Short break Home Ground: Šumadija
Šljivovica Season: Plum Harvest in Šumadija
Three private days in the hills below Rudnik at harvest time: plum picking (season permitting), a registered distillery, village food and a walk up Ostrvica, with two nights in a family-run guesthouse
- No payment now
- Private, on your dates
- Planned by our team in Šumadija
- Length
- 3 days · 2 nights
- Travel style
- Private
- Pace
- Relaxed
- Stays
- Classic
- Starts and ends
- Belgrade
- Guiding
- EnglishAll languages on request
- Group
- 1–8 guests
- Price
- On requestWritten offer first, no payment now
What you’ll see
Highlights along the way
Route & days
One base, three days
You stay in one place, below Rudnik, and every day starts and ends there — no packing and unpacking.
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Day 1 Belgrade to the Rudnik hills
Leave Belgrade in the late morning and drive south into the hills around Rudnik. Lunch in a village restaurant, then a first walk with your guide through the orchards at harvest time. Settle into your family-run guesthouse; dinner of Šumadija dishes.
- Belgrade
- Rudnik
Included: Private transfer; guided orchard walk; lunch; dinner.
Planning time for a minibus. Farm tracks and grass.
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Day 2 A day with the plum
Spend the morning with a registered producer: pick plums if the harvest is on, see how the fruit is sorted and set to ferment, and visit the distillery with its copper still (distilling depends on the producer's schedule). A guided tasting compares young and aged šljivovica. Lunch in the village; free afternoon, or plum jam (pekmez) cooking where a producer offers it.
- Rudnik
Included: Producer visit and distillery with a tasting (18+) or juices; lunch; dinner.
Orchard paths and farm yards.
Easier or optional: Plum jam cooking where available.
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Day 3 Ostrvica and back to Belgrade
A morning walk from the village of Varnice up Ostrvica, a former volcanic peak with the remains of a medieval fortress and wide views over Šumadija. Return to Belgrade by the early afternoon.
- Rudnik mountain & Ostrvica
- Belgrade
Included: Guided walk; private transfer.
Planning time for a minibus. About 45 minutes up and 30 down on a marked, steep path; can be skipped.
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
- 2 nights in a family-run guesthouse in the Rudnik area, breakfast daily
- 2 lunches and 2 dinners
- A licensed local guide throughout
- Private car or minivan with driver from and back to Belgrade
- Distillery visit with a tasting for guests aged 18 and over, or juices
- Travel2Serbia support throughout
Guiding in all languages available on request, subject to availability.
Not included
- Drinks not listed
- Bottles you choose to buy
- Tourist tax
- Tips
Why this journey
Why you’ll love it
- Plum picking in an orchard below Rudnik mountain (season permitting)
- How šljivovica is made, from the orchard to the copper still, at a registered producer
- A guided tasting of young and aged plum rakija
- Two nights in a family-run guesthouse with Šumadija cooking
- A walk up Ostrvica, a former volcanic peak with a medieval fortress ruin
- Plum traditions inscribed by UNESCO in 2022
Signature moments
Harvest in the hills
From late August into September the orchards around Rudnik are full of ladders, crates and tractors, and in autumn the fermented fruit goes to the stills.
The copper still
At the distillery you see how the fermented fruit becomes spirit and why the second distillation matters.
A view over Šumadija
From the ruined fortress on Ostrvica the green hills of central Serbia roll away in every direction.
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 2
Visits to local food producers
Meet the people who make Serbia's regional foods: cured meats, cheese, ajvar and more.
Producer visits and tastings as set out in your offer. Arranged on request, subject to availability.
Where you’ll stay
One base in Rudnik · 2 nights
Nights 1–2 · no packing and unpacking
A family-run guesthouse in the Rudnik area, breakfast daily
- Classic comfort
- 2 lunches and 2 dinners
Upgrade: Family-run guesthouse in the Rudnik area
We name your stay, with its photos, in your written offer once availability is confirmed.
Before you choose
Is this journey for you?
A good fit if
Food and drink lovers, travellers who want rural Serbia at its busiest season, and repeat visitors looking for something slower than a city break.
Maybe not if
Travellers who need hotel comforts (rooms are simple), and anyone who does not want alcohol to be part of the theme.
Pace and effort
Relaxed. About 2½ hours of driving on day 1 and about 3 hours on day 3, including the short drive to Ostrvica; short walks on farm tracks, and an optional 45-minute climb up Ostrvica.
Tailor-made
Make it your own
Belgrade Food, Markets & Rakija (DX-09) before or after · An extra night in the hills · Topola and Oplenac on the way back.
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.
Šljivovica Season: Plum Harvest in Šumadija
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
More from Šumadija
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
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