Journey
Serbia at the Wheel: A Self-Drive Journey
Nine days at your own pace in a rental car: the Danube fortresses and the Iron Gates, the hills of Šumadija, the monasteries of Raška and the mountains of Zlatibor, with family-run guesthouses on the way
- No payment now
- Planned by our own team
- Length
- 9 days · 8 nights
- Travel style
- Self-guided
- Pace
- Classic
- Stays
- Superior · Classic
- Starts and ends
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG)
- Guiding
- EnglishAll languages on request
- Group
- 1–5 guests
- Price
- On requestWritten offer first, no payment now
What you’ll see
Highlights along the way
Route & days
Day by day
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Day 1 Arrive in Belgrade
Meet your driver at Belgrade airport for the transfer to your hotel. We go through your route book and the car documents with you. Evening free in the old town.
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG)
- Belgrade
Included: Private arrival transfer; route briefing.
Airport to the city centre, with a driver.
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Day 2 To the Danube: Smederevo and Golubac
Your rental car is delivered to the hotel. Drive east to Smederevo, the walled capital of the last Serbian despots, then along the Danube to Golubac Fortress at the entrance to the Iron Gates gorge. Continue through the gorge to Donji Milanovac for two nights.
- Belgrade
- Smederevo Fortress
- Golubac Fortress
- Donji Milanovac
Included: Rental car from today; Golubac Fortress entrance.
Planning time; a car may be a little faster.
Easier or optional: A lunch of Danube fish by the river.
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Day 3 The Iron Gates
A day in Đerdap National Park: Lepenski Vir, the riverside settlement of hunter-fishers from about 9500–5500 BC, and the viewpoints over the Kazan narrows. In the afternoon, an optional boat through the narrows to see Trajan's Tablet from the water.
- Donji Milanovac
- Lepenski Vir
- Đerdap National Park & the Iron Gates
- Trajan’s Tablet (Tabula Traiana)
Included: Lepenski Vir entrance.
Planning time; short drives along the river.
Easier or optional: Boat in the Kazan narrows (April–October, subject to weather).
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Day 4 Over the hills to Manasija
Leave the Danube and drive over the wooded hills of eastern Serbia to Manasija, the fortified monastery of Despot Stefan Lazarević, about 3¾ hours on winding roads. Night in a family-run guesthouse in the Resava valley nearby.
- Donji Milanovac
- Manasija Monastery
- Despotovac
Included: Manasija visit; dinner at the guesthouse.
Planning time; winding roads over the hills.
Easier or optional: Resava Cave or the Lisine waterfall near Despotovac.
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Day 5 Into Šumadija: Oplenac and Takovo
West into Šumadija: Topola and Oplenac, the mausoleum church of the Karađorđević dynasty, then the quiet roads towards Rudnik and Takovo, where the Second Serbian Uprising began in 1815. Night in a family-run guesthouse in the hills near Gornji Milanovac.
- Despotovac
- Topola
- Oplenac: St George’s Church & Mausoleum
- Takovo
- Gornji Milanovac
Included: Oplenac entrance; dinner at the guesthouse.
Planning time.
Easier or optional: A tasting at a family-run winery near Topola.
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Day 6 Žiča and Studenica
South through Čačak and Kraljevo to Žiča, the red-painted church where, by tradition, the medieval kings were crowned, and on up the Studenica valley to Studenica Monastery, founded by Stefan Nemanja and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Night in a family-run guesthouse nearby.
- Gornji Milanovac
- Kraljevo
- Žiča Monastery
- Studenica Monastery
Included: Dinner at the guesthouse.
Planning time.
Easier or optional: A local guide at Studenica.
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Day 7 Raška: Sopoćani and the road to Zlatibor
Drive to Novi Pazar, with its old bazaar and mosques, and on to Sopoćani, whose 13th-century frescoes are among the finest of their time. In the afternoon, skirt the high Pešter plateau at Sjenica and cross the Zlatar hills by Nova Varoš to Zlatibor for two nights, about 3½ hours from Sopoćani.
- Studenica Monastery
- Novi Pazar
- Sopoćani Monastery
- Sjenica
- Nova Varoš
- Zlatibor
Included: Sopoćani visit.
Long driving day; planning time.
Easier or optional: Petrova Crkva and Đurđevi Stupovi in Novi Pazar; a stop at the Uvac viewpoints.
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Day 8 Mokra Gora and Tara
Drive to Mokra Gora for the Šargan Eight narrow-gauge railway and Drvengrad on the hill above it. If time allows, continue into Tara National Park for the view over the Drina canyon from Banjska stena.
- Zlatibor
- Šargan Eight heritage railway, Mokra Gora
- Drvengrad (Küstendorf)
- Tara National Park
- Banjska stena viewpoint
Included: Šargan Eight tickets (subject to timetable); Drvengrad entrance.
Planning time; the Tara loop is optional.
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Day 9 Back to Belgrade
Drive back to Belgrade airport and return the car, about 3¾ hours, or to your Belgrade hotel.
- Zlatibor
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG)
Included: Car return at the airport.
Planning time.
Driving times are approximate and don’t include stops. Every day can be adjusted: tell us what you’d change when you enquire.
What’s included
Included and not included
Included
- 8 nights in hotels and family-run guesthouses (Belgrade 1, Donji Milanovac 2, Resava valley 1, Šumadija 1, Studenica area 1, Zlatibor 2), breakfast daily
- 3 home-style dinners at the guesthouses
- Arrival transfer; rental car from day 2 to day 9 (category and insurance as in your written offer)
- A printed and digital route book with drive times, parking tips and stops worth making
- Golubac, Lepenski Vir, Oplenac and Šargan Eight tickets
- Travel2Serbia support by phone throughout
Guiding in all languages available on request, subject to availability.
Not included
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Fuel, motorway tolls and parking
- Optional insurance excess waivers
- Meals and drinks not listed
- Donations at monasteries
- Tourist taxes paid locally
- Tips
Why this journey
Why you’ll love it
- Golubac Fortress and the Danube at the entrance to the Iron Gates gorge
- Lepenski Vir and an evening by the river in Donji Milanovac
- Manasija, the walled monastery of the despots, and the hills of Šumadija
- Žiča, Studenica and Sopoćani, the monasteries of medieval Raška
- The Šargan Eight and the meadows of Mokra Gora
- Family-run guesthouses with home-style dinners along the way
Signature moments
The road through the gorge
East of Golubac the road follows the Danube between cliffs, with Romania on the far bank.
Your own pace
Stop for honey at a roadside stall, take the side road to a village church, or stay another hour by the river.
From the plain to the mountains
In nine days the landscape changes from the Danube and the Šumadija orchards to the high meadows of Zlatibor.
What you’ll do
What you’ll do
Everything is arranged privately for your group. Hosts, guides and routes are confirmed in your offer.
Hosted experience · Day 3
Boat trip in the Đerdap gorge (Iron Gates)
A boat trip through the narrowest part of the Danube gorge, past Trajan's Tablet.
Boat trip for your group on the agreed route.
Hosted experience · Day 5
Winery visits and tastings
Visits to small family wineries and historic cellars, with tastings of Serbian grapes.
Tastings as set out in your offer. Arranged on request, subject to availability.
Where you’ll stay
Your stays · 8 nights
8 nights in hotels and family-run guesthouses (Belgrade 1, Donji Milanovac 2, Resava valley 1, Šumadija 1, Studenica area 1, Zlatibor 2), breakfast daily
Night 1
Superior comfort, chosen for your dates
- Superior comfort
Upgrade: Central Belgrade hotel
Nights 2–3
Classic comfort, chosen for your dates
- Classic comfort
Upgrade: Riverside hotel in Donji Milanovac
Night 4
Classic comfort, chosen for your dates
- Classic comfort
Upgrade: Family-run guesthouse in the Resava valley
Night 5
Classic comfort, chosen for your dates
- Classic comfort
Upgrade: Family-run guesthouse in the Šumadija hills
Night 6
Classic comfort, chosen for your dates
- Classic comfort
Upgrade: Family-run guesthouse near Studenica
Nights 7–8
Superior comfort, chosen for your dates
- Superior comfort
Upgrade: Hotel on Zlatibor
We name each stay, with its photos, in your written offer once availability is confirmed.
Before you choose
Is this journey for you?
A good fit if
Independent travellers and couples who like to drive, repeat visitors to the Balkans and families who want to stop where they please.
Maybe not if
Nervous drivers or anyone uncomfortable on narrow mountain roads, and travellers who want a guide every day (see our private journeys).
Pace and effort
Classic. Drives of about 1–5¼ hours a day on motorways and country roads; the longest are days 2, 7 and 8 (about 4–5¼ hours). Planning times include a margin for stops; you set your own pace. Serbia drives on the right; headlights on day and night.
Tailor-made
Make it your own
Local guides for any day (Studenica, Novi Pazar, Golubac) · A boat in the Iron Gates gorge · A tasting at a family-run winery in Šumadija · An extra night on Tara · Shorter 8-day or longer 10-day versions.
Customise this journeyHow booking and payment work
From enquiry to voucher
We never ask for card details by email or on this website. Bank details are only sent in your personal offer or invoice.
- 1 You send an enquiry Free, with no obligation.
- 2 We send a written offer Availability and your final price, confirmed.
- 3 You accept the offer
- 4 You pay securely Card payment link (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro) or bank transfer.
- 5 We confirm your payment
- 6 You receive your confirmation and voucher
Booking terms for this journey: Price on request. This is a private programme, arranged on request for your dates; there are no fixed departures. The final offer, price and availability depend on confirmation of the services (accommodation, guides, transport and activities) after your enquiry. Nothing is booked and no payment is taken until you accept the written offer.
Serbia at the Wheel: A Self-Drive Journey
Tell us when you’d like to come
We’ll check availability for your dates with our local partners and guides, then send you a written offer with the confirmed price. Asking is free.
- WhatsApp us
- office@love2travel.rs
- +381 60 40 80 510
- We send your first proposal within 2 working days.
Request a quote
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Individual services
Need something else?
For travellers who don’t need the complete journey, Travel2Serbia can also arrange individual services.
Tell us what you need- Airport & private transfers
- Hotels & accommodation
- Private guides
- Day trips & excursions
- Chauffeur / car with driver
- Activities & experiences