How many days to spend in Sarajevo | Best things to do in Sarajevo
You asking yourself how many days to spend in Sarajevo and what are the best things to do in Sarajevo? Then you should continue reading.
Sarajevo is an amazing city, not big but with so much to explore and so many things to do. We weren’t sure how many days to spend in Sarajevo so we booked a hostel in the center of the city for 3 nights. I think 3 days is enough to explore around but I could easily stay one more, the place has so much to offer.
You can explore the old town Bascarsija, eat some amazing local food, join a free walking tour, visit museums, hike. You can even visit an abandoned bobsleigh on the hill Trebevic and ride a bicycle all the way back to Sarajevo.
So if you plan to visit Sarajevo and you don’t know how many days to spend in Sarajevo, you should continue reading.
How to get there – how many days to spend in Sarajevo
This time we were traveling with our car so it was quite comfortable for us to arrive in Sarajevo. But even if you don’t have a car it shouldn’t be a problem to reach it, you have many budget connections with buses and also trains to lots of cities in Europe.
Where we stayed in Sarajevo
We were staying in a really nice hostel, in the center of the city, the location is amazing, it’s clean and the staff is super nice. If you are into basic but comfortable accommodations, I most definitely recommend it to you, we loved the place.
For a private room with a shared bathroom and a very tasty breakfast included and we paid 11€ per person for a night. The place is called Hostel City Center Sarajevo!
What you can do in Sarajevo – how many days to spend in Sarajevo:
Join a free walking tour
We arrived one day before in the afternoon, so we missed the walking tours for that day. We saw in our hostel that they start in the morning, that we need to be at the church which was really close to our hostel at 10 a.m. A very nice group (around 10 people) were already waiting there plus the guide was really nice, she showed us a lot of nice places and most importantly we learned a lot.
I think that the free walking tour is an amazing way to know the city and the history behind it, in the end, you leave the tip to the guide, we gave 10 BAM (5,1€;5,6$) each.
Eat some local food
This is a must in Sarajevo, you have so many delicious options to try from on every corner. We enjoyed the food very much, from burek to cevapcici and delicious salads and desserts. Just take a walk around the city and you will have so many options to choose from, in the end, you won’t know where to go, we were confused all the time.
Anyway, you need to try cevapcici (is a grilled dish of minced meat, found traditionally in the Balkans) with lepinja (a traditional type of bread), and kajmak (soft creamy dairy product with rich flavor it tastes like a mix of butter and cheese).
Visit at least one museum
Sarajevo is so full of history that visiting at least one museum is a must. We went for it directly after the free walking tour, we visited the Museum of crimes against humanity and genocide, located on Muvekita street, it will cost you 10 BAM (5,1€:5,6$). I have to warn you, the images there are graphic, especially in the videos, it can be hard to watch for the more sensitive ones.
The thing is, if you don’t know anything about the Bosnian war that happened between 1992-1995, you will from there with more knowledge and you will understand better what happened the politics, and the history.
Go to the local market
Sarajevo has a couple of markets where you can buy homemade products and fresh fruits and vegetables. We visited one and bought a lot of vegetables from the garden of local ladies, for a good price. Even if you don’t buy anything you can walk around and feel the atmosphere and experience the local culture.
Explore and have a coffee in the old part of the town called Bascarsija
This is the most touristic part of Sarajevo, full of souvenir shops, restaurants and coffee places. Its located in the center, it’s small, with narrow streets and it for sure is the historical and cultural center of the city. We weren’t bothered by many tourists and locals passing by, it was actually quite enjoyable to order a coffee, tea or natural juice and just observe people passing by.
Head up to Trebevic with a cable car and see the abandoned bobsled track
The cable car was ruined during the war and after 26 years it is finally working again. One way ticket will cost you 15 BAM (7,6€;8,3$), for a return you will pay 20 BAM (10,2€;11,1$). When you will arrive at the top of Trebevic, you will be able to enjoy the beautiful view of Sarajevo.
After you are done with the view, you should check the abandoned bobsled track, it’s really close. It was built in 1984m when the city was hosting the Winter Olympics, and it is abandoned since then. It’s hidden in nature and covered with street art, a thing to see if you visit Sarajevo.
If you have enough energy you can walk it back to the city, more adventurous ones can even drive the bicycle all the way down. We came with the car so we didn’t do that but otherwise, I think we would do one or the other.
Hang out with locals
One of the best parts of traveling and the best way to immerse yourself in the local culture is by spending time with locals. And I think that it’s the people that make a place unique. And I promise you, you will meet one of the most welcoming, sociable, helpful and good people – it is not hard to make friends in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We had an amazing evening spend with locals and fellow travelers in our hostel, we forgot about the time, it was soon after midnight.
Where up next?
Most travelers we met, or came from Mostar like us or were heading there. From Sarajevo, you have a good train connection early morning for a good price. You can also go by bus, but the train is recommended in this case. You can read more about Mostar here.
