Southern Serbia: Full Day Private Trip to Niš from Belgrade
5.0
10 Ratings
Belgrade
Discover the captivating city of Niš in southern Serbia on a full-day private trip from Belgrade. Explore its Ottoman heritage, charming atmosphere, rich history, delicious food, and lively music.
Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Belgrade - Your trip will begin with pick up from your hotel/accommodation in Belgrade, and we head toward Southern Serbia. After slightly more than two hours of driving (highway only), we will reach Niš.
  • Nis - The day is reserved for the born city of the famous Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. In the next three hours, you will see the most important sights in Serbia’s third-biggest city, and our guide will share the stories about the city’s turbulent history dating back to pre-Roman times
  • Red Cross Nazi Concentration Camp - First of all, we are going to pay a visit to Red Cross Nazi Concentration Camp, today a museum. The German Gestapo operated the camp and held captured around 30.000Jews, Serbians, and Romas during the Second World War. Red Cross was a transit camp, so few were killed on the premises – they were taken mainly to Bubanj Hill (in Niš) to be executed there, or on to Auschwitz, Dachau, or other concentration camps. The fact that differs the camp from other Nazi camps is that on February 12, 1942. the inmates organized the first mass escape of prisoners in occupied Europe – a total of 105 managed to flee from the camp that day.
  • Bubanj Memorial Park - To conclude our story about WWII, we’ll visit Bubanj Hill. Located 3km from the city center, it is the place where we’ll find one of Serbia’s most recognizable Yugoslav-era memorials. Three gigantic fists rising from the ground are the work of Croatian sculptor Ivan Sabolić, and they symbolize the resistance and suffering of men, women, and children (or, according to other interpretations, Serbs, Jews, and Roma) during WWII. This hill was the site of mass executions conducted by the Nazis, where they executed close to 10.000 prisoners from the concentration camp.
  • Skull Tower - Our next stop will be the infamous Skull Tower - the monument unique in the world, erected by the Ottomans as an example to others of the folly of opposition to their rule.
    Originally there were 952 skulls built into the tower, today there are 59 remaining, but they still illustrate all the horror of the original tower.
    Destroying the tower was never a question. It was imperative to keep it standing as a reminder to future generations of the sacrifices made by their ancestors towards the liberation of Serbia; thus it still stands as a silent monument to struggle.
  • Nis Fortress - Following, we will visit the Niš Fortress, lying on the bank of Nišava River. It assumed its final shape in 1723, when the Turks built it, facing the end of their reign in this area. Its construction required that over 40 stonecutters from Constantinople and around 400 bricklayers from Niš to be hired. Though the Turks built its current incarnation, there have been forts on this site since ancient Roman times. Today, the fortress is a cultural property of great importance and a venue for frequent cultural and artistic events.
  • Nis - We will continue our sightseeing passing by the main sights in the city, including Banovina Building, Niš Liberators Monument at King Milan Square, and the monument of a well-known Serbian writer Stevan Sremac, considered to be one of the greatest Serbian comedy writers in history.

Concluding our tour, we’ll visit the Archaeological Hall of Nis National Museum, with its numerous exhibits telling a vivid story of Nis history and culture from Neolithic Age and Roman period to the Middle Ages.

After that, you will have free time for individual activities in Niš and to try some of the traditional delicacies for which Niš is widely famous.

At the scheduled time, we will hop back into our vehicle, and after about two hours, you will be back in your hotel.

  • Belgrade - Your tour concludes with transportation back to your hotel/accommodation in Belgrade, where we’ll arrive in the afternoon. End of services.
What's Included
  • services of a professional, English-speaking guide
  • Transport by air-conditioned minivan or a private car
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off
What's Not Included
  • Full traditional Serbian lunch (optional, 1.000-1.800 RSD per person)
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Despite its compact size, Serbia boasts a wide range of variety. The city of Niš serves as a prime illustration of this variety, being the country’s third largest city and presenting a fascinating blend of Ottoman influence, relaxed appeal, intriguing history, superb cuisine, friendly inhabitants and invigorating music.

Accompanied by a skilled English-proficient guide in a climate-controlled vehicle, this 10-hour journey will immerse you completely into the delightful character of this city.

  • Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
  • We never cancel our tours, however, if you are the only person on a shared tour, a supplement of 50% will be applied. At latest 24 hours before the trip, you will be informed in the case that you are the only guest on the tour, and we will offer a choice between canceling the tour with no fees applied, or paying the supplement of 50% of the price.
Location
Belgrade
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(10 Ratings)
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1 star
Richard
May 4, 2023
Wonderful Trip to Serbia with Victor Tours - This is a two-part review. First, I will talk about the trip to NIS. Then I will talk more generally about my experiences with Victor Tours. One of the limitations of Trip Advisor is that you are force to pick an experience and if you have multiple experiences you can't report on them all. I picked the Southern Serbian trip since it was one of my favorites (along with Timisoara) and that it is not a regularly scheduled tour. It offers a lot of unique sites that you won't see otherwise. The Red Cross Concentration Camp (named for the train station) was particularly interesting. This camp was primarily a transit camp, so it is not that large. The Bubanj Memorial with its 3 raised fists commemorates the prisoners killed by the Nazis on the hill. The skull tower was constructed by the Ottoman Empire following the Battle of Čegar in May 1809, during the First Serbian Uprising to serve as a warning of what awaits further rebellions. The NIS Fortress is a large complex. The food specialty in NIS is barbeque. There are many options to try. I had Alexandar, the owner of the company as my guide on this trip. This leads me to turn to the second point I wanted to make. I was first interested in going to Serbia in 2021. I have corresponded with Alexsandar for two years trying to get things arranged. First there were the problems with the pandemic which put things off. Victor Tours does offer guaranteed departures which if you are booking a trip is really important. For my departure date I was the only one to sign up. I told Uros, the office manager, I was fine with doing day trips from Belgrade to help cut the expenses for the company. I have a lot of empathy for small businesses. I did a total of 7 tours: Eastern Serbia Monasteries, Nis, Timisoara, Northern Serbia, Western Serbis, Eastern Serbia along the Danube and the Big Belgrade tour. All of the logistics were handled very smoothly. I got an email every day about 6:00 PM from Uros with the meeting spot (my hotel was in the pedestrian zone), the name of the guide and their phone number. All of the guides were fantastic. A particular shout out to Konstantin who was my guide on 4 of the tours and who took me out for a Bohemian dinner on my last night. All of the guides were extremely well versed on Serbia and shared a lot of information. They were all extremely friendly and approachable. I really enjoyed my time in Serbia and highly recommend the services of Victor Tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Austin
Sep 5, 2022
Can't Miss a Trip to the Serbian South - The South has a different vibe than the North or Center where I have been. Definitely worth your time to visit. My guide let me ask all the questions I wanted and it was nice having a private tour because we went at my pace. He is knowledgable about all things Balkan, as he has professional experience inside and outside of Serbia. As someone who is very interested in the Ottoman occupation of Southeastern Europe, this tour offers you some info you won't find in other tours. Also, if you want to leave Belgrade for a day I enthusiastically recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cathy_m
Jun 29, 2022
An enriching immersion into Serbian history and culture. - We had a relaxed but full day immersed in the sights, history and culture around Nis. The experience ranged - from the harrowing atmosphere of the concentration camp; the confronting yet intriguing story behind Skull tower; the peaceful tranquility of the parklands and fortress - to the character filled flavours in the streets of Nis. The absolute highlight for us however, was our guide Marco - who, with his sense of humour, wide ranging knowledge, gentle openness and authenticity gifted us with a day of human connectedness. Thankyou, Marco.
Review provided by Viator
Tula_c
Aug 22, 2021
Lovely Tour, Informative Guide - Guide was very informative, cared about the history of Serbia. Guide also was extremely helpful.....
Review provided by Viator
Tamtravelz
Dec 20, 2020
Alexander was Awesome - I really appreciated Alexander’s well versed history he offered during our trip. He really took his time answering ALL of our questions and showing various lovely parts of the area. It was truly a unique experience with an awesome tour guide. I definitely tour with Alexander anywhere!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ambar_c
Dec 20, 2020
Alexander was Awesome! - We had a wonderful time Alexander. Our tour of Nis was beautiful. Alexander offered us his own, unique perspective on the history while keeping to the facts. He took his time answering our questions and showing us special parts of the area. We truly had such an awesome time.
Review provided by Viator
Barry_t
Nov 2, 2020
Historical Gem - As the son of an American WWII former Prisoner of War, the idea of this tour really appealed to my husband. We were thoroughly impressed by the locations and especially the knowledge shared by our guide, Alexander. We were able to ask questions and get in-depth answers. This tour showed us the incredible resilience of the Serbian people and touched on many aspects of their road to freedom. We had lunch on a quaint street just off the main plaza in Nis. It was a fantastic day! PS I was thrilled that Alexander had taken three great photos of my husband and me at different stops. This was extra special as we have very few pictures together! Thank you!!!
Review provided by Viator
Bluebutterfly4444ang
Sep 12, 2020
A Day In Northern Serbia - My first visit to Serbia and was pleasantly surprised with my day with Alexander. Because of his extensive education and his innate interest in history, the amount of knowledge provided during our day was amazing. Alexander is personable and presents all information with a smile and in way that kept my the entire day. Lunch (not included) in Novi Sad was a real treat enjoying local wine and food. He was helpful and a pleasure to spend the day with.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oliviagl5832gb
Sep 7, 2020
Fantastic day trip with a great tour guide - This was our second tour with this great company. Aleksander is a very cool guy and we loved speaking to him. He is extremely knowledgeable and worldly, and we learnt so much! He gave us a fascinating insight into Serbian history and politics, past and present, and his explanations were very engaging and interesting. We had a wonderful time in Nis, we especially enjoyed seeing the skull tower. I cannot recommenced this tour enough!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nikos
Jun 29, 2019
Very good experience, my recommendations for this tour. - Where I come from, 250 EUR is a lot of money, so I had high expectations from this tour, and I am glad that they were completely fulfilled and even exceeded. The guide showed up in a very clean and newer sedan vehicle. The driving was smooth and careful. Two hours of driving were used for introduction to Serbia. History, geography, economy, politics, sports and many other interesting facts. I am really satisfied with that, and I will say that now I have a much better understanding of this complicated area. We started our tour in Nis by visiting a museum- former Nazi camp. It was a sobering experience and a must-see. We continued through the Fortress and the city center. I learned a lot about the Roman period and the famous Constantin The Great. We ended our tour by seeing one more dramatic sight - the Scull Tower. A unique witness of the cruelty of the Ottoman invaders, it is unbelievable that it's still in pretty good shape, although it's more than 200 years old. We ended our tour with lunch in a charming street full of traditional restaurants. I must say that I am happy after all that I did this tour since Nis has an entirely different atmosphere and vibe than Belgrade.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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May 2024
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