Mostar from Dubrovnik: Kravica, Počitelj and Međugorje, Which Tour to Pick

Mostar is the day trip from Dubrovnik that people talk about on the way home. Two hours north, across a border and into a different world: minarets and church towers in the same skyline, a cobbled Ottoman bazaar, and the Old Bridge, rebuilt stone by stone after the war and now the stage for young men who dive twenty-four metres into the green Neretva for a hat of coins. From Dubrovnik there are three tours that get you there and back in a day, and they differ in what they put around Mostar. Here is how to choose.

Version one: Kravica waterfalls, Mostar and Počitelj

The Kravica, Mostar and Počitelj day trip leaves Dubrovnik at about 07:00 with a driver and a tour escort, crosses the border near Neum, and goes first to Kravica: a horseshoe of waterfalls on the Trebižat river, twenty-five metres high and a hundred wide, with a pool you can swim in from June to September and shade for a coffee the rest of the year. The park entrance is paid on the spot. Then Mostar, with the longest free time of the day for the bridge, the Kujundžiluk bazaar, the mosques and lunch; then a stop at Počitelj on the way home, a fortified Ottoman village stacked up a hillside above the Neretva with a tower you can climb for the view. This is the best-value day trip from Dubrovnik and the one we recommend for most people, and in summer it is the one for families, because of the swim.

Version two: Mostar and Međugorje

The Mostar and Međugorje day trip follows the same early start and the same stop at Počitelj, but swaps the waterfalls for Međugorje, the village where six children reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1981 and which has since become one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. The tour gives free time there for the church of St James and, for those who want it, the walk up Apparition Hill. If Međugorje means something to you or to someone you are travelling with, this is the version; if it does not, the waterfalls are the better use of the hour.

Version three: private Mostar and Međugorje

The private Mostar and Međugorje tour is the same route with your own driver and vehicle, picked up at your hotel door, with one price for up to three people and a second for four to eight. The point is control: stay in Mostar for three hours instead of two, skip Međugorje, add Kravica, eat where you like, leave when you like. From four people it costs about the same per head as the coach and is the obvious choice for families and small groups; for two people it is the choice when the coach schedule does not fit the day.

What a day in Mostar is like

You arrive late morning when the bazaar is opening and the light is on the bridge. Walk the Kujundžiluk street of copper workshops, cross the bridge (the stone is polished and steep; hold the rail), and look back from the far bank, which is where the photograph is. The divers collect money on the bridge and jump when the hat is full, usually every half hour in summer. The Koski Mehmed Pasha mosque lets visitors climb the minaret for the view over the old town. Lunch is ćevapi, the small grilled sausages served in flatbread with onion and kajmak, in any of the terrace restaurants above the river. Keep an hour for the newer part of town if you want to see the war damage that is still visible on some facades, and the Sniper Tower; it is part of why the bridge matters.

Borders, money and timing

Bosnia and Herzegovina is outside the EU, so bring your passport; EU citizens can usually cross on a national ID card. A small border fee per person is collected on the coach tours and paid on the spot, as is the Kravica entrance. The currency is the convertible mark, but euros are accepted everywhere a tourist goes in Mostar, Kravica and Počitelj, usually at a round rate. The day is twelve hours door to door with about five of them on the road; the drive through the Neretva delta is pretty, and the escort fills it with the history. Phone roaming is outside the EU. The tours run all year; summer gives you the swim at Kravica and the divers, spring and autumn give you the bridge without the crowds.

And if you want to go further

Sarajevo is another two hours beyond Mostar, which is why it only works as the private Sarajevo day trip: twelve hours with your own driver for the Baščaršija bazaar, the Ottoman and Habsburg quarters and the siege history. Do it on a second visit, or on the same trip as Mostar if you have two free days and a strong interest in the Balkans. For the other direction, the bay of Kotor, see the Montenegro guide; for every tour from the city, the Dubrovnik guide.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Mostar from Dubrovnik?

About 140 kilometres and two hours by road, including the border. The day trips spend roughly five hours on the road in total and about two hours in Mostar itself, more on the private tour.

Which Mostar tour is best?

For most travellers, the Kravica waterfalls version: the same Mostar and Počitelj stops plus a swim or a walk at the falls, at the lowest price of any day trip from Dubrovnik. Pilgrims should take the Međugorje version; families of four or more and anyone who wants more time in Mostar should take the private tour.

Do I need a passport for Mostar?

Yes. Bosnia and Herzegovina is not in the EU. EU citizens can usually use a national ID card; everyone else needs a passport. A small border fee per person is paid on the spot on the coach tours.

Can you swim at Kravica waterfalls?

Yes, from about June to September, in the pool below the falls. Bring a swimsuit and a towel; there are changing areas and cafes. The rest of the year the falls are for walking and photographs.

Is Mostar safe to visit?

Yes. The old town is a busy tourist area, the tours are escorted, and the only real risks are the polished stones of the bridge and the summer heat. Some war damage is still visible in the newer parts of town, which is part of the city's story rather than a danger.