YPT Tours to Serbia

Our Serbia tours are unique and also the gateway to many other interesting countries. Serbia, officially the Republic of Serbia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Southeast and Central Europe, located in the Balkans and the Pannonian Plain. It stands for the “land of the Serbs” and encompasses a historical region in central and northern parts of former Yugoslavia.

Serbia boasts stunning natural landscapes, featuring majestic mountains, winding rivers, and expansive national parks. Among its most renowned natural landmarks is Djavolja Varoš, a distinctive rock formation. Serbian cuisine delights with its delectable meat dishes, flavourful cheeses, and tempting pastries. 

You’ll see that the Balkans are rich with history, diversity, culture and beautiful scenery. It is more than a region haunted by Nazi occupation and concentration camps, with decaying and forgotten spomeniks (monuments) scattered around.

The end of the Second World War saw the former Yugoslavia develop and progress under the grip of Josip Broz Tito, renowned for his military tactics against the Axis occupation and his hard stance against Stalin. But peace didn’t last in the region, with the death of Tito followed by the economic failure shattering the framework that kept Yugoslavia united. It led to war, with many wishing to create their own nations. Fuelled by nationalism and ethnic tension, the collapse of Yugoslavia saw the deadliest war in Europe since WWII, with thousands of war crimes and crimes against humanity still under investigation.

Serbia is but one of seven countries of former Yugoslavia, each unique despite their shared history, where you’ll meet genuine people and learn and about their language, cultures, and political views. A mixture of ancient and modern history through times of peace and conflicts makes this a truly unique place to visit.

Group Tours to Serbia

YPT runs group tours to Serbia as part of our Ultimate Yugoslavia Tour, which offers several groups and variations to pick from. 

Ultimate Yugoslavia Tour: Tito’s Winter – November 22^nd-December 3^rd, 2024 – €795 – €1695

Ultimate Yugoslavia Tour – May 16^th-27^th, 2025 – €795 – €1695

Independent Tours to Serbia

YPT can arrange Serbia tours deep into the country, leveraging on its network of local partners, or link it with tours to other parts of the former Yugoslavia such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, or the Kosovo. Overland trips to Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Transnistria, and beyond are possible as well. Prices depend on the number of people and what level of accommodation you desire, but YPT can arrange everything you need for a perfect independent Serbia tour.

Below is an example Serbia tour for a post-WWII and post-soviet city experience. This can be extended or combined with other activities to create independent tours. 

Example of a 5-day Serbia Post-WWII and Post-Soviet Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in Belgrade

• Arrive at your own leisure in Belgrade and transfer to our centrally located hotel.
• Pre-Tour Meeting at 6pm before going for a first dinner in one of the cozy Serbian restaurants. 
• Overnight in Belgrade

Day 2 – Belgrade

• Walk around the quiet city in the morning to capture some pictures before it fills with life. We’ll head towards the River Sava where we can appreciate New Belgrade brutalist architecture.
• Meet our local guide and start official tour with further exploring Belgrade – the oldest continuously inhabited cites in the Europe. Our walking tour will focus on the history about WWII, Yugoslavia, Tito’s life and communism. We’ll also learn about the Relay of Youth movement and the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999.
• We’ll continue to the Museum of Yugoslavia, which is also the resting place for Josip Broz Tito – president for life and marshal of Yugoslavia.
• Our tour will allow us to explore Belgrade further, including the key sites such as Republic Square, Bohemian Quarter, Kalemegdan Park, and the Belgrade Fortress.
• For lunch, we’ll head to a nice café and enjoy our surroundings.

Afternoon

• In the afternoon we’ll explore Red Star Belgrade and Partisan Belgrade stadiums. The area is covered in interesting political graffiti – both teams have their own fanatical supporters, known as ultras. During the war, many of these fans were members of the ruthless paramilitary squads during the 1990s war.
• We’ll have time to relax and freshen up in the hotel before we continue exploring the beautiful city. We’ll head towards Republic Square checking out the key sites before heading to the Dorcol neighbourhood. We’ll explore the oldest part of Belgrade and visit the oldest surviving house built in 1727. The area is also popular with locals enjoying the cafés and bar scene.
• Once we’re ready, we’ll go for dinner at a local Serbian restaurant. For those inclined to stay out for a few drinks – the night life is amazing in Belgrade!
• Overnight stay in Belgrade.

Day 3 – Belgrade

• Leisurely Breakfast in the hotel before starting a more relaxed day.
• We will visit Great War Island, one of the greenest corners of Belgrade, located right at the confluence between the Sava and Danube rivers. We will access it via a pontoon bridge that connects to Lido Beach, a favourite spot among locals for sunbathing or swimming in one of Europe’s greatest rivers.
• Traditional lunch: We will enjoy the king of any Serbian BBQ – the Pljeskavica. A national dish, it is essentially the Serbian version of a hamburger: a deliciously spiced patty made from a mix of pork, beef, and lamb, with minced onion inside.
• In the afternoon we will visit the Nikola Tesla Museum, the Serbo-Croatian inventor that was a true pioneer in the field of electromagnetism. The Nikola Tesla Museum may be small, but it is packed with original documents, photographs, and historical technical exhibits. Its primary aim is to showcase the life and groundbreaking inventions of this distinguished scientist. During the guided tour, also his inventions will be showcased.
• Of course, we’ll go for dinner at another of our favourite local Serbian restaurants and those which are still energetic are surely having another beer or two!
• Overnight in Belgrade.

Day 4 – Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci

• Breakfast in hotel and transfer with private bus to the capital of autonomous region Vojvodina: Novi Sad. In comparison to Belgrade it´s quite a relaxed place.
• We will visit the Svetozar Miletic Square in the city centre and walk around there, absorbing the rhythm of the place. We will see grand orthodox churches and the majestic Name of Mary’s rainbow-striped spire.
• Lunch in the centre.
• After lunch, a short walk over the river brings us to the city’s piece de resistance: Petrovaradin Fortress – also nicknamed “Gibraltar on/of the Danube”. It features many tunnels as well as over 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) of preserved underground corridors and countermine system. The fortress itself has been involved in many invasions and wars, but you will find out about this once we wander around its walls.
• We will continue our way to Sremski Karlovci, one of Vojvodina’s most famous – and attractive – towns. Here we will marvel at picturesque churches, being surrounded by impressive vineyards.
• We will spend the night over dinner in Novi Sad, before heading for our last attraction and day in Serbia the next morning

Day 5 – Niš

• Breakfast in the hotel before boarding our private minibus towards Niš, the third largest city in Serbia.
• No YPT visit to the country would be complete without bringing you to the infamous skull tower (Ćele Kula) of Niš. The Skull Tower is a macabre monument constructed by the Ottomans in the early 1800s, featuring human skulls embedded in its stone walls. Erected after a significant battle for the freedom of Niš, it served as a stark warning to deter future uprisings against the Empire. The tower contains over 900 skulls in total. We’ll have the opportunity to visit the archaeological hall and see the various artefacts excavated from past battles.
• After finishing with the skull tower, we will visit the Niš fortress, the last one on our Serbia tour. Expect some good views on the surrounding from this fortification of Ottoman Turkish origin, dating from the first decades of the 18th century.
• Over lunch in Niš where we will also lose a word or two about Emperor Constantine the Great, who was born here.
• In the afternoon we’ll visit Bubanj Memorial Park build to commemorate the atrocities which took place during WWII. Over 10,000 civilians, mainly Serbs, Gypsies and Jews from Nis, were rounded up and bought to Bubanj Forest only to be met by the German execution squads. Located in the park are three obelisks which vary in size. The concrete structures represent a raised fist of a man, a woman and a child which symbolises the gruesome fact that entire families were wiped out.
• The tour concludes after, further transfers can be arranged if needed.

From here you can join us further into the former Yugoslavia, go on a tour to Romania, or venture further on by yourself.

Bespoke tours to Serbia

As part of our travel packages within Central and Eastern Europe, we can offer bespoke and independent tours to Serbia. These can be done as full Serbia tours or be combined with other countries. 

For more information on the following programs, simply get in touch. 

Eco-Travel in Serbia

Young Pioneer Tours can arrange trips to the lesser seen places of Serbia, such as the rural areas that cater to eco-tourism within the country, especially in its extraordinary national parks like Tara and the Uvac canyon. Djavolja Varos (Devil’s Town), a masterpiece of nature with its characteristic pyramidal formations of land and “hats” made of stone, will surely not be missed either.

Serbia to Romania Overland Tour

Starting with the exploration of Belgrade and its surroundings we will then head via Timisoara to Bucharest. After two nights in Serbia, we enter the country of Romania to learn about its role in WW2, the communist era and of course Count Dracul.

Serbia to Bulgaria Overland Tour

Starting with the exploration of Belgrade and its surroundings we will then head to Sofia, Bulgaria’s exciting capital. We will learn about its role during the communist era and how it remained an independent state.

Outdoor Adventure Tour

Explore Serbia’s natural beauty on a tour that includes hiking in the Uvac Nature Reserve, rafting on the Drina River, or skiing in the Zlatibor mountains.

Underground Serbia Tours

Belgrade, Novi Sad, and the wider country have some amazing dark tourism, urbex and contemporary historical sites that few tourists get to see. Working with our local partners, YPT can arrange and underground and dark tourism tours to Serbia. Get in touch to have a bespoke itinerary planned for you. 

Wine Tasting Tour

Serbian wine has a long history, which can be found in old Roman records, giving it truly authentic roots. It has many wine regions in the country and old state wineries have been replaced almost completely by private ones with a great dynamic and variety that are worth exploring. Some of the most popular wine regions include Mt Fruška Gora, next to Novi Sad, Šumadija, more in the central region, and the river basin of Tri Morave. You can go on a wine tasting tour of one of these regions, or you can visit one of Serbia´s many wineries run by local families. 

Filming in Serbia

Through our media arm Pioneer Media, we can make arrangements for productions, journalists, or others, to film within Serbia from big budget to guerrilla productions. We can also arrange meetings in country, as well as correct visas for journalist wishing to do projects within the country.

Frequently asked Questions about travel to Serbia

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