The Ultimate 1 to 2 Days in Sarajevo Itinerary

Planning an itinerary for Sarajevo will give you a greater understanding of this fascinating city and its history — both past and recent.

Sarajevo might well be one of the most interesting and tourist-friendly cities in the Balkans, however, it sees only a fraction of the visitors that neighbouring Croatia or nearby Slovenia receive.

I think this is a huge shame as Sarajevo is not only an incredibly historic city with an interesting and heartbreaking past, but it is also one of the most beautiful, eclectic, and vibrant capitals in the region making it an excellent place to spend a couple of days exploring!

How Many Days in Sarajevo?

While there are a lot of things to see and do within the Bosnian capital, the central area is quite small and compact and you can pack a lot of things into a short period of that.

Due to its small size, many people think that spending a day in Sarajevo will be more than enough to be able to see and do everything in the city. And while one day can allow you to get a decent understanding of the Bosnian capital, I would suggest spending more time in the city.

Planning a 2 day trip will allow you to spend time in the old town visiting all of the top landmarks, give you enough time to spend in a couple of museums to understand the city’s fraught history over the decades, and even allow you to venture outside of the old town to see some historical sites and monuments that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to visit with one day in the city.

If you want to spend 3 days in Sarajevo, you could easily spend more time in some of the city’s many museums. You could also go on a day trip to some nearby towns to get a good view of Bosnia & Herzegovina as a whole — especially if Sarajevo is going to be your only stop in the country.

Getting To and Around Sarajevo

Unfortunately, unlike many other cities in the region, Sarajevo isn’t quite as well-connected so it’s a bit more of an adventure to get to the city.

If you plan to fly into Sarajevo, it is worth knowing that the city is served by an international airport that does connect it to some European cities, including by budget airlines like WizzAir. However, it isn’t nearly as well-served as other airports in the region and there aren’t even direct connections to Sarajevo from some major European cities.

If you are budget-conscious and want to visit Sarajevo as a city break from elsewhere in Europe, you will probably have noticed that there are many budget flights to Tuzla airport.

Tuzla is located approximately 130 kilometres north of Sarajevo and it can take well over two hours to reach the capital from there, so it may not be the best starting point if you’re only planning on spending a short period of time in the Bosnian capital before flying home.

If you plan to visit Sarajevo from other nearby cities, you will find some bus connections. For instance, Sarajevo is connected by a few buses to Belgrade, Serbia — it is worth noting, however, that the vast majority of the buses from the Serbian capital arrive at the East Sarajevo bus station and not the main station.

Sarajevo is also served by a few bus connections per day from Zagreb and Split, Croatia and also with Kotor in Montenegro. It is worth noting that these are all quite long bus journeys with the potential to be longer than they need to be due to the border crossing.

You can also easily reach the town of Mostar from Sarajevo with numerous bus and train connections per day connecting the two cities.

Once you are in Sarajevo, you will find that the vast majority of the city’s attractions and sites are within easy walking distance of each other, rendering the use of public transit or taxis more or less mute.

However, if you do find the need to use the bus or tram system, you can purchase tickets affordably from any of the newsstand kiosks around the city. Make sure to validate your ticket when you are on the bus or tram.

Taxis are prevalent and inexpensive in Sarajevo, however, do make sure to exercise caution when using them as — like everywhere else in the world, unfortunately — scams can be common.

Make sure before getting in any taxi that either the meter is running or you agree upon a fair price for your destination. There is no Uber or Bolt in Sarajevo and the taxi app that we did try to use, Moj Taxi, never worked for us after numerous attempts.

1 to 2-Day Sarajevo Itinerary

Day 1 — Explore the Historic Centre

Your first day in Sarajevo will see you exploring the majority of the main things to see in Sarajevo, all located in the old town.

Gradski Trznica & Plijaca Markale

Begin your day at the central marketplace, which is a great way to see what locals eat and how they shop.

The Gradski Trznica is a covered market hall selling things like locally made cheeses and meats. Nearby, you can also find the open-air Plijaca Markale where you can shop for delicious fresh fruits and vegetables.

During the Siege of Sarajevo, the Plijaca Markale was the sight of one of the worst massacres of the time when in 1995, around 40 people lost their lives. That is one of the events that prompted peace talks with NATO.

If you want a morning pick-me-up after browsing through the market, make a stop at Boutique Mercato Cafe for a delicious espresso drink in a cosy setting.

National Theatre

From the markets, you can walk a few hundred metres to the beautiful National Theatre.

This Austro-Hungarian-style building was built during the short period the empire occupied Bosnia & Herzegovina. Though the occupation only lasted from 1878 – 1918, the Austro-Hungarians left many remnants behind, including the National Theatre.

Austria-Hungary largely modernised Sarajevo’s infrastructure, introducing things like a tram network and new buildings in different architectural styles.

Sarajevo Synagogue

Not far from the National Theatre lies the Sarajevo Synagogue, which is the city’s largest and only active synagogue. Sarajevo and Bosnia, in general, used to have a very large Jewish population, with Jews making up close to 20% of the population of Sarajevo before WWII and Nazi occupation.

Unlike many European cities, there were never specific ghettos in Sarajevo where people lived and rather the Jewish population was quite integrated into the general fabric of Sarajevo’s society.

Though only about 600 Jews live in Sarajevo today, this Synagogue is still active and remains the only active Jewish house of worship in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Latin Bridge

One of the most famous sights and places to visit in Sarajevo is undoubtedly the Latin Bridge, a small Ottoman-style bridge over the Miljacka River.

The northern end of this bridge is the site where the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated in 1914, an event that many historians cite as an inciting incident for the First World War.

Gavrilo Princip, the Bosnian Serb who was responsible for the assassination, wasn’t acting alone, however, and he also avoided a death sentence while his conspirators were not so lucky.

The reason behind this is that Princip was only 19 years old at the time of the assassination, which was under the legal age to be put to death and illegal in the Austro-Hungarian empire.

If you want to learn more about the assassination, its motivations, and the implications and consequences because of it, there is a museum on the north end of the Latin Bridge that goes into detail about this momentous event.

Sarajevo Brewery & City Hall

Not far from the Latin Bridge, you can find the Sarajevo Brewery on the south bank of the Miljacka. This brewery is of historical significance as it was a major target for bombs during the Siege of Sarajevo.

This is because, during the siege, the Serb forces cut off the water supply to Sarajevo, meaning residents didn’t have access to water in their own homes.

The brewery, however, is sat atop its own water source independent of the city water, meaning that it was where locals in the city had to go to collect it. This made it a prime target for Serb forces.

Across the river from the brewery lies the city hall, notable for its unique Moorish-revival style reminiscent of the many buildings one can see in Spain, particularly the Mezquita-Catedral in Córdoba.

This building, however, is not the original, as that one was completely destroyed by a bomb during the Siege of Sarajevo. The building was completely burned along with over 700 original manuscripts that can never be returned.

The building was completely redesigned and rebuilt to be an exact replica of the original and it opened its doors in 2014.

Bascarsija

No Sarajevo itinerary is complete without including a visit to the vibrant and cool Bascarsija area, one of the most historic and popular areas for tourists in Sarajevo.

This area was once an Ottoman-era market and historically hasn’t held any private residences. At one time, it was much bigger than it was today, however, because so much of the area was made of wood, it has been razed numerous times throughout history by destructive fires.

Today, you can find lots of things in this eclectic and interesting area. Closed to cars, the pedestrianised streets are lined with interesting shops, cafes, and restaurants where you can get anything from a tacky souvenir to an authentic Bosnian coffee or a piece of burek!

There are also some mosques that are open to visit and other historic sites that call to attention just how long this city was under Ottoman rule.

Bascarsija is also a great area to grab lunch or dinner. If you’re looking for something quick, local, and delicious, then I recommend you grab some cevapi at Zeljo or a burek at Buregdžinica Bosna.

For dinner or something in a sit-down restaurant, both Barhana and Dveri were restaurants that we enjoyed during our time in Sarajevo.

You can see many of these sites and get a great introduction to the city on the Neno & Friends Sarajevo Free Walking Tour. The tour itself is free, however, keep in mind that the guides aren’t paid so it is good practice to tip generously after the tour is over.

If you can’t make the free walking tour there is also the option to take a paid tour here.

War Childhood Museum

After spending a good portion of your day walking around the old town of Sarajevo and sightseeing, it’s time to head to one of the city’s best and newest museums.

The War Childhood Museum is heartbreaking to visit and an excellent place to understand the human impact that the Siege of Sarajevo had on residents of the city.

The museum consists of a collection of items that those who were children during the Siege donated. They can include anything from toys to candy wrappers to pencil cases to journals. Next to each item is an explanation from its original owner about what that item meant to him or her during the siege.

It is an excellent insight into the way that war and violence can shape children, but also shows visitors how life can still go on even under the most dire of circumstances.

The museum doesn’t solely concentrate on memories of childhood wartime in Bosnia, however, and the curators of the museum have sourced a few objects in the exhibit from Syrian children in refugee camps in Lebanon. It is an incredibly impactful museum and one of the best places to visit in Sarajevo.

Yellow Fortress

End your day of sightseeing in Sarajevo at the Yellow Fortress, one of the best places in the Old Town for a beautiful view of the city.

Constructed in the 18th century, this fortress is located on the outskirts of the Bascarsija area and, though it is a bit of a hike up here, it provides some of the most picturesque views of the city.

On the walk up, you will pass a large cemetery that will also put into perspective the absolute human toll that the Siege of Sarajevo had on the city.

Walking back down, you can stop at Teahouse Džirlo for a unique tea or at Ministry of Cejf for some speciality coffee!

Day 2 – Historical Sites and Museums

Day two sees you heading a little further away from the old town and learning more about Sarajevo’s fraught recent history.

War Tunnel Museum

Located close to the Sarajevo Airport, the War Tunnel Museum offers a fascinating insight into how the city was able to survive and receive provisions and aid during the siege.

The museum is at the sight of an 800-metre tunnel that ran from the Serbian-occupied areas to the free Bosnian areas of the city outside of sniper detection. The construction and location of the tunnel, close to the airport, was crucial in Sarajevo’s survival during the siege.

The tunnel was built in a family home and while the house was later returned to the family after the war, they decided to open it up as a museum rather than move back in. Much of the family still works in the museum today.

You can walk a small portion of the tunnel here, along with learning about the logistics of building the tunnel and some overall effects of the war. You can also book a guided tour including transport.

Sarajevo Bobsled Track

North of the city on one of the surrounding hills lies one of the top attractions in Sarajevo, the abandoned bobsled track.

This massive bobsled track was originally built for the 1984 Winter Olympics but has since fallen into disrepair and has become a popular place for graffiti artists and urban explorers. You can walk a portion of the track and admire the architecture and the artwork that now adorns it.

You can reach the bobsled track by taking the Trebevic Cable Car (which begins close to the Sarajevo Brewery) up to the mountain.

It is then about a 10-minute walk down to the track and about an hour more back into the city centre. It is also possible to reach the bobsled track by taxi.

Jewish Cemetery

Located on another of the hills surrounding Sarajevo is the Jewish Cemetery, which is actually the second-largest in Europe after the one in Prague. Here you can see just how vast and old the Jewish community in Sarajevo was, with populations of both Sephardic and Ashkenazi descent.

The more modern significance of the cemetery is also heartbreaking, as its location was used as a lookout point for Serb snipers during the siege. From the cemetery, you can see how distinct the view into central Sarajevo really is and just how dangerous the city was for civilians during the siege.

You can see all of these sites and more on the Sarajevo Siege Tour run by Sarajevo Funky Tours.

This half-day tour includes transportation in a small van along with an incredibly knowledgeable guide. This is especially beneficial at the War Tunnel Museum where many of the descriptions are not in English.

11/07/95 Gallery

After seeing these sites, it’s time to head to yet another museum. The 11/07/95 Gallery located in the city centre is another one of Sarajevo’s best museums and can give visitors some incredible and heartbreaking insight into the Srebrenica Massacre in 1995.

This museum is a collection of photographs from the massacre and its aftermath that really deeply convey the devastation of this horrific act of ethnic cleansing. There are no descriptions to any of the photos so it is highly recommended that you pay the extra entry fee in order to get the audio guide.

I recommend you plan to spend about two hours in the gallery to fully get through all of the photos and watch the films that are also on display.

Twist Tower

After a fairly grim day of learning about Sarajevo’s tortured past, take the time to see an incredible view of the city and enjoy one of its modern marvels: the Twist Tower.

This skyscraper located close to the central bus and train station in Sarajevo is the tallest building in the Balkans at 172 metres at its tallest point and you can access the viewing platform at the top for incredible vistas of the city below.

Take the lift to the 35th floor and pay the 5 BAM at the turnstile to access the panoramic viewing platform. You can also enjoy a drink or coffee from the cafe on the 35th floor.

Sarajevo Restaurants & Cafes

Whether you’re looking for a hip sit-down restaurant serving up international favourites or a traditional hole-in-the-wall churning out Bosnian specialities, Sarajevo has got what you’re looking for!

Restaurants

Dveri — A great Bosnian restaurant located in the Bascarsija area, they have both local specialities and some vegetarian options. The service is friendly and helpful and they also a great wine list with locally-produced wines. It does get busy, soI suggest to arrive early or book in advance.

Barhana — Another great dinner option in Bascarsija, they have a range of both Bosnian and international specialities including pasta dishes and pizzas. Service is friendly, prices are affordable, and portions are large.

Blind Tiger — Located in the city centre, this burger-cum-cocktail bar is an excellent place to grab a hearty bite to eat while enjoying a speciality cocktail or local craft beer. They have vegetarian options and also have a great happy hour deal.

Fast Food

Ćevabdžinica Željo — An excellent cevapi place in Bascarsija, they have a simple menu and very affordable prices. This is ideal if you’re looking for a quick, cheap, and filling lunch of local favourites.

Buregdžinica Bosna — An excellent place to get Bosnian pies and burek (it is only called burek in Bosnia if it is filled with meat), the prices here are incredibly affordable and they charge by weight. Some of the best burek in the city!

Cafes

Teahouse Džirlo — If you’re on the hunt for a place to chill out after a long day of sightseeing, then this is the place to do it. Run by an incredibly friendly owner, he has a range of teas and speciality drinks in a comfortable setting. If the weather is fine, aim to get a seat outside.

Ministry of Cejf — This is a great place to go for a speciality roasted coffee. They roast their own beans on-site and offer both espresso drinks and traditional Bosnian coffee in their cafe. You are also able to purchase beans for your own use here.

Boutique Mercato — A cosy and hip coffee shop located close to the Gradski Trgnica, they have a range of great espresso drinks, comfortable seating, and a chilled-out atmosphere.

Where to Stay in Sarajevo

Hotel VIP — A chic hotel in the city centre, they have clean and comfortable rooms available, helpful and attentive staff with 24-hour reception and a restaurant (with room service!) on site.

Hotel Sana — Another great, centrally-located hotel option, this place has numerous clean, comfortable and stylish rooms available, 24-hour reception, a restaurant and bar on site, and is situated within easy walking distance of all of Sarajevo’s main attractions.

Balkan Han Hostel — This centrally located is a great place for budget and solo travellers alike. They have numerous clean rooms — both dorm and private — available, helpful staff and good common areas.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to find other hotels in Sarajevo!

Figuring out the best Sarajevo itinerary doesn’t have to be difficult. The Bosnian capital has so much to offer visitors in a compact and easy-to-manage area that makes any length of time in Sarajevo worthwhile!

Are you planning a trip to Sarajevo? Have any questions about visiting? Have you been before? Let us know in the comments!