Sarajevo: Bosnian Cooking Class & Herzegovina Wine at Local Home

Summary

Cook Bosnian classics in a Sarajevo home with local wine and laughter

You’ll join locals in their Sarajevo hilltop home for a hands-on Bosnian cooking class with classic dishes like burek and sogan dolma. Enjoy coffee on arrival, plenty of Herzegovina wine while you cook (and laugh), then share everything you’ve made together at their family table overlooking the city.

What’s the experience like?

The taxi wound its way up this steep Sarajevo hill — I honestly wondered if we’d make it, but then the city just opened up below us. Our hosts were already waiting at the door, waving us inside like old friends. The kitchen smelled like onions and something earthy (maybe spinach?), and there was this clink of glasses as they poured us a welcome drink. I tried to say “hvala” properly; Li laughed, definitely not my best attempt. We sat for coffee first, looking out over all those red rooftops and minarets poking through the mist.

Our Bosnian cooking class started slow — just chopping vegetables and talking about family recipes. The guide (she insisted we call her Amra) handed me a pile of spinach leaves for japrak, showing how to roll them tight around the filling. It’s trickier than it looks! There was music on in the background, something soft and local, and every so often Amra would nudge another glass of Herzegovina wine into my hand (“it helps with burek dough,” she said). My fingers got sticky from the dough, but nobody seemed to mind — actually, I think that was half the point.

I didn’t expect to laugh so much over onions stuffed with meat (sogan dolma), or to feel oddly proud when my burek didn’t fall apart. When we finally sat down together at their big wooden table — food everywhere, wine bottles open — it felt like visiting cousins you’d never met before. The view over Sarajevo looked different after sunset; softer somehow. I still think about that warmth in the room more than any recipe.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Bosnian cooking lessons and tasting

• Arrive at home above Sarajevo
• Enjoy welcome drink and panoramic view
• Meet hosts and relax with coffee or tea
• Prepare onions filled with meat and rice
• Make spinach leaves rolled with meat and rice
• Cook paprika filled with meat and rice
• Roll phyllo dough with potatoes, meat, or cheese
• Enjoy Herzegovina wine during cooking
• Taste the dishes made together
• Ask questions and learn about local cuisine

Top questions

Where does the Bosnian cooking class take place?

It's held in a local family's home on top of a hill above Sarajevo.

What dishes do you learn to cook during the class?

You’ll make sogan dolma (stuffed onions), japrak (stuffed spinach leaves), dolma (stuffed peppers), and burek with seasonal fillings.

Is Herzegovina wine included in the experience?

Yes, quality Herzegovina wine is served during the cooking lesson.

Are vegetarian or vegan options available?

Yes, vegetarian and vegan options are available upon request.

Is dinner included after the cooking lesson?

Yes, you’ll eat everything you prepare together as your dinner.

Is there a welcome drink or coffee on arrival?

You’re offered coffee or tea as a welcome drink when you arrive.

How do I get to the host’s house for the class?

You’ll need to arrange your own transport up to their home above Sarajevo.

What’s included

Your evening includes a welcome drink of coffee or tea on arrival, hands-on Bosnian cooking lessons covering several traditional dishes, generous pours of Herzegovina wine throughout the class, and finally sharing all your homemade food together for dinner around your hosts’ table overlooking Sarajevo.