Day Trip to Mostar and Kravice Waterfalls, Bosnia

Being so close to Bosnia and Herzegovina on my Croatia road trip, I knew I had to take a quick day trip to see Mostar and Kravice Waterfalls. A day trip to Mostar is easy from either Split or Dubrovnik. I already had a rental car so I worked Mostar into my Croatia itinerary while transiting between Dubrovnik and Split.

Even though it did add on some extra driving, it was interesting to see the contrast between Croatia and Bosnia. It was nice to get away from the Dalmatian coast and see the interior of the Balkans. Bosnia and Herzegovina use the convertible mark (Km) as currency. I was able to use both Croatian kuna and Euros in Mostar to avoid having to exchange currencies.

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Dubrovnik to Mostar Day Trip

A great option if you want to avoid all of the driving is to join a day trip from Dubrovnik. There are plenty of options including this one that takes in Mostar and Kravice, or this one that stops in Mostar and both Pocitelj and Medjugorje.

If you are leaving from Split, there are also tours to Mostar and Kravice you can join.

Driving from Dubrovnik to Mostar

I rented my car from the Dubrovnik Airport using Discover Cars to find the best deal and ended up using Sixt Rental, I was very happy with the car rental experience.

The drive from Dubrovnik to Mostar does take 2 hours if you drive directly. Because I detoured to Kravice Waterfalls, it took longer. It was about 2.5 hours to drive to Kravice Waterfalls from Dubrovnik, and then another hour between Kravice Waterfalls and Mostar. Afterward, driving from Mostar to Split took about 3 hours. Driving back to Croatia there are toll highways that make it quite a bit faster to get to Splot as the speed limit is 130km. The toll is also not that much, under 20 kuna, but make sure you have some change on hand or a credit card ready.

The drive along the coast before heading inland is absolutely beautiful. If you don’t have time to go to Mostar, this is still a beautiful area to drive on your way to Split. At some point, the coastal area opens up into an area full of clementine groves. The best part of driving through here is that you can buy big bags of fresh clementines to snack on.

It’s a bit strange to drive into Bosnia because if you take the coastal road, you first cross into the coastal Bosnia town of Neum. This is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s only access to the Adriatic sea. After driving through coastal Bosnia, you will enter back into Croatia before heading towards inland Bosnia and crossing the border again.

Driving in Bosnia and Herzegovina

After crossing into Bosnia & Herzegovina, the quality of roads changes pretty quickly and seems poorer than in Croatia. Overall, the roads are fine and there are tons of signs to help navigate if you don’t have a GPS. Instead of heading directly to Mostar, I made a detour first to see Kravice Falls. It’s an easy detour, but it does take you down some fairly slow-moving roads as they are through residential areas. It is nice to see the smaller Bosnian towns and landscape.

What to See on a Bosnia Day Trip from Dubrovnik

Kravice Waterfalls

Kravice Waterfalls is probably the most visited waterfalls in Bosnia, so it can get quite busy if you are there at peak tourist season.

After parking near the admission gate, there is a short 5-minute walk down a paved path to Kravice Waterfalls. There is also a little train that you can take but it runs infrequently. The walk takes you near the top of the waterfalls and the Trebižat River. The falls are about 25m and fall into a beautiful emerald coloured lake that you can swim in.

You can pay to be taken around the lake close to the cascades or to the other side of the lake. There is a small café here to eat lunch.

If you have the time and aren’t planning on visiting Plitvice or Krka Parks later on, it is well worth the visit. Kravica Waterfalls definitely gives off Plitvice vibes. It would likely be better to spend this time in Mostar if you already have a park visit planned.

Kravica Waterfalls Cost 6 KM/person or 60 kuna for two people and 1-hour parking. Open May to October.

Stari Most, Mostar

I arrived in Mostar mid-afternoon and found some paid-parking that was close to Stari Most, the famous bridge here. The area is well sign-posted so it’s easy to find. While the actual bridge is kept clear of shops and stands, both sides of the bridge up to the edges are full of all kinds of knick-knacks. If you want to buy a scarf, metal works, traditional style coffee sets, glass lanterns, then this is the place to do it. It was definitely cheapest to purchase things here rather than in Croatia.

Stari Most is the highlight of Mostar. It was rebuilt in 2004 in its original style after being destroyed in 1993 during the Bosnian War. Stari Most is really interesting to walk over because I expected it to be smooth as bridges usually are, but instead, it is a series of small steps. The bridge is quite steep and I would not want to be wearing flip-flops or heels while walking over it.

Get the Best View of Stari Most

It’s a great experience to walk over Stari Most and see the cobblestone streets and old buildings nearby. However, if you want a good vantage point of the bridge, you need to walk away from it. The best spot to take photos of Stari Most is from Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, just north of the bridge. The mosque is right next to the Neretva River, about 150m from Stari Most. Paying 6KM (3€) will allow you to view inside the mosque as well as use the garden and seating area to view Stari Most. You can also pay a bit more to be able to climb up the minaret here.  It is a more peaceful area and the mosque, built in 1618, is the second largest in Mostar.

Alternatively, on the Southwest side of Stari Most, you can walk down to the Neretva River by following footpaths. From here you get a view of the side of the bridge where the jumpers dive from. You can go in the water here but the current is swift for swimming and it is a bit chilly.

Explore the Old Town of Mostar

It is interesting to see Mostar and how it has been rebuilt after the Bosnian War. There are still remnants of the war, with bullet holes in many buildings if you look carefully. Mostar is a unique blend of Christian and Muslim sites. However, I found the bridge area to be extremely touristy and crowded. The crowds did start to thin out later in the day. Mostar is definitely a popular day trip option. It’s worth it to try and get out of the crowds a bit. It’s also a place you really have to watch out for pickpockets.

There are also a lot of tourist traps for restaurants. I know because I ate in one, the only redeeming quality of it being good baklava and Turkish style coffee.

Alternative Stops in Bosnia

If you already have waterfalls on your itinerary, like Krka or Plitvice, you may want to check out the town of Počitelj instead of Kravice Waterfalls. Počitelj is a walled hilltop city that has a UNESCO listed medieval centre. If you leave from Dubrovnik quite early, you could also visit this town on the way to Kravice Waterfalls.

If you have more time in Bosnia, Blagaj Tekke is a holy site and dervish house located at the source of the Buna River, only 12 km from Mostar. This is a popular spot to visit in Bosnia but with all the driving time and time needed to appreciated Mostar, it is hard to fit into a day trip from Dubrovnik. It is possible to stop by for a quick look at the site if you are trying to fit it into a day trip to Bosnia.

Mostar as a Day Trip

Mostar was a good day trip, but it is really hard to scratch the surface of Mostar in only an afternoon. If you can, I would stay overnight to get a better feel for the city and explore more than the Stari Most area. I was happy to be able to experience a little bit of Bosnia and see what it had to offer.

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