You can reach many wonderful places on a day trip from Dubrovnik, and one of the very best spots lies just beyond Croatia’s southern tip — in the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This trip will take you past seaside views in Neum, to the dramatic cascades at Kravica Waterfall, and finally to Mostar — a historic town of bridges, cobblestones, and the fantastically green Neretva River. It’s an unforgettable journey through majestic nature, cultural diversity, and the history of a deeply complex region.

Technically speaking, you won’t ever make it to Bosnia — that’s further north. But Bosnia and Herzegovina have been smashed together one way or the other for centuries, sometimes of their own free will and sometimes because all sorts of other countries — from the Huns and the Ottomans to the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia — have decided to rule them together. If you’re interested in how all of this looks on a current map, here’s why you’ll only be in Herzegovina for the day.

Neum: Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Sea

Once you leave Croatia, you may want to make your first stop the holiday town of Neum, situated on the slim 20-kilometer strip of land that is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s only access to the sea. You won’t need long here — just enough for a bio break and a cup of coffee or tea — but it will give you your first steps into the country, plus a great view (in the photo below, you’ll see Neum in the bottom right foreground; everything to the left and out in the distance belongs to Croatia).

Kravica: Waterfall Drama

After you’ve had a quick stop at Bosnia and Herzegovina’s only seaside resort, your day trip will have two main highlights. The first is the stunning Kravica (a.k.a. Kravice) Waterfall.

This spill of twenty-five-meter high cascades is simply incredible. You can swim, take a boat ride, have a drink at one of the small tavernas, bring a picnic, or just look out at the falls in awe. And you can do all of this with hundreds of your new best friends, because Kravica Falls is crowded! It’s worth getting there early (we decided to forgo the other option on our tour, the medieval city of Pocitelj, for this reason, and we were glad we did). An early visit will allow you to relax, explore the falls …

… and take a dip if you’re up to braving the current and the chill.

There is an extra small fee for visiting Kravica, but it’s entirely worth it. You do need to be up for a short walk; it’s about ten minutes via the stairs, or fifteen via the paved drive.

Mostar: The Old Town & The Old Bridge

Another fifty minutes in the car will get you to your other major destination: Mostar, the historical capital of Herzegovina.

Mostar is most famous for the Stari Most, also known as the Old Bridge, built in 1566 on the orders of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

At 20 meters (66 feet) high, the Stari Most was considered an architectural wonder at the time of its construction (sadly, the bridge was destroyed during the Bosnian War in the early 1990s; it was then rebuilt in the early 2000s). But most people don’t come to look at the architecture; instead, they come to see the high divers who — for an undetermined fee collected from the nearby throngs of tourists — will leap off the bridge into the super-cold Neretva River below.

A quieter way to spend your time is to visit the six famous mosques that date from the period of Ottoman rule in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

But you’ll end up back in the crowds no matter what; Mostar is a popular tourist destination, and the cobbled narrow streets of the Old Town are packed with more visitors than their medieval creators could possibly have envisioned.

To get away from it all, just hop into one of the many cafes that line the city’s waterways!

We really enjoyed this trip — it was fascinating to learn about Bosnia and Herzegovina from our driver and to see the natural and historical sites. That said, if you can make only one day trip from Dubrovnik, I would recommend a visit to Montenegro, mostly because the amazing town of Kotor feels more manageable than Mostar. But you can’t go wrong with either one!

Optional Stops on Your Day Trip from Dubrovnik to Bosnia & Herzegovnia

• If you leave Dubrovnik at the crack of dawn — or if you don’t care about getting to the waterfall early — you can start your Bosnia and Herzegovina journey with a visit to the walled town of Pocitelj.
• Between the Kravica waterfall and Mostar lies Medjugorje, an unofficial Catholic pilgrimage site. It’s unofficial because a group of children said that the Virgin Mary appeared to them in 1981, but the Pope isn’t so sure about that — yet the town attracts over a million people every year, and it’s the most-visited city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• If you have time on the way back, you might want to stop at the Croatian town of Ston, which is famous for its super-sweet oysters. Just note that this will involve a good bit more driving.

What to Know Before Heading Out on Your Day Trip

• Expect lots of driving. You can do it either in your own rental car or with a driver; the former will give you more freedom, and the latter will give you more rest time (and means you won’t need to rent a car and drive it across an international border).
• If you’re coming from the U.S., you won’t need a visa, but don’t forget your passport!
• If you like swimming, make sure to pack your bathing suit and a towel. There are changing and restroom facilities at Kravica; just be prepared for long lines to get changed.
• The best times to go to Kravica Falls are in spring, when the green foliage is at its peak, and in summer, when the water provides an escape from the summer heat.
• Speaking of summer heat, Mostar is hot, hot, hot in the summer! If you can visit in the spring or autumn, you’ll probably be a happier camper.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina is a much cheaper place to travel than Croatia and Montenegro. If you want to do any shopping, this is the place for it.

Discover More Amazing Activities In and Around Dubrovnik

• Magnificent Montenegro: Kotor, Perast, and scenic coastal drives
• Islands & the Croatian Countryside: Koločep, Ljuta, and Sokol Grad
• 1- & 2-Day Dubrovnik Itineraries: Must-see highlights inside the Old Town