Planning Your Pilgrimage to Medjugorje

How to get to Medjugorje: airports, transfers and buses

Medjugorje lies in Herzegovina, in the south of Bosnia and Herzegovina, not far from the Croatian border. The nearest airport is Mostar, about 30 km away — roughly 35 minutes by car. Split is about 155 km (1 h 50 min), Dubrovnik about 145 km (2 h 25 min) and Sarajevo about 145 km (2 h 35 min). Split and Dubrovnik also have ferry ports. Driving times to Split and Dubrovnik do not include the wait at the Croatian border, which can add anywhere from a few minutes to an hour in high season.

For our guests we arrange safe, comfortable transport from any of these airports and ports — whether you travel alone or with a group. Just tell us your arrival time when you send your inquiry.

Medjugorje is also reachable by bus; the local bus station is 300 m from our guesthouse. To enter Bosnia and Herzegovina you need a passport or another internationally recognised identification document — for children too.

The holy sites

Pilgrim map of Medjugorje →

St James Church is the heart of parish and pilgrim life, 700 m from our guesthouse — about a 12-minute walk. The daily prayer program — rosary, Holy Mass and adoration — is published on the shrine's official website.

Apparition Hill (Podbrdo) rises above the hamlet of Bijakovići, where the apparitions were first reported in June 1981. Pilgrims pray the rosary along the rocky path. It is about 2.5 km from the house — roughly 35 minutes on foot to where the path begins.

Cross Mountain (Križevac) is crowned by the white concrete cross raised by the parishioners in the 1930s. Pilgrims climb it praying the Way of the Cross; the path starts about 2.3 km from the house — roughly 30 minutes on foot, and the climb itself takes about an hour.

Both paths are steep and stony — bring sturdy shoes. Our map of Medjugorje shows all three sites and how to reach them.

Three days in Medjugorje, day by day

Most pilgrims stay two or three nights. This is how three days usually fall into place from our house. The walking times are our own, measured from the door; the times of Mass, rosary and adoration change with the season and are published on the shrine's website.

1. Arrival and the evening programme

   Rooms are ready from 14:00. St James Church is a 12-minute walk, so the evening prayer programme is within reach on foot even after a long journey. One thing worth knowing when you plan that first evening: our half board includes lunch, not dinner.

2. Apparition Hill (Podbrdo)

   Go early, before the heat. The path begins 2.5 km from the house, about 35 minutes on foot, and the climb is short but genuinely rocky — sturdy shoes matter more than fitness here. Most pilgrims are back in time for lunch, rest through the afternoon and return to the church in the evening.

3. Cross Mountain (Križevac)

   Križevac is the harder of the two climbs. The path starts 2.3 km from the house, about 30 minutes on foot, and you should allow an hour or more for the ascent itself — it is steep and stony, and most pilgrims stop to pray at each station of the Way of the Cross. Keep it for a morning when you are not travelling: check-out is at 10:00.

When to come

The main pilgrimage season runs from spring to autumn. The anniversary of the first apparitions is celebrated on 25 June, and the international Youth Festival at the beginning of August is the busiest week of the year — for those dates, book your room well in advance.

Outside the big feasts Medjugorje is calmer: the hills, the church and the village can be enjoyed without the crowds, and rooms are easier to find.

What to bring

Sturdy shoes for Podbrdo and Križevac, modest dress for the church, and a water bottle — tap water is drinkable throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Shops and restaurants in Medjugorje generally accept payment by card, and take euros as well as the local Bosnian Mark (BAM; 1 mark is roughly 50 euro cents) — though it is worth carrying a little cash for small purchases. Shops are open until 9 p.m. (21:00) and are closed on Sundays.

Phone codes, emergency numbers and the official guidelines for pilgrims are collected on our Useful Information page.

How much does a pilgrimage to Medjugorje cost?

The main costs are the journey itself, accommodation with meals, and local transport. Accommodation is the simplest part: family guesthouses like ours offer bed & breakfast or half board (lunch), with a drink included in the price.

Children stay at a discount — 100% off under age 4, 50% off under 8 and 30% off under 12. Payment is in cash. Write to us with your dates and the size of your group, and we will send you a price for your stay and your airport transfer.

Where to stay

Most pilgrims stay in family-run guesthouses within walking distance of the church. Our house has 22 rooms and a private suite, homemade food adjusted to all tastes, and a big, safe parking place for cars and buses — see the rooms or look around the gallery.

• 50 mSupermarket & ATM1 min walk
• 700 mSt James Church12 min walk
• 300 mPost office & bus station4 min walk
• 2.5 kmApparition Hill (Podbrdo)35 min walk
• 2.3 kmCross Mountain (Križevac)30 min walk