What to Do in Belgrade During EXPO 2027: A Summer City Guide

Treat the Expo as a full day on its own and keep the city for mornings, evenings and the days either side. The site is outside the centre, so crossing town twice in one day eats time you could spend on the river or at dinner.

Getting there depends on what opens in time. A new rail line from Zemun Polje via the airport to the Expo is under construction, with an announced journey of about 30 minutes from Prokop station in the city centre. Electric buses are planned to run between Block 45 in New Belgrade and the site. Neither is operating yet, so check our guide on how to get to EXPO 2027 before you go.

Opening hours have not been announced, so the evening is hard to plan in detail. Keep your first Expo evening loose and book fixed dinners for your city days instead. Media estimates quoted by RTS put crowds at around 60,000 a day on weekdays and 120,000 at weekends (not an official figure), so a weekday visit is safer.

If you land on the day, the Aeronautical Museum is right next to the airport, in its glass-and-dome building with more than 200 aircraft and aviation artefacts. Where you sleep shapes the rest of the plan: see where to stay for EXPO 2027.

This plan puts the Expo in the middle, so you arrive with a feel for the city and leave with a slow river day. Swap the days around to fit your ticket. For a plan without the Expo, see our 3-day Belgrade itinerary.

Day 1: the old town and the fortress

• Morning: walk Kalemegdan Park and Belgrade Fortress before the heat builds. Entry to the park is free and it sits on the ridge above the meeting of the Sava and the Danube. The Military Museum is inside the fortress walls.
• Lunch: Radost Fina Kuhinjica, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant near Kalemegdan, or Kalemegdanska Terasa inside the fortress for traditional Serbian food with a river view.
• Afternoon: go indoors at the National Museum of Serbia on Republic Square, Serbia's oldest and largest museum.
• Evening: dinner in Skadarlija at Tri Šešira (opened in 1864) or Dva Jelena (dating to 1832), both known for live traditional music. Finish with a drink at The Roof, on the tenth floor of the Prezident Palace hotel.

Day 2: Expo day

• Morning to late afternoon: the Expo. Go early, bring water and a hat, and check the official site for the day's programme.
• Sunset: on the way back, stop in New Belgrade at Park Ušće, the city's largest official park, at the confluence. The Museum of Contemporary Art is at the same spot, in its landmark modernist building.
• Dinner: Stara Koliba, a round wooden floating fish restaurant moored at Ušće, or Suvenir, a floating restaurant on the Sava at Blok 44, close to where the Block 45 Expo buses are planned to start.

Day 3: a river day

• Morning: swim at Ada Ciganlija. Arrive early for a lounger and some shade.
• Afternoon: head to Zemun and walk Zemunski Kej, the 2.5 km Danube promenade. Šaran, a fish restaurant on the quay founded over a century ago, is known for its traditional fish soup.
• Evening: Beton Hala, the converted riverside warehouses on the Sava below the old town. Ambar serves modern Balkan small plates, and Iguana has a waterfront terrace and live jazz.
• Late: one of the river clubs nearby (see below).

Ada Ciganlija

Locals call Ada "the sea". It is a former Sava island wrapped around a lake of about 4 km, with pebble and grass beaches, lifeguards in the main swimming areas in season, and a loop path of roughly 8 km for cycling or running. Entry is free; you pay only for rentals, activities and food. Weekdays are much calmer than weekends. Our Ada Ciganlija guide covers the beaches, rentals and how to get there.

Splavovi (river clubs)

The floating clubs are Belgrade's summer signature, and their open-air season runs roughly from May to late September, so it covers the whole Expo period. Names to know include Freestyler on the Sava, Lasta and Money Club near Beton Hala, and Leto by the confluence. On land, Barutana is an open-air summer club in a 17th-century gunpowder magazine in the lower fortress.

Two things matter. First, a riverbank redevelopment since 2025 has moved many rafts, so check each venue's Instagram for its current mooring before you go. Second, bigger clubs run face control: dress smart casual, carry ID and book a table for weekends. Read our nightlife guide to splavovi and kafanas for the details.

Rooftops and terraces

A sunset drink with a view fits well after a hot day. Besides The Roof, try SkyLounge on the eighth floor of the Hilton in Vračar, the Mama Shelter rooftop on Kneza Mihaila, or Boho Bar, an open-air lounge among the fortress walls. Book sunset tables, especially at weekends. Our rooftop bars guide has more options and practical notes.

You will eat most dinners near where you sleep, so here is a short list by area. Browse the full restaurant directory and bar directory for more.

• Stari Grad and Dorćol: Homa, a Michelin-listed bistro with a leafy terrace; Walter for Sarajevo-style ćevapi; Manufaktura, under its canopy of red umbrellas, for home-style Serbian food.
• Vračar: Iva New Balkan Cuisine, holder of a Michelin Bib Gourmand; Lovac, with a large linden-shaded garden.
• Savamala and Belgrade Waterfront: Salon 1905 for fine dining in the 1905 Geozavod building; Steak Supreme in the Galerija centre, with views over the Sava.
• New Belgrade: Bela Reka, a Michelin Guide-listed national restaurant; Restoran Durmitor, known for dishes cooked under the sač (bell).
• Zemun: Venecija, on the quay since 1913, and Sent Andrea, with two gardens on the Danube.

The Expo overlaps with Belgrade's busiest festival season. These are the events our calendar currently lists as expected during the Expo months. Organisers have not confirmed all 2027 dates, so treat them as a guide and check again closer to your trip.

• May: Beldocs, Serbia's largest documentary film festival, and Ring Ring, a festival of new and experimental music, both expected in the second half of the month. See May 2027 events.
• June: Belgrade Cocktail Fest (early June), the Belgrade Boat Carnival on the Sava (mid-June) and Belgrade Music Week at Ušće Park (late June). See June 2027 events.
• Late June onwards: BELEF, the Belgrade Summer Festival, with music, theatre, dance and visual arts at open-air locations such as the fortress. See July and August 2027 events.

Inside the Expo, the programme is reported to include more than 8,000 events over 93 days, and each participating country is expected to have a national day. For all recurring city festivals, see our festivals page.

With a fourth or fifth day, get out of the heat for a few hours. Avala, a forested 511 m hill about 16 km south of the centre, is a classic picnic trip with Ivan Meštrović's Monument to the Unknown Hero near the top. Closer in, the 330-hectare Košutnjak Park-Forest offers shaded paths. For longer trips out of the city, see our day trips from Belgrade.

• Plan around the heat. July and August highs are often around 30 to 31°C, and June is the rainiest month, with short thunderstorms. Do outdoor sightseeing in the morning and evening, as our best time to visit guide suggests.
• Use museums at midday. The Nikola Tesla Museum, the Museum of Yugoslavia and the Museum of Science and Technology are good choices for the hottest hours. For shade outdoors, try Topčiderski Park.
• Carry water. Belgrade tap water is safe to drink, so a refillable bottle is enough.
• Get around cheaply. City buses, trams and trolleybuses have been free since January 2025; the A1 airport bus is paid. See our public transport guide.
• Take ride apps at night. Use CarGo or Bolt and avoid unmarked taxis waiting outside clubs.
• Pay in dinars. When a card terminal offers to charge you in euros, decline and pay in RSD.
• Travelling with children? Parks, Ada and the Tašmajdan fountains work well. See Belgrade for families.