15 Best Things to do in Belgrade
For many, a destination that they don’t even think of. For me, my dream destination: my goal was to visit Serbia. Belgrade is a city that was calling my attention for many years. The historical processes, knowing that for a little more than 20 years was a besieged and bombed city, makes it one of the cities in the world that has to rebuild itself the most.
I write this post to showcase that I fell even deeper in love with Serbia a lot more after visiting Belgrade, and because I genuinely believe, Belgrade, Serbia, and all the Balkans are places that you should have on your bucket list. I will show you what are the best things to do in Belgrade if you decide to visit Serbia someday.
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Where’s Belgrade, Serbia?
As you can see, Serbia is right in the center of the Balkans. It could be considered a pity that it doesn’t have a sea coast, but through it flows one of the most important rivers in Europe: the Danube river.
Belgrade is right in the middle of the country, and talking about the Danube river, one of the things that define the city and most of the things to do in Belgrade, is the fact that the city is surrounded by the Danube river and Sava river.
Belgrado está justo en el centro del país, y ya que hablamos del Danubio, una de las cosas que define a la ciudad y que tienes que ver en Belgrado, es el hecho de encontrarse justo entre el Río Danubio y el Río Sava.
How to travel from the US to Belgrade, Serbia
To go to Belgrade, the best way is to fly directly, either from New York or Chicago with Air Serbia direct flights. You can check more of these on Skyscanner and set some alerts to see when they are cheaper. Sometimes you can find roundtrips for around $400
How much did I spend to fly to Belgrade, Serbia?
When I decided to fly to Belgrade, Serbia, I just had a flight to another destination canceled. I decided to look for another flight and Serbia came to mind as a possibility. I swear that I went to Skyscanner, Expedia, and then, finished in the airline to confirm that the price I was seeing, was true:
I paid $512.07 for a roundtrip from San Juan to Belgrade, Serbia. That was a great win already. Then I looked for lodging.
Things to do in Belgrade: Accommodations
I wanted to save the same way on accomodation as I saved on flights. I started to look for the best hotels in Belgrade on Booking and TripAdvisor. I found really good prices but I decided to do something that would mean saving more: I used my Avianca Lifemiles to save on hotel.
Doing that, I covered lodging with miles and I only had to pay around $10, which means that until that moment, I only spent $522.07 on traveling to Serbia and I had airfare and lodging covered.
What to do in Belgrade: The hotel I stayed at
If someone wants to know more about the hotel I stayed at in Belgrade, it was the Five Points City Hotel, right in Republic Square. Personally, I liked it but I wouldn’t recommend it to travelers who are looking for comfort. It is located on the 5th floor of an old building (the elevator works) but, I believe it could be a problem for some. The room was very small but, for me (and the fact that it was covered with miles) it did work.
My biggest issue was that they would charge extra if I received any visits to my room. This is the main reason why I wouldn’t go back. What I truly like about it was its location right in the center and close to most of the things to do in Belgrade.
Mi gran queja de mi hotel fue que si tenían problemas si quería traer visitas a mi cuarto. Esta sería esencialmente la razón por la cual no regresaría. Lo que si puedo decir es que en definitiva, estaba justo en el centro cerca de todo lo que hay que ver en Belgrado.
Things to do in Belgrade: Travel Insurance
The travel insurance I got to travel to Serbia was IATI. Luckily, I didn’t have any situation for which I need it. I acquired a coverage of 200,000€ on medical expenses that you might incur in your destination. In total, I spent around $60 on travel insurance. So far, I spent $582.07 on planning this trip.
Things to do in Belgrade: Tours
I didn’t book a tour during this trip to Belgrade. The only experience I booked was a photographer on Airbnb Experiences. I booked a Photographer to have the best photos in Belgrade, considering I was traveling on my own. Another place where you can find great things to do in Belgrade is Civitatis.
Main things to do in Belgrade
If you want to have the experience to visit Belgrade, knowing what to see and what are the things to in Belgrade is important. Here you have a map to find those things to do.
Things to do in Belgrade: Republic Square – Trg Republike
One of the main squares and the encounter spot in Belgrade. Among the things to do in Belgrade, you will find here the National Museum and some bars that you should visit.
More of Republic Square on TripAdvisor
Things to do in Belgrade: Knez Mihajlova
The main walkable street in central Belgrade. You will find stores, restaurants, and all that magic you can find on any walkable street in any destination. This street is filled with things to do in Belgrade like restaurants, bars, and stores.
More of Knez Mihajlova on TripAdvisor
Things to do in Belgrade: Kalemegdan
When you reach the end of Knez Mihajlova, you will find Kalemegdan Fortress, the main defense in the city to protect it from attacks and one of the main things to do in Belgrade that you can’t miss. In the fortress you can find the Military Museum, Bunkers, among others.
More of Kalemegdan on Trip Advisor
Things to do in Belgrade: Saint Sava Cathedral
The biggest Christian Orthodox chapel in the world, and it’s still under construction. This is one of the main things to do in Belgrade. Its cupules and wings covered in gold are a dream. You can get in for free and buy a candle for only 150 dinars.
More about St. Sava on TripAdvisor
Things to do in Belgrade: Nikola Tesla Museum
In this museum, you will find more of the inventions by Nikola Tesla. You will get to know many things about his life and you can even be part of some of his experiments that they test during the tour. It cost 800 dinars. ($8.00USD). Definitely, this is one of the things to do in Belgrade.
More of the Nikola Tesla Museum on TripAdvisor
Things to do in Belgrade: River Cruise
As we mention since the first moment, what makes Belgrade special is the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. A river cruise is one of the things to do in Belgrade and a great way to explore the city. From here you will have the best views of the city and know better how the rivers have been crucial in the development of the city. The cost of this tour is 1800 dinars ($18.00 USD).
More of Cruise Belgrade on TripAdvisor
Things to do in Belgrade: Yugoslav Ministry of Defense
In 1999, NATO bombed Belgrade dues to the conflict in Kosovo. Some of the bombs reached the Yugoslav Ministry of Defense, and today, this building remains as it is after so many years. This is one of the things to do in Belgrade on Nemanjina and Knez Milosa streets.
Things to do in Belgrade: Zemun
On the other side of the city, you find Zemun, one of those things to do in Belgrade that you can’t miss. This place was important for the Austro-Hungary empire and the place where Belgrade was first attacked during World War I. Its streets still preserve the Austrian influence and Gardos Tower is one the things to do in Belgrade.
More of Zemun on TripAdvisor
Things to do in Belgrade: Museum of Yugoslavia – House of Flowers
I must admit that this was my favorite thing to do in Belgrade and something that everyone should see when visiting the city. Here you can understand better the history of the Former Yugoslavia and you can visit the mausoleum of Josip Broz Tito. With your Air Serbia Boarding Pass, you can get a discount on the entrance fee. The entrance price is 400 dinars ($4.00 USD) and with a discount, is 200 ($2.00).
More of the Museum of Yugoslavia on TripAdvisor
Things to do in Belgrade: Skadarlija
Skadarlija is what is known as the bohemian side of the city. For some time it was the spot for many artists to live and actually. It is filled with bars, local restaurants, and many things to do in Belgrade if you visit someday.
More of Skadarlija on TripAdvisor
Things to do in Belgrade: Beton Hala
Beton Hala used to be a warehouse area on the riverside. Nowadays is a place filled with restaurants and bars with vibrant energy. It is recommended as one of the things to do in Belgrade.
More of Beton Hala on TripAdvisor
Things to do in Belgrade: Genex Tower
The Western City Gate o Gennex Tower is a tower that was built during the communist age using a brutalist style that connects two towers with a structure on top that used to be a rotating restaurant.
It was designed with the purpose of housing and commercials and, we can say that is… ugly! I mean, the brutalist style and architecture are not characterized by lines or symmetry. This is one of the things to do in Belgrade if you visit because it is an example of the architectural history of the country.
Things to do in Belgrade: Hotel Jugoslavija
The Hotel Jugoslavija was built in 1969 as part of a government project. This hotel was so important at the moment that some of its guests were Queen Elizabeth and Tina Turner. This hotel also suffered from the NATO bombings in 1999 and one of its wings was destroyed. This hotel was closed during the ’00s, and it was reopened in 2013 as part of an investment by a greek group and actually operates normally. This hotel has restaurants, bars, and a big casino. Behind this hotel, you can see the Danube River. This is one of the things to do in Belgrade if you visit.
More of Hotel Jugoslavija on TripAdvisor
Things to do in Belgrade: Ada Ciganlija
Every summer, this lake is filled so the city can enjoy it as its beach. It has famous beach bars and aquatic sports to do. This is totally recommended and one of the things to do in Belgrade if you visit in the Summer.
More of Ada Ciganlija on TripAdvisor
Things to do in Belgrade: St. Mark Chapel
Another Orthodox church that you need to see. The details and architecture of these chapels are must-see and one of the things to do in Belgrade.
More of St. Mark on TripAdvisor
Now… how much did I spend in Belgrade, Serbia?
Up to this point, I have mentioned that planning costed $588.07. I didn’t add that on Airbnb Experience around $30, so, until now I have spent $618.07. To keep track of spending once in Belgrade, I decided to always track what I cash from machines or exchange (including expenses done with my card) When I summed that up, what I spent on eating, tours, drinking, and enjoying on things to do in Belgrade, it was around $425.
Hasta este punto, te había dicho que había gastado en planificarlo $588.07. No calculamos lo que me costó el Airbnb Experience que fueron $30, así que, hasta ese punto tenemos $618.07. En lugar de contar todos mis gastos, lo que hice fue contar, cuanto dinero retiré del cajero y cuanto dinero cambié (o incluso, gastos que hice directamente con mi tarjeta), Al contar todo eso, lo que gasté en comer, hacer excursiones, beber en Belgrado y disfrutar, fueron unos $425.
Now, adding the initial budget, I can say that I spent in Serbia $1,043.07.
I can conclude that different from other destinations, Belgrade is a cheap city with a cosmopolitan vibe and I believe everyone should visit it at least once. There are way too many things to do in Belgrade!
If you want to see more videos and information about Belgrade, you can visit my Instagram profile!
