Serbia Tour Packages

History It was formerly a Kingdom on par with Rome and Constantinople, but after being captured by the Ottoman Empire, its co-founded Yugoslavia with other South Slavic peoples after World War I. However, the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s and the ensuing devastation are what most people remember about the region. It's no secret that throughout the early 1990s, when individual independence and nationalist wars raged, Serbia wielded more pow Read More

History

It was formerly a Kingdom on par with Rome and Constantinople, but after being captured by the Ottoman Empire, its co-founded Yugoslavia with other South Slavic peoples after World War I. However, the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s and the ensuing devastation are what most people remember about the region.

It's no secret that throughout the early 1990s, when individual independence and nationalist wars raged, Serbia wielded more power in political decision-making, resulting in a greater involvement in the terrible Yugoslav Wars. It's something that many people could debate and dispute over for hours, and it's still a hot topic today. Kosovo, a contested Serbian province, has yet to be fully recognized as an independent state in Europe.

That should have no bearing on today's Serbia, where the Serbian people, like their neighbors, are reconstructing their country and patching up the cracks. Many potential visitors are unable to separate themselves from the fact that the battle ended only in 1999. (with a peace agreement in Kumanovo, Macedonia). However, it should be emphasized that this also equates to a significant amount of time.

Why Travel to Serbia?

To perceive things from a different perspective. Serbia is bragging about its incredibly gorgeous country, which is flanked by rugged plains and historically preserved towns and cities, under the spotlight of previous headlines.

During the war, none of these items vanished. They were hidden, waiting to be revealed when the moment came for a fresh beginning – in a Serbia that is both safe and open for exploration, despite its political fragmentation.

As a thriving region of the continent that is forging a strong road for tourism, more and more people are flocking here to learn more about it and discover that there is much more to it than its tumultuous past.

Getting to Serbia

By Air

Air Serbia flies directly from a number of European, US, and UK cities to Belgrade, Serbia's capital. Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is Serbia's primary airport (BEG).

You can take a 30-minute minibus A1 to Slavija Square (about 2 Euro) or bus 72 to Zeleni Venac Square (approximately 2 Euro) from the airport (less than 1 Euro). A taxi will take half the time but be more expensive, costing around 15 Euro. Use the official 'Taxi Info' service desks to obtain a paper receipt to deliver to the driver.

It is simple to travel around Serbia from Belgrade city and plan a return journey to the capital.

Overland

Belgrade is connected to mainland European capitals via long-distance buses and trains, including Budapest, Vienna, Sofia, Bar, and Zagreb.

Visa for Serbia

Although Serbia is not yet a member of the EU, people residing in or having passports or valid visas from Schengen region and EU member states are eligible for visa-free entry for visits of up to 90 days to the Republic of Serbia. Canada and the United States, like a number of other nations, can enter Serbia without a visa.

Getting Around Serbia

Many people travel around Serbia by automobile because car rental is easy to obtain from the airport and within Belgrade, and motorways connect neighboring countries.

Those who do not drive, however, have great public transportation alternatives.

Serbia by bus

Many people travel around Serbia by automobile because car rental is easy to obtain from the airport and within Belgrade, and motorways connect neighboring countries.

Those who do not drive, however, have great public transportation alternatives.

There are a number of local bus companies that provide service between cities, smaller towns, and natural sites. Lasta Beograd and Stup Vrac are two well-known bus companies in Serbia that can take you to both well-known and lesser-known sights and attractions.

Belgrade is the well-established starting point for spending days and weeks traveling across Serbia's well-developed transportation and tourism infrastructure. Although you will get lost in Serbia's unspoiled and little-known nature-filled hinterlands, it is not a post-conflict wild west.

Following are examples:

Traveling by bus from Belgrade to Novi Sad takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes and costs 5 Euro / 588 Serbian Dinar.

It takes 1 hour 50 minutes to travel from Novi Sad to Subotica (in the north) and costs 7 Euro / 824 Serbian Dinar.

It takes 3 hours and costs 11 Euro / 1294 Serbian Dinar to travel from Belgrade to Nis (in the south).

Allow at least an hour before departure to arrive at Belgrade's bus station in Savski Venac and purchase tickets — it's a vast location with two terminals, and you'll need some time to navigate and find your bus.

Serbia by Train

The railroad lines are fewer, but they connect Belgrade to Novi Sad and Subotica, as well as Belgrade and Nis. Those with Eurail passes make far better use of the service.

Cargo in Belgrade

Although Uber does not operate in Belgrade, CarGo, Serbia's biggest vehicle ride app, provides the same purpose and operates in the same way.

Serbia Tours

There aren't many specific Serbia tours, so if you want everything planned for you and a guarantee of traveler companionship, you'll have to go elsewhere.

This Western Serbia Tour takes you out to the countryside for a day excursion from Belgrade to see the House on the Drina River, ride the Sargan Eight railway, and visit the famed wooden village. Explore Eastern Serbia on a tour that includes the Manasija Monastery from the 15th century, the 80-million-year-old Resava cave, and the Gornjak Monastery, which is home to Serbia's oldest Serbian fresco paintings.

Best Time to Visit Serbia

The best time to visit Serbia is during the shoulder seasons of March to May and September to October. Outside of the scorching summer months of June to August, temperatures are more moderate at this time of year, which is ideal for covering a lot of ground.

That's not to suggest you shouldn't visit Serbia in the summer. To escape the metropolitan heat, excellent time spent on or along the Danube River is a way of life in Serbia's many gorges or higher elevations in the Carpathian and Balkan Mountain ranges. In July, the well-known EXIT music event takes place.

Is Serbia Safe?

Serbia is a safe country to visit, but it demands the same level of caution and intuition as any other place. Belgrade, in particular, has the same bustling and developed vibe as any other European major. I never felt unsafe in Serbia, and as a female traveler, I had no problems. Most of the time, we were greeted by locals who were ready to show us the other side of their nation.

Novi Pazar, a lesser-known town not used to tourists, was the sole place where an opportunist took his chances (posing as a police officer). While it was unsettling for myself and my male companion, we realized that other people at the coffee shop were involved and demanded that he accompany us to the hotel if he wanted to see our identification. He quickly backed down.

Only the towns and wider area along Serbia's border with Kosovo, where political tensions still exist, are connected with a higher level of caution.

Best Places to Visit in Serbia

The Republic of Serbia is a huge, landlocked region in the center Balkans, making it difficult to narrow down where to travel.

Belgrade -The Reviving Capital

Belgrade, like most visitors to Serbia, was my first stop. My advice is to spend as much time as possible here - at least four days is best. I was pushed headfirst into a cosmopolitan metropolis of creative renaissance that hummed among pastel-colored classicism, not knowing what to anticipate outside the fortress and ancient landmarks. As a main Balkan capital, it was all I hoped it would be. Belgrade is the new Serbia's energetic, tenacious, and determined heart, despite structural damage and underlying economic concerns.

Novi Sad – The Capital of Culture

Novi Sad, like Belgrade, which has been nominated as the European Capital of Culture for 2021, has a protected cultural legacy that makes it a municipal showpiece.

The City Hall, Catholic Cathedral of Mary's Name, and the monument of Svetozar Miletic are all located in the artistically detailed city center, which is highlighted by the "Square of Freedom." Houses and castles painted in bright colors, side alleys lined with museums and art galleries, and little passages (such as Zmaj Jovina and Dunavska) all beckon you to explore before arriving at the bustling café and bar-lined Laza Teleki street, the sundown gathering spot.

The Petrovaradin Fortress, which is separated into Upper and Lower towns, is a highlight. Climb up to the symbolic clock tower with opposing time hands through the arched entrance corridors (large shows hours and small shows minutes). You may look out over the Danube and enjoy a bird's-eye perspective of the Lower Fortress town's grid streets, whose deteriorating Baroque architecture holds stories of the past in its fading façade.

Valjevo and Nature Preserve

Serbia's wonderful outdoors should be incorporated into your vacation, as the country is 75 percent mountainous, with rolling green, protected nature parks, gorges, rivers, and lakes strewn about. But where do you even begin?

In Valjevo, a city 90 minutes southwest of Belgrade, I got off track and wild. The nearby spindle of a nature reserve connected to it, though, was the major reason for visiting. We hiked across the 50-kilometer-long Gradac River Gorge (Klisura Reke Gradac), which winds its way through the Canyon's steep slopes and high rock formations.

Bajina Bašta and Tara National Park

Bajina Bata, a settlement in south-western Serbia on the Bosnian-Herzegovina border, located three hours south of Belgrade. It's also a great place to start your trip to Tara National Park, where you can see the famed postcard-perfect House on the Drina. It was formerly a haven for sailors and swimmers in an area of roaring waves, but it has since become one of the region's most recognizable emblems.

Kadinjača Memorial Complex

On the route connecting Bajina Bata and Uice, 90 minutes east of Tara National Park, sits Kadinjaa Memorial Complex. It's a remarkable tribute to the Uice Workers Battalion, who died battling the Germans here during the Battle of Kadinjaa in November 1941. It serves as both a cemetery and an exhibition venue, with the goal of evoking strong emotions. Massive white stone sculptures stand out against the low-slope hills, while another stone stands alone, showing a big bullet hole.

Ride the Sargan Eight Railway to Mokra Gora

You can begin an excursion that removes the need to travel another bus on the southern outskirts of Tara National Park. Riding the Sargan Eight tiny gorge railway further south to the Mokra Gora is an alternate method to see Serbia's natural scenery.

Drvengrad — Serbia's historic wooden village and timber town perched on a plateau between Tara National Park and the hilly Zlatibor – is widely known in Mokra Gora. Drvengrad, quaint and with a bygone historical reference as a real village, was built as a film set for Emir Kusturica's Serbian drama Life is a Miracle and was never disassembled once the film completed.

Visit Zlatibor and Serbia’s Mountainous Region

Travel 30 minutes south of Mokra Gora via the hilly valleys and open-air spa region of Zlatibor, which is more than just a ski resort. This area has a beautiful circuit of hiking paths in the spring and summer.

Uvac Gorge and Nature Reserve

Continue south from Zlatibor to the Uvac Special Nature Reserve, which has a mountain park and a rich biome. The highlight is a gentle motorboat ride along the Uvac Gorge's spectacular bends.

If you don't want to go on a longer excursion through Serbia, you can arrange a Uvac Nature Reserve tour from Belgrade that includes a hike and a boat ride.

See Žiča Monastery – The History of Serbian Kings

One of Serbia's most historically significant Orthodox monasteries is located east of Zlatibor, about three hours south of Belgrade. The earthy red 13th-century IA Monastery was built on the command of Serbia's first King, Stefan the First-Crowned, and served as the coronation church for all Serbian Kings. In 1979, it was designated as a Cultural Monument of Exceptional Importance.

Novi Pazar – See the Religious Diversity of Serbia

Continue south from the Uvac Nature Reserve and you'll arrive in Novi Pazar, a valley town located between the Golija and Rogozna mountains. Smaller communities with distinct personalities, off the beaten path from the main cities and surrounded by nature, contribute to a larger image of Serbia's religious, cultural, and artistic variety.

When Yugoslavia was created, it was made up of Christian and Muslim South Slavic nations, albeit the latter is currently in the minority. Novi Pazar is a largely Muslim town that demonstrates a different side of Serbia in terms of architecture, art, and culture.

Visit Topola – Serbia’s Wine Region

Bountiful vistas with the foundations of good terroir are only one hour south of Belgrade in Serbia's winemaking area of Topola. And not many people are aware of it. The Aleksandrovich Winery and its outstanding Triumph series are among the region's award-winning vines that make regionally distinctive sweet wine. The hilltop five-domed St. George's Church in Oplenac, next to the vineyards, is a tomb of one of Serbia's dynastic dynasties. It has a marble floor and stunning mosaic images and icons on the walls.

Guča – Trumpet Festival Centre

The town of Gua, located two hours south of Belgrade and north of Uvac, is famous for its yearly trumpet festival, which is incentive enough to visit.

Even if you aren't a trumpet enthusiast, the sheer number of performers lighting up the town with a variety of low hums and beats will leave an indelible impression on you. Gua is home to a one-of-a-kind cultural festival that draws people together naturally.

What is Serbian Food Like?

Food is an important aspect of Serbian social life. If a local invites you to a feast, accept it totally and enjoy it. Sarma: packed grape leaves filled with minced meat, Cevapi: grilled meat shaped like miniature sausages, and Kajmak: a curd-based spread eaten with warm bread are all examples of meat-heavy Serbian cuisine. All are typically served with side salads, fruit relishes, and spicy chutneys, and are topped off with cool Rakija, the powerful national drink that tastes similar to Schnapps.

Can I Enter Kosovo from Serbia?

First and foremost, the issue of Kosovo in Serbia is divisive and contentious; address it at your own risk. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a country or an independent state.

It is now legal to enter Kosovo from Serbia because Serbia does not recognize the boundary and claims Kosovo as part of its territory. You are free to travel there and back into Serbia. You will not be able to enter Serbia if you enter Kosovo from the land borders of Montenegro, Albania, or North Macedonia. Why? You lack the stamp required for official admission into Serbia via Belgrade airport or land crossings from Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia.

In Serbia, there are numerous airports that serve both international and domestic flights. Various international carriers, including Lufthansa, Swiss Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Qantas, and others, fly to Switzerland on a regular basis from major UAE cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Akbar Travels works directly with hundreds of full-service and low-cost airlines to provide you the finest range of low-cost flights and to make it simple to compare bookings on all airlines travelling to Serbia. Make sure that you check for the cheapest flights to Serbia when planning your trip.    

      All of our Serbia vacation packages from Dubai have been meticulously planned to encompass the attractions of each location while removing the stress of having to schedule everything yourself.