Jajce, Travnik & Pliva Watermills: Day Trip from Sarajevo

Summary

Medieval fortresses, riverside coffee and fairytale watermills from Sarajevo

You’ll wander Travnik’s fortress and sip Bosnian coffee by a rushing spring before heading to Jajce for its famous waterfall and layered history. Explore catacombs carved into rock, then walk among Pliva’s wooden watermills and enjoy lunch by a crystal-clear lake. This day trip from Sarajevo leaves you with more questions than answers — in a good way.

What’s the experience like?

“You have to try the coffee here — it’s different,” our guide Adnan grinned as we sat by the Blue Water springs in Travnik. I tried to sip slowly but honestly, the river noise and that thick, almost chocolatey smell made me forget myself for a second. The old Ottoman fort loomed above us, stone walls catching the early sun. We wandered up after, passing a group of kids chasing a football through narrow lanes — one of them waved at us with both hands, like he was double-checking we saw him. Travnik felt lived-in, not staged.

The drive to Jajce was longer than I expected — maybe two hours? — but the landscape kept changing; green hills rolling into sharper cliffs, then suddenly that waterfall right in the center of town. It’s wild how loud it is up close. Adnan told us about postcards people used to send from here in Austro-Hungarian times — “the most beautiful waterfall in the empire,” he said, quoting some Czech tourist. I stood there thinking about all those layers of history: kings crowned in old churches (now just stone shells), mosques with stories carved into their walls. We ducked into the catacombs too — cool air and candle smell clinging to my jacket.

I didn’t expect to care much about watermills but Pliva lake changed my mind. The huts really do look like something out of a storybook (I know that sounds cliché but it’s true). The wood is rough under your hand and you can hear water rushing right beneath your feet. Lunch was grilled trout by the lake — simple, fresh, nothing fancy but I still think about it sometimes when I’m hungry back home. On the way back to Sarajevo I watched the light shift across the hills and realized I’d barely checked my phone all day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Explore Travnik and Jajce highlights

• Start tour at 8:00 am
• Visit Travnik Old Fort
• See Suleymanis Mosque
• Break at Blue Water Springs
• Visit medieval city of Jajce
• Explore Catacombs of Jajce
• See Gothic style church ruins
• Visit Esma Sultanija Mosque
• View Pliva waterfall
• Visit Pliva watermills
• Enjoy Pliva lakes scenery
• Lunch break at Pliva lake
• Prepare to return to Sarajevo

Top questions

How long is the day trip from Sarajevo to Jajce?

The tour starts at 8:00 am and returns in the evening after visiting Travnik, Jajce, Pliva lakes and watermills.

Is lunch included on this Sarajevo day trip?

Lunch is included during your stop at Pliva Lake near Jajce.

Are entry fees or tickets required for any sites?

Entry fees are included where needed; your guide handles logistics.

What is special about Travnik on this tour?

You visit Travnik’s medieval fortress and drink coffee by Blue Water springs before continuing to Jajce.

Can infants join this tour?

Yes, specialized infant seats are available upon request.

What are the Pliva watermills?

The Pliva watermills are historic wooden huts built over streams near Pliva Lake; they once ground grain for local farmers.

Is this tour suitable for all fitness levels?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels; walking is moderate with breaks.

What’s included

Your day includes private transportation from Sarajevo with bottled water on board, stops at Travnik fortress and Blue Water springs for Bosnian coffee, guided walks through Jajce’s historic center including its catacombs and mosques, time at Pliva lakes and fairy-tale watermills with lunch by the lake before heading back to Sarajevo in comfort.