It has been more than two decades since NATO bombs fell on Belgrade during the North Atlantic Alliance’s 78-day airstrike campaign that began in March of 1999, yet its damaging effects on the city are still visible. Yielding severe casualties and devastation not only in Belgrade but also in other strategic points around Serbia, this campaign code-named Operation Allied Force (or Operation Noble Anvil) left equally damaging effects in the hearts and minds of Serbians which this tour seeks to explain through a unique, local perspective.
Following along Operation Allied Force’s trail of destruction on this private tour, you will hear a shocking first-hand account of life in Belgrade during the bombing campaign and visit several sites around the Serbian capital that were strategic targets such as RTS (Radio Television of Serbia), the Ministry of Defense, Hotel Yugoslavia, and the Chinese Embassy. With each location having its own poignant story to be told and innocent victims to remember, this private tour will provide a deeper understanding of the motivations behind NATO’s actions against former Yugoslavia and the unfortunate consequences - many of which are still being felt to this day.
For those who may find the subject of this tour too heavy or uncomfortable, consider our top-rated Belgrade Private City Tour or the Zemun & Belgrade Fortress Private Tour.
NATO Bombs on Belgrade Private Tour
Duration: 4 hours
Price from $ 159
Half day Serbia tours
NATO Bombs on Belgrade Private Tour
How long: 4 hours
Country: Serbia
Price from $ 159
From iconic Hotel Yugoslavia to the ill-fated Ministry of Defense, visit the most significant sites around the Serbian capital where NATO bombs fell in 1999 and hear a first-hand account of the tragic events that unfolded on this half-day, private tour guided by a Belgrade local.
Tour essentials
Duration
4 hours
Tour style
Private - Only you and your party
Getting around
Mostly driving around and a bit on foot
Availability
Year round. Usually starts at 10am, but it can be customized
Language
English speaking guide
Difficulty
Easy for everyone. Recommended for accessible travel (up to certain level of mobility limitations).
Easy booking
Online booking and reservation
Customer reviews
Tour Highlights
Ministry of Defense
The most photographed remnant of NATO's bombing of Belgrade
RTS Building & Memorial
Ruins turned memorial for those who lost their lives
Chinese Embassy
Former site of NATO's most controversial attack on the city
Hotel Yugoslavia
Iconic hotel from the heydays of former Yugoslavia
Price information
$159
1-3 persons
Price is per group, not per person
1-3 persons
$159
4-6 persons
$189
7-8 persons
$369
9-19 persons
$479
Included
- Accommodation pickup and drop-off
- Transportation with a car/van/mini-bus
- English speaking guide/driver service
- Bottled water
Not Included
- Personal expenses
- Tips
Bookable extras
Tour Map and Itinerary
Itinerary
NATO Bombs on Belgrade Private Tour
Stop 1
Headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia
Around 10 am (or a different time of your choosing), we will pick you up from your hotel and drive to the first destination: the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia. It’s in this building where 16 RTS employees lost their lives on the night of April 23, 1999, with many more left trapped for days. With remnants of destruction from this in sight, you will hear more about this tragic event at the RTS headquarters and get a better understanding of why this part of the building still stands in ruins some 20 years later.
Stop 2
Ministry of Defense
Out of all the sites related to the NATO bombing in Belgrade, perhaps the most dramatic and photographed is the Ministry of Defense which suffered two direct missile hits on the night of April 29th, 1999 followed by a third hit one week later. Although recent reconstruction efforts have finally started, it still stands as a shocking reminder of the horrors of war right in the center of the city.
Stop 3
Central Committee of Communist Party of Yugoslavia
Moving from central Belgrade across the river to New Belgrade, the next stop takes us to Ušće Towers and up until 1990, the location of the former headquarters of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. As one of the tallest buildings in Serbia at the time, it was struck by multiple NATO bombs on April 21, 1999, causing severe damage and setting its top floors alight with fire. Despite the devastation, the original tower did not suffer any structural damage and was entirely reconstructed by 2005 with a second tower added in 2020.
Stop 4
Chinese Embassy
Next, we visit what was undoubtedly one of the most controversial targets of NATO airstrikes during Operation Allied Force: the Chinese Embassy. Three Chinese journalists perished here on the evening of May 7th, 1999 and while this hit was subsequently explained by NATO as an accident even prompting an apology by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, a second narrative emerged that it was deliberate considering China was one of the most vocal opponents of the NATO bombing campaign.
Stop 5
Hotel Yugoslavia
On the same night as the attack on the Chinese Embassy, Hotel Yugoslavia, just down the road in Zemun, was also hit by missiles. Nestled beside the Danube, we’ll introduce you to the history of one of former Yugoslavia’s most iconic hotels and explain why its bombardment was so strategic while taking in stunning views of Belgrade.
Stop 6
Air Force Command Building
The final stop we will make on the NATO bombs of Belgrade tour is at the former Command Building of the Yugoslavian Air Force. Architecturally stunning, this building, which dates back to 1935, was considered a pearl of Yugoslavian and Serbian architecture and was also strategically struck by two missiles on April 5th, 1999.
Stop 7
Zemun
After a heavy half-day of visits to some of Belgrade's more solemn yet significant sights related to the NATO bombing in 1999, we will offer an optional end to the tour in the charming and historical area of Zemun at one of its cozy cafes to summarize and discuss your thoughts and impressions. Alternately, we can take you directly back to your hotel or another spot of your choosing in central Belgrade.
Headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia
Around 10 am (or a different time of your choosing), we will pick you up from your hotel and drive to the first destination: the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia. It’s in this building where 16 RTS employees lost their lives on the night of April 23, 1999, with many more left trapped for days. With remnants of destruction from this in sight, you will hear more about this tragic event at the RTS headquarters and get a better understanding of why this part of the building still stands in ruins some 20 years later.
Ministry of Defense
Out of all the sites related to the NATO bombing in Belgrade, perhaps the most dramatic and photographed is the Ministry of Defense which suffered two direct missile hits on the night of April 29th, 1999 followed by a third hit one week later. Although recent reconstruction efforts have finally started, it still stands as a shocking reminder of the horrors of war right in the center of the city.
Central Committee of Communist Party of Yugoslavia
Moving from central Belgrade across the river to New Belgrade, the next stop takes us to Ušće Towers and up until 1990, the location of the former headquarters of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. As one of the tallest buildings in Serbia at the time, it was struck by multiple NATO bombs on April 21, 1999, causing severe damage and setting its top floors alight with fire. Despite the devastation, the original tower did not suffer any structural damage and was entirely reconstructed by 2005 with a second tower added in 2020.
Chinese Embassy
Next, we visit what was undoubtedly one of the most controversial targets of NATO airstrikes during Operation Allied Force: the Chinese Embassy. Three Chinese journalists perished here on the evening of May 7th, 1999 and while this hit was subsequently explained by NATO as an accident even prompting an apology by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, a second narrative emerged that it was deliberate considering China was one of the most vocal opponents of the NATO bombing campaign.
Hotel Yugoslavia
On the same night as the attack on the Chinese Embassy, Hotel Yugoslavia, just down the road in Zemun, was also hit by missiles. Nestled beside the Danube, we’ll introduce you to the history of one of former Yugoslavia’s most iconic hotels and explain why its bombardment was so strategic while taking in stunning views of Belgrade.
Air Force Command Building
The final stop we will make on the NATO bombs of Belgrade tour is at the former Command Building of the Yugoslavian Air Force. Architecturally stunning, this building, which dates back to 1935, was considered a pearl of Yugoslavian and Serbian architecture and was also strategically struck by two missiles on April 5th, 1999.
Zemun
After a heavy half-day of visits to some of Belgrade's more solemn yet significant sights related to the NATO bombing in 1999, we will offer an optional end to the tour in the charming and historical area of Zemun at one of its cozy cafes to summarize and discuss your thoughts and impressions. Alternately, we can take you directly back to your hotel or another spot of your choosing in central Belgrade.