Nis Day Tour, Serbia: Explore Rich History and Culture in a Small Group

Immerse yourself in the rich history and culture of Serbia on a small group day tour of Nis. Explore Roman ruins, Ottoman constructions, and learn about the Nazi occupation. Indulge in delicious Serbian cuisine.

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Mediana - Your guide will pick you up from your accommodation in Sofia at 08:30 am. After approximately 2 hours of drive, we will reach our first sight – Medijana archaeological park, which is a Roman Imperial residence, nowadays closed due to renovation.
  • Skull Tower - Our next stop will be the Skull Tower, known also as Cale kula. The tower is now a museum dedicated to the Bulgarians and the Serbs who took part in the revolt against the Ottoman Empire. It was built from the Turks and constructed with the skulls of the killed rebellions. The idea of this act was to warn others what will happen if they revolt again.
  • Red Cross Nazi Concentration Camp - Nazi Concentration Camp – built in 1941 and it is famous for the successful escape of the prisoners in early 1942. The camp is perfectly preserved and was never damaged.
  • Nis Fortress - After that, we will continue to the old town where we will visit the Nis Fortress. There we will see ruins from the ancient Nisus and later Ottoman period. We will have a walk and after that enjoy the traditional local food.
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Professional guide
  • Transport by modern vehicle
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
Additional Information

Embark on a journey of discovery to better comprehend the complex and rich history of the Balkans, imbued with a vibrant blend of diverse cultures and traditions, by visiting Nis with us. This day-long tour, under the expert guidance of your guide, promises an intriguing trip through time. We commence our historical exploration from the Roman era, during which Nis produced a notable figure – The Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. We’ll then traverse through the Medieval period and the epoch of Ottoman sovereignty, which bequeathed distinctive structures like the Nis Fortress and the Skull Tower – emblematic of the revolt for liberty and sovereignty from Ottoman control. Finally, we’ll delve into recent history by visiting the Nazi Concentration Camp, emblematic of the Nazi occupation of the former Yugoslavia. After assimilating these profound experiences, there will be time for rest and nourishment, where you can relish the renowned Serbian cuisine – one of the most delectable in the Balkans.

  • Please bring your passport with you and check if you need a visa due to border crossing
  • Durnig the Summer months heavy traffic on the border is expected
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
Location
Mediana
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(83 Ratings)
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Constance_a
Jun 23, 2024
This Tour of Serbia is Not to be Missed ! - Laura, the driver and the guide, has a deep knowledge of the history of the Balkan Peninsula and the sites we visited. She enthusiastically delivered the information and was eager to fully answer any questions. I particularly appreciated that Laura spoke of: the network of Roman roads and the cities by past and present names that the network passed through, the sequence of “occupiers” in the region and introduced me to Alphonse de Lamartine. Laura is a passionate guide who delights in sharing relevant information over and above the basic. Kudos!
Review provided by Viator
Ivanovl611
Jun 6, 2024
Day trip to Nis - Lovely day in Nis and nearby. Rosen was an excellent tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. Nis itself is a neat town and the local food is very good. The skull tower and the concentration camp were very powerful and memorable places.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Murray
Jun 5, 2024
Do it, go see another country in a short time from Sofia - Brilliant trip, guide who's name has slipped my mind was superb, very informative and if she didn't know she soon found out the answer Very highly recommend great tour company Thank you very much 👍👍
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karla_p
May 19, 2024
The Serbian experience from Texans - Our tour guide Michael was amazing! He was very kind and very knowledgeable. I will definitely recommend this tour to anyone very informative for sure! He also wants to give everyone the best Serbian experience by letting everyone know of the best places to eat.
Review provided by Viator
Stefan_b
May 1, 2024
A trip you will remember - After an hour to the border and less than 45 mins to the first stop where you see a big complex of the Roman time. Some of the mosaics are well preserved. From now on until the lunch break in Niš it's getting very brutal. The Skull Tower from the Otoman Empire and the 12th February (1942) Monument, which is a concentration camp now monument to all that managed or tried to escape that particular date. It also shows what Nazis did in only a few years - killing many people for no real reason. For about 2 hours there's time to explore Niš before having a final look to the fortress in the city centre. After that it's back to Sofia. The scenery is stunning especially around this time as it starts getting green everywhere and it's not too hot. We were also lucky with the border crossing as it might take hours just at the border. We only had to wait for 10-15 minutes though it was the Easter week for the Orthodox Christians. Thanks to Laura, our driver and guide, you learn a lot about the history of the Slavik people. Starting even BC through greek and roman time to Otoman until almost now, about Bulgarian Empires growing shrinking and vanishing, as well as the different regions that were occupied and fought for, borders shifting east and west, and about the Soviet time and how it ended with wars after Yugoslavia split up again. A trip you will remember.
Review provided by Viator
Sophie_r
Apr 9, 2024
An informative and different day out in serbia - A very informative yet light trip. 3 amazing places to stop by No rush and yet plenty of travelling. Out guide was super friendly too. Highly recommended
Review provided by Viator
Michele_b
Mar 22, 2024
Emotional tour - We had pick up from our hotel so great. Our guide peter was very welcoming very helpful and full of intresting information . Skull tower and the concentration camp very emotionally scenes. If this sort of history intrests you then worth the vist. Our tour guide advised us on good restaurants to eat in . We had lovely food but wished we just grabbed a sandwich as we did not have enough time to go and explore nis which was a shame as i was really looking forward to that especially as nis looks a beautiful place .
Review provided by Viator
M7345mnjacquelineh
Jun 25, 2024
Fabulous Introduction to a New Country! - Really enjoyed our trip to Serbia with this company. Laura our guide was fabulous - friendly, knowledgeable and always happy to help. We also really appreciated the hotel pick up and drop off option, which made the whole process so much easier. The trip to Constance the Great’s Villa and the Skull Tower were fascinating. We would’ve perhaps liked a little more time in Nis itself to soak up the atmosphere in a Serbian city, but otherwise the trip was thoroughly enjoyable and I’d definitely recommend it to get a glimpse of Serbia.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adwoam271
May 12, 2024
Great way to spend a day from Sofia - Great way to spend a day from Sofia. The hotel pick up and drop off is very convenient. Driver was on time and both he and the tour guide were very patient and friendly. Tour itself was just okay, some interesting facts on Bulgarian and Serbian history but nothing you couldn’t find via Google. We visited the Medina archaeological site, Skull tower and Nis fortress in Serbia; however guide was unaware of the Nazi concentration camp site’s closing time so we missed visiting this site on the tour. He however chose a good spot for lunch opposite the Nis fortress and we returned to Sofia in good time. A long interesting day which could have been topped only by visiting all the promised sites within the package. Would however recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard_p
Mar 30, 2024
Five hour round trip to Nis, Serbia - Really interesting trip, with a 2 hour 30 minute car journey each way. Nis itself is small and not so visually appealing or interesting as most European cities. However, our driver/guide (Martin) was very friendly and made the day most enjoyable. We also did the Skopje trip from Sofia. More impressive town and worth the four hour drive
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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