Getting around Sarajevo

In the old town you walk, and beyond it you choose between a tram, a taxi and a cable car, each of which wants to be paid in its own way. Most of the confusion comes from the airport, the cash-only taxis and the two places that both call themselves Sarajevo on a bus timetable, so those come first. Cash settles most of it.

From the airport to the old town

The airport sits in Butmir, southwest of the centre, and the simplest way into town is the bus that runs to Baščaršija. A ticket is €2.56 (5 KM), and the ride takes about 30 min. The timetable valid from March 2026 is published as an image, so photograph it at the stop and plan the return from the same picture.

A taxi into the centre costs €10–15 (20–30 KM). Drivers in Sarajevo take cash only, so change a few notes into marks at the airport before you leave the terminal. Bring marks. The bus is the better value for one person, and the taxi is the call when you land with heavy luggage.

By bus and train to the city

Coach tickets are easy to get wrong, because the aggregator sites split the destination in two. The stops called Sarajevo and Istočno Sarajevo are different routes, and Centrotrans, one of the larger operators, runs a terminal in Istočno Sarajevo, a town in Republika Srpska. Read which one the ticket names before you pay, and make sure the stop matches where you actually want to sleep.

The train is the other way in, and it goes south. ŽFBH runs Sarajevo to Čapljina at 07.15 and 16.46, the service stops in Mostar, and the whole ride to Mostar takes about two hours. The 07.15 departure makes a workable day trip to Mostar, which has a guide of its own on this site.

Trams, trolleybuses and tickets

Sarajevo's public transport is run by GRAS, and one fare covers trams, trolleybuses and buses, so the choice between them comes down to which line happens to pass your door rather than to any difference in price. Tram 3 runs from Baščaršija to Ilidža in about 30 minutes, while trolleybus 103 links Trg Austrije with Dobrinja, also in about 30 minutes. Validate the ticket on the vehicle as you board, and keep it for the whole ride.

The day ticket pays off from the fourth ride: three single rides cost less than it, and four cost more.

On foot, by cable car and taxi

Ferhadija and Sarači are pedestrian streets, and together they carry the walk through the heart of the old bazaar. Beyond them the hill begins. The Sarajevo Cable Car climbs from Bistrik to Trebević in 33 cabins, a ride of 7 to 9 minutes. The return ticket is €15.34 (30 KM).

A one-way ticket costs €10.23 (20 KM). Either ticket is valid only on the day it is bought, so a return you do not use that day is lost. The Tunnel of Hope has no public transport option that any source confirms, so go by taxi or on a tour, and keep in mind that taxis take cash only.

By car and motorway

Motorways in Bosnia and Herzegovina are tolled by section, and the operator's site, jpautoceste.ba, lists the price of each one. Parking in Sarajevo is sold by zone, and zone 0 allows two hours at most. That is a good reason to leave the car at the hotel and take the tram instead.

Day tripsVrelo Bosne, Mostar and the mountains each need a different kind of transport, and the day trips page sorts them.Day trips from Sarajevo →

3 daysThe three-day plan shows where the tram, the cable car and the taxi fit into each day.Sarajevo in 3 days →

Where to stayWhich neighbourhood sits on the tram line, and which one is a walk from the bazaar, is on the accommodation page.Where to stay in Sarajevo →

BudgetEvery fare on this page, and what the whole trip adds up to once tickets, food and a bed are counted, is in the budget guide, which also names the evening and the Thursday when some museum entry gets cheaper or free.What Sarajevo costs →

When to goWinter changes the opening hours of the Tunnel of Hope, so the page on when to go matters here, and so do its notes on smog, snow and the ski season in the mountains above the city, which affect how you get around.The best time to visit Sarajevo →

FoodFor the stops between the tram and the next ticket, the food page lists what to eat.What to eat in Sarajevo →

MistakesThe mistakes page covers the ticket and cash traps that catch visitors, from the cash-only Tunnel to the one-day cable car pass.Mistakes everyone makes in Sarajevo →

Hidden gemsThe bobsled track is reached by cable car, and the other three quieter places are described on their own page.Sarajevo off the main path: houses, a bezistan and a bobsled track →

MuseumsWhich museum is open on which day, and what its ticket costs, is on the museums page.Museums in Sarajevo →