Imagine a group of massive waterfalls with a paradisiacal natural pool at the base where you can swim. To make things better, the waterfalls are surrounded by the trees, giving the entire area a “hidden paradise” kind of a feel. Welcome to Kravice Waterfalls in Bosnia and Herzegovina – our favorite stop in the Balkans road trip. [or as locals call it Kravica Waterfall]

Kravice Waterfalls are 25 meters high and are so spectacular that they are also called “mini-Niagara falls”. The water becomes steamy as it dramatically falls into the shallow pools.

Not many people end up visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina, but they visit the more popular neighbour – Croatia. Kravice Waterfalls are so close to Croatia that it makes total sense to include this stop on your Croatia road trip too.

Check Car Rental Prices in Bosnia-Herzegovina

San and I have visited both Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina – and we prefer the latter. Bosnia and Herzegovina is less crowded, much cheaper, and really as beautiful as Croatia [if not more]. Most of Bosnia and Herzegovina is forested and Kravice is in Herzegovina part of the country.

Kravice Waterfalls reminded me of a popular photo spot inside Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes National Park (picture below). Except in Kravice, there are no crazy crowds and swimming inside the pools is permitted! Much better, no? 

Where are Kravice Waterfalls?

Kravice Waterfalls are in Herzegovina part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The beautiful Trebižat River with blue – green water creates this 26 – 28 meter high waterfall. The falls are under protection as natural rarity since 1954.

Kravice Waterfalls are very close to Dubrovnik in Croatia and Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both Dubrovnik and Mostar are popular tourist destinations, because of this, many travelers make a day trip to Kravice from these two places.

Dubrovnik is a walled beach destination that was made famous by the Game of Thrones series, while Mostar is famous for its Ottoman style old bridge, which was mostly destroyed in the war. Check out this post to see some of the best beaches of Dubrovnik.

The nearest town to Kravice is Studenci. Mostar has really picked up as a tourist destination in the last 2 years, and even more so this summer. As per Lonely Planet, jumping off Mostar’s bridge is the number 1 reason to visit Bosnia & Herzegovina.

How to Reach Kravice Waterfalls by Bus

If you’re already in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is easy to reach Kravica waterfalls by local transport but be prepared to change your bus a few times. Ideally, you’d want to reach Mostar first where you can spend the night. After that, look for the buses that go from to Mostar to Capljina, then Capljina to Ljubuski. Or from Mostar to Ljubuski, then Ljubuski to Capljina. Check out Getbybus for pre-booking your ticket.

Driving from Dubrovnik to Kravice Waterfalls

We actually drove to Kravice Waterfalls from a little riverside town called Visegrad. The drive from Dubrovnik to Kravice Waterfalls is barely 2.5 hours. If you’re a group of two or more, then it makes more sense to just rent a car and visit Kravice Waterfalls from Dubrovnik instead of public transport.

Check Car Rental Prices in Bosnia-Herzegovina

When you drive from Dubrovnik to Kravice Waterfalls, you will cross the Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina border where they will stop you and check your car papers, drivers license, passport and entry permit. Most likely your rented car will have an EU number, if not then your car needs to have a “green card” for border crossing.

From Dubrovnik, you need to drive to Zaton, Trsteno on D8 and cross the border at Slano to enter Bosnia. From there, get on M6 to reach Kravice Waterfalls.

You can also book a “group day tour” to Mostar and Kravica from Dubrovnik. Here are a few tours that we have handpicked for you.

Do check the fine-print before booking the tours since not all of them include the entry fee for Kravice Waterfalls.

Mostar to Kravice Waterfalls

The drive from Mostar to Kravice Waterfalls is around 45 kms and will not take you more than one hour. You will have to go via Ljubuski.

From Mostar, you need to drive on to the R424 and cross Čule, Sretnice, Čitluk, Međugorje and then change to M6 from Ljubuski. From Ljubuski, Kravice Waterfalls are just 10 minutes away.

There are many group tour options from Mostar to Kravice Waterfalls and it makes sense to check them out in case you’re not renting a car.

Car parking outside Kravice Waterfalls

Yes, there is a big parking area outside Kravice Waterfalls and it was free when we visited. There is a spot here from where you can see the majestic waterfalls. Many end up missing this viewpoint.

As per the official website, the entry fee is around 3 Euro for a day for a private car. It is cheaper for a motorbike and more expensive for a camper-van.

Best Time to Visit Kravice Waterfalls

We visited Kravice waterfalls in the middle of June and it was perfect. The water was really blue and still cold. I can imagine how cold it would be at the start and end of the main visiting season, which is from the month of May until October.

Many say that the best time of year for visiting Kravice waterfalls is during the springtime when the fall is at its fullest and the landscape turns a bright green. If you want to swim here, then I’d still say that summer is the best time because the surrounding pools become shallow enough for swimming.

Kravice Waterfalls Entrance Fee:

The entry fee in June 2018 was 7.5 euros for one person, which is very low when you compare it to the nearby Croatia’s attractions. Yes, they accept Euros and Croatian Kunas too apart from the local currency. The entry fee changes slightly per season and is cheaper from October to May.

What to Carry

Carry your swimming gear, towel, change of clothing, sunscreen, sunglasses, and something to drink and eat. The ground is hard to sit without a mat, so carry one. Otherwise, the only other sitting options are the restaurant chairs or a bar stools. If you have a hammock, then carry it by all means. There are plenty of trees where you can put up your hammock and everyone will envy your comfort.

The Amenities Inside Kravice Waterfalls Complex

The Kravice Waterfall complex is not exactly small. Here are the basic amenities that you will find inside:

Changing Stations

There are changing stations with curtains directly next to the waterfalls. When I visited, there was a queue so I walked a little extra to the toilets and changed there.

Toilets

There is a big toilet complex with many booths. To access this area, you have to cross the waterfalls and go up a little. The area is well marked.

Restaurants and Bars

There are two restaurants and bars directly next to the Kravice waterfall pools. Personally I think just one would have been enough because they kind of spoil the natural beauty if the place.

Swimming in Kravice Waterfalls

Swimming in Kravice Waterfalls is the best part of visiting them. The water was cold but lovely. It was very clean and we could see the bottom. There are rocks along the waterfall where you can sit, but it can get slippery so be careful. If you have sensitive feet, then you may want to wear swimming shoes.

The many different waterfalls but the entire area can broadly be divided into three sections where  you can swim to and then sit under the waterfall. There is a rope along the rocks that you can hold on to while swimming. If you’re traveling with a pet, you should know that they would not be allowed to get inside the water.

Exploring the Area Around Kravice Waterfalls

The most obvious place to spend your time is right next to the waterfall. However, San and I stayed here for hours and ended up finding some other interesting points too. Here are some of them.

The Other Side of the Waterfall

The only way to reach the other side is by swimming. There is a patch of ground where you can sit and spend your time. You can put up a hammock here. We also saw a swing here.

On Top of One of the Waterfalls

Yes, it is possible to go on top of one of the waterfalls but you need to be super careful. After you cross the ticket point outside Kravice Waterfall complex, there is a path that goes down to the main waterfall area. Before this path curves down, there is a point when it goes up as well and that’s where you can go to reach this place that’s on top of one of the waterfalls. Don’t walk in this water puddle because the speed may make you lose your balance.

Small Kravice – Mala Kravice

“Mala” means small in Bosnian and yes there is a smaller Kravice waterfall a little ahead. On my way to the toilet, I saw another path that was going further ahead and I saw a board that said “Mala Kravice”. San and I decided to follow the path to see the other waterfall.

The walk from the main Kravice waterfall to Mala Kravice took us around 20 minutes to half an hour. We walked next to the blue Trebizat river and honestly enjoyed the walk more than the other waterfall. At the end of the walk, we had to climb a little to see the other waterfall.

How Much Time do you need to Explore Kravice Waterfalls

If you love nature and swimming, then you will easily spend 4 – 5 hours here. We spent an entire day here and still did not want to leave. We left when it started getting a little dark and the restaurant owners politely asked us to leave.

Kayaking and Canoeing at Kravice Waterfalls

You can rent a kayak or a canoe for the duration of 30 minutes, 60 minutes or a full day. The rental cost is 5 marks (2.5 Euros) for 30 minutes, 10 Marks (5 Euros) for 60 minutes, and 40 Marks (20 Euros) for a day.

Eating and Drinking in Kravice Waterfalls Area

As mentioned in the previous sections, there are two restaurants that are next to the waterfalls. You can get things like pizzas, fries, eggs, coffee, beer, etc. The food is ok and the prices are not high.

Camping near Kravice Waterfalls

There is a place to camp near Kravice Waterfalls. No, I’m not talking about the one that’s directly next to the waterfall that’s owned by one of the restaurants. This is along the river Trebizat and you will see it if you walk to Mala Kravica. I did not find a TripAdvisor listing or any information on a booking website, but this place is called Kravica Camp Trisela.

Where to stay near Kravice Waterfalls

Although most people prefer to stay in Mostar, we picked Međugorje instead because it is closer to the waterfall. Moreover, we had our own car, so didn’t have to worry about the buses. We booked Guest House Robi, which was 20 euros per night for two of us.

You can also check out hotels in Ljubuski or Mostar. If you want to stay in Mostar, try Apartments Konak or Old Bridge Terrace Apartments – these two places are right next to Mostar’s famous Old Bridge.

Where to go after Kravice Waterfalls

Mostar

Mostar is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is famous for it’s Ottoman Style bridge in the old town, that was partially destroyed in the war.

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is an ancient walled city that’s next to the sea in Croatia. It was made famous by the Game of Thrones and is one of the most visited destinations in Croatia.

Medjugorje

The small town Medjugorje suddenly came to fame in 1981 because people claim that Virgin Mary appeared here to six Herzegovinan children on Podbrdo Hill. I’m not religious so I will let you decide weather you want to believe this or not. Medjugorje is a Catholic pilgrimage destination. Honestly, we did not explore the town at all but just ate in a cafe and spent all our time at Kravice Waterfalls.

Blagaj

Blagaj is just 44 KMs away from Kravice Waterfalls and is also a lovely destination. Pictured above is Blagaj Tekke, a Sufi Monastery that was built in 1520. This little village is situated where the river Buna makes a spring.

Is Bosnia and Herzegovina on your travel list? Let us know in the comments.

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