Western Serbia is a paradise for nature lovers with its verdant and majestic mountains that host an array of exciting attractions such as the historic narrow-gauge Šargan 8, Emir Kusterica’s ethno-village Drvengrad, and the iconic Drina river house. This full-day private tour will take you through Mokra Gora, the “Switzerland of Serbia,” to experience all the very best this region has to offer.
The journey begins with a spectacular drive from Belgrade to the village of Mokra Gora with a brief stop-off in Drvengrad, also referred to as Küstendorf, which is a quaint and quirky hilltop village built by Emir Kusturica for his 2004 film “
Life is a Miracle.” After visiting this ‘town of dreams,’ we will continue on to the railway station and board the famed Šargan Eight.
Now in operation purely for touristic purposes, this unique narrow-gauge railway transported passengers from Belgrade to Dubrovnik from 1925 to 1974 and was only resurrected for use beginning in 2003. Twisting and turning your way through the northern slopes of Zlatibor Mountain, you will get a better understanding of why it’s named Šargan Eight – from an aerial view, this route up and down the mountain forms a figure eight.
Once we’ve completed our journey back in time on the fabulously retro railway, we’ll start making our way back east to Belgrade through Tara National Park where you’ll have more time to admire Serbia’s natural beauty and the chance to stop and see the peculiar Drina river house, one of the most photographed structures in Serbia.
On this private tour featuring the Šargan Eight and Mokra Gora, expect a day chock full of breathtaking mountainscapes, marvelous meadows, and peaceful rivers with plenty of history and culture on the side. For more day trip options from Belgrade, you might also consider our Iron Gate Gorge, Golubac & Lepinski Vir Private Tour, or the Fruška Gora & Novi Sad Private Tour.
Šargan Eight Train & Mokra Gora Private Tour
Duration: 12 hours
Price from $ 409
Day trips Serbia tours
Šargan Eight Train & Mokra Gora Private Tour
How long: 12 hours
Country: Serbia
Price from $ 409
Journey back in time to Europe of 100 years ago on this private tour through Western Serbia featuring a ride on the historic narrow-gauge Šargan Eight train to Mokra Gora.
Tour Essentials
Duration
12 hours
Tour Style
Private - Only you and your party
Getting Around
Driving between tour points and walking when on sites. Train ride lasts for 2 1/2 hours.
Availability
Seasonal - this tour is only available from April 15th - October 31st. Usual start time is at 8 am, but it can be tailored to your needs.
Language
English speaking guide
Difficulty
Easy for most. Expect a longer drive during the first and the last leg of the trip. If you have difficulty with standing or boarding a train, please let us know.
Easy Booking
Online booking and reservation
Customer reviews
Tour Highlights
Šargan Eight Train
A historical train ride through the mountains of Serbia
Mokra Gora
Breathtaking nature area between Tara and Zlatibor Mountain
Drvengrad
Emir Kusturica's picturesque film set turned ethno-village
Drina River House
Serbia's most famous house built on a rock in the Drina
Price Information
$409
1-3 people
Price is per group, not per person.
1-3 people
$409
4-6 people
$469
7-8 people
$599
9-19 people
$969
Included
- Pickup and drop-off
- Transportation
- Driver/guide service
- Bottled water
- Single-use surgical face mask if you don't have your own
- Tour organization
Not Included
- Tickets for Šargan Eight ~10€ per person
- Entrance to Küstendorf ~2€ per person
- Lunch ~15€ per person*
- Personal Expenses
- Tips
Bookable extras
- * Price shown is an average price for lunch per person based on restaurant’s menu, but it can vary depending on guest’s demands for food and drinks.
Tour Map and Itinerary
Itinerary
Šargan Eight Train & Mokra Gora Private Tour
Stop 1
Scenic drive into Western Serbia
Starting off around 8 am, we’ll pick you up from your hotel or address in Belgrade and begin our journey west. The drive will last approximately three hours, but we guarantee it won’t feel that long as the scenery you’ll experience is absolutely breathtaking. We’ll be stopping several times along the way as well for some fresh mountain air and stunning photo opportunities.
Stop 2
Drvengrad
Before reaching Mokra Gora, we will stop for a look around the ubiquitous wooden ethno-village known as Drvengrad (or Küstendorf), built by film director Emir Kusturica. This spot is famous not only as a mountain resort and venue for one of the region’s most popular film festivals but also famous on the silver screen as it was initially constructed between 2003-2004 as the set for Kusturica’s film, “Life is a Miracle.”
Like in any other ordinary village, there is a functioning museum, church, library, accommodation, bar, and restaurant. You will also find street names such as Nikola Tesla, Bruce Lee, Ernesto Che Guevara, Diego Armando Maradona, Federico Fellini, and Ingmar Bergman making it the most unordinary village you’ve probably been to. Along with the stunning mountainscapes that surround Drvengrad, it’s these small yet quirky details that make this place so unique and well worth spending a bit of time in.
Like in any other ordinary village, there is a functioning museum, church, library, accommodation, bar, and restaurant. You will also find street names such as Nikola Tesla, Bruce Lee, Ernesto Che Guevara, Diego Armando Maradona, Federico Fellini, and Ingmar Bergman making it the most unordinary village you’ve probably been to. Along with the stunning mountainscapes that surround Drvengrad, it’s these small yet quirky details that make this place so unique and well worth spending a bit of time in.
Stop 3
Šargan Eight Train Ride
After we bid farewell to Küstendorf, we’ll take you to the train station in Mokra Gora where you’ll board the Šargan Eight train in time for its 13:30 departure.
Rattling along in this historic train’s original cars which feature wooden seats and a wood-burning stove, this is not just a journey through the mountains, but a journey back in time. First opened in 1925, this historic train route once connected Belgrade with Dubrovnik and the Adriatic Sea. Today, only a 15-kilometer portion of the track remains purely for touristic purposes and passes through 22 tunnels with an altitude difference spanning 300 meters. It’s undoubtedly one of the most beautiful train rides in the region and while on it, we’ll be stopping at several stations with picture-perfect viewpoints you can visit and take photos from.
Rattling along in this historic train’s original cars which feature wooden seats and a wood-burning stove, this is not just a journey through the mountains, but a journey back in time. First opened in 1925, this historic train route once connected Belgrade with Dubrovnik and the Adriatic Sea. Today, only a 15-kilometer portion of the track remains purely for touristic purposes and passes through 22 tunnels with an altitude difference spanning 300 meters. It’s undoubtedly one of the most beautiful train rides in the region and while on it, we’ll be stopping at several stations with picture-perfect viewpoints you can visit and take photos from.
Stop 4
Drina River House - Tara National Park
Once we arrive at the Šargan 8’s last station after the 2 1/2-hour train journey, we’ll start driving back towards Belgrade via stunning Tara National Park. En route, there will be several options for restaurants for you to choose from if you’d like to pause for a meal.
We will also stop near the town of Bajina Bašta to visit the final attraction of the day and one of the most photographed objects in Serbia – the highly unusual Drina river house. Curiously built on top of a rock in the middle of the Drina River, it’s a special place to conclude our private tour around stunning Western Serbia and start making our way back to Belgrade.
We will also stop near the town of Bajina Bašta to visit the final attraction of the day and one of the most photographed objects in Serbia – the highly unusual Drina river house. Curiously built on top of a rock in the middle of the Drina River, it’s a special place to conclude our private tour around stunning Western Serbia and start making our way back to Belgrade.
Scenic drive into Western Serbia
Starting off around 8 am, we’ll pick you up from your hotel or address in Belgrade and begin our journey west. The drive will last approximately three hours, but we guarantee it won’t feel that long as the scenery you’ll experience is absolutely breathtaking. We’ll be stopping several times along the way as well for some fresh mountain air and stunning photo opportunities.
Drvengrad
Before reaching Mokra Gora, we will stop for a look around the ubiquitous wooden ethno-village known as Drvengrad (or Küstendorf), built by film director Emir Kusturica. This spot is famous not only as a mountain resort and venue for one of the region’s most popular film festivals but also famous on the silver screen as it was initially constructed between 2003-2004 as the set for Kusturica’s film, “Life is a Miracle.”
Like in any other ordinary village, there is a functioning museum, church, library, accommodation, bar, and restaurant. You will also find street names such as Nikola Tesla, Bruce Lee, Ernesto Che Guevara, Diego Armando Maradona, Federico Fellini, and Ingmar Bergman making it the most unordinary village you’ve probably been to. Along with the stunning mountainscapes that surround Drvengrad, it’s these small yet quirky details that make this place so unique and well worth spending a bit of time in.
Like in any other ordinary village, there is a functioning museum, church, library, accommodation, bar, and restaurant. You will also find street names such as Nikola Tesla, Bruce Lee, Ernesto Che Guevara, Diego Armando Maradona, Federico Fellini, and Ingmar Bergman making it the most unordinary village you’ve probably been to. Along with the stunning mountainscapes that surround Drvengrad, it’s these small yet quirky details that make this place so unique and well worth spending a bit of time in.
Šargan Eight Train Ride
After we bid farewell to Küstendorf, we’ll take you to the train station in Mokra Gora where you’ll board the Šargan Eight train in time for its 13:30 departure.
Rattling along in this historic train’s original cars which feature wooden seats and a wood-burning stove, this is not just a journey through the mountains, but a journey back in time. First opened in 1925, this historic train route once connected Belgrade with Dubrovnik and the Adriatic Sea. Today, only a 15-kilometer portion of the track remains purely for touristic purposes and passes through 22 tunnels with an altitude difference spanning 300 meters. It’s undoubtedly one of the most beautiful train rides in the region and while on it, we’ll be stopping at several stations with picture-perfect viewpoints you can visit and take photos from.
Rattling along in this historic train’s original cars which feature wooden seats and a wood-burning stove, this is not just a journey through the mountains, but a journey back in time. First opened in 1925, this historic train route once connected Belgrade with Dubrovnik and the Adriatic Sea. Today, only a 15-kilometer portion of the track remains purely for touristic purposes and passes through 22 tunnels with an altitude difference spanning 300 meters. It’s undoubtedly one of the most beautiful train rides in the region and while on it, we’ll be stopping at several stations with picture-perfect viewpoints you can visit and take photos from.
Drina River House - Tara National Park
Once we arrive at the Šargan 8’s last station after the 2 1/2-hour train journey, we’ll start driving back towards Belgrade via stunning Tara National Park. En route, there will be several options for restaurants for you to choose from if you’d like to pause for a meal.
We will also stop near the town of Bajina Bašta to visit the final attraction of the day and one of the most photographed objects in Serbia – the highly unusual Drina river house. Curiously built on top of a rock in the middle of the Drina River, it’s a special place to conclude our private tour around stunning Western Serbia and start making our way back to Belgrade.
We will also stop near the town of Bajina Bašta to visit the final attraction of the day and one of the most photographed objects in Serbia – the highly unusual Drina river house. Curiously built on top of a rock in the middle of the Drina River, it’s a special place to conclude our private tour around stunning Western Serbia and start making our way back to Belgrade.