: it's one of the most multi-ethnic and multi-religious cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it's home to the Pannonian salt lakes — and Tuzla is one of four cities (alongside Sarajevo, Travnik and Banja Luka) competing for the country's best ćevapčići. But of course Tuzla is a bit more than just that, and we discovered some lovely activities and sights in the surrounding area too.
We took two days for it, but to space out the itinerary a little, I'm spreading it across three days for you, covering the main sights in and around Tuzla. And, as always, my restaurant recommendations too.
Tuzla at a Glance
Tuzla is an industrial city, best known for salt mining, its man-made salt lake, and a history stretching back to the Neolithic, when Slavic settlement of the region began here. Since Wizz Air set up a base at Tuzla Airport, tourism in the city has been picking up and the region is seeing more visitors.
My top tip: Eat ćevapi — Tuzla is one of four cities in Bosnia where they're at their best. Tuzla comes alive in the evening, so take a walk across Trg Slobode as the sun sets.
Where to stay? Ilma Apartmani is centrally located, modern, and has parking.
Day 1 | Arriving in Tuzla
Most visitors arrive by car or by plane. From Tuzla Airport it's about a 30-minute taxi ride into the city center. If you're renting a car and starting your Bosnia road trip here, you can compare prices and rental car providers on DiscoverCars. Just make sure your accommodation has parking.
Check-In: Where to Stay in Tuzla
If you only have three days, I'd suggest basing yourself in the city center. Tuzla's hotel situation is, well, not exactly ideal. I'd recommend booking an apartment instead — there are some really nice options. We booked a place in the Slatina neighborhood, a slightly more local part of town with typical Yugoslav-era apartment blocks, but within walking distance of the old town and with a few nice cafés and parks.
Where to Stay in Tuzla
- Ilma Apartmani: Central and modern, with parking
- LUX Apartments: Modern studio apartment with a fully equipped kitchen
- Central Square: Central two-bedroom apartment, perfect for families
Stroll Through Tuzla's Old Town
Tuzla's old town isn't especially large — just long enough for a relaxed afternoon walk. The pedestrian zone starts opposite the Kapija Behram-begova Medresa, a lovely example of pseudo-Moorish architecture. From there, you pass the Atik Behram Bey Mosque — one of the most beautiful I've seen in Bosnia and Herzegovina — and continue on to Trg Slobode, Freedom Square.
This is where life happens in the evenings on summer days, in the cafés and bars. We were surprised by how lively and atmospheric Tuzla was — plenty of families out and about, and live music playing. Then again, summer is generally when the diaspora comes home for vacation in Bosnia, so I can easily imagine Tuzla being much quieter the rest of the year.
Here on Freedom Square, and further into the old town, you can clearly see the different influences of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian eras, along with Serbian Orthodox, Catholic, and Muslim influences layered on top of each other. I don't think this fusion of cultures will ever bore me — not in Sarajevo, and not in Tuzla either.
Sadly, many parts of the city are still quite run-down, even though there's a small tourist train (at least in summer — two well-spent marks) and the canton is clearly trying to make itself more appealing to visitors. Visit the Kapija, a memorial commemorating victims of the Bosnian War, and take a detour into City Park to see the monument to King Tvrtko, the first king of the Bosnian Kingdom.
For dinner, we went to Ćevabdžinica Sarajka, one of the two local institutions. Whether you choose this restaurant or Limenka , the ćevapi were excellent at both.
Afterward, we grabbed a drink at Bar Sloboda on Salt Square. We really liked the vibe here — there's a good range of beers and cocktails.
Day 2 | Explore Tuzla by foot
After starting the day with breakfast at Barok , in an old Baroque building on Freedom Square, we covered Tuzla's main attractions on a little tourist train, which took us to the Pannonian salt lakes, the May 25, 1995 Memorial Cemetery, and the Orthodox cathedral. I'm not sure if it runs outside the summer months, but if it does: definitely worth it for 2 BAM. If the train isn't running, you can just as easily walk the route yourself.
Lunch | If you can: eat ćevapi again. Or grab a pizza at Bakery Hukić. This traditional bakery became famous for baking kajmak into the pizza crust.
Enjoy the Salt Lakes
Spend the afternoon at Europe's only salt lakes - one of the musts amongst the things to do in Tuzla. The area is much bigger than I expected from photos, and the outdoor pool and recreation area is well set up, so you can easily spend half a day or a full day here. Besides the three salt lakes themselves, the park also has a reconstructed Neolithic village, cafés, restaurants, and a saltwater waterfall said to have particularly healing properties for the lungs.
Dinner in nature
If you're in Tuzla on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, head out for dinner to Milo Selo, a goat farm with a farm-to-table restaurant. Everything served there is produced within less than 50 kilometers of Tuzla.
On the way there, you'll pass Modrac-See , another recreation area in central Bosnia. The lake is impressive — much bigger than I expected — and unfortunately not suitable for swimming, but you can enjoy a glass of wine and a relaxing view of the water at Restoran Jezero .
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Day 3 | The Legacy of the Bosnian Kingdom & Wine
This is already your last day in Tuzla. I'd recommend doing a bit of sightseeing in the surrounding area today, since around Tuzla you can drive through influences from different eras, from the Bosnian Kingdom all the way to former Yugoslavia.
One of Bosnia's best postcard views is about 50 minutes from Tuzla: the Srebrenik Fortress , dating back to 1333 . Like a lot of castles in Bosnia, it's sadly not in the best condition, but I still think it's worth the drive. Admission costs 10 BAM, and unfortunately there's no German or English information material. Google Translate to the rescue.
From there, we drove half an hour to Vinarija Pajić , which had been on my list forever. Alongside the wine cellar, there's a new restaurant here with an outdoor deck that has a gorgeous view over the surrounding fields. We shared a mezze platter with cheese and ham and tasted the Sauvignon Blanc, rosé, Merlot, and Cabernet. The reds weren't really my thing, but the white and the rosé were excellent, and you can normally tour the cellar too — though when we were there, they were busy bottling.
If you're not ready to head back to Tuzla after lunch, you can make a detour to Gradačac . The small town doesn't offer a huge amount, but we took a little walk through the town park and had actually planned to see Gradačac Castle. As of August 2026, though, it's under renovation and closed. From Gradačac, it's about 1.5 hours back to Tuzla.
End your time in Tuzla with dinner at Mama Mia. I put this on the last day because when we tried to eat there, it was fully booked. So book ahead — ideally on your first day.
Tuzla Travel Tips
How to Get to Tuzla
If you're traveling to Tuzla by car, definitely book accommodation with parking — finding a parking spot in Tuzla is genuinely a challenge. The easiest way to get here is by plane; several low-cost carriers fly to Tuzla Airport. If you're continuing your trip from here, rent a car right at the airport. I always use DiscoverCars — I can compare prices there and book full coverage insurance. When our rental car got hit in Greece, DiscoverCars reimbursed us really quickly.
Tuzla is a city that's easy to explore on foot — you can reach all the main sightswithin the cityon foot.
The Best Time to Visit Tuzla
I was only in Tuzla in the height of summer — late August — and the city was lively and vibrant. I don't know what it's like outside the holiday season. So I'd recommend June, July and August as the best time to visit , when you can hike or go sightseeing in the surrounding area, and when it's warm enough to swim in the salt lakes.
Extend your trip
From Tuzla, it's just two hours to the capital Sarajevo,, two and a half hours to Banja Luka , and three hours to Novi Sad. My guides for the three cities are linked. That makes Tuzla a great base for a Bosnia-Herzegovina road trip (routes are linked in this article) or a Balkans tour.
Your Bosnia and Herzegovina Itinerary, planned by locals
If you're wondering about the best stops along the way, the best restaurants and souvenir shops: We have created the perfect roadbook for these trips through Bosnia and Herzegovina! We being .Cheyf, the travel agency my husband Nermin and I founded here in Sarajevo in 2022 and that has since grown to a 6-people business.
After traveling through Bosnia for work and fun for the past six years, we have created this routes with travelers in mind: Your accommodation and car is booked for you, the rest of the route is flexible. You decide how long you want to take to get from A to B and we give you several options for each day, from guided tours to hikes, to museum and viewpoints.
Check out our ready-made (and tried and tested) road trips through Bosnia and Herzegovina here.
A Perfect City Trip to Tuzla
You're ready for three days in Tuzla. You can shorten this itinerary to two days if you need to — we managed it without any trouble — but I'm a big believer in traveling a little slower and giving yourself more time to just sit and look, as Astrid Lindgren would say.
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