Not sure how many days you should plan for your trip to Sarajevo? Let me walk you through how much time you really need and give you some suggestions for a day trip, two days in Sarajevo, and itinerary ideas for 3, 4 or 5 days.
You plan to visit Sarajevo? First: good choice! I've been living in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina for almost five years now, and I am still discovering new activities and places. There aren't many cities in Europe that combine so much history, culture and customs from different cultures, countries and eras.
Because the city is so layered and there are many things you won't notice on your first walking tour through the old town, I recommend you spend at least 3 but even better 4 days in Sarajevo..
But don't stop reading now; there is more!How you will spend your days in Sarajevo will vary a lot depending on what you're interested in. Do you want to see just the city of Sarajevo? Are you interested in hikes in the surrounding area or do you want to learn more about the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina (because it's not all about Archduke Franz Ferdinand)?
Let me give you ideas for 1, 2 ,3, 4 and 5 day itineraries, and tell you what you can see realistically without making your trip super rushed and superficial. Because if there's one thing Sarajevo is not, it's a city to just run through and tick a few boxes. Not experiencing the vibe and the people of Sarajevo, in my opinion, would be a missed opportunity.
So let's dive right in with recommendations I give my own friends when they visit, and to help you decide how many days in Sarajevo are the right amount of time for you.
This blog article contains personal recommendations in the form of affiliate links. If you book or buy something via the links, I will receive a small commission. This does not change the price for you at all. Thank you for your support.
How many days to spend in Sarajevo?
I personally think 4 days is the sweet spot for Sarajevo. One night is definitely not enough for the city, also because there is much to do in the surrounding area. And then you need some time just to sit around, sip some Bosnian coffee and soak up the vibe!
But I get it; sometimes you don't have a lot of time to spend in a single city, you want to explore more places, or you have a whole Balkan round trip planned. That's why I also included itinerary suggestions if you only have one or two days to spare. But you have to know that in a day or two, you will really just scratch the surface of what Sarajevo has to offer. Let me tell you what 1, 2, 3 or more days can get you in and around Sarajevo.
24 Hours in Sarajevo
Only have one day in Sarajevo? Stick to the old town, Baščaršija, the famous part of the city where east and west meet. Most major things to see and do are located there and within walking distance of one another. I would recommend you take a walking tourto really make the most of your time.
But if you rather feel like exploring on your own, you can see the Latin Bridge and assassination site of Franz Ferdinand, Sebilj fountain, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, Emperor's mosque, Sacred Heart Cathedral, and Sarajevo City Hall with one leisurely stroll in just an hour or two.
If you only have a day, I would recommend you skip a visit to the Tunnel of Hope since this museum about the siege of Sarajevo is located far from the old town. Visit the the Sarajevo City Hall or the Galerie 11/07/95 instead.
End the day with one of the best views of the city: the sunset view from Zuta Tabija, the yellow fortress. For dinner, head to Nanina Kuhinja or Inat Kuća , but make sure you have a reservation, so you can really enjoy all that delicious Bosnian food and don't run around chasing a free table.
2 Tage in Sarajevo
Two days can give you a bit of a deeper glimpse into life in the city. Keep day one as is and take the cable car up Trebević mountain on your second day. Once you are up there, you can stroll along the abandoned bobsled track, a remnant of the 1984 Winter Olympics.
It might not sound like much, but the bob track is really a must-see in Sarajevo. It has been turned into a kind of unofficial outdoor gallery, full of ever-rotating graffiti and street art.
After you make your way down to the city, either by hiking (you can do that with a guided tour) or with the cable car, plan for a stop at the Sarajevo Brewery . The Sarajevsko Beer has been brewed here since the mid-19th century, and the brew pub looks like a proper Austrian restaurant, full of cosy wooden furniture.
End your day at Zlatna Ribica with a shot of rakija (sipped, not exed!) or a glass of Bosnian wine (my favorite is Marijanović; ask for their rosé).
3 days in Sarajevo
Three days in Sarajevo is a sweet spot: a bit of history with a local guide, a bit of nature, and a glimpse of life outside the old town. Keep days one and two as is.
On the third day, grab breakfast at Habitus, then take a walk along the main street to Marijin Dvor . That part of town was built by the Austrians, and the vibe is entirely different from Baščaršija. Visit the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After that, take a stroll through Vilsonovo Šetalište, along Miljacka river, to the Jewish cemetery, the second biggest of its kind in Europe and an important location. You can find tombstones in three languages—Bosnian, Arabic and Hebrew—and you have a beautiful view over Sarajevo.
If you're more into food than culture, take an off the beaten path Sarajevo food four through the socialist Grbavica neighborhood with its socialist architecture, learn more about the Sarajevo siege, and try more Bosnian food.
Sarajevo in 4 days
With four days, you can really venture out of the town centre and enjoy some nature.Keep days one, two and three as is.
If you want to rent a car for a day (or use a car share with e-Go ) you can drive up to the Olympic mountain Bjelašnica (part of the Dinaric Alps stretching along the whole Balkan peninsula) and take an easy hike from Babin Do to Javorov Do (delicious Bosnian food!)
A car-free option is Vrelo Bosne, the springs of the river Bosna, which are located close to the Sarajevo International Airport. The area around the spring is a water and nature protected area, and you can easily spend almost one day exploring it, especially if you have kids.
To get to Vrelo Bosne, take the tram to Ilidža, and walk through the old Austrian spa centre and along the "big alley", it should take you around an hour. If you don't want to walk, you can take a taxi or a traditional horse carriage (called fiaker, like in Vienna).
If you are in this part of the city, you can also visit the Tunnel of Hope, the museum about the Siege of Sarajevo..
For dinner, head to Brajlović, one of the most iconic grill restaurants in Sarajevo and the region.
5 days in Sarajevo
If you have five days, spend an entire day in nature, exploring the mountains around Sarajevo. Keep days one, two, three and four as is. On day five, visit one of the most popular places to see within Bosnia and Herzegovina: Lukomir Village..
Hiking to this remote mountain village offers you a glimpse into village life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and how to live in tune with nature and the seasons. The hike is a full-day trip and requires moderate fitness. Since there is no public transportation to get you to the starting point of the hike, a guided tour is the best option.
If you don't want to spend the entire day outside of the city, an option for a half-day hike is the hike to Bosnia and Herzegovina's highest waterfalls, Skakavac, in the nature reserve of the same name. From an easy 40-minute walk to a proper 10-kilometre hike, you can tailor the difficulty to your liking.
After your return to Sarajevo, enjoy your last dinner at Dveri Dveri (reservations are a must!). Drinks in Višegrad or Barhana.
5+ days in Sarajevo
You consider Sarajevo as your base for five days or longer? That's a great choice, because there are countless day trips you can do from the Bosnian capital. You can easily extend your visit to Sarajevo to an entire week, and plan one of the following activities:
Rafting on Neretva river
Hiking in the Dinaric Alps
Climbing or Via Ferrata
E-Biking
You can even explore different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and keep Sarajevo as your base. Travnik is just a 1.5 hour drive away, for example, or Prokoško Jezero and Konjic are great destinations for a day trip too.
You could even do a day trip from Sarajevo to Mostar , although I always recommend spending at least a night in Mostar to escape the crowds that flood the city during the day.
We'd love to help you plan your trip!
Together with my Bosnian husband, I founded .Cheyf a boutique travel agency for mindful travelling in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Our speciality? Customised trips where you can really get in touch with locals and immerse yourself in Bosnia. Get in touch for a free consultation call!
Where to stay in Sarajevo
- 💲 Heritage Hotel Petrakija: Cosy boutique hotel just behind the Sacred Heart Cathedral in the old Jewish quarter
- 💲💲 Hotel Eleven: a modern and new hotel in the old town, just a stone's throw from all major sights
- 💲💲 Hotel Ovo Malo Duše: Small boutique hotel in the middle of the old town with beautiful, Bosnian-style decorated rooms
- 💲💲 Isa-Begov Hamam Hotel: Boutique Hotel with Ottoman-style rooms and a working hamam
- 💲💲💲 Hotel Central: Located in an old Austro-Hungarian building with gym and spa
- 💲💲💲 Hotel Baškuća: Beautiful boutique hotel with a Bosnian designer interior and an excellent restaurant on-site
300+ things to see right in your pocket
Get my Bosnia and Herzegovina travel guide, including my favorite restaurants, bars, viewpoints, local spots, and more. Click on the link and discover Bosnia like a local! 🇧🇦
Getting around in Sarajevo
Sarajevo ist sehr fußgängerfreundlich, und wenn du in der Altstadt wohnst, kannst du fast alles zu Fuß erledigen. Wenn du länger als drei Tage bleibst und mehr erkunden willst, hast Du folgende Optionen:
Bus & Tram | You can buy bus tickets with the driver or tram tickets. Note that buses and trams are run by different providers, so you need separate tickets for each. You can check timetables on Google Maps.
Taxi | Taking a taxi in Sarajevo is cheap and practical. However, make sure that the driver turns on the taximeter. You can find taxis at taxi ranks all over the city.
NextBike & BinBin | Just download the app for either bicycle or e-scooter rental. Just make sure that you park the e-scooters in the dedicated areas shown on the map and that there is a bike rack close to your destination as you cannot park the bikes anywhere.
Rental car | Public transportation and busses between cities are reliable and easy, but if you want to do a day tour to the mountains or a smaller closeby place, you might want to rent a car. I always use Discovercars to compare the best prices and options. For Sarajevo, you can find rental car offers here. .
Final thoughts on how many days you need for Sarajevo
I hope these itinerary suggestions were helpful for you in planning your trip to Sarajevo. As you could see, there are a ton of different options, depending on how much time you have and how active you are.
I still think that 4 days are the sweet spot when it comes to the Bosnian capital, but even if you only spend two days in Sarajevo, you can make them count and see and do a lot. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide how much time you want to spend and how much ćejf—joy of enjoying the small things in life—you want to inject into your visit.
