Are you wondering if Bosnia would be good enough for a holiday with kids? Looking for places to visit in Bosnia or just a Bosnia Itinerary? We LOVED Bosnia and thought it was a fantastic country to visit with our kids. Read on if you want to discover our hidden gems in Bosnia that we think you’ll love.
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What To Know About Bosnia Before You Leave
Before you go to Bosnia, please take some time to learn about its history in particular the war of 1992-95. That war wasn’t so long ago and there are clearly some scars that don’t heal. That being said, Sarajevo is my newest favourite city and a road trip around Bosnia was amazing.
Bosnia was invaded at least three times over the course of its modern history and this has left distinctive architecture, food, culture and religions along the way. It is a fascinating place to take kids, especially those who love history, food, exploring, hiking (and giggling! I’ll explain why later).
There are some ongoing tensions with both Serbia and to a lesser extent Croatia and it’s often wise not to mention those countries. Some people get offended by you talking about them & it can create tensions in conversation particularly. This might be more evident the closer you get to those countries’ borders.
That being said, Bosnia was phenomenal; the people were friendly, the food was amazing, the weather was gorgeous, the scenery is beautiful and what more could you want? My only regret was that because we’d been to Croatia beforehand, we only had 8 days to tour Bosnia Herzegovina. I wanted more!
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Bosnia 8-day Itinerary Map
Here are all the things we recommend to do in Bosnia & Herzegovina if you’re having a trip to Bosnia with kids. Even if you don’t have kids, there are loads of fun things to do here.
Should You BackPack or Flashpack Bosnia?
Internal travel in Bosnia is easy enough. There are plenty of buses and trains within the country although we hired a car as we like the freedom to explore.
Hiring a car cost us roughly 80 BIM a day which is about £40.
We took out the insurance which was €70 in total, roughly £55 and the deposit was 600BIM, roughly £300. We rented a 1.2-litre Skoda and it was good enough for the roads and some very minor dirt tracks but we definitely couldn’t have off-roaded in it.
We spent 4 nights in Sarajevo, 1 night near the pyramids and 4 nights in Mostar. We only had 8 days to explore which is limiting and we could have easily spent 8 months exploring Bosnia.
I guess you could say we FlashPacked Bosnia but we met plenty of people backpacking.
Click here to search for car hire in Bosnia
Answering Questions We Had About Bosnia
Is Bosnia safe for a Balkan road trip? Perfectly, it’s a very family-friendly and orientated country. We never had any problems and people were very kind.
Is Bosnia in the EU? Yes, in December 2022 Bosnia and Herzegovina was granted EU candidate status.
What are Bosnia tourist attractions like? Just like anything else in Europe, Bosnia has an electric history and its main tourist attractions reflect this. Some are focused on architecture some on the war.
What religion is Bosnia? Bosniaks are generally associated with Islam, Bosnian Croats with the Roman Catholic Church and Bosnian Serbs with the Serbian Orthodox Church. You’ll find a mix of religious buildings.
What is the weather like in Bosnia and can I have a beach holiday? The weather in the summer was hot, at least 28*c plus every day. The further south, the more humid it became. There were occasional thunderstorms during the night that cleared some of the humidity. Bosnia has a small section of coastline that I didn’t visit. You could have a beach holiday but I’d expect it to be busy.
What are Bosnian roads like? Generally, the roads were really good and it was easy to drive around Bosnia. The more rural you go, the more you should expect potholes.
Could I do a trip around the Balkans backpacking? The Balkan countries are a delight to visit but public transport between them can be hit and miss. FlixBus is slow (ignore its timetable) but generally will get you between countries. We caught the bus from Split to Sarajevo and after our first 3 days in Sarajevo, hired a car.
Is Bosnia with kids a good decision? We went when two of our kids were 11 and 13 years old and they had a blast. They loved Bosnia but generally, they have fun wherever we go.
What’s a good Bosnia travel plan? READ ON!!
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Bosnia Itinerary (keeping kids in mind)
Day 1: Sarajevo
We stayed here in this Hostel in Sarajevo (Fun fact, I’m still friends with some of the people we met there!)
Get your walking shoes on because you’ll be exploring Sarajevo today on foot. It’s a small city separated by a river and easily accessible by walking.
Start out by getting breakfast at a bakery like a local. We recommend the ‘Visnja’ cherry pastries. They’re delicious and if you want some fruit too, visit the enormous fruit market (Pijaca Markale) opposite. Take your time to walk past Vječna vatra, the eternal flame, honouring victims from World War II.
Take a walk through the old town (Baščaršija) to get to the river, admire Sarajevo’s city hall and visit the Latin Bridge before heading down the river path to the Museum of Illusions. It’s really fun for kids and as the rest of the day is a little heavy on war, it’s a good negotiation point.
Other places we visited and thought were good were the War Childhood Museum, Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures, Museum of Crimes Against Humanity, White Bastion (I didn’t think much of the Yellow Bastion especially as the gates were closed and we had to scale the 10ft wall).
Places to eat & drink:
Morića Han; a reconstructed roadside inn originally built in 1551, now featuring a restaurant & shops.
Day 2: Sarajevo
Catch the Gondola up to the Olympic Bobsled Track and explore. There are so many twisty little routes off to the side that you can explore. Conduct a sound test (put your mouth close to the curvature of the track and whisper. Somebody standing up or downwind should be able to hear exactly what you’re saying. This is because the sound is drawn around rather than bouncing off the sides. Clever!). You can learn more about the Olympics in Bosnia by visiting the museum in Sarajevo or just walking around the old site and looking at the maps.
It was fun to walk down the hill, finding the abandoned Bistrik towers and abandoned houses slightly further down.
Walk through the new town and find the Museum Ratni Muzej. It’s very small and should only take about 15 minutes.
Arrive back into the old town of Sarajevo and stop off for ice cream. People rave about Bosnian coffee (which I didn’t like) but Sladoled or ice cream is a delicious and cool break.
Day 3: Sarajevo Outskirts
If you don’t have a car you can call a taxi or ride a tram and walk to the Hope Tunnel & Hope Museum – you can download the app before attending too.
We decided to catch a taxi there and a tram on the way back. The tram is very easy to navigate and drops you off adjacent to the river.
Termal Aqua Park – you need to pay to go here but it’s a series of outdoor and indoor pools with slides and a cafe. Our kids had a blast and loved it. It helped that it was 31*C that day and I spent the day topping up my tan.
National Park – The national park is free. I didn’t go here as we ran out of time but it was on our list of things to do.
Happier Booking A Tour? See These Tours Around Sarajevo
Day 4: Bosnian Pyramids
Click here to search for car hire in Bosnia. Drive to the pyramid.
Visit the Pyramid of the Sun and walk up the hill to the Pyramid of the Moon.
Don’t waste your time by climbing up the southern side of the pyramid, it’s a waste of money and you’ll only see two crater-looking split holes that are pretty nondescript. According to the theories behind this site, one side of the pyramid is covered in two layers of ‘concrete’ that are the best & most durable concrete ever discovered. In between these two layers, a leaf was found.
Carbon dating showed that the leaf was roughly 28,000 years old but as the carbon dating procedure is only 85 per cent accurate, the owner has decided to add on the other 15 percent to make up for it. Yes, I’ve never once encountered that before. So the pyramid is actually 33,600 years old. Just ignore the fact that the entire area was covered in ice at the time & roll with it.
The people who work here are absolutely crackers and they trot off vague opinions as facts. For example, did you know that human beings can levitate at exactly 28 kHz and that a puddle of water in a man-dug tunnel constitutes a lake!?
I desperately wanted to visit the tunnels underneath the pyramid but I realised that the tunnels are 7km away from the ‘pyramid’ and that the owner clearly knows he’s only a profitable scheme. He claims the entrance to the energy sourcing pyramid has yet to be found but who digs 7km away from its base knowing they have to dig under a town and river? The man-dug tunnels look just like a mine shaft so if you’ve been into a mine shaft, you’ll not be interested in seeing these.
The pyramid is said to be a source of national pride with thousands of Bosnians flocking to the sight to have their photo taken with Dr Sam (who was there that day in his cowboy gat!) and buy ‘pyramid water’. The majority of Bosnians who are now in their 40s and above had a seriously disrupted education due to the war with many even fighting in the war and not receiving any education. The current government in Bosnia is not that stable and I don’t think that trust in them is all that great. Bosnian education, according to PISA, was ranked 62nd out of 79 countries. PISA was subsequently banned in Bosnia with none of the government regions being able to conclude who was to blame.
The ‘scientific’ theories proclaimed by this sight sound genuine to someone who has no understanding of science. I guess I’m fortunate that my husband (Rich) is a scientist with a Masters Degree in Physics With Acoustics and extensive knowledge of acoustics and vibration. All of the theories trotted out by were refuted by Rich who either stated the methodology or interpretation was seriously flawed or just made up.
It was all I could do to stop the kids from giggling all the way through taking the mickey out of it all. However, the Bosnians are deadly serious about it and think the pyramid is an energy source built by ‘transcending gods’. It’s all a little bit embarrassing with a touch of superstition and sentimentality and to make it worse there are loads of other quack PhD visitors who validify the place.
Side note: I do not think that all PhD holders are crackpots, just the ones who visit the pyramid to claim its authenticity.
Anyway, it’s hilarious and we had a blast.
Visit the Bosnian Pyramid of The Moon for free. Drive up to the ‘Caffe bar ‘old town”, park on the grass (GPS 43.9767082, 18.1739801) and hike up. The cafe sells icecream and coke.
We stayed in this hotel at the Pyramids. Click here to see it.
Day 5: Drive to Mostar
Today you’ll drive to Mostar, stopping at Tito’s bunker.
The Armijska Ratna Komanda D-0, also known as the Ark, ARK/D-0, and nicknamed Tito’s bunker, is a secret subterranean, Cold War nuclear bunker and military command centre located near the town of Konjic. It is enormous!
The underground bunker covers a total of 6500 square meters and has more than 100 bedrooms, two large conference rooms, operational centres with direct phone connections, water tanks, air-con systems and a whole lot more.
It was built for Tito at the height of Yukoslvia’s cold-war defence and his 350 nearest co-workers in čase of nuclear armageddon. It was never used. Beneath Tito’s bunker is a river that you can swim in.
We stopped for lunch in Konjic in a restaurant attached to a hotel that overlooked the bridge and river. It was called Konac Hotel
Day 6: Mostar
We stayed in a family-friendly hostel in Mostar. Click here to see it.
Spend the day exploring Mostar. It’s pretty small and doesn’t require more than one day. In comparison to Sarajevo, I thought it was weak, tourist-heavy and designed solely for tourists. It was very expensive in comparison to Sarajevo too.
The highlight for me was going up the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque Minaret. We were high above the city and got a fantastic view over the bridge and river.
Go down onto the beach and watch the men jumping from the bridge.
We had to find the park with the golden Bruce Lee statue and, of course, the Liverpool-themed bar (Shankly’s Pub). We chose not to do any museums because we’d done quite a few in Sarajevo.
Head up into the hills towards Zip Line Fortica – Mostar. There’s a free viewing bridge up there which enables you to see Mostar from above. The ziplining seemed a little tame but the swing underneath the viewing platform looked fun. Although you can watch the sunset from here, it’s more fun to find Merdzan Glava Fortress.
I hadn’t realised this at the time but Mostar also has a Via Ferrata.
It’s called the “Devil’s Staircase” and gives a view of the old town of Mostar.
Don’t Want To Be Alone In Mostar? Tours Around Mostar
Day 7: Multiple Locations (Bosnia Travel Plan)
Blagaj Tekija, Stolac Old Town, Provalije waterfall & swimming spot (PLAŽA- Gradsko kupaliste Stolac).
The Blagaj Tekija, or Dervish house, was built around 1520. It is a three-storey Sufi lodge situated on the banks of the Buna River and built into the mountainside. The area is free to visit although you need to pay for parking and to go inside the house.
We didn’t eat at Blagaj Tekija but opted for a small local restaurant on the Buna River’s edge. Restoran i Pansion Most It was a lovely spot on the river and we watched birds wading through the water trying to catch their lunch. You can swim here too and rent canoes and paddleboards.
Visit the oldest town in Bosnia, located in the hills above Stolac. Vidoški is a medieval city of Stolac and Vidoška Fortress is just a 15-minute walk from the centre. It dates to roughly 1400 BC.
Head to Provalije waterfall, take a walk around and then find the swimming spot of Gradsko kupaliste Stolac
Day 8: Kravice & Pocitelji
Your first stop is the Buna channel (Bunski Kanal) where the river Buna meets the river Neretva. Pull over and park and wonder at the small waterfalls and the range of wildlife. Some people swim here although we didn’t have time.
Počitelj is free to visit and should take at least 2 hours. Take your time to fully explore the old town, climb the old castle tower, walk the walls and take loads of photos. It’s a pretty unique place but be aware people do live there too. If you’re buying cherry juice from the locals here, best to choose the ones WITH sugar because these have been boiled and cooled. MY stomach wasn’t very happy with the unboiled juice!
Drive over to Kravice Waterfalls, The entrance fee is roughly 20BAM each (At the time this was roughly £10 which makes it quite expensive for a family) and it takes about 10 minutes to walk down to the basin. The waterfalls are freezing in comparison to the lush Bosnian sunshine but you can hire sun beds down there. You can swim wherever you want, rent a boat and there’s even a small cave. We saw a beautiful little pink snake sitting on the rocks here (harmless), trying to drink some of the water.
If you don’t want to spend that much money, head to the Fortress of Herzog Stjepan Vukčić Kosača.
Don’t Want To Drive in Bosnia? Book A Tour
Day 9: Drive back to Sarajevo or Lake Jablanica
If you can spend a day around the lake of Jablanica, it’s very pretty and the restaurants dotted around it are nice.
Sadly we booked an early flight and had to drive back to Sarajevo. Click here to see how much flights to Bosnia might cost you.
Bosnia Itinerary: Find accommodation in Bosnia using this interactive map
I booked all of our accommodation prior to leaving so we knew exactly where we needed to be. Use the interactive map below to search for yours.
We stayed here in this Hostel in Sarajevo (Fun fact, I’m still friends with some people we met there!)
We stayed in this hotel at the Pyramids. Click here to see it.
We stayed in a family-friendly hostel in Mostar. Click here to see it.
