• Overall

  A group tour to Hungary and Serbia. Travelling across ancient European lands, cross-crossed through the ages by armies, conquerors, crusades, migrations, nations, and people. Both Serbia and Hungary walk and have walked before, the tightrope of totalitarianism, while artistic and cultural movements have vied with periods of nationalism, internationalism, and many more isms besides...

  People often overlook some of the most complex and fascinating histories on the continent. Here is your chance to dig in and learn more about these fascinating undiscovered European states. From their cultures to their recent and ancient histories. And learn in context about the present complicated times in these complicated societies.

  Serbia is a vibrant and complex place of extremes in many ways. From its culture to architecture, art, and much more. Little understood, the important and remarkable Serbia will be explained and explored by our intrepid visitors accompanied by our local specialists and their unrivalled knowledge.
  
  Hungary is a historically complex and pivotal place in Europe’s recent and ancient past. Its fortunes waxed and waned across the centuries, and opposing forces dragged it both left and right. Much more than just a Danube cruise package holiday - there is a whole nation to explore and learn about on a trip to Hungary.

  Our very own Hungarian colleague Greg has designed this tour for those who are interested in digging deeper into the recent socialist past in all its glories and tragedies, as well as going deeper and further back as well as to the modern day.

  The products of their geography, history, culture, and people; these fascinating countries deserve a deeper look, and that is exactly what Koryo Tours is offering on our unique and specially curated group tours in Hungary and Serbia – available nowhere else!

  Only have a week to spare but want to explore Central Europe?
  Check out our Unseen Hungary Tour and Socialism to the Surreal Serbia Tour - both bookable independently.

  Highlights

  • Experience the many layers of the Serbian capital, Belgrade & get to know the 20th-century history of the Hungarian capital, Budapest through themed walks.
  • Immerse yourself in nature with a boat visit to the stunning Danube gorge in Serbia & visit Cold War-era sites outside Budapest.
  • Experience transport on vehicles of past glory: heritage railway in Serbia, vintage Ikarus bus in Hungary, and a pleasure flight over Budapest on a 75-year-old Li-2.

  click image to expand

• Itinerary

  Briefing Day

  1. May 11 | Sunday

     Arrival Day

     Arrival to Belgrade

     • The latest recommended arrival in Belgrade is this morning.
        
     • Check-in at the hotel is from 15:00.
        
     • If you wish to arrive in Belgrade earlier, please contact your Tour Manager and they can arrange extra nights for you at the hotel.

     Orientation and Welcome Group Dinner

     • We start our tour with a group dinner of some traditional Serbian food, coordination, and briefing sessions, before the adventure ahead!

     Accommodation | Mercure Belgrade Excelsior

     Included Meals | Dinner

  2. May 12 | Monday

     Brutalist Belgrade

     Palace of Serbia (aka SIV)

     • Explore the modernist architectural marvel of the Palace of Serbia used for various governmental and administrative purposes during the Yugoslav era. It was designed in 1946 by Vladimir Potočnjak and completed by Mihailo Janković in 1959.
       
       Combining classicist and modernist styles, the Palace is a secluded landmark on the Danube's right bank.
        
     • The building was the headquarters of the Federal Executive Council (Savezno Izvršno Veće - SIV), which was the executive branch of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It functioned similarly to a cabinet or council of ministers.
        
     • Stunning interiors, adorned with 20th-century Yugoslav art, mosaics, frescoes, and sculptures. The H-shaped building features 744 offices, 13 conference rooms, and the impressive Congress Hall under a glass dome. Today it’s partially used for governmental purposes, while other parts remain abandoned. 

     Tour of the Brutalist architecture of Novi Beograd

     • Our architectural expert and guide Kristina will introduce us to Novi Beograd (New Belgrade), renowned for its striking ‘masterpieces’ of Brutalist architecture, characterized by massive, raw concrete structures.
        
     • Constructed during the socialist era, particularly from the 1950s to the 1970s, this area was envisioned as a modernist utopia to accommodate Belgrade's growing population.
       
       Built on previously uninhabited marshland, Novi Beograd's design was driven by functionalism and socialist ideals, aiming to create a self-sufficient urban area with ample residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.
        
     • Key features include bold geometric forms and exposed concrete, reflecting the era's emphasis on practicality and the aesthetic of raw material, symbolising strength and resilience.
        
     • This will be a part walking/part bus tour.

     Accommodation | Mercure Belgrade Excelsior

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch

  3. May 13 | Tuesday

     Tito's Heritage

     Museum of Yugoslavia

     • Explore Josip Broz Tito Memorial Centre, home to the Museum of Yugoslavia. The complex consists of three buildings;
        
     • ‘25th of May’ Museum | Opened in 1962 as a gift for Tito's 70^th birthday, this building showcases presents and Relay of Youth batons (more interesting than it sounds!).
        
     • House of Flowers | The mausoleum of Marshal Josip Broz Tito; however, it is not called as such out of respect to Yugoslavia's former president. The complex was built in 1975 and served as a winter garden for Tito. It was transformed to be Tito's resting place after his death in 1980.
        
     • Old Museum | This building highlights Yugoslav culture and ethnography. This is an enjoyable deep dive into Tito's life which is by many still viewed in a good light having kept a peaceful coexistence of the nations of the Yugoslav federation.
        
     • From the museum's archive, we will also have a look at Josip Broz Tito and Kim Il Sung’s diplomatic friendship during the Cold War, despite ideological differences.
       
       The Museum of Yugoslavia showcases artefacts and documents commemorating their relationship, including diplomatic gifts, photos of meetings, and letters exchanged between the leaders. This highlights Yugoslavia's role in non-aligned movement diplomacy.

     Tito’s Blue train

     • Experience Tito's Blue Train (Plavi voz), the luxurious state train of Yugoslav Marshal Josip Broz Tito, which hosted over 60 world leaders and travelled extensively across Yugoslavia and Europe.
       
       Today, the surviving carriages, with their elegant Art Deco interiors, don’t operate anymore but they are open for visitors in a somewhat hidden location.

     Evening at your own leisure

     • You can have dinner in one of the restaurants recommended by us and visit one of the vibrant nightlife districts.

     Accommodation | Mercure Belgrade Excelsior

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch

  4. May 14 | Wednesday

     Danube Iron Gates

     Golubac Fortress

     • The ten towers of Golubac Fortress are not to be missed. Situated on the Danube River it is a mediaeval stronghold with a tumultuous history.
       
       Built during the 14^th century the castle witnessed numerous battles and depending on the outcome changed hands between Serbs, Hungarians, and Ottomans.
       
       Today, it stands on the banks of the river offering panoramic views of the Iron Gate Gorge and serving as a testament to its enduring architectural and historical significance.

     Tekija-Kladovo boatride

     • From Tekija to Kladovo along the Danube, we will pass the imposing Iron Gates Gorge, where rugged cliffs meet the river's tranquil waters.
       
       Ancient remnants like Trajan's Plaque, at the water level dedicated to the Roman Emperor Trajan to celebrate the construction of the Roman road and the bridge built over the Danube.
       
       We will have lunch on board of the boat as we pass the lush forests, hidden caves, and charming riverside villages dotting the route.

     Accommodation | Djerdap Kladovo

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch

  5. May 15 | Thursday

     Hydroelectric Power Station

     Iron Gate Hydroelectric Power Station

     • The Iron Gate dam, a joint Romanian-Yugoslavian endeavour starting in 1964, transformed the Danube valley below Belgrade into a vast reservoir.
       
       Completed in 1972, it submerged communities like Orșova and Ada Kaleh, displacing 17,000 people. Yugoslav President Tito visited the site during its construction, and the opening was celebrated with grandeur, marking a significant milestone in regional cooperation.
       
       Today, Djerdap and Porțile de Fier National Parks protect the area's rich biodiversity and historical sites.

     Accommodation | Base Camp - Urban Guerrilla, Negotin

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch

  6. May 16 | Friday

     Wallachian Magic

     Discover the Wine cellars, visit the graveyard 

     • Rajačke Pivnice | An ancient wine-making area where the villagers built wine cellars as a secondary settlement 2km away from their village. More monumental and nestled on Beli Breg hill near Rajac village.
       
       Dating back to the mid-19^th century, these 196 cellars and 3 distilleries offer a glimpse into Serbia's winemaking tradition. The winding streets follow the unusual layout of the stone two-story cellars, some transformed into taverns and museums.
        
     • Graveyard | This 19^th-century graveyard is in the settlement and not the village (which shows the importance placed on the wine) and tombstones are adorned with intricate carvings. It's a very bizarre but wonderful hidden gem waiting to be explored.

     Meet a fortune teller from the Vlah minority

     • Vlach Magic | A mysterious belief system practised by the Vlach ethnic minority in eastern Serbia. Combining pre-Christian, Paleo-Balkan, and Indo-European elements, Vlach Magic features rituals performed in natural settings like streams and forests.
       
       Practitioners believe in both "Black" and "White Magic," with shamans, often women, acting as mediators between the divine and the human. These rituals, deeply rooted in tradition, continue to attract people seeking their potent, mystical powers.

     Accommodation | Hotel Petrus, Paracin

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch

  7. May 17 | Saturday

     Under Socialism against Fascism Expedition

     Arsenal in Kragujevac

     • Knežev Arsenal | A unique military-industrial and architectural complex in Serbia and Europe.
       
       Established in the late 19^th century, it features striking red-brick buildings, intricate rooftops, and towering chimneys. Home to Serbia's first electric light in 1884, this historic site now hosts the "Old Foundry" museum showcasing 19^th and 20^th-century weapons.

     Šumarice Memorial Park & Kadinjača

     • “October in Kragujevac” Memorial Park | Also known as Šumarice Memorial Park, this park honours the 2,800 men and boys executed by German forces in 1941.
       
       Here we can explore the symbolic 21 October Museum and several significant sculptures: the "Interrupted Flight" monument, the "Monument of Pain and Defiance", the "One Hundred for One" monument, the "Resistance and Freedom" monument, and the "Crystal Flower" monument.
        
     • Fighters Workers Battalion Monument | This monument near Užice commemorates the November 1941 battle where the Workers' Battalion bravely resisted the German forces.
       
       The memorial complex, expanded in 1979 by sculptor Miodrag Živković and architect Aleksandar Đokić, includes a pyramid-shaped monument, a crypt, and a museum with over 300 authentic items and documents.
        
       • This monument is part of the photography project "Spomenik" by Jan Kempenaers, initiated in 2006, which gained global renown.
          
       • This project documented the magnificence of the numerous World War II memorials established by the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, particularly those constructed in the 1960s and 1970s under President Josip Broz Tito.
          
       • These monuments, created by renowned sculptors like Dušan Džamonja and architects such as Bogdan Bogdanović, are celebrated for their artistic significance. Despite many being abandoned post-Yugoslavia, they remain powerful symbols of the era's artistic and patriotic spirit.
          
     • In the evening, we will have a movie night at Küstendorf.

     Accommodation | Hotel Mećavnik, Küstendorf

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  8. May 18 | Sunday

     Day in Mokra Gora

     Train ride at Šargan Eight

     • The Šargan Eight (Šarganska osmica) is a restored narrow-gauge railway in Serbia, running from Mokra Gora to Šargan Vitasi. Originally built in the 1920s in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, it features a scenic 15.44 km route with 22 tunnels and 5 bridges.
       
       Reopened in 2003 and extended to Višegrad in 2010, it offers a nostalgic journey on the so-called "Ćira" train. The ride takes approximately 1.5 hours each way. The area gained fame as a location for Emir Kusturica's movie "Life is a Miracle," enhancing its allure for visitors.

     Drive back to Belgrade

     • A 3 to 4 hours drive back to the capital where our tour sadly ends.

     Accommodation | Mercure Belgrade Excelsior
     
     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch

  9. May 19 | Monday

     Flight to Budapest

     Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport

     • Aeronautical Museum | Founded in 1957, the museum moved to its current, architecturally stunning facility in 1989, designed by Ivan Štraus. This geodesic glass building houses over 200 aircrafts, including rare finds like the Fiat G.50 and wreckage from the 1999 NATO bombing.
        
     • Air Serbia flight JU142 departs from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG) at 13:30 with a scheduled arrival at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport (BUD) at 14:40. Although the distance is only 350 km, rail service between the capitals of Serbia and Hungary is currently suspended due to the otherwise highly controversial modernization project that will reduce travel time from over 7 hours to 2.5 hours.

     Orientation and Welcome Group Dinner

     • We start our tour with a group dinner of some excellent Hungarian food, coordination, and briefing sessions, before the adventure ahead!

     Accommodation | Danubius Hotel Astoria City Center, Budapest

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Dinner

  10. May 20 | Tuesday

      Chapters from the 20^th-Century History of Budapest

      Pest

      • Liberty Square | Home to the US Embassy, the Monument to the Soviet Red Army, the controversial Memorial for the Victims of the German Occupation, and its counter-monument created by civilians. A central square in constant conversation with the past.
         
      • Nazis and Comrades City Walk | A former bourgeoisie neighbourhood developed in the 1920s-1940s with some beautiful Bauhaus architecture. This was the site of the International Protected Ghetto during the Holocaust.
        
        After the war, many high-ranking cadres and famous artists lived here. During state socialism, it was one of the centres for surveillance.
         
      • Budapest Retro Museum | An interactive museum of Budapest Ostalgie. Experience everyday life in Hungary’s state-socialist past.

      Evening at own leisure

      • You can rest in the hotel, discover Budapest on your own, or join your Tour Leader at one of the famous ruin pubs of Budapest’s Old Jewish District.

      Accommodation | Danubius Hotel Astoria City Center, Budapest

      Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch

  11. May 21 | Wednesday

      Remains of 20^th-Century Budapest

      Red Csepel

      • Csepel: Under the Spell of Creation | A walking tour in Budapest's former working-class neighbourhood and one of the most significant factories of pre- and post-war Budapest.
        
        We will visit the former Steel Factory (known as Weiss Mansfred Factory before the war), its garden suburb built for the factory's clerks as well as its casino, and a workers' hostel and its Art Nouveau auditorium that is designed based on the salone teatro of the Opera National de México.
         
      • Bunker Tour at Csepel Steel Factory | We will visit the World War 2 bunkers of the Steel Factory that was a main target of allied bombings.

      Buda

      • Young Pioneer’s Railway | Built in the 1950s in the hills of Budapest and run by the Young Pioneers. It is still in use and the conductors and station workers are still schoolchildren.

      Hungary and the DPRK

      • Petőfi Sándor Secondary School | During the Korean War North Korean students (mostly war orphans) studied here. We will have lectures about North Koreans living in Hungary, and Hungarians living in North Korea.

      Evening at own leisure

      • You can rest in the hotel, discover Budapest on your own, or join your Tour Leader for an evening walk to discover the more touristy side of Budapest.

      Accommodation | Danubius Hotel Astoria City Center, Budapest

      Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch

  12. May 22 | Thursday

      Budapest to “Stalingrad”

      Atom City

      • We will drive south of Budapest on the right bank of River Danube to Paks, home of Hungary’s sole nuclear power plant. 1.5-hours drive.
         
      • Paks Nuclear Power Plant | Built between the late 1960s and 1980s by the Soviets, its current expansion by Russia is one of the many controversies around the Hungarian government’s close ties with President Putin and the Russian government. It provides ca. 50% of Hungary’s electricity. We will visit the Information and Visitor Center as well as the Operational Area.

      Steel City

      • Dunaújváros | ‘Danube-new-city’ or Stalin City as known till 1961 was built in the 1950s as a new Socialist industrial city to make Hungary “the country of iron and steel”. We will have a walking tour to explore the city’s Stalinist infrastructure. Sometimes you might feel that you are walking in the DPRK. We will also visit a Cold War-era bunker that is not open to visitors outside this tour.

      Retro Dinner at a Cold War Era Bunker

      • We will finish the day with a dinner at the bunker recreating the atmosphere of the 1960s and sampling the dishes of the era. 

      Accommodation | Corner Hotel, Dunaújváros

      Included Meals | Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner

  13. May 23 | Friday

      The Cold War at Lake Balaton

      • The Stasi at Lake Balaton | During the Cold War, East and West Germans met in Hungary at Lake Balaton. Many East German tourists were just ordinary holidaymakers, some were Stasi agents to keep an eye (and ear) on them. A thematic tour.
         
      • “Little Moscow” (*pending approval from the Hungarian Defence Forces) | Abandoned Soviet military base. Nukes were stored here during the Cold War. One of the many Cold War Era Soviet Military bases in the People’s Republic of Hungary where Soviet troops were stationed “temporarily” for 40 years.

      Evening at own leisure

      • You can rest in your room, stroll on the premises, or join your Tour Leader for a traditional Hungarian ‘szalonna’ (bacon) roasting.

      Accommodation | Retro Lido, Lake Balaton

      Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  14. May 24 | Saturday

      In the shadow of the Iron Curtain

      Austro-Hungarian Border

      • We will drive to North-West Hungary to the Austrian border. 2-hours drive.
            
      • Pan-European Picnic Memorial Park | The site where the Iron Curtain was first opened in 1989 and the border between East and West ceased to exist for an afternoon. Everyone could pass “freely” for a couple of hours.
         
      • Iron Curtain Memorial | Between 1948 and 1989 Hungary was cut off from the West by an iron curtain along with the border of Austria. Here you can see barbed wires, guard posts, and minefields.

      Return to Budapest

      • In the afternoon, we will drive back to the Hungarian capital. 2.5-hours drive.
         
      • Memento Statue Park | Open-air museum with Socialist-era statues removed from the streets of Budapest.

      Evening at own leisure

      • You can rest in the hotel, discover Budapest on your own, or join your Tour Leader for a night bathing in one of Budapest’s famous thermal baths.

      Accommodation | ibis Budapest Centrum, Budapest

      Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch

  15. May 25 | Sunday

      Farewell Day in Budapest

      Free time in Budapest

      • You will have this morning to your own to sleep in, pick up some last-minute souvenirs, or visit some of the more touristy sites of Budapest.
         
      • Alternatively, you can join your Tour Leader for a visit to the controversial House of Terror Museum | Once the headquarters of the nazi Hungarian Arrow-Cross Party, then the Hungarian NKVD known as the State Protection Authority. The museum was opened in 2002 and follows the historical narrative of the current government. Your Tour Leader will provide context with a critical attitude. Ca. 10 EUR.
         
      • We will gather for a final, farewell lunch at Budapest’s oldest restaurant opened in 1831.

      Soviet-era aviation

      • Pleasure flight over Budapest | A pleasure flight over Budapest on a Li-2 aircraft (a Soviet license of the DC-3) from Budaörs Airport which was the international airport serving Budapest between 1937 and 1950. The terminal building was built in a modernist style worth a visit in itself.
         
      • Aeropark Aviation Museum | A unique world-class open-air museum showcasing old Soviet aircrafts (many of which are still in operation on Air Koryo’s domestic and Russian routes), airport equipment, and a tribute to Hungary’s now defunct national airline Malév.
         
      • Drop off at the airport hotel which is in walking distance to Terminal 2A and 2B.

      Accommodation | ibis Styles Budapest Airport

      Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch

  16. May 26 | Monday

      Departure Day

      • Flights leave from Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport (airport code: BUD) to over a hundred cities. You may also wish to spend more time in Hungary. Contact your Tour Manager – a native of Budapest – for tips.

      Included Meals | Breakfast

      End of Tour

• Extras

  • Upgrade to your own room in Central Europe

    The default rooming option for this tour is a shared hotel room. Each hotel room on tour has two separate beds. If you'd like a room to yourself then you can upgrade for an extra 55 EUR per night.

• What is / is not included?

  INCLUDED

  • Local expert guides and a Koryo Tours tour leader
  • Special lectures in Hungary
  • Meals other than those taken at leisure
  • Hotel accommodation
  • All included sights
  • Transportation in Serbia and Hungary
  • Belgrade-Budapest flight with Air Serbia
  • Pleasure flight over Budapest on a vintage aircraft
  • An amazing time in two fascinating countries!

  NOT INCLUDED

  • Tip for the drivers
  • Incidentals, extra drinks, etc
  • Meals taken at leisure
  • Optional single supplement: 50 EUR per night
  • Special activities (night bathing is ca. 30~35 EUR; movie screening 5 EUR; bacon roasting 5 EUR; House of Terror Museum 10 EUR)
  • International transportation to Belgrade and from Budapest not included
  • Transport from point of entry to Belgrade hotel
  • Spending money on souvenirs

• Notes

  Transport Options

  This tour starts in Belgrade and ends in Budapest. You will be responsible for arranging your means of transportation to Serbia and from Hungary.

  The airport code for Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is BEG.
  
  The hotel is easily accessible from the airport by public transportation which we recommend using over taxi and other options.
  
  Belgrade–Budapest flight on Air Serbia and transport from the airport to the hotel are included in the tour price.

  The last night will be spent at the airport hotel right next to Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport Terminal 2.

  The airport code for Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport is BUD.
  
  If you wish to arrive early or leave later, please liaise with your Tour Manager.
  
  
  Visa Information

  Most of our travellers will not require a visa to Serbia or Hungary, of which the latter is a member of the Schengen Area.

  If you have a valid Schengen, UK, EU-member, or US visa or have a residence permit in these countries you can enjoy visa-free entry to the Republic of Serbia.
  
  However, if you require a Schengen visa, it can be a long and painful process.
  
  For details, please consult the website of the Consular Services of the Hungarian Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs.

  
  Additional notes

  Groups will be in the experienced hands of a Koryo Tours tour leader.
  
  Please note that when on tour your day-to-day itinerary may differ from what is advertised above. Your tour leader will ensure, however, that everything available at the time is covered, and replacement options are provided where needed. We will also add in extras when there is time.
  
  After the tour, we will send out a list of all participants' emails so you can keep in touch, swap photos etc. If you do not wish to be on this list then please let us know.

Please apply by 25th April, 2025.