Serbian Monasteries | September 2026

Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, eleven breakfasts, two lunches, ten dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not Included: travel insurance, single room supplement £465.

Fitness & Practicalities

The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.

Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.

It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.

We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.

Tour specific fitness information

This is one of ACE’s more strenuous tours and requires a good level of fitness. We have a full itinerary, making the most of our time in Serbia to take in a wealth of sites. The tour will involve walking (including uphill and over uneven ground) and standing for significant periods of time. Participants should be prepared for several hotel changes, some early starts and coach journeys of up to 2 hours in duration. During the visit to the City Museum on the Petrovaradin Fortress, the group may have the opportunity to visit the underground military galleries; please note that these galleries are in corridors approximately 900m in length, and those suffering from claustrophobia may prefer to opt out of this visit. 

Minimum fitness requirements

As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self-assessment tests:

• Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
• Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
• Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
• Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
• Carry or otherwise move your own luggage

Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.

Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, eleven breakfasts, two lunches, ten dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not Included: travel insurance, single room supplement £465.

Day 1          

Depart London Heathrow 1330 on Air Serbia, arriving Belgrade 1710. Transfer to Novi Sad for two nights at Hotel Leopold I.

Day 2         

Morning in Novi Sad: Orthodox and Catholic cathedrals, St Nicholas’s Church, Petrovaradin Fortress. Afternoon excursion to nearby historical town of Sremski Karlovci for Lady of Peace Chapel, Orthodox Cathedral of St Nicholas, Main Square, Upper and Lower Churches and Krušedol Monastery (restored 16th century murals).

Day 3          

Excursion to monasteries of the Fruška Gora mountain range: Beočin, Vrdnik-Ravanica, Jazak, Novo Hopovo and Staro Hopovo. Continue to Belgrade for two nights at Courtyard by Marriott Belgrade City Centre Hotel.

Day 4         

Belgrade: Kalemegdan Fortress, St Michael’s Cathedral, Residence of Princess Ljubica, Bajrakli Mosque, Church of St Sava (one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world). Free evening.

Day 5          

Monasteries of Manasija (15th century) and Ravanica (14th century). Continue to Čačak for overnight at Hotel Beograd.

Day 6         

Morning visit to Church of Jesus’ Ascension in Čačak. Continue to Monastery of Blagoveštenje and the medieval Nikolje Monastery, both located in the Ovčar-Kablar Gorge, followed by Arilje Church. Afternoon: open-air museum of Sirogojno. Continue to Zlatibor for overnight at Hotel Buket.

Day 7           

Banja Monastery (14th century frescoes) and Mileševa Monastery (home to the 13th century White Angel fresco). Transfer to Novi Pazar for two nights at Hotel Vrbak.

Day 8         

Morning: Church of Saints Peter and Paul (one of the oldest churches in the Balkans, with 4th century foundations) followed by monasteries of Sopoćani and Đurđevi Stupovi (13th century frescoes). Afternoon in Novi Pazar: fortress and 16th century Altun-alem Mosque.

Day 9         

Morning visits to Nova Pavlica Monastery and Gradač Monastery. Via monasteries of Studenica (13th and 14th century Byzantine frescoes) and Žiča to Vrnjačka Banja for overnight at Hotel Slatina.

Day 10        

Depart for monasteries of Ljubostinja, Kalenič and Veluće (fine examples of the Morava school of architecture). Afternoon in Kruševac: ruins of Lazar’s Palace and Lazarica Church. Continue to Niš for overnight at The Ambasador.

Day 11

Morning in Niš: 18th century fortress and Orthodox cathedral. Via 14th century Poganovo Monastery (16th century wall paintings) and across the Serbo-Bulgarian border to Sofia for overnight at Grand Hotel Sofia.

Day 12

Morning: National Archaeological Museum (14th century Poganovo icon) and Boyana Church (13th century frescoes) – time permitting. Depart Sofia 1420 on British Airways, arriving Heathrow 1555. 

Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, eleven breakfasts, two lunches, ten dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not Included: travel insurance, single room supplement £465.