Balkan Special - Serbia

Day1: Arrival at Belgrade, Serbia

Upon your arrival at Belgrade airport, you will be met by the representative and transferred to the hotel in a private vehicle.

Welcome to Belgrade! Belgrade is the capital of the southeast European country of Serbia. Its most significant landmark is the Beogradska Tvrdava, an imposing fortress at the confluence of the Danube and the Sava rivers. The fort is a testament to the city’s strategic importance to the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Serbian and Austrian empires, and it's now the site of several museums as well as Kalemegdan, a vast park. Depending the arrival flight timing, you can opt to enjoy River Cruise in Belgrade. Belgrade is the only capital in Europe that lies on the confluence of two major rivers, the Danube and the Sava. The best way to discover this city is magnificent ride on the water. Distanced from city crowd you will enjoy its colorful contours. (Optional cost will be approx EUR 25 per person)

Cruise begins at the spot of river merging in the heart of the city. Lightning from Belgrade Fortress at Kalemegdan, Saborna Church and numerous bridges adds a touch of mystique to this voyage. Sights in your horizon tell the history of the city, completing this unique experience of enjoyment in sightseeing, socializing and pleasant atmosphere. You will pass by the Old City, Belgrade Fair, Ada Ciganlija, and Big War Island. This tour will enrich your perception of Belgrade and help you experience it from completely new perspective. You will enjoy in meeting the city from these two rivers.

Day2: Breakfast at the hotel and later you can opt to visit Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci.

Depart from Belgrade at 9 am and proceed to picturesque Fruska Gora, which represents a natural reserve and a sacred area that hosts 17 functioning monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Fruska Gora was a shelter for Serbian people during the Ottoman rule over Serbia, preserving heritage and historical legacy of the nation. The tour will then continue in Sremski Karlovci which is located at the bottom of Fruska Gora, and presents a real gem of Serbian culture and spirituality. It's a real 'museum town' featuring sites such as a Baroque city center, Patriarchy, Cathedral of Saint Nicolas and Catholic Church of Saint Trinity, also the first Serbian gymnasium built in 1881, and the Library of Karlovac gymnasium. It's also famous for wine production and the annual festival 'Wineball'. Next visit one of the traditional wineries and try locally produced wine made of traditional sorts of grape! Our next stop is Petrovaradin, where the Fortress is located. It was built of medieval fortification foundation by Austrians in the 17th and 18th century in order to defend themselves from Turks. The Fortress is sometimes called 'Danube's Gibraltar' for its strategic position. Nowadays the Fortress is famous for one of the most prestigious music festivals EXIT. You then proceed to the left bank of Novi Sad, capital of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. Thanks to its geographical position, Novi Sad used to border between two Empires – Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman -- and in 1748 Queen Maria Theresa proclaimed Novi Sad 'free royal city' Neoplanta. Melting pot of different nations and ethnic groups, Novi Sad with its 250,000 population is a real multicultural ambient and an example of true modern European metropolis. Tour in Novi Sad is a walking tour in the center of the city. You'll see Dunavska and Zmaj Jovina Street that compose city's pedestrian zone, the City Hall, Catholic Church, old city center, house of Albert Einstein's wife Mileva, cultural foundation Matica Srpska, Synagogue and city beach Strand. Upon the sightseeing seize the free time in the city and try local cuisine in a traditional Vojvodina restaurant (optional).After discovering Novi Sad, you will be driven back to Belgrade. (Minimum drinking age is 18 years and above)

After this full day tour, incase you still want to experience the nightlife then we can recommend the below tour: Belgrade is known for rich night life, not only to people who live in it, but also to Hollywood stars who traveled here on the occasion of film making. By visiting various pubs, bars and cafes you will discover the soul of this vibrant city and fall in love with it. On the way you will have 2 bars in city center and after them, all night party in one of the best club for your night to remember! Prepare yourself, because every day we have different bars and clubs so maybe you should book more than 1 night for party! (Minimum drinking age is 18 years and above) – (The supplement cost would be EUR 18 per person)

Day3: Breakfast at the hotel and you will have the opportunity explore Belgrade in a unique manner.

Travel from the 19th century to modern-day Belgrade on this tour that mashes up history, culture, architecture, and food into an all-in-one morning! You'll grab coffee in the city's oldest tavern, learn about Serbian architecture and important figures, visit a market where you can taste local products, and finish it off with a street food-style lunch in the city's best sausage joint.

We'll start at the Belgrade Cathedral, St Michael's Church which holds relics of some of the most important Serbian leaders in history. Across the street are the Patriarchate Building and the Princess Ljubica's Residence where you'll learn more about 19th-century life in Serbia. Nearby you'll find the oldest traditional tavern in the city, built back in 1823. We'll have a coffee break here and even indulge in some morning rakia (schnapps) as you listen to stories about Serbia's fight for freedom. You can pick up a bit of the local language as we'll also have a mini class on the Serbian alphabet. We'll continue through the city's main walking area, Knez Mihailova Street and see the Belgrade library, Republic Square, Serbia's Academy of Science and Art and learn about unique local architecture. As we continue through the narrow streets of the Dorcol neighbourhood we'll reach a green market where locals sell homemade dairy and meat products and fresh produce directly from their farms outside the city. White cheese, kaymak (similar to clotted cream), and cvarci (fried or roasted pork rind and fat) are some of the typical Balkan products that you'll find in this market. From there, we'll go for a walk through Belgrade's bohemian quarter, Skadarlija street. This cobblestone street is a pedestrian zone filled with restaurants, bars, and traditional taverns. Here, we'll stop for a street food-style lunch at one of the best sausage joints in the city.

In the evening, you can opt for a “BEER grade Pub Crawl Tour”
“Great beer!” is not the first thing you might relate to Serbia but that’s just because we keep this secret to ourselves! Considering the fact that Belgrade (should we call it BEERgrade?) hosts the biggest Beer Festival in South-East Europe and, what’s more, Serbs put an image of the beer manufacture Georg Weifert on 1000-dinars banknote, believe us, we know what “good beer” means!
The guide will be waiting for you at 7 pm at address Strahinjica bana 36, close to first pub. On the route you will visit 3 pubs and taste 7 different types of local beer and hear many interesting stories about making this special drink that we all love so much. All 3 pubs are in the Dorcol district, zone of Belgrade recognizable by night life, clubs, pubs, good vibe for sure. The start is in Strahinjica Bana Street, the street known among locals as the Silicon Valley, which is nevertheless is not famous for any high tech. But this and other local stories you will here on tour in good atmosphere. (The supplement cost would be EUR 15 per person)

Day4: Free Day for Shopping or optional activities

Post breakfast, today is a free day for leisure or shopping activities.

If you wish, do take a Zemun Tour! (Optional costing of approx EUR 15 per person)

Begin our tour from Avijaticarski Trg, where the old city of Zemun begins. This square, with the large monument to WWII heroes, is surrounded by Zemun’s oldest elementary school building and the construction of Air Force Ministry, one of the finest examples of modernism in Yugoslav pre-war architecture. Your ride continues through the main street called Gospodska Street, where you have a chance to see some excellent examples of Zemun architecture: the Post Office, Hotel Central, Town’s Museum, the House with a Sundial, etc.

After parking at Stara Kapetanija, on the banks of the Danube start the walking tour through the heart of old Zemun. Walk along the bank of the Danube River – Zemun Promenade, where under the shade of the century-old plane trees numerous old fish restaurants have situated here. Pass by the oldest Orthodox church of St. Nicholas from the 17th century and climb the Gardos Hill – the heart of Old Zemun, with its curvy cobblestone streets and small houses that will give you an impression that Zemun itself is a melting pot of Mediterranean and Middle European cultures. Reach the top of the hill where the remains of the Zemun citadel are still standing with Millennium Tower in the center, Zemun’s central landmark. The romantic construction, built in a mixture of historical styles at the end of the 19th century, served to mark the most Southern point of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The majestic view from the top of the tower will leave you breathless: Zemun Old Town from above and across the river, the confluence and Belgrade Fortress.

Go down the Gardos Hill to the town center, and we reach the Main City Square, where an everyday market is situated. Old buildings including the Bishop’s Office and the central city Roman Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin from the 18th century are surrounding the square. Walk further to the Magistarski Trg, where the city administration buildings are since the 19th century – Magistrate’s Building and the Town Hall, where the only replica of the city’s coat of arms is displayed.

Walk to the Zemun City Park passing by the old Franciscan church and convent, and reach the park where the Zemun’s High School, an elegant Neo-renaissance edifice is situated along with the two Baroque churches – Orthodox church of St. Gavrilo and Roman Catholic Church of St. Rocco. Finish your walking tour here, enter the vehicle and head back to the starting point.

Shopping in Belgrade can be a real pleasure, but can also be really frustrating. You can find almost anything, as long as you know where to look for it. There’s something for everybody, from cheap markets to exclusive international brands, and the best thing is that there are even shopping zones based on the type of product, price span, etc. you’re looking for.

There are numerous green markets in the city offering a great variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, usually surrounded by butcher shops, bakeries, and in many cases serving also as a mini flea market.

The most popular ones are Zeleni Venac, Skadarlija (Bajlonijeva) and Kalenic.

There is one large flea market – “Buvljak” at New Belgrade and another equally big and usually cheaper at the nearby town of Pancevo (accessible by bus or BeoVoz trains). There’s also a large Chinese trade center / flea market at Blok 70 (Novi Beograd). There are a few other flea markets in the surrounding towns and villages, and some flea market areas in several downtown green markets.

The largest and most popular shopping malls in the city are Usce, Delta City and Mercator, all in New Belgrade. There are also several “old style” shopping centers, the most popular being Piramida, Cumic and Banjica. Two new huge shopping malls were opened recently, and a couple more are under construction.

Depending on your preferences, when shopping for clothes or home accessories, there are zones, clusters of shops with similar style, quality and price tags, or for specific product types such as shoes, mobiles, etc. Off course, the downtown – Knez Mihailova and the surrounding streets tend to be much more expensive.

The outlet idea is relatively new to Belgrade, but it’s spreading rapidly. There are some outlet shops at the end of Bulevar, at Galenika district in Zemun and a few others scattered along the suburbs. A new large outlet center has recently been opened in the nearby town of Indija.

Day5 Depart Belgrade

Breakfast at the hotel and rest of the day at leisure till your departure time, later you will have a private transfer for Belgrade airport and proceed for your return / onward flight to the next destination.