Highlights of Serbia — Self-Launched 5-Day Belgrade, Danube & Novi Sad
5 days · Serbia
Victor Tours DMC charges £1,160
No-markup version: ~£273 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Victor Tours' 5-day "Highlights of Serbia" loop from Belgrade — covering Kalemegdan Fortress, Zemun, the Danube Iron Gate and Golubac Fortress, Sremski Karlovci and Petrovaradin, and Novi Sad. Instead of a 4* hotel and private guided minibus, you'll base yourself in a central Belgrade hostel or budget guesthouse, use Belgrade's excellent public transport and the regular bus/train to Novi Sad, join small-group day tours (or book directly with local operators) for the Danube and wine-country days, and eat your way through Skadarlija and Zemun. Same sights, roughly a third of the price. Note: prices are rough backpacker/mid-budget estimates in GBP for one person sharing a dorm or twin room, excluding international flights and travel insurance. Serbia is not in the EU/eurozone — use Serbian dinars (RSD) from ATMs or exchange offices in town, not the airport, and avoid taxis from the airport (use the A1 shuttle or city bus 72).
Day-by-day
Arrive Belgrade — settle in and evening in the old town
Belgrade
Land at Nikola Tesla Airport and take the A1 shuttle bus (about 300 RSD, ~£2.20) or city bus 72 to the centre (Zeleni Venac / Slavija). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in Stari Grad (old town) or near Slavija — you want to be walking distance from Knez Mihailova. Spend the afternoon on a free self-guided wander: Knez Mihailova pedestrian street, Republic Square, Terazije and Kalemegdan's upper plateau for sunset over the Sava-Danube confluence. In the evening, do a free walking tour (Belgrade Free Walking Tour meets around Republic Square and runs most days; tip ~500–1,000 RSD) or head straight to Skadarlija, the cobbled bohemian quarter, for a cheap Ćevapi-and-beer dinner. Ask your hostel for their current favourite kafana — the good ones are rarely the tourist-facing ones.
🚌A1 shuttle bus from Nikola Tesla Airport to city centre (~£2.20); everything else on foot
🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse in Stari Grad or Slavija (dorm ~£12–16 or private twin ~£18–22 pp)
- →Knez Mihailova & Republic Square wander
- →Kalemegdan upper plateau at sunset
- →Belgrade free walking tour (tip-based)
- →Dinner and drinks in Skadarlija
Danube day trip — Golubac Fortress and the Iron Gate gorge
Belgrade → Golubac → Belgrade
The one day where booking a small-group tour genuinely beats DIY: Golubac and the Đerdap gorge are ~130 km east along the Danube and local buses are slow and infrequent. Book a GetYourGuide day tour from Belgrade (they start around £45–65 pp and typically include Golubac Fortress entry and a short Danube boat ride through the Iron Gate/Gvozdena Kapija) — several of the same local operators that run Victor Tours' version are bookable there. Alternatively, if you want to go fully independent, take an early bus from Belgrade's BAS station to Golubac (~3 hrs, ~1,000 RSD), walk the fortress, and take a local boat trip from the Golubac marina (~800–1,200 RSD); you'll need to overnight or take a late return bus, so most solo travellers stick with the day tour. Have lunch at one of the riverside fish restaurants (try a Danube fish soup, ~£8–10) and be back in Belgrade by early evening.
🚌Small-group day tour minibus from Belgrade (pickup near Republic Square) — or public bus Belgrade–Golubac ~£7 each way for the DIY version
🛏Same Belgrade hostel/guesthouse
- →Golubac Fortress entry & tour
- →Danube boat ride through the Iron Gate
- →Đerdap gorge viewpoints
- →Riverside fish lunch
Belgrade deep-dive — Kalemegdan, Zemun and St. Sava
Belgrade & Zemun
Do Victor Tours' big Belgrade sightseeing day on your own two feet and Belgrade's trams. Morning: enter Kalemegdan Fortress and work through Leopold's Gate, Zindan Gate, Despot's Gate, Jakšića Tower, the Chapel of St. Petka and Ružica Church, then the Victor Monument, Roman Well, Clock Tower and Istanbul Gate — all free and open to wander (Roman Well and the Clock Tower need small separate tickets, ~200–400 RSD each). Walk the Sava Promenade and pass Damat Ali Pasha's Tomb and the Monument of Gratitude to France. Afternoon: take tram 2 or a 20-minute walk to the Church of St. Sava (free, dress modestly) and the National Museum if you have energy (Sunday free entry, otherwise ~600 RSD). Then take bus 84 or tram to Zemun for the Gardoš Hill climb, Millennium Tower, Danube Promenade, St. Nicholas Church and the central square — sunset from Gardoš is the highlight. Evening: return to Skadarlija for a three-course kafana dinner with live music; expect ~3,000–4,000 RSD (~£22–30) including a drink — roughly half the tour's €40 optional add-on.
🚌Belgrade public transport day ticket (~150 RSD / ~£1.10); buses/trams 2, 84 across the city
🛏Same Belgrade hostel/guesthouse
- →Kalemegdan Fortress self-guided circuit
- →Church of St. Sava
- →Zemun: Gardoš Hill & Millennium Tower at sunset
- →National Museum (optional)
- →Skadarlija kafana dinner with live music
Wine country and Petrovaradin — Sremski Karlovci to Novi Sad
Belgrade → Sremski Karlovci → Petrovaradin → Novi Sad
Take an early train or bus from Belgrade to Novi Sad (train ~35–55 min, ~£4–6; buses leave BAS roughly hourly, ~£6–8). Drop bags at a hostel in Novi Sad's centre, then take a local bus (~15 min, ~£1) to Sremski Karlovci. Wander the baroque town freely: the Old Patriarch's Court, Assembly Church, the Theological Lyceum and the site of the First Serbian High School — all viewable from outside for free, with small entries for some interiors. Then do a Bermet wine tasting at one of the family cellars in town (walk-in tastings ~£6–10 pp — Bermet is the sweet, herbal, historically Habsburg-court wine you shouldn't leave without trying). Continue to Petrovaradin Fortress, either by bus or a 30-minute riverside walk — the fortress is free to explore, and its underground military galleries and clock tower are the highlights. Walk down into Novi Sad for Zmaj Jovina pedestrian street, the Catholic Cathedral and the Episcopal Church, then a three-course Serbian dinner in town (~£12–16). Overnight in Novi Sad rather than racing back.
🚌Belgrade–Novi Sad train ~£4–6; local bus to Sremski Karlovci ~£1
🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse in central Novi Sad (~£15–20 pp)
- →Sremski Karlovci old town self-guided walk
- →Bermet wine tasting at a family cellar
- →Petrovaradin Fortress & clock tower
- →Zmaj Jovina and Novi Sad cathedral quarter
Novi Sad morning, return to Belgrade and depart
Novi Sad → Belgrade
Spend the morning on Novi Sad's Danube quay (Štrand area) and the green market for a cheap breakfast of burek and yoghurt (~£3), plus a coffee in one of the courtyard cafés off Zmaj Jovina. If you're into it, the Museum of Vojvodina (~£3) is a good hour. Take a late-morning or early-afternoon train back to Belgrade (35–55 min, ~£4–6), leave your bag at the station or a hostel luggage room, and use any spare time for a last walk down Knez Mihailova or a coffee at a Savamala riverside bar. Then take the A1 shuttle or bus 72 to Nikola Tesla Airport for your flight. If your flight is very early or very late, book an extra night in Belgrade — the tour's 'no tours on Mondays' gap is a good reminder to keep a buffer day in your plan.
🚌Novi Sad–Belgrade train ~£4–6; A1 shuttle to the airport ~£2.20
🛏None (departure day) — optional extra Belgrade night ~£15–20
- →Novi Sad green market breakfast
- →Danube quay walk
- →Museum of Vojvodina (optional)
- →Savamala riverside coffee before flight
Self-launched vs. Victor Tours DMC
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Victor Tours DMC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£273 | £1,160 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £887 per person (76%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Victor Tours DMC-style trips? Check them out here.~£273
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Highlights of Serbia — Self-Launched 5-Day Belgrade, Danube & Novi Sad cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £273 per person for 5 days in Serbia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Victor Tours DMC?+
Yes — Victor Tours DMC charges around £1,160 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £273 — a saving of roughly £887 (76%) per person.
How long is the Serbia trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 day-by-day stops through Serbia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, foodie trip through Serbia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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