Packing tips for Bosnia and Herzegovina (summer season)

We visited Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) during September, and had warm and sunny weather. Here are our tips for what to pack based on when we travelled.

• Sensible shoes! These are a must for sightseeing around BiH, including in cities like Mostar which have paved and cobbled surfaces. We’d recommend shoes with good grip, but that aren’t too heavy given it could be quite warm. I wore running shoes or Teva sandals.

• A sun hat, sunscreen and sunglasses. We’d recommend bringing sunscreen from home as we found the availability and sun protection factor less throughout BiH and Croatia, and it was reasonably expensive.

• Swimming gear! BiH only has a short (5km) stretch of coastline, but has many beautiful rivers and lakes which can make for a refreshing swim. We’d recommend packing a rash vest for sun protection if spending extended time outdoors.

• Comfortable clothes for long days of sightseeing. We found we were constantly on the go so comfortable clothes were crucial. Shorts, t-shirts and leggings were all good options.

• A water bottle – BiH has excellent tap water and many public fountains for refilling water bottles.

• A jumper for cooler evenings, especially further inland (like Sarajevo).

• Mosquito repellent if spending time outdoors in the evening, particularly outside of cities.

• Covered clothes for visiting mosques – the general rule is men and women needed to be covered to below the knee, as well as shoulders (and sometimes headscarves for women). Some mosques will provide scarves to borrow.

• An adapter and powerboard to charge devices in hotel rooms (BiH uses standard European sockets).