Is Sarajevo Safe for Solo Female Travellers?
My Experience
I’ve rarely seen a place where history blends with culture the way it does in Bosnia & Herzegovina’s capital Sarajevo. You can still feel the echoes of recent wars and footsteps of many empires that passed through here. But how safe is it to visit now as a solo, female traveller and what do you need to know before you go? Here is my experience and tips!
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Planning your trip?
How to get to Sarajevo:
Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) is conveniently located just 10 km from the city center. A direct airport bus runs roughly every hour and costs only 5 KM (around €2.50). You can buy tickets directly from the driver or ahead of time using the CentroCard app.
Alternatively, you could reach Sarajevo by bus from e.g. Mostar or Kotor or Croatia. The main bus station is a short 30min tram from the city centre. There’s many local intercity bus lines as well as international buses like Flixbus.
Where to stay in Sarajevo?
Sarajevo is surrounded by mountains with the city centre in a sort of bowl in between, so it’s best to avoid staying too far out of the city centre. A good guideline is anything within walking distance of the Baščaršija, the old Bazaar area.
Check out my full accommodation guide for Sarajevo here.
Best hostels and hotels in Sarajevo:
🛏️Hostel Rio – Old Town, free laundry and has a female dormitory room
🏬Hotel NOVA Inn – central but quiet location, lovely rooms
🏩 Hotel Swissôtel Sarajevo– luxury rooms, pool and Spa, central
Activities to check out:
Is Sarajevo Safe for Solo, Female Travellers?
My Experience of Sarajevo as a Solo, Female Traveller
My experience of Sarajevo was overall really positive. I felt safe walking the streets, locals were usually friendly and there was no catcalling or harassment in any way.
The only “negative” thing I experienced was that some restaurants were a bit weird and didn’t come to help straight away when they noticed I was solo dining, but it was also a very busy time. To be fair as well, I still find solo eating out intimidating and it sometimes translates in my demeanour. I did find some extremely friendly restaurants in the end.
Either way, I really enjoyed my time in Sarajevo and was even happy to walk around in the evening alone. Would highly recommend visiting for other solo, female travellers!
Safety Overview and Concerns
Here is an overview of safety and any concerns you may have heard about:
Land mines and other remnants from the Bosnian War
Only around 2% of Bosnia is contaminated by land mines now, almost all areas that haven’t been cleared yet are obviously marked. These areas are usually in secluded mountain regions and rural parts of Bosnia. Even when hiking, the risk is extremely low as long as you stay on trail and look out for the warning signs.
Protests
Protests and demonstrations do happen at times, stay away from the affected areas. As a tourists, you will usually not be affected by these.
Petty Crime
As with any bigger city, beware of pickpockets and keep your valuables close. Avoid obvious displays of wealth, just as a safety precaution when travelling alone (I’d honestly recommend this for any city). Car theft has been increasing, so don’t leave valuables lying in it (Mount Trebević has been named as a specific targeted area).
Harassment
I witnessed zero harassment or cat calling while in Sarajevo (as well as Mostar). The most I got were curious looks when locals saw me walking alone or eating out alone. I would say to make sure you dress appropriately when visiting a religious establishment, but that goes everywhere.
Road Safety
Road rules are sometimes taken as more of a suggestion and drivers can be on the aggressive side. Be careful at crossings as a pedestrian. Some roads that go off the main ones aren’t in the best condition so be careful.
Navigating Cultural Norms & Expectations
As a tourists, I honestly didn’t feel any pressure regarding cultural norms in Sarajevo. Tourists in general seemed to wear whatever around Old Town.
Sarajevo is famous for its many different cultures and religions, so it’s hard to pin one specific cultural norm anyway. Be respectful when entering religious buildings, which often means covering shoulders and knees and at times even hair for women.
Things to be aware of is that bills aren’t always able to be split and that topics of conversation regarding the Bosnian War, Yugoslavia and Tito are best avoided. Not because someone may react badly, but you want to be respectful and unless you know the history well, it’s easy to create misunderstandings.
It’s also always polite to know a little of the language:
Zdravo (ZDRAH-voh) / Hello
Hvala (HVAH-lah) / Thank You
Da (dah) and Ne (neh) / Yes and No
Molim (MOH-leem) / Please
Safest Neighborhoods to Stay in Sarajevo
Sarajevo is overall really safe and well-connected with trams and buses, meaning anywhere is pretty good location-wise.
For maximum safety, staying within walking distance of Old Town, aka the Baščaršija, is perfect. There’s lots of other tourists in those areas, they are well lit even at night and all attractions are nearby.
Check out my full accommodation guide here.
$ Hostel Rio – Old Town, free laundry and has a female dormitory room
$$ Hotel NOVA Inn– central but quiet location, lovely rooms
$$$ Hotel Swissôtel Sarajevo – luxury rooms, pool and Spa, central
Practical Safety Tips for Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Keep valuables close to your body and hidden. I love my Uniqlo crossbody bag for travelling and use a small carabiner to prevent anyone easily opening it.
- When using taxis, make sure they have the official TAXI sign on top of the car and a license plate starting with TA. The driver should always use the meter. Moj Taxi is the only legal ride sharing app in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
- Stay on paths when hiking. This is pretty simple, but there are some unexploded landmines (mostly in very remote areas) and it’s not worth the risk of leaving a marked path.
- Carry some cash in the local currency convertible mark. Some touristy shops in Mostar and Sarajevo accepted Euros too, but it’s best to have local currency. There’s a few exchange places in Old Town or you can get it from an ATM with a travel card (I use Revolut).
Solo Female Travel Highlights in Sarajevo
Some of my highlights of things to do as a solo, female traveller in Sarajevo were:
- A Tunnel of Hope Tour led by a local survivor of the Sarajevo Siege
- Wandering the Old Town around Bascarsija and checking out the local craftsmanship
- Trying some Bosnian Coffee
- Visiting the old Olympic Bobsled track that is now graffitied on top of Mount Trebević
- Going on a daytrip to the beautiful Mostar
Check out my full guide on must-do things in Sarajevo here.
Emergency Numbers in Sarajevo
In Bosnia, to call an Ambulance you dial 124, it’s a 24 hour emergency line. For Police, it’s 122 and fire dial 123.
They may not always speak English, so if you can get a passerby to help, or if you’re not solo, the other person can use the translation app on their phone.
When travelling solo, it can also be extremely helpful to ask your hostel/hotel for their contact number, as they will be able to call for help for you in an emergency!
Final Verdict: Is Sarajevo Safe for Solo Female Travellers?
Yes, Sarajevo is safe for solo, female travellers. As long as you listen to your gut and follow the basic safety precautions you would in any other city, Sarajevo is a gorgeous city full of history and culture.
Hi, I'm Bell
I’m a solo traveller, writer and designer. I created my blog to share the many different ways to travel the world. Learn more about me here!
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