Serbia
Serbia is the Balkans at full volume: Belgrade's riverside clubs and kafanas, Novi Sad's Austro-Hungarian streets, medieval monasteries painted with Byzantine-style frescoes and the forested gorges of the Drina and Danube. It is affordable, hospitable and still lightly touristed outside the capital, and its food, from charcoal-grilled meats to creamy kajmak, is generous.
Overview
Serbia sits at the crossroads of the Balkans, with the flat farmland of Vojvodina in the north and wooded mountains rising to the south; the Sava and Danube meet at Belgrade in between. Most first trips spend a few days in Belgrade and a day or two in Novi Sad, under 40 minutes north by fast train. From there, head west to Tara National Park and the Šargan Eight heritage railway, south to the Raška monasteries of Studenica and Sopoćani, or east along the Danube through the Iron Gates gorge.
Serbia is cheap by European standards and easy to travel, though public transport off the main routes is slow and car hire pays off in the countryside. Belgrade runs late: dinners start at nine, bars fill after midnight and summer clubs float on river barges. Smoking indoors remains common in bars and cafés. Elsewhere the welcome is warm and often comes with homemade rakija. It suits food lovers, night owls and road-trippers; visitors are often surprised by the quality of medieval art in rural monasteries, and by how few other foreigners they meet.
Map of Serbia
Top 5 highlights
- 1History
Belgrade Fortress (Kalemegdan)
Layers of Roman, Byzantine, Serbian, Austrian and Ottoman walls crown a ridge above the confluence of the Sava and Danube. Come at sunset for the view, and explore the military museum, gates and parkland.
- 2History
Petrovaradin Fortress
A vast Habsburg fortress built between the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries on the Danube opposite Novi Sad, with a clock tower whose hands are reversed, miles of underground tunnels and the long-time home of the EXIT festival.
- 3Sacred site
Studenica Monastery
Founded in the late twelfth century by Stefan Nemanja, this UNESCO-listed white-marble monastery holds some of the finest Byzantine-style frescoes in the Balkans, including a celebrated Crucifixion painted around 1209.
- 4Nature
Tara National Park
Dense forest and limestone plateaux above the Drina canyon in western Serbia. Hike to the Banjska Stena viewpoint over Lake Perućac, look for brown bears, and combine it with the Šargan Eight railway and Drvengrad.
- 5Nature
Iron Gates and Golubac Fortress
The Danube narrows through a 100 km chain of gorges along the Romanian border, guarded at its western entrance by the turreted Golubac Fortress. Nearby Lepenski Vir preserves a Mesolithic settlement whose fish-faced stone sculptures are over 8,000 years old.
Biggest cities
Belgrade
A gritty, energetic capital at the meeting of the Sava and Danube: walk Kalemegdan fortress and Knez Mihailova, eat in Skadarlija's kafanas and spend summer nights on the river barges.
Novi Sad
Serbia's second city has a pastel Austro-Hungarian centre, a big student population and the Petrovaradin Fortress above the Danube, with the monasteries and wineries of Fruška Gora close by.
Niš
Birthplace of Emperor Constantine, with an Ottoman fortress, the macabre Skull Tower built from rebels' skulls in 1809 and some of Serbia's best grilled meat; a good base for the south.
Ranked by urban-area population where available. Figures are rounded estimates, and sources define city limits differently, so rankings of similar-sized cities can vary.
When to go to Serbia
Best time: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct.
Average climate in Belgrade
Festivals & events
- JanOrthodox Christmas
Serbs celebrate Christmas on 7 January; on Christmas Eve, oak branches known as badnjak are burned outside churches in Belgrade and across the country, followed by late services.
- AugGuča Trumpet Festival
Brass bands from across the Balkans compete in the village of Guča each August, playing day and night amid roasting pigs and rivers of beer; not for the faint-hearted.
- AugNišville Jazz Festival
An international jazz festival held each August within Niš Fortress, mixing jazz, funk and world music with free fringe concerts around the city.
How much does Serbia cost?
Estimates per person per day, excluding flights. Prices vary by season and city.
Food to try
Ćevapi
Small skinless sausages of minced beef and pork, grilled over charcoal and served in somun flatbread with chopped onion, kajmak and ajvar.
Sarma
Leaves from whole soured cabbages rolled around minced meat and rice and slow-cooked with smoked pork; essential winter and holiday food.
Burek
Flaky filo pie filled with meat, cheese or nothing at all, sold by bakeries from dawn and traditionally washed down with drinking yoghurt.
Getting around
Fast Soko trains link Belgrade and Novi Sad in under 40 minutes, but most other rail routes are slow, so buses carry the bulk of intercity traffic. Car hire is worthwhile for Tara, the monasteries and the Danube gorge. In Belgrade, use the CarGo app or official taxis rather than cabs touting at the airport or stations; city buses and trams have been free since 2025.
Practical information
- Plugs & voltage
- CF230V — bring a UK-to-C/F adapter
- Emergency numbers
Source: FCDO “Getting help”
- Dialling code
- +381
- Time zone
- UTC+1 (standard time)
- Tap water
- Generally safe to drink
- Driving
- On the right
- Tipping
- Round up or leave around 10% in restaurants and kafanas, and round up taxi fares; service is rarely added to the bill.
- Etiquette
- Avoid casual opinions on Kosovo, the 1990s wars or the 1999 NATO bombing. When toasting, say 'Živeli' and meet each person's eyes; refusing offered food or rakija outright can seem rude.
- Main airports
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG), Belgrade; Niš Constantine the Great Airport (INI), Niš
Visas & entry for Serbia
Shown for a British passport.
No visa needed
You can visit Serbia without a visa for up to 90 days within a 6-month period, for business or tourism.
For details about employment visas and long-stay visas, check the information from the Serbian Embassy in the UK.
From the UK government's FCDO entry requirements for British passport holders — read the full page for passport validity, permits and exceptions.
Health & vaccinations
- Recommended for most travellers
- Tetanus
- Sometimes advised — depends on your trip, activities and health
- MeaslesRabiesTick-borne encephalitisTyphoid
- Yellow fever certificate
- No yellow fever certificate is required to enter.
- Malaria
- No malaria risk
Source: TravelHealthPro (National Travel Health Network and Centre), checked 21 October 2026. This is a summary, not medical advice.
Public holidays in Serbia
The next 12 months. Banks, offices and some sights may close, and transport and hotels get busy around these dates.
| Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Armistice Day |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day |
| Sat 2 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day |
| Thu 7 Jan 2027 | Orthodox Christmas Day |
| Mon 15 Feb 2027 | Statehood Day |
| Tue 16 Feb 2027 | Statehood Day |
| Fri 30 Apr 2027 | Good Friday |
| Sat 1 May 2027 | Holy Saturday · Labour Day |
| Sun 2 May 2027 | Easter Sunday · Labour Day |
| Mon 3 May 2027 | Easter Monday |
| Tue 4 May 2027 | Labour Day (observed) |
National holidays only. Dates based on lunar calendars can move by a day or two depending on official announcements.
Useful phrases in Serbian
| English | Serbian | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Здраво | ZDRAH-voh |
| Thank you | Хвала | HVAH-lah |
| Please | Молим | MOH-leem |
| Excuse me | Извините | eez-VEE-nee-teh |
| How much is this? | Колико ово кошта? | KOH-lee-koh OH-voh KOHSH-tah |
Know before you go
- Pay in dinars: euros are sometimes quoted for accommodation but rarely accepted for everyday purchases. Cards work widely in cities, but carry cash for markets, kafanas and rural guesthouses.
- At Belgrade airport, use the official taxi information desk, which issues a fixed-fare voucher into the city, or book through the CarGo app, to avoid being overcharged.
- Smoking is still permitted in many bars and kafanas; if it bothers you, ask for non-smoking areas or choose terraces, which open from spring to autumn.
Serbia travel FAQs
When is the best time to visit Serbia?
The best time to visit Serbia is generally Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Peak months are April, May, June, September and October. Average highs in Belgrade range from 5°C to 30°C across the year.
How much does a trip to Serbia cost per day?
Roughly £40 a day on a tight budget, £85 mid-range and £180+ for comfortable travel, per person including accommodation, food and local transport. Flights are extra.
What currency is used in Serbia?
Serbian dinar (RSD).
What plug type does Serbia use?
Type C and F sockets at 230V. UK visitors need a travel adapter — UK Type G plugs will not fit.
Which side of the road do they drive on in Serbia?
Traffic drives on the right in Serbia, unlike the UK.
Is tap water safe to drink in Serbia?
Generally safe to drink.
Do I need a visa for Serbia?
For British passport holders, the FCDO says: You can visit Serbia without a visa for up to 90 days within a 6-month period, for business or tourism. Entry rules change, so check the official FCDO entry requirements for Serbia before you travel: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/serbia/entry-requirements
What vaccinations do I need for Serbia?
TravelHealthPro recommends Tetanus for most travellers, with Measles, Rabies, Tick-borne encephalitis and Typhoid sometimes advised depending on your trip. Make sure routine UK vaccinations are up to date and see a travel health professional 6–8 weeks before you go.
