I have lived in Belgrade for a couple of years in the 1990s. And ever since, we have been gladly visiting this amazing city whenever we can. It truly has lots to offer. No matter what your visiting style is and your preferences are you can always find something you will enjoy. I personally enjoy all the food, chic restaurants, live music, and cheerful vibe you feel around. In general, prices in Belgrade are pretty affordable, unless you go to very high-end restaurants where it can be on a steeper side. When in Belgrade, it is important to relax and give yourself time to enjoy. That might mean sitting and just sipping a coffee in any of the patios, walking through a park, or along the rivers Danube or Sava.
Depending on amount of time you can spend in Belgrade, there are certain places all visitors simply must visit. In my mind those are Skadarlija, Ada Ciganlija, Knez Mihailova, Kalemegdan and Beograd na Vodi (Belgrade Waterfront). There are plenty of other places, that I will list below that are all worth seeing.
There are many ways you can enjoy Belgrade and use your time to visit places you enjoy the most. I am suggesting a few options and you can pick and choose which ones might work for you. I am also picking my personal favourite places.
Day 1/2 - Belgrade Downdown
Knez Mihailova stroll, window shopping, sitting down for a coffee and crapes
At the end of Knez Mihailova visit the Rajiceva shopping center. Check out rooftop restaurant Mama Shelter
Kalemegdan Park is a beautiful park where you can walk around and enjoy one of the best lookouts in the city. You will also see Belgrade Fortress, the oldest church in Belgrade, the Military Museum, and the Zoo. It is easily accessible and usually your stroll through the main promenade Knez Mihailova will lead you directly to this park. The entrance is free, and pretty much anyone who spends any time in Belgrade has to visit Kelemegdan. Here you can check out restaurant Kalemegdanska Terasa
Dinner at Skadarlija - old town, with several great restaurants with typical Serbian food and live music (primarily traditional folk music). There are several restaurants and most likely you will get a table if you just walk in.
Day 2/3 - Zemun
Gardos Kula (Tower) is located in Zemun, which is part of the greater Belgrade area. Nice natural lookout, with old architecture preserved.
Zemunski Kej - a long pedestrian area on the right side of the river Danube. It is great for rollerblading, biking, or just walking. As anywhere in Belgrade, you will find lots of cafes and restaurants. You can't go wrong.
One of my favourite restaurant for dinner is Reka is in this area as well. Super great vibe, dancing and live music. This restaurant needs reservation, as it is very busy.
Day 4/5
Visit Hram Svetog Save (St. Sava Temple) - beautiful church/temple. It is a must-see. Located in the neighborhood of Vracar.
Ada Ciganlija - popular city beach along the river Sava. This is probably the most popular spot during the summer days. You will find lots of restaurants, bars, cafes. It is very vibrant with live music throughout the day. At night, most of the places become bars with very cool atmosphere.
Dedinje - you can drive around or walk. You will see Beli Dvor (The White Palace) - built for the Karadjordjevic dynasty.
Kosutnjak Park - for enjoyment in the nature with jogging trails, pools, and sports courts
Ada Shopping Center - typical shopping mall with world known brands. During the hot summer days, shopping centers can be good choice for cooling down.
Day 6/7
Walk along the street Terazije where you can do window shopping (or shopping) and walk towards Slavia
Have a coffee/desert at Hotel Moskva
Not far from hotel Moskva you will find authentic place called Ferdinand Knedle which sells special potato dumplings deserts. They come in so many flavours, and definitely something you must try. Super delicious.
Interesting restaurant in the area you could try is Potkovica. It is a unique, old-style restaurant where you can taste horse meat specialties.
Closer to Slavia, there is a department store "Beograd" where is my favourite women clothing store Attrativo. It is a Greek store and has some really cool pieces.
Hram Svetog Save (St. Sava Temple) is not far from here and always good option.
At night, you can visit Dunavski kej, the pedestrian area along the river Danube. During the day, you can walk or ride a bike. At night this area is full of fun restaurants and bars, with live band/pop music.
Another great walk and entertainment you can definitely experience in the newly built area Beograd na Vodi (Belgrade Waterfront) on the river Sava, or where Sava and Danube cross.
Few other restaurants that I recommend going to:
Restaurant Frans - fantastic decoration and amazing ambiance.
Lorezno Kakalamba - very unique place with super interesting decoration and ambiance
Sis Cevap in Novi Beograd. This is street, pick-up food. Another must-try. Cheap but super tasty.
Skadarlijske Kobasice - another great street/fast food. Open until late at night. Best midnight snack. It is located in Skadarska 4 street. Another must.
And the list goes on. The number of restaurants in Belgrade with amazing food is endless. I just listed some that are my personal favorites.
Accommodation and Transportation
Airbnb is always a good option. I would suggest staying downtown so you can walk to many places. You can stay along the Knez Mihailo street, which is the main pedestrian area with lots of cafes and stores. Anything around Zeleni Venac, Hotel Moskva, neighborhoods Vracar and Dorcol are good options. Based on your budget you can go for bigger or boutique hotels as well.
Public transport is primarily based on buses. Fares are pretty cheap. Good alternative is taxi, but for us the best is rent-a-car, so that we can also drive to great outings around Belgrade.
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