Without much introduction, for it needs none, here is my “traditional” (it is literally the second time I do this but yeah let us pretend otherwise) article on the itinerary that I planned for a trip, accompanied with its fully detailed monetary burdens, this time one on Serbia. Admittedly, since I have only been to Belgrade this time, it may have been more truthful to call it a “Belgradian” itinerary but if you have been sticking around for a while you should know by now that I take some liberties with my wording if things fit a theme better that way, at the expense of some clarity in a few of my sentences. Just let me enjoy some such freedoms here since I sure as heck cannot do it with my more academic works.
General Itinerary Notes
- There is way more to Serbia than “just” Belgrade. Keep that in mind if you want to plan a trip to that awesome Balkan country. One can easily get to other Serbian cities, relatively cheaply and quite fast using its decent train and bus network. Even some daytrips are quite feasible, for example from Belgrade to Novi Sad and back. I am a stickler when it comes to visiting a capital city, as I want to spend at least an extended week (nine full days, including two weekends) in each and every one of them, regardless of their size. Thus, I dared not to stray further away from Belgrade in this trip of mine. You can, and perhaps you should do so in your own trip though.
- Obviously, goals of a trip tend to vary from one person to another, and even from a trip to another. This time, I wanted to take my time, relax, walk a lot, see the sights, and perhaps party a bit. That last part did not work out much, since all the good parties seem to have moved to the riverside during summer, and the whole “splav” culture hardly seemed fun enough for me. I prefer institutions like Instant-Fogas Complex in Budapest, but no such venues were available in Belgrade. Hence, I almost exclusively stuck with the more “walking around” and “seeing the sights” part of my original plan.
General Budgetary Notes
- Prices will all be noted in Serbian dinar. It seems to be somewhat stable against the likes of USD and Euro, but we go through rather rough times and as such, in order for this article to be future proof, I will leave them in their local currencies. Then again, local inflation may have a thing or two to say about that “future proofness” as well so if you are reading this article in the future (hey, I hope it is more peaceful there) do keep such simple economic matters in mind.
- Credit cards are readily accepted at most places around Belgrade but paying for cheaper items by it may be frowned about, quite naturally. Keep some cash on you all the time, for those budget meals, or paying for drinks at clubs and so on.
- I visited Serbia for a total of 10 days if you include the days that we flew in and out of the country, so an eight full and two half days to be exact. We were there from 22nd of July 2022 to 31st of July 2022.
- I keep saying “we” in some writings of mine on Serbia as I was there with my high school/university/graduate school friend Atakan. We got to minimize our accommodation expenses that way as well, though accommodation and airfare is never really a part of my budgetary articles on travelling around since they vary significantly for tourists coming from one country to another and depending on their own expectations from accommodations during their travels.
- It is best to bring some Euros to Serbia to buy some of their dinars. Sure, you can exchange USD too, which I did, but rates are much better for Euros.
- Tipping seems to be never really expected in Serbia, likely because they pay a living wage to their employees as they should. Or, perhaps, the places that we went to never were that luxurious. Nevertheless, we did round up the bill a few times when the service deserved it. There are also billing jars at some places, but it is not widespread.
- I prefer a light snack in the morning with some tea or coffee, or maybe some juice, to an actual breakfast hence the prices you will see below will not include any proper breakfasts. Groceries however are almost all about those morning snacks so you can count them towards breakfast expenses for your own planning purposes.
- You can drink the tap water in Belgrade, and we have seen people doing that even in clubs etc. We too drank it regularly, sometimes from the public fountains, and every time it was quite okay. Buying bottled water can be an option though as Serbian products tasted amazing, on par with some of the best Turkish brands. Yes, apparently, I too get a bit patriotic from time to time as well…
My Serbian Trip
22.07.2022 Friday
Flew into Nikola Tesla International Airport.
Took the bus 72 to Old Belgrade. Fare for one – 150 RSD
Settled into our Airbnb. Exchanged some money.
Had a burger with fries on the side at Smash Burgers – 850 RSD
Enjoyed a short walk around the centre of Old Belgrade.
Bought three Serbian beers and some snacks to go along with them – 460 RSD
Total – 1460 RSD
To find out more about the public transport system of Belgrade, refer to THIS article of mine.
23.07.2022 Saturday
Bought a SIM card from Yettel (15GB for 50 days) – 600 RSD
This was by far the best deal we found so do give Yettel a shot!
Had two byreks and a yoghurt at Pekara Bobe – 380 RSD
We walked around the centre and explored the city a bit.
Groceries, mostly for breakfast – 1020 RSD
An excellent Serbian grill feast at To je To – 700 RSD
Entrance fee for the Klub Studenata Tehnike – 200 RSD
It is a particularly old student club that seems to organize parties quite regularly, certainly an interesting venue to check out. My friend ended up returning there almost daily.
Two ciders at the club – 480 RSD
Total – 3380 RSD
Read more about Serbian food HERE to see what awaits your tummy there!
24.07.2022 Sunday
I had heard the previous day that some museums were free to visit on Sundays, thus I declared today as the “Museum Day” and moved on with my plans.
A morning walk in the Tasmajdan Park was what I needed to start the day perfectly.
State Museum of Serbia – Free on Sundays
A fried mix box at Chicken Box – 630 RSD
Ethnographic Museum – Free on Sundays
Car Museum – 200 RSD
Skadarlijske Kobasice at Skadarlijske Kobasice – 250 RSD
More groceries and drinks – 480 RSD
Total – 1560 RSD
Check out my article on museums of Belgrade HERE!
25.07.2022 Monday
Today was the “walking” day. I ended up walking for almost thirty kilometres to see what Zemun has to offer by my own eyes. I just crossed the Brankov Bridge, and then made my way around the southern of Danube, seeing all the seemingly floating restaurants, clubs, and pubs. One of the best moments of this trip for me was this morning walk.
Sis cevap and a bottle of water at Sis Cevap – 320 RSD
Yet another bottle of water, stay hydrated folks! – 80 RSD
Burger, fries, onion rings, and some extra sauce at Burger House Bros. – 1400 RSD
Total – 1800 RSD
To read about cheaper alternatives to eating out in Belgrade, you may refer to THIS article.
26.07.2022 Tuesday
Visited the Saint Sava Temple in the morning to be truly enchanted by its beauty.
Had some “goulash” bread bowl at Pekara Spasa, but it turned out to be a bread bowl full of organ meat… – 250 RSD
Since we could not finish the Serbian goulash, I had to go ahead and enjoy a “second” lunch at Bucko Pizza, eating three slices of pizza with some “salad” on top – 450 RSD
Historical Museum of Serbia – 200 RSD
Bought a bottle of absinthe and some noodles for Turkey – 2900 RSD (Bought by credit card and does not count towards the actual travel expenses for an obvious reason, absinthe was a gift and noodles were for myself to enjoy back at home.)
Ordered twenty nuggets and some sauces from our local McDonalds for dinner – 1140 RSD
Total – 2040 RSD
27.07.2022 Wednesday
This day can best be labelled as the second “walking day” as I ended up reaching the thirty kilometre mark once again. It was a superb day, this time more about the city’s Yugoslav past rather than its Austrian one.
Museum of Yugoslavia – 400 RSD
Cevapcici, some sausages, and a beer at Sarajevski ćevap Ćevabdžinica Savčić – 960 RSD
An evening walk to the Eastern City Gate.
Wonderful pulled pork burger at Intergalactic Diner with a lemonade on the side – 1300 RSD
Total – 2660 RSD
If you too want to enjoy some decent fast food in Belgrade, let me refer you to THIS article!
28.07.2022 Thursday
At this point, already quite late into our trip in Belgrade, I realized that I was taking my sweet time visiting Kalemegdan Park and the Belgrade Fortress in it, even if they are likely the most prominent landmark for most tourists. I righted that wrong this day.
Seeing the sights in the park, visiting Ružica Church etc. – Free
Torture Museum – 300 RSD
Military Museum – 350 RSD
A lunch at KFC, enjoying a meal box with a wrap, five wings, fries, and a drink – 1150 RSD
An excellent Serbian “burger” at Prava Pljeskavica – 360 RSD
Total – 2160 RSD
29.07.2022 Friday
On this beautiful Friday, I set out to explore Avala Tower and its surroundings.
Transportation card and a daily pass installed to it – 290 RSD (The card is 40 RSD itself.)
Long morning walk exploring the Avala Hill.
Ticket to the observation deck of Avala Tower – 300 RSD
Chinese feast at Chuan Chuan Xiang – 1100 RSD
African Art Museum – 200 RSD
Late dinner with a mega pizza slice at Pica Kod Mašinca – 250 RSD
Total – 2140 RSD
To find out more about this trip of mine to Avala Tower and more, read this article HERE!
30.07.2022 Saturday
It rained most of the time this day, so our “exploits” were limited to say the least.
Early morning walk in the Jevremovac Botanical Garden – 300 RSD
A truly Serbian lunch with a beer at „Пролеће“ – 1400 RSD
A single scoop of ice cream at Crna Ovca – 200 RSD
Ordered two noodle dishes (big mistake, their portions are ginormous) from YXlanzh d.o.o. – 1140 RSD
Entrance fee for the Klub Studenata Tehnike – 200 RSD
It is a ritual of mine to try and end a trip the way it started, as much as I can. This meant a second visit to this club. In Albania, for example, it was eating gyros both for the first and last meals.
Two ciders at the club – 480 RSD
Total – 3720 RSD
31.07.2022 Sunday
Today was a half day, though honestly, we just spent it getting ready for our flight back home.
Scallion noodles with beef and beef dumpling at YXlanzh d.o.o. (yes, the same spot back-to-back but in my defence bus 72, the one that goes to the airport, leaves literally at the doorstep of this fine establishment) – 1110 RSD
Fare per person for a bus to Airport – 150 RSD
Bought a small pack of Raffaello to get rid of my remaining small change – 240 RSD
Total – 1500 RSD
Grand Total: 200 USD
It simply makes the most sense to give a total in USD as that was what I used to get my RSD. I exchanged exactly 200 USD, and at the end only had a few hundred RSD left, mostly in coins. I simply saved them for my collection back at home. Clearly, this sum can be brought down even further by the more budget-conscious travellers out there. Firstly, I must say that I spent a bit too much on food. Sure I ate well but the “joy” difference between a 1400 RSD dinner at Burger House Bros. or a similarly priced lunch at „Пролеће“ is not much to speak of in comparison to a 250 RSD “budget meal.” In most days, I would genuinely prefer a sis cevap over a Local Bro burger, the former is just tastier for me, but each to their own. If I stuck to cheaper meals, we could easily see the total budget coming down to around 150 USD. Furthermore, I did spend a reasonable amount of money on museums (most of which I was not truly satisfied with) and drinks either at home or at the club. By removing those from the equation as well as a few other miscellaneous expenses may bring down the whole budget to a measly 100 USD. I am quite certain that one can enjoy an excellent week in Belgrade with “just” that much money and have something fun to do every day. Of course, there are also accommodation expenses and airfare to consider, but those depend on where one is coming from, or whether a hostel or a hotel is required to sleep in at nights, and as such, I tend not to write about these issues. Belgrade certainly is a cheap destination, likely no matter where you come from, so do not hesitate to plan your next trip there in case money is one of your worries.