Sarajevo Spring Tour - 8 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Sarajevo

Welcome to Sarajevo! Meet your driver upon your arrival at the airport and transfer to your hotel to check in and relax after your journey. Depending on your arrival time, you may like to acquaint yourself with the city. Take a stroll from your hotel along the Miljacka River. Pay attention to the variety of architectural styles, from modern skyrise buildings to Austro-Hungarian grandeur, to the Ottoman-era shops and restaurants nestled in the old quarter known as Baščaršija. 

In the evening, you'll meet up with your group at a central restaurant to enjoy a welcome dinner featuring local Sarajevo specialties and to discuss the upcoming week.

Day 2: Foodie walking tour & coppersmith workshop

After a light breakfast at your hotel, you will meet your knowledgeable guide to begin your foodie walking tour of the capital. Begin with the city's main attractions, including Baščaršija, the old bazaar quarter and City Hall (Vijećnica)—a site completely renovated after being destroyed in the 1992 Bosnian War. Treat your tastebuds to a Bosnian style brunch accompanied with a cup of traditional Bosnian coffee. You'll end the tour with a stop at a coppersmith workshop in Baščaršija to learn from a local artisan regarding his craft as well as to make your own souvenir. 

The rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to spend as you choose. You may wish to head to the top of Sarajevo’s tallest skyscraper, Azaz Twist Tower, for panoramic views over the city before finding your way to one of Sarajevo's many bars, like Blind Tiger for a pre-dinner cocktail.

Day 3: Tito’s Bunker & Jablanica

Start the day early with a drive (about an hour) to the outskirts of the village of Konjic to find a nondescript house along the river Neretva. Hidden behind it is an entrance to the forgotten nuclear bunker, the Armijska Ratna Komanda (ARK) D-0 of Yugoslav president Josip Tito. Built leading up to the Cold War, you will have the opportunity to explore the command rooms and the layout of the bunker before carrying on through picturesque scenery to Jablanica. 

Known throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina for its spit-roasted lamb, you'll stop for lunch at one of the area's finest restaurants. With a full belly, you'll return to your accommodation to enjoy the remainder of the evening at your own pace.

Day 4: Explore Sarajevo & beer tasting in Dobrinja

Spend today exploring Sarajevo as you like. Visit one of the city's popular museums like the Childhood Museum and Gallery 11/07/95 for an insightful look into the country's emotional history or the National Museum and History Museum for a recounting of history through archaeology, ethnology, and natural sciences. Break up all the learning with some time spent in nature. Walk along Wilson's Lane (Vilsonovo Šetalište) following the river—a hotspot for locals, or visit Vrelo Bosne, a park that features forest, lakes, and small waterfalls at the foot of Mount Igman.

In the evening, switch gears and join your group to visit a pub in the Dobrinja suburb on the outskirts of Sarajevo. Here you will have the opportunity to try regional beers, from Bosnian breweries as well as neighboring countries, alongside local pub fare.

Day 5: Free morning & cooking class

Take advantage of a free morning and complete a little souvenir and gift shopping. Pick up Rahat lokum (Turkish delight) and dzezva and fildzani, traditional Bosnian coffee pot and cups. Afterward, meet your guide and head to a local market to stock up on ingredients featured in typical meals before transferring out of Sarajevo to your cooking class venue. Here you will learn how to prepare three typical dishes, followed by consuming the delicious spread with a glass of wine (or two).

Day 6: Skakavac hike - Optional snowshoeing excursion (weather dependent)

Today is reserved for a moderate hike to the country's largest waterfall, Skakavac, a declared natural monument. Meet your guide and transfer to the village of Nahorevo and to the starting point of the excursion. From here, you will trek up to the top of Skakavac for a rest coupled with breathtaking views before making the descent through dense forest where you'll learn about native animals and plants as you work your way to the waterfalls' base (nearly 322 feet to the bottom). When you're ready, you'll complete the hike (4-5 hours) with your return to Nahorevo from which you will then transfer back to your hotel.

Alternatively, if the mountain snows have yet to melt there is the option to go snowshoeing on Mount Bjelašnica. You'll meet your guide at your hotel and head out of the city to the eastern side of the mountain where you will get outfitted in the appropriate gear as well as receive a lesson in snowshoeing. Your walk will take you through snow-covered alpine forests that open up to beautiful vistas of the valley below and distant mountains (about 4-5 hours). Along the way, you will break for snacks, warming beverages, and lunch.

After a day of physical activity, take the rest of the day at a relaxed pace. Enjoy a leisurely dinner at one of Sarajevo’s fine restaurants such as Apetit or Four Rooms of Mrs. Safija or enjoy your favorite evening tipple at the curiously funky bar, Zlatna Ribica.

Day 7: Trebević Mountain, Tunnel of Hope & White Fortress

After breakfast, meet your guide and venture outside of the city for a tour of the surrounding environs, starting with a cable car ride up Trebević mountain for stunning views. Here you will trek to the 1984 Olympic's bobsled and luge track to learn about Sarajevo's revival. Next, you will continue the driving portion of today's tour, stopping at the old Jewish cemetery to uncover the intertwined histories of the city and Judaism. From here, you will carry on to the Tunnel of Hope, an underground tunnel that acted as the only connection between Sarajevo and the outside world during the Bosnian War.

Enjoy a traditional lunch followed by a final stop at the 16th-century White Fortress (Bijela Tabija) for an all-encompassing view over the city. A perfect spot to make lasting memories of the capital.

Day 8: Depart Sarajevo

Depending on your departure details, you may have time to take one final walk along the Miljacka River, stopping for a Bosnian coffee or an early lunch of filo-pastry pie, cevapcici or klepe, before transferring to the airport for your onward journey.