Sarajevo International Airport: where to stay, areas and recommended…

The Centrotrans line 36 shuttle connects the terminal to Baščaršija in about 30 minutes for 5 KM, with departures every 30-40 minutes from 6 to 22: in this time window the old town is almost always worth it, with mosques, museums and restaurants of the old city close at hand. The calculation changes with departures before dawn or arrivals after 22, when the bus is no longer running and only the taxi remains (about 10 minutes, 20-30 KM), and with one-night stopovers, for which a hotel next to the terminal avoids the trip altogether. The airport is in the district of Dobrinja, on the border with Ilidža, about 9 km south-west of the centre.

Dobrinja and Ilidža, next to the airport

Airport area · Hotel Brkić is about 2 km from the terminal, a few minutes by car; Sunset Dream Apartment is about 3 minutes on foot from the passenger entrance.

Best for: Departures before 6 or arrivals after 22, when the Centrotrans bus is not running, and one-night stopovers.

Pros

Check-in reachable in a few minutes even outside the Centrotrans bus hours
Generally lower rates than in the old town, useful for short stays

Cons

Only the residential district of Dobrinja/Ilidža around: for dinner you almost always stay in the area
Baščaršija still takes 10 minutes by taxi or 30-40 by bus

Recommended hotels in this area

Hotel Brkić Sarajevo Airport - Free Parking: About 2 km from the terminal, in the Ilidža district; city bus stop right at the entrance and tram terminus about 300 metres away, useful for anyone who wants to get around without a taxi.
Sunset Dream Apartment -- 2 minutes from the Airport: Apartment in a recently built building about 3 minutes on foot from the passenger entrance, with custom-made furnishings and a full kitchenette: useful for anyone with a dawn flight who wants to stay a step from check-in.

See more hotels in this area →

Baščaršija and the centre

City centre · Centrotrans bus line 36 from the terminal to Baščaršija in about 30 minutes (5 KM), departures every 30-40 minutes from 6 to 22; by taxi about 10 minutes for 20-30 KM.

Best for: For anyone who wants to visit the old town, the museums and the restaurants of the centre, accepting the bus or taxi to the airport.

Pros

Mosques, museums and alleys of Baščaršija within walking distance of the hotels in the centre
Direct bus connection to the airport, no car needed

Cons

The bus does not run at night: for very early or very late flights only the taxi remains
A central area, so traffic and noise along the main streets until late

Recommended hotels in this area

Courtyard by Marriott Sarajevo: On the bank of the Miljacka, about five blocks from the old town; opened in 2015, 132 rooms across 8 floors with a panoramic terrace and airport shuttle on request.
Swissotel Sarajevo: Opened in July 2018 at Vrbanja 1, a few steps from the Latin Bridge and from Baščaršija; 218 rooms with views over the city and the surrounding mountains, next to the City Center shopping mall.

See more hotels in this area →