Novi Sad Day Trip from Belgrade, Serbia
Are you interested in taking a day trip to Novi Sad from Belgrade? This guide will cover everything you need to know, including the best way of getting to Novi Sad and what to do once you’re there.
Novi Sad is Serbia’s second-largest city after the capital, Belgrade, which has a population of over 1.6 million people. Novi Sad has just 370,000 people, so while it’s the second-largest city in the country, it’s actually quite small. It has a more relaxed vibe than Belgrade, and a very charming atmosphere.
And since it’s so easy to get to Novi Sad from Belgrade, it’s a popular day trip. I recently took a day trip from Belgrade to Novi Sad, and I’m so glad I did! This is definitely a place you don’t want to miss.
Why Should You Visit Novi Sad?
Novi Sad is very different from Belgrade. To me, it’s a much prettier city. A lot of the architecture in the historic center is in the Baroque and Romantic styles. The historic center is compact and walkable, with a long pedestrian thoroughfare lined with restaurants, and a beautiful park near the Danube River.
In 2022, Novi Sad was named a European Capital of Culture. Novi Sad has always been the cultural capital of the country (it was nicknamed the “Serbian Athens” in the 19th and early 20th century.) As a European Capital of Culture, there was significant investment in the city, including its museums.
Located right across the river from Novi Sad, Petrovaradin Fortress is a historic 18th-century fortress overlooking the Danube that is now home to cafes and art galleries, and is also worth a visit.
The overall atmosphere of Novi Sad is that of a lively, youthful city. There are over 50,000 students attending the University of Novi Sad, making up a significant portion of the city’s population.
How to Get to Novi Sad
You have several options for getting to Novi Sad on a day trip from Belgrade:
1. Taking the train
There is a train that goes from Belgrade to Novi Sad, running about every 30 minutes. The train journey takes between 35 and 45 minutes. The train station in Belgrade is a little outside the city center, so depending on where you’re staying, it might take 15 to 20 minutes by bus or tram to get there.
You can buy tickets at the station, and it’s pretty affordable (about $8 each way.)
2. Taking the bus
Another option for getting to Novi Sad is taking the bus. Buses run frequently from Belgrade Central Bus Station, which is more convenient to the city center, so this might be an easier option if you are staying close by. The bus does take a little longer than the train, though (it takes about an hour and a half.)
You can also buy tickets for the bus right at the station, and it’s around the same price as the train.
3. Going on a guided tour
Taking a guided tour is what I did, and I was really happy with my choice. This was obviously a more expensive option (I paid $75 for my tour), but I got to visit a few other destinations in addition to Novi Sad and had an amazing guide. This is the exact tour that I booked. I’ll talk more about it below.
This included pickup and dropoff from my hotel, as well as comfortable transportation.
4. Renting a car
This is my least recommended method for getting to Novi Sad. Although rental cars are pretty affordable in Serbia, it’s a lot of hassle to pick up and return a car on the same day. I also found Serbian drivers to be pretty aggressive and drive very fast — I would not have wanted to be driving on the roads with them!
However, if you’re a confident driver, this can be a good option if you want more flexibility. If you’re driving directly to Novi Sad from Belgrade, expect it to take about one hour and fifteen minutes.
Things to Do in Novi Sad
Once you get to Novi Sad, what should you do? Here are some of the top things to do in the city:
- Admire the Gothic Revival architecture of Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church in Novi Sad’s main square (unique in a country that’s mainly full of Serbian Orthodox churches)
- Cross the river to visit Petrovaradin Fortress and take in the great views
- Stroll down Dunavska Street, the main pedestrian street in Novi Sad that is lined with restaurants
- Visit the Gallery of Matica Srpska, a lovely art museum with collections from artists from all the former Yugoslavian countries (this museum was a major highlight for me in Novi Sad!)
- Check out the Museum of Vojvodina, another museum housing art and natural history collections
- Relax in Dunavska Park, which is located just a block away from the Danube River
- Catch a performance of opera or ballet at the Serbian National Theatre
- If you’re there in the summer, hit the Štrand, a beach on the banks of the Danube River
When it comes to where to eat in Novi Sad, I definitely recommend choosing one of the many restaurants along Dunavska Street. Most of them have outdoor seating, and it’s a really nice atmosphere.
Why You Should Take a Tour
As I mentioned earlier, I actually decided to take this organized tour for my day trip to Novi Sad. I often do day trips independently, and this would have been an easy one, but the reason I chose a tour instead of just visiting Novi Sad on my own is because I wanted to visit other destinations in northern Serbia, too.
My tour made the following stops:
- Krušedol Monastery (a beautiful old monastery)
- Sremski Karlovci (a cute small town outside Novi Sad)
- Petrovaradin Fortress (right across the river from Novi Sad)
- Novi Sad (where we spent the longest time)
I really enjoyed the additional stops at Krušedol Monastery and in Sremski Karlovci, and these are places I wouldn’t have been able to see if I had just taken the train or bus on my own to Novi Sad.
It was also nice to make a stop at Petrovaradin Fortress, and then hop back on the bus to go the remaining two miles to Novi Sad itself. Getting to the fortress would have been more time-consuming on my own.
The bus was not too large (there were a total of 15 people on my tour), and our guide Milica was great. She was very knowledgeable about all of the places we visited, and I learned a lot on this tour. I also liked that hotel pickup and dropoff was included. A wine tasting in Sremski Karlovci was also included.
If you don’t want to deal with the logistics of getting to Novi Sad on your own, or you want to see additional places in northern Serbia, then I highly recommend booking this tour for yourself! It was a great day, and I felt like the amount of time included at each stop was just right, and I never felt rushed.
Taking a Day Trip to Novi Sad: Worth It?
I definitely think that taking a day trip to Novi Sad is worth it!
I honestly ended up loving this city more than Belgrade, and I easily could have spent a couple of days there. However, since it’s pretty compact, you can really see everything in just one day.
If you’re interested in doing a lot in Novi Sad, I recommend visiting independently by train or by bus. But if you’re content to just spend a couple of hours in Novi Sad and would also like to visit some other destinations in northern Serbia, then I highly recommend booking the same full-day, small-group tour I did.
Enjoy your visit to Novi Sad!
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