With kids · Sarajevo · Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jennifer Boyer from Fredrick, Maryland, USA, CC BY 2.0
Quick answer
Sarajevo is welcoming to children, with pigeons to chase in Baščaršija, the cable car up Mount Trebević and the parkland at Vrelo Bosne. Some war-related museums are not suitable for young children, so plan those visits carefully. Top picks: Baščaršija and the Sebilj, Trebević cable car and Olympic bobsleigh track and Vrelo Bosne. Families usually base themselves in Ilidža.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- Ilidža
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- August
Best things to do with kids
Market · Baščaršija
1.Baščaršija and the Sebilj
The old bazaar, founded in the 15th century, centres on the Sebilj, a wooden Ottoman-style fountain in Pigeon Square. Around it run lanes named after the crafts once practised there, such as Kazandžiluk, where coppersmiths still hammer coffee sets, and Bravadžiluk, lined with ćevapi grills.
Drink from the Sebilj; local legend says anyone who does will return to Sarajevo.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Food
- Shopping
- Kids
Viewpoint · Bistrik
2.Trebević cable car and Olympic bobsleigh track
The cable car, destroyed in the war and rebuilt in 2018, climbs from Bistrik to Mount Trebević in about 10 minutes, with views over the whole valley. From the top station, paths lead through pine forest to the abandoned 1984 Olympic bobsleigh and luge track, now covered in graffiti.
Go up in the late afternoon for the view, then walk a section of the bobsleigh track before heading down at sunset.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
- History
- Photo spot
Park · Ilidža
3.Vrelo Bosne
The springs of the Bosna river emerge at the foot of Mount Igman in a park of clear streams, small wooden bridges, swans and meadows. You can walk or take a horse-drawn carriage along the 3-km Velika aleja avenue from Ilidža.
Take tram 3 to Ilidža and walk or ride the carriage along the avenue; bring a picnic.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Couples
Museum · Marijin Dvor
4.National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Founded in 1888, the country's oldest museum covers archaeology, ethnography and natural history in four Austro-Hungarian pavilions around a botanical garden. It holds the Sarajevo Haggadah, a 14th-century illuminated Hebrew manuscript from Spain, along with medieval stećak tombstones in the garden.
Ask at the entrance whether the Haggadah room is open during your visit, as access to it varies.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Viewpoint · Kovači and Vratnik
5.Yellow Fortress (Žuta Tabija)
An 18th-century bastion on the hillside above Baščaršija, now a café terrace and the city's favourite sunset viewpoint. During Ramadan, a cannon is fired here at sunset to mark the breaking of the fast.
Arrive 30 minutes before sunset to find a spot on the wall; the walk up through Kovači takes about 15 minutes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for families and quiet stays
Ilidža
Ilidža, at the western end of the tram line, has been a spa resort since Austro-Hungarian times, with thermal hotels and the Velika aleja, a long avenue of plane and chestnut trees leading to the springs of the Bosna river. It is close to the airport and the Tunnel of Hope and suits families who want green space.
- Good
- Green spaces and spa hotels; Near the airport; Calm for families
- Watch out
- About 30–40 minutes by tram from the old town; Quiet in the evening
- Nearby
- Vrelo Bosne, Velika aleja, Tunnel of Hope, Sarajevo Airport
Family travel tips
- Take a horse-drawn carriage along the Velika aleja to Vrelo Bosne.
- The War Childhood Museum can be meaningful for older children and teenagers but is emotionally intense.
- Snow in winter means sledging and skiing on Jahorina or Bjelašnica, 30–45 minutes away.
- Pastry shops and burek bakeries make easy, cheap meals for children.
- The steep, cobbled hill neighbourhoods are difficult with strollers; stay in Ilidža or the centre.
Day trips for families
- Jajce (About 2.5–3 hours by bus or car) — A walled hill town where the Pliva river drops about 20 metres in a waterfall right beside the centre.
When to go with children
The best months overall are May–June and September–October. August is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Sarajevo good for kids?
Sarajevo is welcoming to children, with pigeons to chase in Baščaršija, the cable car up Mount Trebević and the parkland at Vrelo Bosne. Some war-related museums are not suitable for young children, so plan those visits carefully.
+What can kids do in Sarajevo?
Baščaršija and the Sebilj, Trebević cable car and Olympic bobsleigh track, Vrelo Bosne, National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Yellow Fortress (Žuta Tabija).
+Where should families stay in Sarajevo?
Ilidža: Spa suburb near the airport with a tree-lined avenue to Vrelo Bosne.