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The wooden Sebilj fountain on Baščaršija square in Sarajevo, with pigeons on the paving, visitors and the low roofs of the bazaar behind

Where to stay in Sarajevo

Photo: Filip Maljković from Belgrade, Serbia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Sarajevo

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About Sarajevo

Sarajevo's airport sits beside Ilidža, about 14 km by road from Baščaršija. The bazaar and the centre are for walking, Ilidža and the mountains suit a car, and the canton raised its tourist tax to 3 KM a night in 2025.

Bosnia and Herzegovina. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Sarajevo International (SJJ), 12 km from the city centre by the tourism board's count; the Airport Bus costs 5 KM one way. Winter fog can delay early flights. Source
Tourist tax
Sarajevo Canton, 2025: 3 KM per person per night, 4 KM from 1 to 5 January, 1 July to 31 August and 25 to 31 December. Household hosts pay a yearly lump sum per bed instead. 2026 decision unverified. Source
Guest registration
Accommodation providers register foreign guests. A visitor staying privately for more than three days, or the host, reports the stay within 48 hours of entry. Source
Visa-free stay
EU, UK and US citizens need no visa for stays of up to 90 days in a period of six months from first entry. Source
Longer stays
Beyond 90 days a visitor needs a temporary residence permit, which is issued for up to one year. Source
Currency
The convertible mark (KM), run under a currency board at 1.95583 KM to the euro. Source
Parking with a rental car
No current official street parking tariff was found as of September 2026. The tourism board says parking is usually paid in cash. Source
Winter driving
Winter equipment is compulsory from 1 November to 1 April, according to the motoring club BIHAMK (via GetCar). Source
Emergency numbers
Police 122, fire 123, ambulance 124 Source

Areas of Sarajevo

The wooden Sebilj fountain on Baščaršija square in Sarajevo, with pigeons on the paving, visitors and the low roofs of the bazaar behind
Photo: Filip Maljković from Belgrade, Serbia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Baščaršija and the old town

The Ottoman bazaar: the Sebilj fountain, Bravadžiluk with its ćevapi and pita shops, the Bey Mosque and the old Orthodox Church within a short walk of each other. It suits a first visit on foot and short stays close to the sights.

Sarajevo airport
about 14 km
Marijin Dvor
about 3 km

Car and parking

No official source on car access or current street parking prices around the bazaar was found as of September 2026. The tourism board notes that parking is usually paid in cash, so ask the host where the car goes.

Rooftops of central Sarajevo seen from above, with the Ferhadija promenade running between Austro-Hungarian buildings and the hills behind
Photographed in 2010. Photo: BiHVolim, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Centar: Ferhadija and Marijin Dvor

The Austro-Hungarian centre west of the bazaar. Ferhadija and Titova are the two main promenade streets, meeting at the Eternal Flame, and Marijin Dvor holds the Presidential Palace and other buildings of the same era. It suits a city stay with shops and cafés on the doorstep.

Sarajevo airport
about 11 km
Baščaršija
about 3 km

Car and parking

No official parking tariff for the centre was found as of September 2026; a garage or a host's space is worth settling before arrival.

Sarajevo seen from the Yellow Fortress on Vratnik: red roofs down the hillside, the city along the valley and mountains on the horizon
Photographed in 2019. Photo: Fred Romero from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Vratnik and Bistrik

Two old quarters about 1 km by road from the bazaar. Vratnik keeps Ottoman-period houses and two of its old forts, among them the Yellow Fort, which looks over the city; Bistrik has the Franciscan church of St Anthony and the Sarajevo Brewery. It suits travellers who want a base within walking distance of the sights.

Sarajevo airport
about 15 km
Vratnik to Baščaršija
about 1 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Vratnik or Bistrik was found as of September 2026; ask the host whether the house has a space.

Two swans on a grassy bank beside a small cascade at Vrelo Bosne, the springs of the Bosna near Ilidža, with trees behind
Photographed in 2021. Photo: Ethomorphis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ilidža

The suburb beside the airport, with the 3.5 km Velika aleja of plane trees planted in 1892, horse-drawn fiacres and Vrelo Bosne, the springs of the Bosna at the foot of Igman. The tram runs from Ilidža into the city. It suits drivers, late arrivals and early flights.

Sarajevo airport
about 3 km
Baščaršija
about 12 km
Vrelo Bosne
about 5 km

Car and parking

The Velika aleja is closed to motor vehicles; the protected-area authority lists paid car parks at its Ilidža end and off the M17 near the springs.

Hotels and chalets below the snow-covered spruce forest at the Jahorina ski resort in December, with people on the snow and cars parked in front
Photographed in 2017. Photo: Micki, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jahorina and Bjelašnica

The Olympic mountains. Jahorina, at 1,913 m, has been a ski resort since 1923 and counts about 170 ski days a year; Bjelašnica, at 2,067 m, held the men's alpine events of the 1984 Winter Olympics. It suits a ski week or a summer escape from the city.

Sarajevo airport to Jahorina
about 32 km

Car and parking

Two roads lead from Sarajevo to Jahorina, 28 km via Pale and 32 km via Trebević. Winter equipment is compulsory from 1 November to 1 April (BIHAMK, via GetCar); the resorts' parking rules were not verified.

Guides

Questions

Where should a first visit to Sarajevo be based?

Baščaršija or the centre around Ferhadija, for the bazaar and the promenade streets. Ilidža, about 3 km from the airport by road, suits a late arrival or an early flight.

How much is the tourist tax in Sarajevo?

The canton government set 3 KM per person per night for 2025 and 4 KM in the festival periods, with a yearly lump sum per bed for private household hosts instead. A 2026 decision was not found as of September 2026.

Do visitors have to register in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Hotels and other accommodation providers register their guests. A visitor staying privately, or the friend hosting them, reports the stay within 48 hours of entry if it lasts more than three days, according to the Service for Foreigners' Affairs.

Can a car reach Vrelo Bosne?

Only to the edge of it. The Velika aleja from Ilidža is closed to motor vehicles, with paid parking at the Ilidža end and off the M17 near the springs. The tram runs to Ilidža, about 10 minutes' walk from the avenue.