Tunnel of Hope Sarajevo: A Visitor's Guide to the Siege Museum

The Siege of Sarajevo lasted 1,425 days — from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 — the longest siege of a capital city in modern warfare. During that time, one 800-metre tunnel dug under the airport runway was the city’s only connection to the outside world. Today, 25 metres of the authentic original tunnel plus 100 metres of revitalised original tunnel pipe are open to visitors as a museum. It is the most important thing to see in Sarajevo.

The siege context you need before visiting

Sarajevo was surrounded. Bosnian Serb forces held the hills on all sides of the city. The UN-controlled airport sat between the city and free territory, but civilians and Bosnian forces were not allowed to cross it. Snipers and artillery targeted anyone moving in the open. The Research and Documentation Centre records 13,952 people killed during the siege, including 5,434 civilians and 1,601 children.

The city had no electricity for months at a time. No running water. No heating through Bosnian winters. No food supply beyond what the UN could deliver and what people could smuggle. Residents burned furniture and books for heat. They collected rainwater and melted snow.

In those conditions, the Bosnian army began digging a tunnel under the airport runway in March 1993. It was completed in four months. The tunnel ran from a garage in an apartment building in Dobrinja (the besieged side) to the house of the Kolar family in Butmir (the free side). The actual underground section under the runway was about 340 metres, with covered trenches extending the total system to roughly 800 metres. It was about 0.8–1 metre wide and 1.6–1.8 metres high. It was called Tunel Spasa — the Tunnel of Salvation.

Through that tunnel moved food, medicine, weapons, fuel, and people. Electrical cables and an oil pipeline were eventually run through it. Thousands of tonnes of supplies and an estimated 1 million people passed through the tunnel during the war. It was the reason Sarajevo survived.

What you see at the museum

The museum is in the Kolar family house in Butmir — the same house that served as the tunnel entrance on the free-territory side. Here’s what the visit includes:

The house and grounds. The family home has been converted into exhibition rooms with wartime photographs, maps, personal items, and military equipment from the siege. The garden has sections of tunnel infrastructure, a small outdoor memorial, and reconstructed defensive positions.

The documentary film. An 18-minute film screens in a room inside the house. It includes wartime footage of the tunnel in use — people crouching through it carrying supplies, the construction process, and interviews with people who used it. Watch it. The film gives the tunnel walk the weight it deserves.

The preserved tunnel section. You walk through 25 metres of the authentic original tunnel at the Butmir entrance, and a further 100 metres of revitalised original tunnel pipe opened in April 2022 — around 125 metres in all. The ceiling is low — about 1.6 metres — and the passage is narrow. You walk single file. There’s no natural light. The timber supports, rails, and infrastructure are original. This section gives you a physical sense of what it meant to move through 800 metres of this, underground, carrying supplies, in the dark.

That walk takes a few minutes. During the war, the average transit through the full tunnel system took around 2 hours including waiting and security — longer when the tunnel was crowded, when you were carrying a heavy load, when the water pumps failed and the floor flooded knee-deep.

Practical details

• Location: Tuneli 1, Butmir (Ilidža municipality) — near Sarajevo airport, not in the city centre
• Entry: 20 KM (~€10) for adults, 8 KM for students. Cash only, in KM (Bosnian Convertible Marks). Cards and foreign currency are not accepted.
• Audio guide: 3 KM extra
• Hours: 1 April – 31 October 08:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30). 1 November – 31 March 09:00–16:00 (last entry 15:30).
• Time needed: 45–60 minutes including the film, exhibits, and tunnel walk
• Children: free under 6. The tunnel is suitable for older children — the ceiling is low but the walk is short.

How to get there

Taxi from central Sarajevo is the simplest option. The ride from Baščaršija takes about 15 minutes; fares are metered and charged in KM. Ask the driver to wait or arrange a return pickup — taxis are not always immediately available at the museum.

Guided war tour. Most Sarajevo war tours include the Tunnel of Hope as the centrepiece, alongside Sniper Alley and several other war sites; whether the tunnel entrance fee is included varies by operator. Prices and inclusions differ, so check what a given tour covers before booking.

Private driver. Hire a driver by the hour if you want to combine the tunnel with other sites outside the centre — Vrelo Bosne, the Igman Olympic ski jumps, or a deeper siege tour at your own pace.

Public transport does reach it — tram to Ilidža plus a local bus, on a GRAS single ticket of 2,20 KM — but it takes considerably longer than a taxi.

When to go

After lunch — 1:00 to 3:00 pm. The morning is packed with tour bus groups arriving between 10 am and noon. The early afternoon is significantly quieter and you get more time in the tunnel without being rushed by the group behind you.

Avoid arriving in the last 30 minutes before closing — the film alone takes 15 minutes and you want time to read the exhibits properly.

Combine with Gallery 11/07/95

Gallery 11/07/95 is the essential companion to the Tunnel of Hope. Named after the date of the Srebrenica massacre — 11 July 1995 — it’s a memorial gallery near Ferhadija in central Sarajevo. The exhibits are photographs, video testimonies of survivors, and an audio installation listing the names of the more than 8,000 victims.

• Entry: around 12 KM, with a 4 KM audio guide; the ticket is valid over two days (the price is not published on the official site)
• Hours: Mon–Sun 09:00–21:00
• Time needed: at least 1 hour
• Location: walking distance from Baščaršija

The right order: visit the Tunnel of Hope after lunch, taxi back to the centre, take a Bosnian coffee break (you’ll need it), then visit Gallery 11/07/95 in the late afternoon. The Tunnel gives you the siege. The Gallery gives you Srebrenica. Together they form the full picture. Doing them back-to-back without a break is too heavy — the coffee between is deliberate.

See the full one-day Sarajevo itinerary for the exact timing.

Sniper Alley

Sniper Alley — the road formed by Ulica Zmaja od Bosne and Meša Selimović Boulevard, running from the airport area to the old town — was the most dangerous road in the city during the siege. Serbian snipers in the high-rise buildings and surrounding hills targeted anyone crossing in the open. Data gathered in 1995 records 225 people killed, including 60 children, and 1,030 wounded by sniper fire on this road.

Today it’s a normal city street lined with the university campus, government buildings, and the Sarajevo tram line. The Holiday Inn — the famous yellow hotel where foreign journalists stayed during the siege — still stands on the boulevard. There’s no museum or marker on the street itself, but any guided war tour will drive you along it and explain what each building and intersection meant during the war.

If you’re taking a taxi to the Tunnel of Hope, you’ll drive along part of Sniper Alley. Ask your driver about it — many Sarajevans have personal memories.

War tour options

If the Tunnel alone isn’t enough context, a guided war tour brings everything together:

Half-day siege tour (3–4 hours). Typically includes Sniper Alley, the Tunnel of Hope, Trebević and the abandoned Olympic bobsled track, the Yellow Fortress, wartime frontline positions, cemeteries, and the Holiday Inn. Prices, inclusions and whether the tunnel entrance fee is covered vary by operator — check the itinerary before booking. This is the most popular war-related tour in Sarajevo.

Full-day tour with Srebrenica. Some operators run full-day tours that combine Sarajevo’s siege sites with a day trip to Srebrenica and the Potočari memorial. This is a 10–12 hour day and emotionally exhausting, but for visitors who want the complete Bosnian War context, nothing else comes close.

Self-guided option. If you prefer to go alone: taxi to the Tunnel of Hope, walk Sniper Alley (or ride the tram along it), visit Gallery 11/07/95, and read the Sarajevo Roses — mortar impact marks in the pavement filled with red resin, an unofficial commemorative act marking places where people were killed by shelling. They’re scattered across the city, mostly on Ferhadija and Maršala Tita.

What people get wrong

“It’s just a short section of tunnel.” Yes — around 125 metres of an 800-metre system. But the combination of the film, the exhibits, the house, and the physical experience of walking through the low, narrow tunnel is more than enough to understand what this meant. The museum is powerful precisely because it doesn’t over-explain. The tunnel speaks for itself.

“I don’t need a guide.” You don’t need one for the museum itself — it’s straightforward. But a guide transforms the siege context. A knowledgeable local guide will point out things you can’t see: which buildings were sniper positions, which hillsides were frontlines, where the water pumps were, what streets were safe and which were death traps. The stories are what make this visit unforgettable.

“The tunnel is claustrophobic.” The preserved section is well-lit and short. If you can handle a narrow hallway, you can handle this. It’s not a tight cave — it’s a low corridor. Children walk through it regularly.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Tunnel of Hope? The total tunnel system was about 800 metres (340 metres of underground tunnel under the runway, plus covered trenches on both sides). At the museum you walk 25 metres of the authentic original tunnel plus 100 metres of revitalised original tunnel pipe opened in April 2022 — around 125 metres.

How much does the Tunnel of Hope cost? 20 KM (~€10) for adults, 8 KM for students. Cash only, in Bosnian Convertible Marks (KM). No cards, no euros accepted at the ticket desk.

How do I get to the Tunnel of Hope from Sarajevo centre? Taxi, about 15 minutes from Baščaršija; fares are metered and charged in KM. Ask the driver to wait or arrange a return time. Public transport reaches it via tram to Ilidža plus a local bus (GRAS single ticket 2,20 KM), but takes considerably longer.

Is the Tunnel of Hope suitable for children? Yes, for school-age children. The tunnel section is short and well-lit. The documentary film and exhibits contain wartime imagery that may be heavy for younger children, but there is nothing graphic or gratuitous.

Can I visit the Tunnel of Hope without a guide? Yes. The museum is self-guided with information panels in English. An audio guide is available for 3 KM. A guided tour adds context (especially the broader siege history) but is not required.

What should I combine with the Tunnel of Hope? Gallery 11/07/95 (around 12 KM, central Sarajevo) for the Srebrenica context. Sniper Alley for the physical geography of the siege. A Bosnian coffee break between the two — the weight of the material demands a pause.

What are the opening hours of the Tunnel of Hope? 1 April – 31 October 08:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30). 1 November – 31 March 09:00–16:00 (last entry 15:30).

How long did the Siege of Sarajevo last? 1,425 days, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 — the longest siege of a capital city in modern warfare.

Was the tunnel really called the Tunnel of Hope? Its Bosnian name is Tunel Spasa, which translates as Tunnel of Salvation. It is commonly called the Tunnel of Hope in English.

Is Bosnia safe to visit? Yes. The war was ended by the Dayton Agreement, signed on 14 December 1995, and the siege of Sarajevo was formally lifted on 29 February 1996. Bosnia has been safe for tourists for decades, and Sarajevo is one of the safest capitals in Europe. See our full guide: Is Bosnia safe?

Plan your visit

Get to Sarajevo:

• Sarajevo Airport to city private transfer — 20 min, door-to-door
• Mostar to Sarajevo private transfer — 2.5 hours through the Neretva canyon
• Dubrovnik to Sarajevo private transfer — 4.5 hours, 1 border

Read more:

• Tunnel of Hope attraction page
• One day in Sarajevo — hour-by-hour itinerary
• Things to do in Sarajevo
• Baščaršija walking tour
• Sarajevo coffee culture
• 1984 Olympics sites in Sarajevo

Need a driver for a war history tour? Hire a private driver by the hour — a practical way to reach the Tunnel of Hope, Sniper Alley, and the siege frontlines in a single half-day at your own pace. Our drivers are drivers, not licensed guides; for interpretation, book a guided tour.