This summer holidays, my family and I spent couple of weeks in Croatia. When we were in Dubrovnik in Croatia for a few days, we decided to visit the neighboring country of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Daily from Dubrovnik there are day trips to Bosnia and Herzegovina where you can experience the best of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We booked our trip through Viator and as our hotel was centrally located in the city, we were picked from our hotel.
Our trip started at 7:30am in the morning and we were dropped back to our hotel at 7:30pm. Our vehicle was a minivan with a driver and an experienced guide. There were 6 other tourists in our minivan.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a small country with a big name. I didn’t have a clue about this country except for the violent Bosnian war in 1990’s. Bosnia and Herzegovina is beautiful in a rugged way with a East-meets-West atmosphere.
After we left behind Dubrovnik, we made a small stop at the coastal town of Neum for breakfast, shopping and for taking pictures. It is Bosnia’s only Adriatic coastal town.
Next, we visited Medjugorje an important place of pilgrimage for the Catholics since the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared on Apparition Hill. We attended the mass in the church and got free time to roam around the town. Frankly speaking, we didn’t find anything extraordinary or special about this place, you can give it a miss.
We continued along the picturesque Neretva river delta to the village of Pocitelj. We loved the Ottoman-era fortress village of Pocitelj and took a stroll in the village center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also visited the historical landmarks like Haji Ali Mosque and the Fort on top of the hill above the village.
Our last destination was Mostar, a cultural and religious meeting point. We spent at least 3 hours in Mostar. It is most famous for its iconic old bridge, a single arch stone bridge. We visited the old bridge, the mosque, old bridge museum and took the narrow staircase that leads up to the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque’s minaret for the panoramic views of the town.
The narrow alleys near the bridge is full of shops, market stalls and restaurants. We spent our time exploring the small alleyways and hunting for souvenirs. We had an authentic Bosnian lunch followed by Bosnian Coffee. Turkish cuisine inspired Bosnian food is worth trying and so is the coffee.
After that we had a relaxing journey back to Dubrovnik while soaking in the craggy view of Bosnian countryside. It was a good experience and if you’re staying in Dubrovnik for 4-5 days, then I’ll definitely recommend this day trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Timings: 7:30am-7:30pm
Pricing: USD 58 per person (coach tour)
USD 178 per person for small group tour (maximum 8 passengers)
It includes tour guide, local guide in Mostar, hotel pickup-drop off and does not include food and drinks.
Requirement: Current valid passport with visa for the border crossing.
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