🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina — Travel Guide for Israelis
An East-meets-West crossroads in Sarajevo, the legendary bridge in Mostar, and a small Adriatic coastline at Neum — a Balkan destination rich in history, including a distinctive Jewish heritage. Note the travel advisory status further down this page.
ℹ️ Travel advisory status
Checked on 28 August 2026: Israel's National Security Council classifies Bosnia and Herzegovina as Level 2 — occasional threat, and recommends taking increased precautions. Check the latest official guidance before travelling.
1Why Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a rare East-meets-West crossroads — ancient Sarajevo with its Ottoman-era bazaar and Austro-Hungarian architecture, Mostar with its famous stone bridge, and Neum, Bosnia's short and only Adriatic coastline. It's a destination with deep history — including the 1990s siege of Sarajevo, still visible in the city today — alongside an old and fascinating Sephardic Jewish community.
2Flights from Israel
We could not verify current, reliable information about a direct flight between Tel Aviv and Sarajevo (SJJ) — routes to this destination have changed more than once in recent years. Before planning a trip, check live availability for direct and connecting flights via the search tool, including the option of flying to a nearby airport (such as Dubrovnik or Zagreb) and continuing overland.
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Search flights to Sarajevo from Tel Aviv
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We do not currently have verified, up-to-date official information on exact visa requirements for Israeli passport holders travelling to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before booking a flight, check current entry requirements with an official source or with a Bosnian embassy/consulate. Also make sure your passport has sufficient validity for your travel dates.
4Best time to visit
Sarajevo — continental climate: cold, snowy winters and relatively pleasant summers. Spring and autumn are recommended for city touring.
Mostar & Neum — a noticeably warmer Mediterranean climate than Sarajevo; summers can be very hot — Mostar is considered Bosnia's sunniest and hottest city.
For the Neum coast, the typical swimming season is the summer months.
5Sarajevo, Mostar & Neum
Sarajevo
Baščaršija — the old Ottoman bazaar, founded in 1462, the heart of the city's tourism, with the famous Sebilj wooden fountain and the clock tower.
Vijećnica — the city hall and former library, an impressive 1894 building badly damaged in the 1992 war and reopened only in 2014 after a long restoration.
The Latin Bridge — where the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand took place in 1914, beside the Museum of Sarajevo 1878-1918.
Tunnel of Hope (Tunel spasa) — a museum built around a surviving section of the 1993 war tunnel, the besieged city's only lifeline.
Sarajevo Roses — red resin-filled mortar scars in the pavement, marking sites where at least three people were killed during the siege.
Sarajevo is known as one of few European cities where a mosque, a Catholic church, an Orthodox church and a synagogue all stand within a short walk of each other.
Mostar
Stari Most (the Old Bridge) — built 1557-1566, destroyed in the 1993 war and rebuilt by 2004; a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. Local divers still leap from the bridge into the Neretva river below.
Kujundžiluk — the old goldsmiths' bazaar street, today craft shops.
The "Sniper Tower" — a derelict building used as a sniper position during the 1993-94 siege of Mostar, today viewed from the outside only as a wartime relic.
Day trips from Mostar
Blagaj (Blagaj Tekija) — a Sufi dervish lodge at the source of the Buna river, about 10 km from Mostar.
Kravica waterfall — a striking natural waterfall, about 40 km from Mostar.
Počitelj — a beautifully preserved fortified Ottoman-era village, about 30 km from Mostar.
Neum
Bosnia's only town on the Adriatic coast — a short strip of coastline between northern and southern Croatia. Since the Pelješac Bridge in Croatia opened in 2022, travellers no longer need to pass through Neum along the Dalmatian coastal route, but it remains a pleasant seaside stop in its own right.
6Jewish heritage
Bosnia, and Sarajevo in particular, has a rich Jewish history beginning with the arrival of Sephardic Jews in the early 16th century following the 1492 expulsion from Spain. At its peak, on the eve of World War II, Sarajevo's Jewish community numbered around 10,000-12,000 — roughly a fifth of the city's population. Of Bosnia's approximately 14,000 Jews, around 10,000 were murdered in the Holocaust; today about 280 Jews remain in the country.
The Sarajevo Haggadah — an illuminated 14th-century manuscript from Catalonia, among the oldest and most important of its kind in the world. Sold to the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1894. Good to know: the original is kept in a secure vault and is not routinely on public display — if you hope to see it, check with the museum in advance.
The Old Synagogue (1581) — today the Museum of the Jews of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Ashkenazi Synagogue (1902) — a Moorish Revival building, designated a national monument.
La Benevolencija — a Jewish community organisation founded in 1892; during the siege of Sarajevo it ran pharmacies, a clinic and a soup kitchen serving 320 meals a day to residents of all backgrounds, and helped evacuate thousands from the besieged city.
7Transport
If renting a car for self-drive touring in Bosnia, an international driving permit is required. Winter equipment (winter tyres and snow chains) is mandatory from 1 November to 15 April. Third-party insurance is compulsory. Further detail on distances, travel times and public transport between the cities is worth checking closer to your travel dates, as this kind of information changes fairly often.
8Money & language
The currency is the Bosnian convertible mark (BAM / KM), pegged to the euro at a fixed rate (1 EUR = 1.95583 BAM).
Bosnia is not an EU member and the euro is not official currency — bring convertible marks.
The official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian — variants of the same Serbo-Croatian language, with Bosnian showing more Turkish-Persian-Arabic influence from the Ottoman period. Latin script predominates in the Federation; Cyrillic is used in Republika Srpska.
9FAQ
Do Israelis need a visa for Bosnia?
We do not currently have verified, up-to-date information on this — check entry requirements with an official source before booking your flight.
What is the Sarajevo Haggadah?
An illuminated 14th-century Jewish manuscript, among the oldest and most significant in the world, held at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The original isn't always on public display — check in advance.
Is Neum part of Bosnia?
Yes — it's Bosnia's only Adriatic coastline, surrounded on both sides by Croatian territory.
What currency is used in Bosnia?
The Bosnian convertible mark (BAM), pegged to the euro. The euro itself is not official currency in Bosnia.