This self-guided tour will take you through one of the most attractive regions in Serbia. A very fulfilled itinerary with lots of highlights and different activities promises a great holiday while exploring East Serbia.

What to expect from Exploring East Serbia Self-Guided Tour?

During this tour, you will have a chance to meet different cultural goods, hike a mysterious mountain and enjoy the view over the biggest canyon in Europe. All of that is combined into this dynamic five days self-guided tour.

Our task is to provide an itinerary with all the information and contacts, accommodation, lunches, and recommendations. Your part is the best one, to enjoy the adventure.

Tour flow

1st Day – Monasteries Manasija and Ravanica, Resava cave and Veliki Buk Waterfall

The first stop on your, exploring East Serbia tour will be a spiritual place from the XIV century- the Monastery Manasija. The monastery is surrounded by impressive towers and walls which makes this place even more interesting. Friendly nuns will tell you more about the rich history of this place and its founder – Despot Stefan Lazarevic.

From the medieval time, your next sight will take you far back into the past. Resava cave is considered the most beautiful cave in Serbia with rich inside decoration and several levels to explore.

Near the cave, road will take you to the beautiful waterfall Veliki Buk, another gem of nature in this area. Here you will find a great place to have lunch in a local restaurant secluded by lush nature and with great food.

When you finish with your lunch break, the next stop will be Monastery Ravanica, another important spiritual place. Ravanica is culturally and spiritually very important for Serbian people because of its connection with famous Serbian ruler Knez Lazar and his cult.

The last stop for today will be in a quiet village Ilino near Rtanj mountain. For the next two nights, you will be accommodated in a cozy tourist complex Rtanjski dvori which promises great hospitality and true rest.

2nd Day – Rtanj Mountain hike

The second day on your exploring East Serbia tour starts with a tasty homemade breakfast that will power you up for a hike on a pyramid shape Rtanj Mountain. A local guide will pick you up from Rtanjski dvori and help you along the way to the top. The hike lasts between 5-6 hours (depending on your pace) with few stops and breaks. On the way to the peak Šiljak (1560m a.s.l.), your guide will share some very interesting stories about Rtanj and explain to you why this mountain is considered mysterious. Since Rtanj Mountain is the highest point in kilometers around, the summit offers a great view and promises great photos over the area.

After exploring Rtanj you can maybe treat yourself with a relaxing SPA treatment in nearby hotel Ramonda. The rest of your day you can spend on your own, enjoying nature or napping at your comfortable accommodation.

3rd Day – Felix Romuliana and Donji Milanovac town

After breakfast, you will say goodbye to your hosts and continue exploring East Serbia towards the Iron Gate Gorge. Before reaching Danube’s banks you will visit UNESCO listed archeological site Felix Romuliana. This amazing palace was built in the IV century by Roman emperor Galerius and represents one of the best-preserved Roman archeological sites in Europe.

If Roman history is your thing, we suggest visiting the National Museum in Zaječar where you will find an excellent exhibition with more items from Romuliana including beautiful mosaics.

From Felix Romuliana (or Zaječar) next stop will be the National Park Đerdap ( Iron Gates), where you will check out two well-known viewpoints. Here you will enjoy a spectacular view over the Iron Gates Gorge and its famous landmarks such as the Decibel statue.

In the afternoon you will settle in town Donji Milanovac where you will spend the next two nights in apartment Popovic.

4th Day – Exploring Iron Gates gorge

This day is reserved for exploring Iron Gates Gorge and we prepared two options for you from which you can choose what suits you best.

If you enjoyed hiking in Rtanj, then we suggest taking a hike through National Park Đerdap to the Ploce viewpoint and to the peak Veliki Strbac (768m a.s.l.). The trail goes through lush forest and promises amazing views from the summit over the biggest gorge in Europe.

If hikes aren’t your thing, then you will definitely enjoy a boat ride through the gorge. For around two hours you will have a chance to experience the most attractive part of the Danube and to take a closer look at fabulous Trajan’s board.

After your activities, you will have lunch in a charming household Kapetan Misin Breg where you will try delicious local dishes.

5th Day – Lepenski vir, Golubac fortress and Viminacium

The day starts with another tasty homemade breakfast and continues with visiting important cultural sights in this part of Serbia. The first stop will be the prehistoric museum Lepenski vir. This sight keeps remaining’s of the oldest human settlement in Europe which lasted from 7000 BC until 4500 BC. Nowadays modern museum preserves original site, artifacts and lots of interesting items.

The next stop is probably the most iconic landmark of the Iron Gates gorge – Golubac fortress. This monumental fortress keeps the record of this turbulent area for almost 700 years. In 2019 whole fortress was reconstructed and turned into an interactive museum with great exhibitions in several towers and several amazing viewpoints for taking panoramic photos.

The last stop on your exploring East Serbia tour is Viminacium, another ancient Roman archaeological site. Viminacium spreads on 440 hectares and it was a powerful capital of Roman province Upper Mesia. During your two-hour guided tour, you will visit several archeological sites including antic baths, necropolis, amphitheater, and museum where more items are displayed. Besides Roman heritage, Viminacium keeps another unique attraction – a fully preserved mammoth skeleton. Vika was found in this area and it is one of the few in the world.

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