Sarajevo Total Siege Tour guided by a local survivor is by far the most interesting half day tour you can take when visiting Sarajevo. It will take you to the War Tunnel Museum, Jewish Cemetery, Olympic mountain Trebević (with its most famous symbol – Olympic Bobsled track), and other locations crucial for better understanding of modern World longest siege – Siege of Sarajevo.
This 4 hour experience will ensure easy understanding, reasons and facts behind the breakup and death of Yugoslavia, Siege of Sarajevo, Genocide in Srebrenica and overall story of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the same time, ideas we share are totally unbiased, fact based and first-hand experiences.
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Departure Times Twice a day: March – October 9 AM / 2 PM, November – February 9 AM / 1 PM.
Pickup Locations If you are staying in the old town of Sarajevo meet us at our office. If you are bit away from us, please let us know and we can organise advance pickup.
Activity Note: The tour is adapted to all ages and is not physically demanding. Due to the distance of the locations, we use vehicles during the tour, but most of the tour is done on foot.
First stop of the day is ex Hotel Holiday Inn and story about infamous Sarajevo Sniper Alley. Built for the Sarajevo 1984 Winter Olympics, today called Hotel Holiday, during the Siege used to be home to various foreign journalists and reporters who were reporting on Bosnian war and Siege of Sarajevo. Short walk along the infamous Sniper Alley and few interesting stories related to this place are planned in.
We pass by:
>Sarajevo Holiday Inn Hotel and infamous Sniper Alley
Next stop of the day will be War Tunnel Museum – Tunnel of Hope, which was the major “blood vessel” for heavily sieged and destroyed city. At the Tunnel we shall see a short movie about the War in Sarajevo and Tunnel, followed by going through the Tunnel itself.
At the exhibition part of the museum we will have the opportunity to see many interesting exhibits directly connected with the Siege of Sarajevo.
The trip to the tunnel and all the way in the tunnel is covered with a true first person experience of classy guide, survivor of the Siege of Sarajevo, who is always willing to answer question (no matter what they are). We will learn about the origins of the War on Balkans and Death of Yugoslavia, the dreams Serbian leaders have had, and how they succeeded to seduce large number of Serbian nationalists throughout the whole Balkans, and made them go to war.
We pass by:
Read more about the Sarajevo War Tunnel: A Crude 1,000-Yard Tunnel Is Sarajevo’s Secret Lifeline (NY Times)
>Sarajevo War Tunnel Museum
After the Tunnel we head toward the mountain Trebević which, by vast majority of its length, was a first line during the Siege and place of many battles on many battlefields.
At the site we have the opportunity to see where the real destruction appeared, such as Zlatište, Osmice, Trebević Vidikovac and many other destroyed facilities and sites.
Moreover, we will see the remains of bunkers, minefields, military tank caterpillar traces, tranches, bullets and grenade shrapnels and many many other interesting sites of destruction, which today, at the present time, haven’t yet being repaired or restored. They just stand there like two decades later, the war haven’t even ended yet.
>Trebević Olympic mountain viewpoint over the Sarajevo cable cars
Sarajevo Bobsleigh, originally built for the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, is one of the main highlights of the tour. Once there, we can admire Yugoslavian brutalist architecture, and learn more about the unfortunate events which took place at this location during the Siege of Sarajevo, since it used to stand on one of the main front lines. However, Bobsled is today featured at the top of the Worlds most beautiful abandoned places lists. It holds amazing amount of various graffiti by artists from all around the World, and you have a chance to see them all.
We pass by:
The 33 Most Beautiful Abandoned Places In The World
The tour is very much enriched with great panorama views, especially from the very top of Trebević mountain. There you will get the real feeling what the great mice and cats game had been played, and how the Republic of Srpska forces (VRS) with such a great advantage never got the real chance to take over Sarajevo city.
>Sarajevo Olympic Bobsled Track at Trebevic Mountain built for Sarajevo Winter Olympics 1984
Upon return to the city, last stop of the day will be Jewish Cemetery, known for its historical importance as it is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. However, during the Siege of Sarajevo it was the main front line and sniper nest of the Republic of Srpska army, overlooking the infamous Sniper Alley.
We pass by:
>Sarajevo Jewish Cemetery
What you will learn during the Sarajevo Siege Tour?
What Do I Need to Bring?
1. Does this tour itinerary includes visit to Sarajevo War Tunnel Museum?
Yes, our Sarajevo Siege tour does include a visit to Sarajevo War Tunnel Museum.
2. Does this tour include Sarajevo War Tunnel Museum entrance fee?
Yes it does.
3. How can I pay this tour?
You can pay this tour either in cash (EUR, BAM, USD, GBP) or by credit card (VISA and MasterCard).
4. Can this tour be combined with Sarajevo airport pickup or drop off?
This tour is the best way to combine Sarajevo airport pickup or drop off, and save the costs. Our tour departs at 9 AM and 2 PM every day. If your arrival flight is around 12 or 1 PM, it is ideal that we pick you up at 2 PM at the airport and go straight for the tour. The first stop of the tour is the Tunnel Museum, and being under the airport it is ideal. If your flight is leaving Sarajevo at 3 PM or later 7 PM or so, you can join our tour with you luggage and at the end of tour we drop you off at the airport.
In this way you only pay the costs of the tour and get transfer for free.
5. What time does Sarajevo War Tunnel open and close?
Opening times of the Sarajevo War Tunnel Museum are:
1st April – 31st October
09:00 – 17:00 (last entrance 16:30)
1st November – 31st March
09:00 – 16:00 (last entrance 15:30)
6. How do I get to the War Tunnel Museum on my own?
The best way to get to the Sarajevo War Tunnel on your own is to take Tram number three from Sarajevo city centre to Ilidza (last station). Once off the train you have three options:
1) Take a TAXI (price around 6 BAM – cca.3 EUR)
2) Take a bus #32A which leaves from Ilidza bus station to Donji Kotorac
3) Take a 30-40 min walk to address Tuneli 1 at Donji Kotorac
Additional option is to use trolley bus #103 from Sarajevo city centre – Trg Austrije to Dobrinja. Once you get out on the last station at Dobrinja, find your way with Google Maps for another 25-30 min walk to the Sarajevo War Tunnel Museum.
7. Do I need to book in advance my visit to Sarajevo War Tunnel Museum?
Our Sarajevo War Tunnel tour is limited to maximum 8 travelers and two daily departures, meaning if you are traveling in the peak of the season from May to October, it might happen that tour is booked out on certain dates, so that is why we recommend booking War Tunnel Tour in advance if possible. Also make use of Funky Tours 24hrs free of charge cancellation and cancel tour anytime.
8. How far is Sarajevo War Tunnel from Sarajevo city centre?
Depending on the road you take, Sarajevo War Tunnel is between 11.5 and 13.5 km far away from the Sarajevo old town Bascarsija. Driving time is around 25 minutes.
The available routes to get to Sarajevo War Tunnel are via Ilidza or East Sarajevo – Lukavica.
9. Can children visit Sarajevo War Tunnel museum?
The story narrative, video and photo material at the Sarajevo War Tunnel is adjusted to any age and even young kids can visit without a fear that the story is too strong for them.
10. Is the Sarajevo War Tunnel wheelchair friendly to visit?
Sarajevo War Tunnel most of the open space video and photo exhibition is “relatively” wheelchair friendly. However you need to have someone to assist you.
The actual part of the tunnel, museum part in the house and basement part of the exhibition are not wheelchair or accessible friendly.
For more information please contact the Tunnel management directly at: info@tunelspasa.ba.
This tour allows you to see various sites in the city that were important during the war. The guide, Mustapha, was very knowledgeable and shared personal stories about his experience. A must see for a short or long trip to Sarajevo.
Informative and well done tour of sites from the siege of Sarajevo in the 90s. Guide showed us not only places that were significant to the conflict as a whole, but also places that were significant to his own experiences. There were only four people on the tour when I went and the small group allowed for real conversation with our guide.
With only a limited time in Bosnia, I chose to spend most of my time on tours and had been recommended Funky Tours by a friend who had visited a few years earlier and I was so glad I did!
I booked the tours by email and arranged to pay on arrival as that was easier, Edna and her team could not have been more accommodating if they tried. I did the siege tour on the Friday, Srebrenica on Saturday and the Mostar and Herzegovina 4 cities tour on the Sunday. I had Almir for the Friday and Saturday and I’ve never in my time travelling met somebody so knowledgeable and passionate about his country. No question was too much and the insights he was able to provide on Bosnia, especially the situation in the 90s, has left a lasting impression.
Travel destroys all prejudice and it’s so important that Bosnia’s story is not forgotten. I had Anis on the Sunday and as a similar age to myself, he was incredibly knowledgable and passionate and full of surprising facts and insights into a country he clearly loved and took pride in showing me about. I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 tours and geniuinely feel like I left Bosnia as friends, knowing so much more. Both Almir and Anis spoke excellent English, were willing and able to answer questions and drove safely in challenging weather conditions.
You must use Funky Tours when in Bosnia, I can’t wait to return!
It was such lovely experience and the tour guide Almir has a lot of stories to share and personal experiences to talk about
I am writing this on behalf of myself and a friend who isn’t familiar with Trip Advisor.
We both went on the Siege of Sarajevo tour together and loved it. It was one of the best things I have done in Bosnia. Mostly in part thanks to the staff at Funky Tours, Ema, Nadira etc, who where so accommodating, with my last min requests and allowing me to bring some others as well who were so grateful. The staff were accessible to contact, even at weekends which was a huge help.
Of course, the trip was made even more exceptional thanks to our knowledgable and hugely likeable guide Almir – we really couldn’t have been assigned a better person to navigate us and to answer all our questions. Despite leaning about such a serious topic of history, he was an expert at maintaining the right amount of light hearted moments when needed as we digested the realities of such devastating actions inflicted onto the citizens of Sarajevo in the 90’s. I was like a sponge, absorbing all of his facts and accounts of his time during the Yugoslavian war and no doubt you will as well.
Don’t be shy in asking questions, as he is extremely helpful in answering them and welcomes peoples sincere interest to learn as much as possible on this important excursion of the city.
From the two of us 🤝
