Sarajevo airport and getting to the city centre
If you’re flying to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), it’s likely you’ll arrive (and depart) through Sarajevo International Airport. Read on for some tips on flying in, clearing immigration and getting into the city.
Where to fly from?
When we were planning our trip, we found the number of destinations with regular flights to Sarajevo more limited than for many other places. We flew from Vienna to Sarajevo with Austrian Airlines, as there were multiple flights a day and it was a short (approx. 1 hour) flight. There are also multiple flights from Istanbul to Sarajevo, as well as from other European and Middle Eastern destinations (although these may be less frequent and not on a daily basis).
Arriving at Sarajevo airport
When we arrived at Sarajevo, it was quite quick to disembark the plane onto the tarmac and then make our way into the terminal. Once inside, we queued to go through immigration. This was fairly straightforward – we had no issues getting through immigration (but please check ahead whether a visa is required, noting BiH is not part of the Schengen zone. We didn’t require visas).
After that we collected our bags and headed straight out into the terminal. We didn’t hang around (and didn’t fly out of Sarajevo at the end of our trip) so I can’t comment on what facilities were like.
Travelling from the airport to Sarajevo city centre
The airport is located on the outskirts of Sarajevo, approximately 10km from the old town, so you’ll need a plan for how to get into the city. We chose to pre-book a transfer from the airport to our accommodation, which was excellent. We used Funky Tours, a local company who we booked a couple of tours and transfers through. Our driver had our flight details and was waiting to pick us up – it was a smooth and quick trip, and the cost for us was reasonable (approx. 20 euros for a vehicle which could have seated up to four people). We didn’t run into any traffic on the road (noting it was a Sunday). I’d recommend a transfer as an easy and stress-free way to arrive (plus we got the added benefit of a local driver who gave us some tips for exploring the city).
Another option would be to take a taxi, of which there were many waiting at the airport. You will probably need to pay the driver in cash, and keep an eye on the meter to make sure it’s switched on. There may also be a slight extra charge for luggage. Speaking to other tourists who caught a taxi, it ended up being a similar price to what we paid for a private transfer.
There are also bus and trolleybus options if you want to take public transport. For some of these options you may need to leave the airport and make your way to a nearby stop.