4-Day Sarajevo City Break: Explore & Stay in Bosnia’s Vibrant Capital

Destination: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Accommodation: Hotel Colors inn 4* or similar
Meals Included: B

Morning/Afternoon: Private Airport transfer from Sarajevo International Airport to Sarajevo city is included in the package price. Once you check in your hotel, the rest of the day is free to rest and get ready for a great week to follow up.

Evening:On your own. In the evening, you have free time that you can use to relax and make up for the time difference of the trip (jet lag), or if you are in a good mood, visit some of the locations we suggest. Our guides are more than happy to recommend places for dinner or night out, in order to make your first night in Sarajevo as accommodating as possible.

Destination: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Accommodation: Hotel Colors inn 4* or similar
Meals Included: B 

Activity Note: Today’s itinerary includes walking on uneven terrain, while visiting some of the ruins during our Sarajevo Siege tour. Make sure to have some water with you, and always take attention to the present day weather forecast.

Breakfast: Our well chosen range of hotels in Sarajevo start serving buffet-style breakfast around 7 AM, featuring Bosnian and International options.

Morning: The morning part of the day will start at 10 AM when we plan to set out for the walking tour of the old part and city centre of Sarajevo. Our 2.5/3 hour tour will cover the stories of origins of Sarajevo and the medieval Bosnian Kingdom. We shall visit the Ottoman and Austria-Hungarian parts of Sarajevo, which both with its stunning markets, bazaars, mosques, churches and synagogues will reveal the true nature of the real European Jerusalem. We’ll make sure to visit the Latin Bridge and learn the story about how WWI was triggered right here, in the heart of Sarajevo. Sarajevo’s 1984 Winter Olympics and life during the Siege of Sarajevo will surely be part of our story today.

After the walking you will have some free time to further explore the centre of Sarajevo on your own. You might stay in the Ottoman part of Sarajevo delving into hidden cobblestone streets, discovering the breath of Sarajevo’s mystical past, or alternatively visit Austria-Hungarian part and understand why Sarajevo is a city located on the crossroad of cultures.

Lunch: Get ready to try the most famous dish of the Balkans, at the most important stop of the Balkans – the glorious Sarajevo’s Ćevapi or Ćevapčići. In Sarajevo, Ćevapi are made of pure beef with basic spices and are hardly to be found of such a quality anywhere in the rest of the Balkans. For vegetarians we have alternatives available where we suggest trying traditional Bosnia “pita” (eng. pie) with cheese, spinach or potatoes. In the Balkans generally this food is referred to as “burek”, but in Sarajevo if you order burek, you will be served with meat pita.

Afternoon: Your afternoon session (starting at 2 PM) is fully reserved for the important story of Siege of Sarajevo, the story of the impossible survival and story of the worst Genocide in Europe since the WWII. Funky Tours Top Experiences aims to deliver a clear and unbiased understanding of the topics we consider important for better overall understanding of the Balkans.

Your host for the afternoon session will be local Sarajevan, an ex Bosnian army soldier who during the 1990ies was directly involved in the resistance organised by the local people of Sarajevo. When joint force of Yugoslavian National Army, Serbian Paramilitaries and local Bosnian Serbs initiated general attack on Bosnia and Herzegovina with goal of taking the control of Bosnian capital, only a few people “got their heads” together and started organising resistance. Resistance which later proved crucial for defending Bosnian independence and saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

Places in focus will be Sarajevo’s infamous Sniper Alley and Hotel Holiday Inn, Sarajevo War Tunnel, Sarajevo Olympic Bobsled and Olympic mountain of Trebević, Jewish cemetery and numerous other locations scattered throughout the Bosnian capital, today serving as the memory of the 1990ies bloody years.

The story you will follow will be firsthand experiences of local Sarajevo Siege survivors, backed up with ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia) verdicts and official judgements. The Balkans today are place where wars have ended in military way, but wars of denial, especially denial of Genocide and wars of relativisation are still going on. Making sure that the unbiased facts of the 1990ies conflicts are well documented and shared is an imperative.

Dinner/Evening: Evening time is reserved for traditional Bosnian dinner. Try traditional Bosnian food while chatting about Bosnian culture of living and present day challenges of life. Traditional Bosnian brandy (Šljivovica) and tasty wines of Herzegovina (Žilavka and Blatina) are a must try. Keep in mind that Bosnian food is widely based on meat, but Funky Tours will make sure we have available options equally for vegetarians and vegans.

Destination: Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Accommodation: Hotel Colors inn 4* or similar
Meals Included: B – L

Activity Note: Meeting our guest’s needs and preferences is what we strive for. Today, you will be given two choices, depending on what you find more convenient for your BiH explorations.

Breakfast: Another absolutely amazing morning and time to start a day a bit earlier. After the tasty buffet breakfast and plethora of local and international choices brought by the amazing hotel staff, we will pick you up and head for another amazing experience of your choice.

Option 1: Lukomir Nomad Village

Activity Note: Although we strongly recommend a full hiking experience, do not feel discouraged in case you are not opting for a full day hike. This trip can easily be adjusted and coordinated to fit anyone’s preferences and fitness level.

Morning: If you are a nature lover and hiking enthusiast, Lukomir Nomad Village is your choice of a day no matter the fitness level.

We will start after breakfast and head towards the captivating Olympic beauty – Mountain Bjelasnica which is a home to the most isolated village in the country, Lukomir Nomad Village. Our first stop of the day will be a small village Umoljani where we shall leave our vehicle and enjoy the breathtaking sceneries of Studeni Potok (Cold Creek) and enter the mysterious world of legends while admiring the stone carved Dragon – Ažbaha.

In case you choose a full hiking adventure, the first part of the Umoljani to Lukomir village trail will be a 3.30 hour long hike which will take us from Umoljani all the way to the 1986 m high Obalj peak looming over the enchanting Lukomir village. We will have a short break at the top and admire the spectacular views over the Rakitnica Canyon and mountains of Treskavica, Visocica with numerous small villages in distance.

Lunch: We shall descend to Lukomir at around 12 PM and do some nice walks through this vibrant village which gets completely abandoned with the first snow every year. We will learn about the small local community of nomads, admire their fairytale-like homes and gardens and enjoy spectacular tastes of freshly prepared Bosnian pie made from the home grown vegetables. After the lunch, refreshments and inevitable Bosnian coffee, we will head towards the Rakitnica Canyon.

Afternoon: The return hike following the amazing Rakitnica Canyon will be a roughly 2.30hrs of an easy flat hike. With its length of 26km, Rakitnica canyon is the longest canyon in the country, and one of the European most remote and unexplored canyons.

We will walk the trail at the upper edge of the canyon and, once again, enjoy some amazing views until the path takes us back to Umoljani. We shall return to Sarajevo in the afternoon hours and let you have some free time to rest and explore the city on your own.

Option 2: Srebrenica Genocide Study Tour & Lunch with locals

Morning: We will pick you up from your hotel after breakfast and head towards Srebrenica. During the, roughly, 3hrs of drive, we will pass along some picturesque villages and stunning sceneries of the remote parts of East Bosnia known for its fertile vast fields embraced by the high mountain peaks.

Along the way we will discuss the ex-Yugoslavia, from its rise to its fall, from the reasons to consequences and slowly introduce you to the story of the largest massacre in Europe ever since WWII.

During the drive, we will pass the remote places of Sokolac, Vlasenica with the notorious Sušica Concentration Camp, Milići, Kravica warehouse, the place of mass mass execution of nearly 1200 man in Kravica warehouse and Bratunac, place where Srebrenica Genocide victims were held first before the executions.

Once we reach Potocari, we will visit the Memorial Centre complex with the cemetery and the former Dutch UN base where you’ll get a chance to see Museum of “Srebrenica Genocide – failure of international community”, the Memorial Room, documentary movies, chronological photo exhibitions, graffiti remains and listen to the testimonies of the genocide survivors.

Most importantly, you will have a chance to meet the local survivor who will guide you through the Memorial and share some of his/her personal stories and experiences.

Lunch: It is impossible to decide what will be the highlight of today’s day as each moment will be absolutely overwhelming, but if we must choose a highlight, we will always go with supporting the local community and intense work on reconciliation.

After the Memorial Center we will meet with our hosts at their home and, over the tasty home-cooked lunch prepared from home-grown organic products, we will discuss further on the past, present and future of Srebrenica.

Afternoon/Evening: Last part of a day will be some nice and easy walks in the Srebrenica town and admiring the sunset from the viewpoint towering the mosque, catholic & orthodox church nestled in less than 200 m distance. We shall return to Sarajevo around 6 PM and let you have some free time to relax and explore the city on your own.

Option 3: Mostar and 4 cities of Herzegovina

Morning: As soon as we finish our delicious breakfast we leave Sarajevo at 8 AM. The road will take us south-west towards Konjic, where we plan to visit the Konjic old town and famous Tito’s Bunker.

The old town of Konjic is dominated by the beautiful turquoise Neretva river and Konjic old bridge, dating from the period of the Ottoman era. At the very vicinity of the Konjic, there is probably the best kept and one of the most expensive Yugoslavian secrets – the famous Tito’s Bunker. Built during the period of 26 years (1953 – 1979), at the peak of the Cold War, Tito’s Bunker cost $4,7bln, and was meant to hide top Yugoslavian leadership in case of nuclear invasion. Since the Bunker was never used, and was protected from destruction intended by escaping Yugoslavian Army soldiers in 1992, today it is perfectly preserved as originally built, and offers great insight into the Yugoslavian past. At the same time, by hosting permanent modern art displays, it serves as a modern art space of global importance.

After we leave Konjic, we shall take an amazingly scenic road passing by the Jablanica lake and via the Neretva river canyon, we’ll arrive at Jablanica town.

Jablanica town is home to the famous WWII story of the Neretva battle, tasty roasted lamb and stunningly beautiful natural surroundings. At a location called “Bridge over Neretva”, we shall give insight into one of Tito’s most famous military maneuvers during WWII.

During the winter of 1943, under a combined attack by Axis powers’ enemies, Tito’s brilliant strategic maneuvers made partisans “win” the battle, which in the upcoming years, proved Tito worthy the title of Marshall. Nationwide, the battle was referred to as the “World’s most humane battle”, according to which, the Oscar nominated movie was filmed in 1969.

Then we continue through some really amazing parts of Neretva river canyon, telling the unique stories of Herzegovina, before we arrive to our second stop – Počitelj.

Stunningly nested above Neretva river, visit to Počitelj (“Počivati” – Bos.”to rest in peace”), easy uphill, one hour long walking activity, accompanied with a stories of town’s development and strategic importance during its 600+ year long written history and visit to most important sites such as Hajji Alija Mosque, Clock Tower and Gavrankapetanovic tower, IS A MUST, for anyone passing through or near Herzegovina region.

Unique, medieval, Ottoman era glorified, present day Ottoman-Mediterranean style designed fortress – town Počitelj, is one of the very few urban ensembles in Bosnia and Herzegovina preserved in their integrity to the present times.

In the end of the walk we take some time for locally grown fresh lemonade or Bosnian coffee if you prefer 🙂

Afternoon:After Počitelj, we keep going, and after short ride arrive to Blagaj.

Blagaj town is home to Buna river spring – Europe’s most beautiful, most powerful, clean and drinkable karst river spring, settled beneath few hundred meters high rock. Water comes out of quite large but stunningly deep cave, which springs amazing 43 cubic meters of water per second. Can you imagine this?

Just next to the spring, under the rock, is home to Blagaj Tekke – Dervish house, dating most likely pre or early Ottoman era from early 16th century, as unique sacral-residential example of Islamic architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Visiting this complex and learning more about Dervish life in Herzegovina as important part of our history is, MUST DO.

For Muslim travellers “Tekija” is place where prayers are hosted 5 times a day and can be attended if wanted.

As we finish visit to “Blagajska Tekija” and “Izvor rijeke Bune” we stay there for bit longer. It is time for lunch. Due to famousness and cleanliness of Buna river the most important thing to taste in Blagaj today is local trout. That is why we don’t leave the place before we offer our guests to try locally prepared trout on “Blagaj Way”, enjoying amazing scenery of Buna river spring and Dervish house next to it. Vegetarians don’t worry, we have solutions for you as well 🙂

Later only, 15 minute further it is time for Mostar experience which is the most important jewel on our “Herzegovina Necklace” day trip.

As soon as we arrive to Mostar we start our walking tour which will cover most important sites and locations in Mostar.

We focus at Mostar’s Old Bridge, Old Bazaar and Old Town, but offer stories of Mostar’s uniqueness, in regard to historical and cultural diversity.

Story of Mostar will be about the Bridge, it’s rise and fall, and how it had risen again. You will learn about Siege of Mostar, about why it is called Mostar, about “Mostarians”. We recreate Mostar for you and with you.

In Mostar, if preferred, we give our guests free time to explore on their own as we simply do not like to “hold a candle all the way”.

Sunsets are amazing time in Mostar, so we’ll have drink at place overlooking the bridge panorama and discuss more about everything we did today.

When Mostar is done, it is time to go back to Sarajevo, and it will take us around two hours ride before we are “home”.

The reason why, during this day tour, we prefer to arrive to Mostar around 3 or 4 pm and then explore Mostar, is because in the afternoon most of the day tours and big groups passing through Mostar are already gone, so we get to have Mostar for ourselves for maximised experience.

Evening: On the way back we can make another break for those desiring to try famous roasted lamb at Jablanica. We expect to be in Sarajevo around 7 pm, so better don’t plan too many things that evening as days can be quite long sometime.

Option 4: Jajce and Travnik tour

Morning:Morning ride will take us through interesting regions of central Bosnia, passing by Visoko town and valley of Bosnian Pyramids. We will continue the ride along the flows of river Bosna and Lasva including an especially beautiful flow and canyon of Vrbas. Nearly three hours later, we will arrive to Jajce.

Once there, the first thing we go and see is one of the World’s most beautiful waterfalls, and the only one in the World placed in the city center, famous Pliva Waterfalls – spot where Pliva river ends its flow and meets Vrbas is simply breathtaking.

After we bless our eyes and soul we are good for a walking tour through Jajce. We will visit Jajce Citadel (Fortress), the Museum of the Second Session of the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ), Medvjed Kula, the Tower of St. Luke, famous Catacombs – underground church, one of the World’s very few mosques named after woman – Mosque of Esma Sultanija, and much more. All followed with interesting stories.

Jajce Citadel is an amazingly interesting place giving us great opportunity to see whole area around us and Jajce itself.

Lunch: After we have “tasted” Jajce for roughly 2.30 hours we go for the Lakes. In the vicinity of Jajce on Pliva river there are two lakes. Only five kilometres away we’ll check out Large and Small Pliva lakes.

Very interesting part of the Pliva lakes story are Mills at small Pliva lake. Amongst people famously called “Mlinčići”, which once have been main promotional material for postcards and tourist potential of Great Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy. We will make a stop there too.

Afternoon: After we finish exploring Jajce town, Pliva lakes and mills, we move towards our next destination, Travnik.

Ottoman time vizier’s town, later Nobel prize winner birthplace with stunning Plava Voda spring, Coloured mosque and old Ottoman fortress are places definitely worth stopping by.

Travnik is also famous for tasty Ćevapi or Travnik white cheese, so why not make this stop not only interesting, but also tastily-interesting.

Doing a break at Plava Voda with some good Bosnian coffee is also a must.

Evening: On your own. Arrival to Sarajevo is expected at 7 PM. However, having in mind we are always pushing our limits and going above and beyond in order to keep up with the outstanding quality of each of our trips, the day can be even longer.

Destination: Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Accommodation: Hotel Colors inn 4* or similar
Meals Included: B 

Morning/Afternoon: Free time in Sarajevo until airport transfer for your departure.

In case your transfer is in the later afternoon, we can combine it with some half day tours in Sarajevo, with discounted additional charge.You can consider the following:

1. Sarajevo Coppersmith Workshop
2. Sarajevo Street Art Tour & Graffiti Workshop