Discover the tragic history of the Bosnian Genocide of the 1990s on this unique and sustainable Srebrenica Genocide Study Tour. Explore the events that led to the breakup of Yugoslavia and Europe’s worst genocide since World War II, while supporting local communities through responsible tourism.
Visit significant sites such as the Potočari Memorial Centre and the town of Srebrenica, gaining powerful insights into the region’s past and present. A highlight of the tour is a heartfelt lunch with a local Srebrenica family, where personal stories transform history into an unforgettable reality.
This tour offers more than historical understanding—it creates a lasting connection to Bosnia’s resilience and ongoing journey of healing and hope.
Please NoteEvery 11th of July, Funky Tours offers a free-of-charge departure to the Srebrenica Genocide commemoration, inviting everyone to attend the Srebrenica funeral and help raise awareness of this tragic event. Seats are limited, and due to the significance of the date, this tour follows a different itinerary, excluding the home-hosted lunch included in our standard tours.
SUPPORT SREBRENICA FILM FESTIVAL
Silver Frame Film Festival
PEACE OF MIND by Funky Tours policy ensures 100% of guests’ satisfaction and hassle-free experiences when booking and conducting tours and holidays with us. Learn more about our Peace of Mind policy.
Departure Times Daily at 8 AM.
Pickup Locations If you are staying in the old town of Sarajevo, meet us at our office. If you are staying a bit away from our office, please let us know, and we can organize 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 comfortable vehicles during the tour.
Meet our team at the office or at your preferred pickup location. Your guide will give you a personal, firsthand experience of sorrowful past events and introduce you to the local people of Srebrenica to complete the whole picture. They will make sure no questions remain unanswered, even of a personal nature, so don’t refrain from sharing your thoughts and opinions at any moment in time.
After the morning pickup around 8 am, you’ll spend two and a half hours on the road towards Srebrenica, where you’ll enjoy the beautiful scenery of Eastern Bosnian mountain regions, spiced up with detailed stories and important explanations behind the reasons of “Death of Yugoslavia”.
Understanding the role of Bosnia in the storm of the 90s is crucial for a better understanding of Genocide in Srebrenica.
Genocide in Srebrenica is not an event that just took place in one narrow region or one town; in fact, it is an overall story of aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina, meaning Genocide events took place in broader areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially in the region of East Bosnia, famously called Podrinje.
During your ride, you will pass through several small towns and villages where similar events have occurred. So, chronological introduction and context are very important to fully understand the story you’ll explore together that day.
The most important towns we are passing by and which are related to the story of the Srebrenica Genocide and 1990s ethnic cleansing:
Aljazzera America story on Srebrenica Genocide tour by Sarajevo Funky Tours
As soon you arrive at the Memorial Centre at Potočari, you will have a chance to participate in a locally guided tour and history class at the Memorial Centre with an official guide. The local guide in charge is a survivor of those events and a person whose experiences and stories are an extremely important part of the tour. Memorial Cemetery, where over 6500+ people in past years have been buried before being exhumed and identified, while some over 1500 victims are still missing, will be the most striking and mind-blowing part of the visit.
Other important elements of the visit will take place at the former Dutchbat UN base, where you’ll get a chance to see the newly open (Feb 2017) Museum of “Srebrenica Genocide – failure of the international community,” understand the importance of Memorial Room, see number of documentary movies, study chronological photo exhibitions, get stunned by graffiti remains, learn personal stories and stories of in-base mass grave and other elements of importance related to overall story of Srebrenica Genocide.
After three hours of visiting Potočari Memorial Centre, it’s time for a 6 km ride to Srebrenica town. Visiting this small, historically rich, ‘silver town’ (Bosnian for silver is ‘Srebro’) will give better insight into the meaning of the “World’s largest concentration camp during the 90’s”. Short walking tour for interesting photography and understanding what Srebrenica as a small town really is.
The day’s highlight is full-course home-hosted lunch with the local family in Srebrenica.
As the unemployment rate, Genocide denial, and severe discrimination of predominantly Bosniak people in Srebrenica are frequent, Funky Tours has dedicated its work to empowering local communities to participate actively in sustainable tourism.
The home-hosted full-course lunch you will be served is always made from scratch with organically grown ingredients from local farms of resilient Srebrenica Genocide survivors. Joining us for this lunch means you are treating your taste buds with once-in-a-lifetime flavors and helping us support the small local community in striving towards a better and sustainable future.
People of Srebrenica love to share their personal stories, those beautiful ones, equally as the terrible ones. Don’t be afraid to listen, understand, and actively support the sustainability of life in Srebrenica today.
Experience the region’s rich cultural heritage as you savor traditional recipes passed down through generations. This extraordinary meal not only offers a taste of Bosnia and Herzegovina but also serves as a testament to the resilience and strength of the survivors.
Join us and participate in their remarkable journey of healing and hope.
Finally, facts are known today, as what exactly happened in Srebrenica is beyond any reasonable doubt. Numerous trials at ICTY have proven it, but the true reasons and role of the Dutchbat UN forces at Srebrenica, and overall UN role, is still very hard to fully uncover.
Denial, as the last phase of Genocide and ethnic cleansing in Eastern Bosnia, still continues.
The Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, refers to the July 1995 killing of more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys, as well as the ethnic cleansing of another 25,000–30,000 refugees in and around the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by units of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) under the command of General Ratko Mladić during the Bosnian War. A paramilitary unit from Serbia known as the Scorpions, officially part of the Serbian Interior Ministry until 1991, participated in the massacre. It is alleged that foreign volunteers, including the Greek Volunteer Guard, participated.
In April 1993, the United Nations declared the besieged enclave of Srebrenica in the Drina Valley of north-eastern Bosnia a “safe area” under UN protection. However, in July 1995, the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), represented on the ground by a 400-strong contingent of armed Dutch peacekeepers, failed to prevent the town’s capture by the VRS and the subsequent massacre by the Bosnian Serbs of more than 8,000 civilians and prisoners, mostly men and boys.
The Srebrenica massacre is the largest mass murder in Europe since World War II. In 2004, in a unanimous ruling on the “Prosecutor v. Krstić” case, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), located in The Hague, ruled that the massacre of the enclave’s male inhabitants, accompanied by the forcible transfer of all of the women, children and elderly, constituted a crime of genocide. Theodor Meron, the presiding judge, stated:
By seeking to eliminate a part of the Bosnian Muslims, the Bosnian Serb forces committed genocide. They targeted the extinction of the 40,000 Bosnian Muslims living in Srebrenica, a group that was emblematic of the Bosnian Muslims in general. They stripped all the male Muslim prisoners, military and civilian, elderly and young, of their personal belongings and identification and deliberately and methodically killed them solely on the basis of their identity.
In February 2007, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concurred with the ICTY judgment that the atrocities committed at Srebrenica constituted genocide, stating:
The Court concludes that the acts committed at Srebrenica falling within Article II (a) and (b) of the Convention were committed with the specific intent to destroy in part the group of the Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina as such and accordingly that these were acts of genocide, committed by members of the VRS in and around Srebrenica from about 13 July 1995.
The ICJ also ruled that Serbia “has violated the obligation to prevent genocide” and that Serbia was to cooperate fully with the ICTY, including the transfer of individuals accused of genocide to the ICTY. Ratko Mladić has been accused by the ICTY but still remains at large and is suspected of hiding in Serbia or in the entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina called the Republic of Srpska.
The majority of those killed were adult men and teenage boys, but the victims included boys aged under 15, men over the age of 65, and even reportedly babies. The Preliminary List of People Missing or Killed in Srebrenica compiled by the Bosnian Federal Commission of Missing Persons contains 8,373 names, some 500 of them under 18, and includes several dozen women and girls. As of March 2010, 6414 genocide victims have been identified through DNA analysis of body parts recovered from mass graves and 3,647 victims have been buried at the Memorial Centre of Potočari.
In 2005, in a message to the tenth-anniversary commemoration of the genocide, the Secretary-General of the United Nations described Srebrenica as the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War, and while noting that great nations had failed to respond and that blame lay first and foremost with those who planned and carried out the massacre and those who assisted and harbored them, acknowledged that the UN itself had made serious errors of judgment and the tragedy of Srebrenica would haunt the UN’s history forever.
Serbia and Montenegro were cleared of direct responsibility for or complicity in the massacre. Still, they were found responsible for not doing enough to prevent the massacre and not prosecuting the responsible, in breach of the Genocide Convention. The Preliminary List of People Missing or Killed in Srebrenica, compiled by the Bosnian Federal Commission of Missing Persons, contains 8,373 names. As of July 2012, 6,838 genocide victims have been identified through DNA analysis of body parts recovered from mass graves; as of July 2013, 6,066 victims have been buried at the Memorial Centre of Potočari. Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić officially apologized for the massacre, although he stopped short of calling it genocide.
In 2013 and 2014, the Netherlands was found liable in its own supreme court and the Hague district court for failing in its duty to prevent more than 300 deaths.
On 8 July 2015, Russia, at the request of the Republika Srpska and Serbia, vetoed a UN resolution condemning the Srebrenica massacre as genocide. Serbia called the resolution “anti-Serb”, while European and U.S. governments affirmed that the crimes were genocide. On 9 July 2015, both the European Parliament (EP) and the U.S. Congress adopted resolutions reaffirming the description of the crime as genocide.
On 22 November 2017, Ratko Mladić was convicted of various crimes at the United Nations tribunal, including genocide, for his role at Srebrenica. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, and as well for Radovan Karadžić in 2019.
6 – 10 July 1995The Bosnian Serb Army attacked Srebrenica – within a UN-safe area previously held by the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Civilians taking refuge there are under the protection of Dutch forces.
11 JulyThousands of refugees and Srebrenica residents – mostly women, children, and the infirm – flee to the Dutch UN peacekeeping base in Potocari. Bosnian Serb commanders demanded Bosniak Muslims hand over their weapons.
12 JulyBosnian Muslim men of military age began to move north after gathering in Susnjari. They are shelled as they flee through the mountains. Some are also gunned down en route, while others are killed after surrendering.
12 JulyMale and female refugees are separated by the Bosnian Serb Army. Thousands of women, children, and the elderly are deported by bus to Bosniak Muslim territory. The men are held in trucks and warehouses.
13 – 17 JulyUp to 8,000 Bosniak men and boys are killed at a number of execution sites around Srebrenica. Reports of the atrocities began to surface on 16 July. Source: UN, ICTY.
Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 €69 | ||||||
2 €69 | 3 €69 | 4 €69 | 5 €69 | 6 €69 | 7 €69 | 8 €69 |
9 €69 | 10 €55 | 11 €69 | 12 €69 | 13 €69 | 14 €69 | 15 €69 |
16 €69 | 17 €69 | 18 €55 | 19 €69 | 20 €69 | 21 €69 | 22 €69 |
23 €69 | 24 €69 | 25 €55 | 26 €69 | 27 €69 | 28 €69 |
What Do I Need to Bring?
As part of the vision of raising awareness about the Genocide, Funky Tours offers a Srebrenica tour on the 11th of July symbolically for 1 EUR.
Book your place in advance because the number of free places is limited. Due to the commemoration day and the special nature of the tour, on July 11th the tour has a modified program and does not include a home-hosted lunch.
Funky Tours, Sarajevo
I booked 3 tours with Funky Tours prior to my arrival in Sarajevo.
Really pleased with their service. The back office staff are very efficient. They responded to my emails promptly and were able to organise everything for me quickly. Credit to Edna, Emir, and Amela for being so efficient. On my first day, I visited the office to make the payment. I was greeted by Emir and Amela, who were incredibly helpful with their tips on local travel, taxi arrangements, collecting train tickets, and local food recommendations.
During the 3 tours, I met tour guides Salem, Amar, and Mustafa. They were all extremely professional and happily accommodated my requests to ensure that my young children were comfortable and well taken care of during our full-day tours.
We took the Srebrenica tour with Salem. He was extremely helpful and has an in-depth knowledge of the war history. He made sure that my family and I were comfortable on what was a very hot day.
We took the Travnik, Jajce, and Pliva Lakes tour with Amar. He is a natural problem solver with the ability to find solutions quickly. He was happy to answer all my questions and helped me with a couple of other things as well.
Finally, we took the half-day Sarajevo Total Siege tour with Mustafa. Once again, Mustafa was very professional, providing detailed accounts of the days he and his family lived through during the siege. He articulated his personal experiences in a highly professional manner.
Each of these individuals is an asset to Funky Tours Sarajevo. It is evident that under Ema’s leadership, they function as a cohesive team, helping travellers like my family and me leave with such positive and cherished memories of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Highly recommended.
I don’t normally leave reviews, but this was just such a phenomenal experience. If there was one thing I wanted to do during my time in Bosnia, it was to go to Srebrenica to see for myself what had happened. This tour met my expectations and more. It’s one thing to read about the events in a book or see it in a documentary; it’s quite another thing to walk through the Memorial Center and cemetery and see it in front of you. Edin, our guide, was very friendly and shared his experiences from the war. It was also amazing to have lunch with a survivor and to hear her stories. If you are going to Bosnia, book this tour – you won’t forget what you see.
Thank you, Tarik!
Topic: A visit to Srebrenica is a must if you’re a tourist visiting Sarajevo.
Guide: Our guide, Tarik, was very knowledgeable and was able to give such a thorough overview of what happened in the past as well as the current situation – I highly recommend visiting Srebrenica with him! Since I’m not staying in the Old Town, he even picked me up and dropped me off, which was appreciated.
Time: Prepare to spend most of the day on the tour and have some breakfast beforehand. There are cafes and bakeries near the office.
Booking: Easy and fast responses. I booked on the Funky Tours website.
Good and informative tour
Guide was good and the home cooked lunch was delicious. The memorial centre is well presented and informative. Would recommend if you intend to visit Srebrenica.
11/10 stars, a personal and meaningful experience
We cannot compliment Funky Tours enough for our trip to Srebrenica.
It was an unforgettable experience and something we would highly recommend others.
The tour was very well organized, and the small group setting allowed for meaningful dialogue and questions throughout the day.
Our guide, Almir, shared both lighthearted and honest stories from his time during the war, and his humor and engaging personality made the trip even more meaningful and memorable.
Lunch and coffee were perfect, and it was a fabulous opportunity to learn and connect with everyone. We appreciate the hostess and her husband for being so welcoming, it was truly a privilege and a way to personally connect.
Again, 11/10 stars for this unique opportunity. Will definitely be back to BiH and will book again with Funky Tours. We can’t thank you enough.