General

Discover Natural and Cultural Gems of Iron Gates: Timeless Journey throughout Europe’s biggest gorge

Meet our day trip first pick – an ultimate experience that ticks all the boxes. Whether you are nature or culture lover, our Iron Gates and Lepenski Vir private tour makes it easy and comfortable to explore Serbia’s must-see destination.

 

Tour in a Glance

DURATION
9-10 hours
TOUR STYLE
Private
GETTING AROUND
Driven and walking
AVAILABILITY
Seasonal, 1.4-31.10.
LANGUAGE
English
DIFFICULTY
Easy for everyone

What to Expect From the Iron Gate Gorge and Lepenski Vir Tour in 2024

Uncover the secrets of the Danube on our private Iron Gates Gorge and Lepenski Vir tour, showcasing the breathtaking landscapes and its historic treasures. Discover Lepenski Vir archaeological site, admire medieval Golubac Fortress and learn how the gorge got its name while enjoying the view over Big and Small Boiler (Mali i Veliki kazan). And if all of this is not enough, add local food to the experience. Extend your adventure with our two-day Iron Gates Hike and Boat Ride Tour for an unforgettable experience.

Highlights

  • Explore Golubac Fortress and Lepenski Vir with private guide and get detailed explanations about this unique sites.
  • See the most impressive part of Danube and understand the true meaning of “Iron Gates”.
  • Enjoy the scenic ride through the National Park, get deeper into the gorge and discover the amazing views over Danube.
  • Optional private boat ride with a local captain for the unforgettable experience.

Tour Flow

#YourSerbiaHost will pick you up at your Belgrade hotel in the morning (usual pickup time is 9am). First stop on the tour is the Golubac Fortress just nearby the town with the same name. Both the town and the fortress overlook the widest point of Danube on its entire stretch. The 13th century fortification also guards the entrance to the Iron Gates. While you explore the fortress in and out, by climbing the towers and walking the halls, your guide will share legends and stories about the place. Note that the fortress is closed on Mondays, so if you book the tour for a Monday, we can only take a short photo stop beside the road.

Straight from Golubac you’ll continue down the road, following the Danube. After a short drive you’ll arrive to Lepenski Virthe oldest organized settlement in Europe. Settlement was founded around 8000 BC and lasted till 4500 BC when people of Lepenski Vir moved on to the world. Archaeological site is in perfect condition and it consists of several segments. Uniqueness of this place, in an archaeological sense, is the fact that the whole settlement was moved from its original location retaining absolutely the same items and setup from the time when people of Lepenski Vir lived there.

Road takes you further through the town of Donji Milanovac towards the prettiest part of the Iron Gate Gorge, ravines Mali and Veliki kazan (the Big and Small Boiler). This place is what makes our tour unique, where only this tour will get you that deep into the gorge. This stop will finally put sense into the name Iron Gates. The sights will be self explanatory.

Optional Boat Ride

On this tour you can opt for a private boat ride through the ravines. It’ll give you a unique opportunity to see the Tabula Traina, the Roman Emperor’s plaque from the II century AD which is only accessible from the water. Also, it’ll give you a much closer look to Decibel’s Statue carved into a rock on the Romanian side of the river. You’ll ride over the deepest point of Danube and the narrowest one on its entire stretch. And last but not least, you’ll have a chance to chat with a local captain. The ride is 2 hours and in case you decide to take it, pickup will be at 8am.

After all the excitement and experiences you’ll stop for a deserved lunch break. Best possible place to experience local hospitality, food and charm is a local eco-village, right on the very bank of Danube. Kind hosts will serve traditional local food in authentic serene surroundings. While you enjoy tasty bites you’ll be relaxed by the sounds of the river.

After lunch we are getting you back to Belgrade where you’ll arrive in the early evening. Usual drop-off time is around 7pm.

Good to know

FIT THE TOUR TO MATCH YOUR NEEDS
We’ve designed this tour based on our insights and experiences of the route’s highlights. For a customized tour, just let us know your preferences.
TOUR LANGUAGE
Default language of the tour is English, but if you require #YourSerbiaHost can also give you tour in Russian, German, French, Spanish and of course Serbian – Subject to availability.
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH
There are several ways to reach us. By pressing “Send inquiry” button on the top right of this page (or at the bottom of the page if you are using a mobile device). Through our Contact page, or calling our Phone|WhatsApp|Viber number +38163684466.
FREE CANCELLATION
If for any reason you need to cancel the tour up to 24 hours before the tour start time, we will refund 100% of the paid amount, no questions asked.
LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEED
Secure the best tour price by booking directly through our official website.
BOOKING THE TOUR
Book this tour easily with our secure online system by clicking ‘Book Now’ below, or contact us for other reservation options.
AVOID LAST-MINUTE SELL-OUTS, BOOK YOUR PRIVATE TOUR EARLY

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35 comments

Kathill1
October 1, 2016
We spent the first full day in Serbia with Slobodan on this wonderful tour from Belgrade to Lepinski Vir and the Iron Gate. Slo was extremely knowledgeable and charming, patiently answering all of our questions, from the history of the sites we visited and the region in general, to a multitude of questions regarding life in Belgrade and Serbia. It gave us a wonderful foundation from which to build the rest of our trip. The scenery was beautiful and Slo's stories made the drive time enjoyable (even the unplanned temporary road closure for dealing with loose rocks on the hill sides). The lunch he arranged was amazing, and afforded tremendous views and a taste of the hospitality of the region. I would heartily recommend, and would not hesitate to take one of their other tours if we find ourselves back in this region!

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Nadine A
September 17, 2016
The service we received was excellent. Vlada was friendly, knowledgeable and flexible to our needs. The inclusion of a boat trip around the gorge instead of the hike allowed us to experience the gorge, the Tabula Traiana, the carving of Dacian Chief Decebalus and other sites from the Danube River. I thoroughly recommend this trip with Serbian Private Tours.

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Charles W
September 7, 2016
We did the OneDayTour from Belgrade to the fortress Golubac, the site of Lepinski Vir and teh the iron gate gorge at the border to Romania. This must be one of the most beautiful parts of Serbia and the tour is ideal to get an impression of it if you don't have enough time to stay in this region for a few nights. Our guide Slobodan was a really cool and outgoing person, who who could explain a lot of intersting facts about modern day Serbia. We can only recommand this tour!

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Kate H
July 23, 2016
I had booked my tour before arriving in Belgrade and had learned a little of Serbian culture before we left. My guide Miljan arrived at my hotel on time for our trip down the Danube by road. I was very excited to see Goulbac Fortress and Lepenski Vir along with the Iron Gate. I had some knowledge of Lepenski Vir but not so much on the other two stops. Miljan was more very knowledgable on all of these areas and also the areas along the way. A lot of the time we discussed the history of Serbia, there was a lot that I did not know about. He explained in depth Serbia's place in both ancient and modern history and I'm very glad I booked him for the tour. It was very much an eye-opener for me as I have a keen interest in both human history and natural history and Miljan had an extensive knowledge of both. His kind and open nature was one of the highlights, we discussed our families, education and general life experience. He has a fantastic music collection to boot. For lunch we visited the Vlach community for lunch in the mountains and had amazing homegrown food and wine. If you are going to Serbia I would highly recommend booking Miljan as your guide as there are many guides within Belgrade, however he specialises more in the overall Serbian countryside and even if you have not much time there are day tours available where you will learn a lot more about Serbia other than just Belgrade. It is well worth the time!

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tereza09
July 5, 2016
The scenery that unwinds around you as you cruise thru the gorge is quite breathtaking. The Danube has cut a path through the Carpathian and Balkan Mts that is just awesome. History lines the banks of the river so look out for the Golubac Fortress....The Trajan Plaque and the Mission station that clings to the edge of the cliffs. This is a wonderful days outing away from the noise and hustle and bustle of the city.

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Available departures

This is a daily tour.

Unfortunately, no places are available on this tour at the moment

Details on prices and services

Tour prices (prices are per tour, not per person):
1-3 persons 359€
4-6 persons 439€
7-8 persons 539€
9-19 persons 899€
Services included in the price:
Pickup and drop-off
Transportation
Driver/guide service
Bottled water
Single-use surgical face mask if you don't have your own
Tour organization
What is extra:
Admission for Golubac Fortress ~6,5€ per person
Admission for Lepenski Vir ~5€ per person
Lunch ~18€ per person*
Optional 2h boat ride is 135€ for up to 7 passengers (per tour, not per person). Every additional passenger is 20€ per person. Maximum capacity of the boat is 12.
Personal expenses and gratuities
* Price shown is price for lunch per person based on household's daily menu. Drinks excluded.

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