7 Best day trips from Mostar for different travel styles
Mostar is one of the most visited cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and it is very easy to understand why. The city is simply beautiful and it has a very strong cultural and historical background, making it one of the most interesting places to visit in the country. But, if you will be spending a few days in Mostar, doing a day trip is a great idea to visit also places near Mostar.
Since Mostar is the main city of the Herzegovina region in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is often used as a base to explore the rest of the area. In this article, we have put together the best day trips and tours to do from Mostar.
PS: The easiest way to arrange all the day trips from Mostar we will cover in this post is by driving, so we strongly recommend renting a car for your Bosnia trip. If renting a car is not an option for you, don’t worry because we have gathered links to Mostar day tours that you can book, whenever we find one available.
Kravice Waterfalls
There is no better way to kick off the list of best day trips from Mostar than recommending Kravice Waterfalls.
The Kravice Waterfalls are located only 40 km away from Mostar and they are the best option for a day trip if you are interested in natural sights. The Kravice Waterfalls are 25 meters high, forming a wide and calm pool where you can swim and stay for the entire day.
The best time of the year to make the day trip from Mostar to the Kravice Waterfalls is during the summer months so you can take a break from the heat by jumping in the water. If you are traveling during the winter, you can still visit the falls, as they are open all year round (but you may want to skip the swimming part).
How to get there
The 40 km drive from Mostar to the Kravice Waterfalls is very straightforward but it takes almost 1 hour because the path goes through small and winding roads.
You can also book this day tour from Mostar to Kravice. It includes also stops in other locations such as Blagaj and Počitelj, which we will explain a bit below.
Blagaj Tekke
The day trip to Blagaj from Mostar is another very popular option, so you will have no trouble finding tours or transport options for this one.
Blagaj Tekke is a Dervish Monastery located only 14 km away from Mostar. The monastery complex nowadays functions as a museum which you can visit for a 5 EUR ticket. However, the monastery is still active and it still holds ceremonies and events throughout the year.
One of the things that make Blagaj so special is the unique location it was built – almost craved in the rocks and in front of the spring of the Buna River. From the viewpoint across the river, you can see the most picture-perfect view, where the monastery reflects on the river creating a very idyllic landscape.
How to get to Blagaj
You can drive from Mostar to Blagaj, it takes only 20 min to get there. Since both towns are very close, you can also use public transport or a taxi if you don’t have your own car.
Another option is to book a day tour from Mostar if you want to visit Blagaj on an organized tour.
Počitelj
Počitelj is a small town located 30 km away from Mostar, but it is so unique that it deserves a visit. The center of Počitelj is almost entirely made of stone buildings, from the narrow alleys all the way to the city castle that sits on top of the hill, overlooking the whole center. Most of the buildings in Počitelj date from the 16th century, which is why the town is currently on the Tentative List for UNESCO’s World Heritage Register.
Počitelj is considered to have a very strategic location. On one hand, it is located along the Neretva River, the same one that flows under the Old Bridge in Mostar. On the other hand, it is located very close to the Croatian border, towards the south of Mostar.
The city is fairly small – you will only need a couple of hours to explore the entire city center. This is a day trip from Mostar we always recommend, especially for those interested in history and ancient cities.
How to get to Počitelj
Driving from Mostar to Počitelj will take a bit more than 30 minutes. Most people usually combine the visit to Počitelj and the Kravice Waterfalls within the same day trip from Mostar.
You can also book a tour that includes both of these stops.
Medjugorje
Medjugorje is an interesting day trip option from Mostar for travelers interested in religious sites. It may sound like an odd recommendation since Medjugorje is a very small town, but it is the number one Catholic pilgrimage destination in the country.
Medjugorje started attracting attention after 1981, the year when there has supposedly been an apparition of the Virgin Mary in town. So far, the Roman Catholic Church has not acknowledged the event but the six local kids who experienced it – who are now adults – still claim to see the Virgin Mary often.
Ever since that episode, the city is now visited by over a million religious pilgrims every year who wish to go to the same apparition location and see it for themselves.
How to get to Medjugorje
Medjugorje is located only 25 km from Mostar and it takes around 35 minutes to drive there. The drive is easy and it is the best way to cross this day trip from Mostar off your list since there aren’t many tour options available.
Neretva Bridge and the Jablanica Lake
This next suggestion for a day trip from Mostar is for those interested in history. The Neretva Bridge was the stage of an important battle between the Yugoslavian Partisans and the Axis Forces during World War II. The battle is known as the “Battle for the Wounded on the Neretva”.
During the battle, the bridge was blown up twice – once partially by the partisans as a decoy for the Axis Forces, which then in return blew it up entirely. Nowadays, the fallen side of the bridge is still there and a pedestrian pathway was built as part of the museum that stands by the river as a memorial of the battle.
If you are interested in this story, we recommend watching the Oscar-nominated movie “Battle on the Neretva”.
A bit further down is Jablanica Lake, which has a beautiful turquoise color. Unfortunately, there aren’t many good spots or cafes to stop along the lake, but you can see it when driving on the side of the road.
How to get to the Neretva Bridge
The best way to get to the Neretva Bridge is by car. Driving from Mostar to the Neretva Bridge takes around 50 min. The road is very windy as you will be driving in the middle of the mountains, essentially following the Neretva River uphill from Mostar.
Pro tip: This is the path that connects Mostar to Sarajevo, so if you don’t want to make this a full-day trip from Mostar, you can also just plan a stop when driving between these two cities.
Blidinje Nature Park
Bosnia has many interesting cities, but for us, nothing matches the amazing landscapes. We love that Bosnia is still such a raw country with beautiful natural spots and the Blidinje Nature Park is an excellent example of it.
We recommend going to Blidinje Nature Park if you will be visiting Mostar during the warmer months of the year as the best thing to do in the park is to go hiking or cycling. You can go up until the Blidinje Lake or hike to the famous arch rock formation.
How to get to Blidinje Nature Park
From all the day trip options we have listed here, this is the furthest one from Mostar. The best way to get to Blidinje Nature Park is by driving and it will take you around 1h 30m to get there.
You can combine the visit to Blidinje Nature Park and the Neretva Bridge on the same day trip from Mostar because the bridge is on the way to the park.
Radimlja, the medieval tombstones
This is another day trip recommendation for those of you who are interested in history. Since 2016, Radimlja is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards.
Stećci, the plural of stećak, are tombstones dating back to the 15-16th century and made with intricate carvings and inscriptions. They are only found in the Balkan region, with the great majority of them being in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is what makes Radimlja so unique; in this small town, you can find 110 of these tombstones in one place, making it one of the best sites to see them.
How to get to Radimlja
For this day trip, you will need to drive from Mostar to Radimlja, which takes around 30 min. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any company offering this day tour. If you don’t have a car, the only alternative would be to get a private guide.
Do you need to rent a car for your trip?
We always use DiscoverCars to rent our car. So far it has proved to be not only the cheapest option but also the most reliable one. We used DiscoverCars to rent our car for our trips through Slovenia, Montenegro, Serbia, Italy, and so many other countries, and we never had any issues. We even convinced all of our friends and family to use it. So that’s why we are also recommending it to you!
Bonus tip: Day trip from Mostar to Croatia
We tried focusing this guide with day trip ideas with places located near Mostar that you could go to and come back within the same day. We also tried focusing on the Herzegovina region of Bosnia, so you could really see the best this region has to offer.
However, since Mostar is very close to the border, many people go on a day trip from Mostar to Croatia and vice-versa. This can be a good option if this is your only alternative for doing so. Most people go to Dubrovnik or Split, which are approximately 2h away from Mostar each.
I personally do not think it is worth it to go to Croatia for a single day and back. Both Split and Dubrovnik are amazing cities that deserve a few days so you can explore them fully. But if this is a day trip that you would be interested in, I just wanted to note it here as it is a viable option.
How to get around Mostar and the places nearby
If there is one thing all of these Mostar day trips have in common, it is the fact that we recommend driving to the site. The main reason for this is because the public transport options are very limited in these small towns, and some of the attractions we suggest are natural spots, not even located within any city.
Driving will make your life easier and your Bosnia trip 10x more interesting, because you can make your own itinerary and stop at any time.
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We always use Discover Cars for renting cars when we travel. They have very interesting deals and good availability, including in the Balkan region.
Do you need to rent a car for your trip?
We always use DiscoverCars to rent our car. So far it has proved to be not only the cheapest option but also the most reliable one. We used DiscoverCars to rent our car for our trips through Slovenia, Montenegro, Serbia, Italy, and so many other countries, and we never had any issues. We even convinced all of our friends and family to use it. So that’s why we are also recommending it to you!
More about your trip to Mostar
Do you need more information to plan your trip to Mostar? We have a full guide on what to do in Mostar, including tips on where to stay and eat in town.
Organizing your trip
To help you plan your trip to Bosnia, we have put together our favorite planning resources:
- Flights: Get affordable flights to Bosnia on Skyscanner.com.
- Travel insurance: Make sure you are protected during your trip. We use SafetyWing whenever we are traveling abroad.
- Renting a car: We always use Discover Cars to get the best car deals.
- Accommodation: Find the best hotels and apartments on Booking.com.
- Activities: Get fun ideas of what to do and buy unique activities with Get Your Guide.
- SIM Card: Stay connected during your trip with Airalo.
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