The three options
Split is in Croatia and Mostar is in Bosnia and Herzegovina, so every route crosses a border. You can go by bus, by hire car or on a guided day tour. If you are coming from the south, Mostar from Dubrovnik covers that side. The getting there page lists the other starting points.
| Option | Time | Hassle | What you see |
|---|---|---|---|
| FlixBus | From 3 h 30 each way | Medium: you plan the day and the border | Mostar only, at your own pace |
| Hire car | Not verified | Highest: border, insurance and driving permit | Mostar plus any stops you add |
| Day tour | 12 hours out and back | Lowest: transport and border arranged | Mostar plus Kravice, with limited time in each |
Bus from Split to Mostar
FlixBus lists 3 trips a day between the two cities, with a minimum journey of 3 h 30. The first departure is listed at 07:30 and the last at 19:00. We checked the page on 15 and 25 October 2026 and the two views agreed.
Stations matter at both ends:
- In Split, the bus leaves from Split bus station on Obala kneza Domagoja 12, or from the Trajektna luka Split stop, which has the same street address.
- In Mostar, it arrives at Mostar Istočni kolodvor (the East station, on Trg Ivana Krndelja) or Mostar Zapadni kolodvor (the West station, on Vukovarska).
Check which Mostar station your ticket uses before you travel, because your booking will name one of them. The FlixBus page showed a fare in US dollars from a view with no travel date, so we give no price. Look up the fare for your date on FlixBus. Other operators may run the route, but the Globtour site would not load for us, so we cannot confirm anything about them.
Which border crossing the bus uses is not stated on the FlixBus page. We therefore do not name one.
A 07:30 departure gets you to Mostar by late morning at the earliest, and border checks can add to that. The last bus listed leaves at 19:00, so a same-day return needs a check of the Mostar end of the timetable too. For a relaxed visit, stay overnight. See where to stay and the Mostar itinerary.
Driving from Split
Driving gives you the most freedom and the most paperwork. We did not verify a driving time or distance from Split, so we give none. What we can say comes from the UK government’s travel advice:
- A UK licence is valid for driving your own vehicle, or a car hired outside Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- If you rent or use someone else’s vehicle in Bosnia and Herzegovina, you also need the 1968 International Driving Permit, which must be obtained in the UK before you travel.
- It is illegal to drive without at least third-party insurance. Border Police can ask for printed proof. If your insurance is not valid locally, border insurance can be bought at listed crossings.
- From November to April, winter rules apply: tyres marked MS, M+S or M&S with a snowflake symbol, tread at least 4 mm, and snow chains carried and used where signs require.
- Landmines remain from the 1992 to 1995 war, mostly in rural areas. Stay on roads and paved areas.
If you plan to take a Croatian hire car across, contact the hire company before you book. Some charge a cross-border fee or need extra paperwork, though we have no verified figure for any company. GOV.UK says to contact the Bosnian Embassy in the UK about bringing a vehicle into the country.
Several road crossings link Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Herzegovina area, including Doljani-Metković, Bijača-Nova Sela on the A1 motorway and Gorica Grude-Donji Vinjani (per Wikipedia, a secondary source). We cannot say which suits a drive from Split, so check a current map and the border crossing’s own information.
The border
Bosnia and Herzegovina is not in the EU and not in the Schengen area. Take your passport on every route on this page. For UK passport holders, GOV.UK says:
- No visa is needed for up to 90 days in any 6 months.
- Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive, with an exception for passports issued before 1 October 2018, and be valid for at least 90 days after you leave.
- You need an entry and exit stamp. Travelling without an exit stamp can mean a fine.
- Foreign nationals register with the police within 72 hours. Hotels and some hostels do this for you.
Returning to Croatia is an external border of the Schengen area, and the European Commission says the Entry/Exit System became fully operational on 10 April 2026. It replaces passport stamping for non-EU short-stay visitors at the 29 participating countries’ external borders and records fingerprints and a facial image. Allow extra time on the way back to Split. Our entry requirements page has the fuller picture, and money and currency explains the Bosnian mark.
Other nationalities should check their own government’s advice. We have not verified EU or US rules from an official source.
Day tours from Split
A guided tour takes the planning and the border out of your hands. The two Split tours we list both run 12 hours and both combine Mostar with the Kravice waterfalls.
- One includes transport with a driver-guide, a licensed guide in Mostar and motorway fees. The listing says the border fee and the Kravice ticket are paid in cash at the meeting point, so bring cash.
- The other picks up from Split and Trogir and is the most-reviewed of the Split and Trogir trips we checked.
The tour cards below show the current price and rating, checked on the dates shown. The day tours page compares trips from other cities, and the Kravice waterfalls page covers the usual second stop.
The trade-off is time. Twelve hours includes a lot of road, so Mostar itself gets a few hours, not a full day.
Which to choose
- One day, no planning: a tour.
- More than a few hours in Mostar: the bus down and a night in town.
- Several stops on your own timing: a hire car, if the paperwork suits you.
Once you arrive, start at the Old Bridge.
