Mostar, Konjic, Blagaj and Pocitelj Small-Group Day Trip from Sarajevo

Konjic and its Ottoman stone bridge

Konjic is the first stop, about an hour south of Sarajevo, where the Neretva River runs clear and turquoise between green hills. The town is known for its six-arched Old Bridge, built in the late seventeenth century, destroyed at the end of the Second World War and carefully rebuilt in 2009 with stone from the original quarries.

The town is also famous for its woodcarving tradition, recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage, and small workshops still carve furniture and decorative panels by hand. A short walk over the bridge and along the riverbank gives you the first great photo of the day, and your guide explains how Konjic grew up as a crossing point between Sarajevo and the coast.

Jablanica Lake and the ruined railway bridge

The road then follows Jablanica Lake, a long emerald reservoir created by a dam on the Neretva in the 1950s and framed by steep mountains. At a scenic terrace you stop for a traditional Bosnian coffee, served in a small copper pot with sugar cubes and a sweet, while your guide explains the ritual of slow coffee that Bosnians treasure.

In Jablanica itself you see the twisted remains of the railway bridge over the Neretva, a reminder of the Battle of the Neretva in 1943, one of the decisive episodes of the Second World War in Yugoslavia. A short visit here adds real historical depth to the drive and is one of the most photographed spots on any Mostar day trip from Sarajevo.

Mostar and the Old Bridge

Mostar is the heart of the day. The Old Bridge, a single slender stone arch high above the Neretva, was completed in the sixteenth century, destroyed in 1993 and rebuilt with the original techniques, reopening in 2004; the old town around it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In summer you may see local divers leap from the parapet into the cold river far below.

You walk the cobbled lanes of the old bazaar, lined with copper workshops and souvenir stalls, see the slender minarets that mark the skyline and have free time for lunch by the river. If you are wondering whether a Mostar tour is worth it, this walk across the bridge at the centre of the old town is the answer.

Fortica Skywalk above Mostar

Above the city rises Fortica Hill, where a glass-floored skywalk juts out from the slope. Standing on it, you look straight down the cliff and across the whole of Mostar: the old town, the bridge, the Neretva winding through the valley and the mountains of Herzegovina beyond.

The visit is short but spectacular, and it gives a perspective on the city that most travellers never see. Your guide times the stop for the best light where possible, and this is also one of the places where the included drone footage is filmed when the weather allows. It is the perfect spot to understand how Mostar grew on both banks of the river, and to pick out the Old Bridge you walked across a little earlier.

Blagaj Tekija at the Buna River spring

Just south of Mostar, the Buna River bursts out of a cave at the foot of a sheer cliff more than 200 metres high, one of the most powerful karst springs in Europe. Beside it stands the Blagaj Tekija, a dervish house of the Ottoman period with wooden balconies and small domes, built right against the rock.

You can visit the tekija, watch the deep blue water and small cascades and enjoy the calm of one of the most beautiful places in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Modest clothing is expected inside the tekija, where headscarves are offered to women at the entrance; your guide shares the history of the dervish tradition here.

Počitelj and Stolac

Počitelj is a fortified stone village climbing a hillside above the Neretva, with a medieval fortress tower, an Ottoman mosque from the sixteenth century, a clock tower and narrow stone lanes. Climbing to the fortress rewards you with a sweeping view of the river valley, and the village is a favourite with photographers in late afternoon light.

The last stop is Stolac, an old town on the Bregava River, and the nearby Radimlja necropolis, where medieval tombstones known as stećci are carved with figures, hunting scenes and patterns. The site is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing, and it closes the day with a side of Herzegovina few visitors see before the drive back to Sarajevo.