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Need Advice: Mostar and/or Sarajevo En Route from Dubrovnik to Split

Our extended family group (5 adults and 3 teenage boys) will spend 13 days in Croatia and Slovenia June 2025. We will arrive at Dubrovnik (DBV) and drive on a rental car all the way to Zagreb. En route from Dubrovnik to Split, we would like to make a detour to visit Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH). I am considering the following 3 options to do this short detour visit:

Option 1
From DBV drive all the way to Sarajevo (SJJ). Do sightseeing in the afternoon and evening. Stay overnight in SJJ. Drive to Mostar the next day and visit there for a few hours. Then drive to Split.

Option 2
FROM DBV drive all the way to SJJ. Stay 2 nights there for a full day visit. Then drive to Mostar for a few hours visit before arriving at Split.

Option 3
From DBV drive to Mostar. Stay overnight there. Next day drive to Split.

We are mostly interested in scenery, architecture and cultures, not much in the history. I understand that there are some pretty sceneries on the way to these places. We may only want to visit a few, not all of them. We plan to visit Plitvice NP after Split. Therefore, may not want to stop to visit other waterfalls there. I also don’t plan to visit too may history museum there.
I would really appreciate some feedback from very knowledge people on this forum. Which of the above 3 options is/are practical? I just want some different taste/culture experience mixed with Croatia experience with our limited time there. Thanks very much for your help!

Posted by
4714 posts

I understand the temptation of Option 1, but I don’t think you would enjoy it.

Either Option 2 or 3 are doable; but, as much as I love Sarajevo, I would probably say Option 3.

Although, if you actually have 2 nights to give to Sarajevo, I might choose that as long as you skip Mostar. The drive on to Split will require concentration and time. Take the north route and stop in Travnik - it is beautiful and more manageable as a short stop.