Journey
Serbian Winter: Orthodox Christmas, St Stephen’s Day & Kopaonik
Six private days around the Orthodox Christmas of 6–7 January: Badnji dan in a Šumadija town, Christmas lunch in the hills, two nights on snowy Kopaonik and St Stephen's Day at Prince Lazar's church
- No payment now
- Private, on your dates
- Planned by our own team
- Length
- 6 days · 5 nights
- Travel style
- Private
- Pace
- Classic
- Stays
- Superior · Classic
- Starts and ends
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG)
- Guiding
- EnglishAll languages on request
- Group
- 2–12 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 · 5 Jan Arrive in Belgrade
Meet your driver at Belgrade airport. In the late afternoon, a walk with your guide from Knez Mihailova street to Belgrade Fortress, then a welcome dinner in a Skadarlija kafana.
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG)
- Knez Mihailova Street
- Belgrade Fortress & Kalemegdan Park
- Skadarlija
Included: Private arrival transfer; orientation walk; dinner.
Airport to the city centre. Easy city walk on cobbles.
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Day 2 · 6 Jan Badnji dan: Christmas Eve in Šumadija
Start at Kalenić market, where on this morning the stalls sell young oak branches and bundles of straw for the evening customs. Drive south into the hills of Šumadija to Topola and the church of St George at Oplenac, the mausoleum of the Karađorđević dynasty. After settling into a country hotel, join the people of the town at dusk as the badnjak is lit in the churchyard, then sit down to a traditional Christmas Eve fasting dinner of beans, fish, walnuts and honey in a local restaurant.
- Kalenić Market
- Topola
- Oplenac: St George’s Church & Mausoleum
Included: Private vehicle and driver; licensed guide; Oplenac entrance; Christmas Eve dinner (fasting menu).
Planning time for a minibus. Short walks; the evening custom is outdoors.
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Day 3 · 7 Jan Christmas Day
A slow morning. Those who wish can attend part of the Christmas liturgy in a village church near Topola, where people greet each other with "Hristos se rodi" (Christ is born). Drive south, about 1¾ hours, to the Kraljevo area for Christmas lunch in a rural restaurant: roast pork, sarma and the česnica bread with its hidden coin. In the afternoon, continue up the Ibar valley and climb to Kopaonik, about 3 hours on winter roads, arriving after dark for two nights in the snow.
- Topola
- Kraljevo
- Kopaonik
Included: Christmas lunch; private transfer to Kopaonik; dinner.
Planning time for a minibus, split by the Christmas lunch; mountain roads in winter may take longer.
Easier or optional: Attending the morning liturgy (free; modest dress); Žiča Monastery near Kraljevo.
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Day 4 · 8 Jan A day on the mountain
A free day on Kopaonik. Ski or snowboard, or join a local mountain guide for a snowshoe walk through the spruce forests of the high plateau. Evening in the resort village.
- Kopaonik
Included: Snowshoe walk with a local mountain guide (non-skiers); dinner.
Snowshoe walk of about 3 hours at an easy pace.
Easier or optional: Ski pass, ski school and equipment rental.
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Day 5 · 9 Jan St Stephen's Day in Kruševac, back to Belgrade
Down from the mountain to Kruševac, the capital of Prince Lazar. Lazarica, his court church of 1375–1378, is dedicated to St Stephen the First Martyr, whose feast falls today, the third day of Christmas. Your guide explains the slava, the feast of a family's patron saint, with its candle, blessed bread (slavski kolač) and boiled wheat (žito), and why St Stephen's Day is a slava for many families. Continue north to Belgrade for a farewell dinner.
- Kopaonik
- Lazarica Church, Kruševac
- Belgrade
Included: Private transfer; licensed guide; farewell dinner.
Total planning time for the day; winter roads may take longer.
Easier or optional: A visit to a Kruševac bakery that makes slava breads to order (on request).
-
Day 6 · 10 Jan Departure
Transfer to Belgrade airport.
- Belgrade
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG)
Included: Private departure transfer.
Planning time for a minibus.
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
- 5 nights (Belgrade 1, Šumadija 1, Kopaonik 2, Belgrade 1), breakfast daily
- Christmas Eve fasting dinner, Christmas Day lunch and 4 more dinners
- Private car or minivan with driver throughout, with winter tyres
- A licensed guide on days 1, 2, 3 and 5; a local mountain guide for the snowshoe walk
- Oplenac entrance and church visits
- Arrival and departure transfers; Travel2Serbia support throughout
Guiding in all languages available on request, subject to availability.
Not included
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Ski pass, ski school and equipment rental
- Meals and drinks not listed
- Donations and candles in churches
- Tourist taxes paid locally
- Tips
Why this journey
Why you’ll love it
- Belgrade markets on the morning of Christmas Eve, with oak branches and bundles of straw for sale
- The badnjak fire in a Šumadija churchyard on the evening of 6 January
- A Christmas Eve fasting dinner and a Christmas Day lunch with česnica bread
- Two nights on Kopaonik: skiing, a snowshoe walk or simply the winter view
- Lazarica, Prince Lazar's church of St Stephen in Kruševac, on St Stephen's Day
- What a slava is, and why Serbian families keep it, explained along the way
Signature moments
The oak fire of Christmas Eve
At dusk on 6 January people bring young oak branches, their dry leaves still on, to the fire in the churchyard and wish each other a good Christmas Eve.
The coin in the bread
On Christmas Day the česnica loaf is broken at the table; whoever finds the coin baked inside is said to be lucky all year.
The third day of Christmas
9 January is the feast of St Stephen, the patron saint of many Serbian families and of Prince Lazar's church in Kruševac.
Where you’ll stay
Your stays · 5 nights
5 nights (Belgrade 1, Šumadija 1, Kopaonik 2, Belgrade 1), breakfast daily
Night 1
Superior comfort, chosen for your dates
- Superior comfort
Upgrade: Central Belgrade hotel
Night 2
Classic comfort, chosen for your dates
- Classic comfort
Upgrade: Country hotel near Topola
Nights 3–4
Superior comfort, chosen for your dates
- Superior comfort
Upgrade: Mountain hotel on Kopaonik (or a spa hotel in Vrnjačka Banja)
Night 5
Superior comfort, chosen for your dates
- Superior comfort
Upgrade: Central Belgrade hotel
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
Travellers who want to see how Serbia celebrates Christmas outside the capital, couples and families, and anyone who likes winter with a little snow and a lot of food.
Maybe not if
Travellers who want a ski holiday (see Kopaonik Snow Weekend), or who expect to spend Christmas inside a Serbian family home: we watch the public customs and eat in local restaurants.
Pace and effort
Classic, with two long road days. Fixed dates from 5 to 10 January. About 1¾ hours of driving on day 2; on Christmas Day about 4½ hours in all, split by the Christmas lunch near Kraljevo, arriving on Kopaonik after dark; and a long day 5 of about 5 hours on the road (Kopaonik, Kruševac, Belgrade). Winter roads can be slower. Evening church customs are outdoors and cold: dress warmly.
Tailor-made
Make it your own
Vrnjačka Banja instead of Kopaonik (a spa town with thermal pools, an easier winter drive) · An extra night in Belgrade before or after · Ski school or equipment rental on Kopaonik · Žiča Monastery near Kraljevo on the way to Kopaonik (day 3).
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.
Serbian Winter: Orthodox Christmas, St Stephen’s Day & Kopaonik
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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Continue the story
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Day experience
Topola, Oplenac & Takovo
Where modern Serbia's story began, with lunch at a family table in the Šumadija countryside
-
Day experience
Studenica & Žiča
The coronation church of Serbia's first king and the white-marble monastery of Studenica
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