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

Rhoda F
September 24, 2017
Serbian Private tours are very professional the moment I sent an inquiry, very prompt in replying in messages and give recommendations what to do in city. Our guides or Serbian Hosts were Vlada and Slobodan are great guys, on time, very knowledgeable on the tours and we have a great time. I would recommend Serbian Private tours to my friends when visiting Serbia.

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Terry652
September 10, 2017
We were picked up promptly from our hotel in Belgrade by our wonderful English speaking guide Vlada. We had a great day visiting the Lepenski Vir Archaeological site and our fantastic boat ride on the Danube, to the Iron Gates, topped off by a wonderful traditional Serbia lunch overlooking the beautiful Danube. The day was perfect and Vlad could not have been more helpful and knowledgeable. The boat trip was such fun and very enjoyable. I would highly recommend Serbian Private Tours. From our initial inquiry to the conclusion of the tour they were very professional, efficient and more importantly friendly. Vlad went to a lot of trouble to return my glasses to me which I left on the boat, thank you Vlada and Serbian Private Tours.

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Voyager246
June 12, 2017
This is a perfect one day tour that combines the beauty of nature with history and local culture and cuisine while exposing you the gorges on the Danube. Our guide Miljan, fluent in English, made the day memorable by addressing all questions well and even taking photos of us at the best locations. You are driven through the rolling hills of eastern Serbia, see the transformation of the typical villages by the addition of mansions built for the returnees who worked for decades in Western Europe, and then you descend to an enormous lake created by the dam on the Danube still many miles down stream. At the exit from the lake you see the medieval fortress of Golubac. Once current renovations are completed a longer stop here will reveal more of the fortress's rich history. The road now follows the river canyon which is the border between Serbia and Romania. Soon one reaches Lepenski Vir, a perfectly preserved archeological site with artifacts of a civilization over 10,000 years old. . A short movie is available followed by a walking tour of the site. (Those familiar with the oldest pottery of pre Inca civilizations from Peru will notice the similarity, which is puzzling). Typically after this one drives or walks to the top of the mountains to admire the Danube forcing its way through ever narrowing gorges between the Romanian Karpathian mountain range and the Homolje mountains of Serbia, As spectacular as these views from above are, we chose to do the next part of the tour by boat which Miljan prearranged. We went by boat through the Veliki and Mali Kazan, the narrowest passage of the river, and a saw at water level (on the Serbian side) the famous Tabula Traiana of the Roman emperor as well as the stone sculptures of his arch enemy king of Dakia ( Romanian side). Being on the water gave us another perspective of the Iron Gates. At the end we enjoyed our sumptuous, well prepared lunch/dinner feast at Kapetan Mischa while watching the Danube below flow by. All three of us had a most memorable day. We would definitely recommend the tour.

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tmccoy1981
June 8, 2017
I recently took the six hour tour through the Iron Gate and Lepenski Vir with Slobodan. I had a great time and would highly recommend it. Slobodan was an excellent guide and extremely knowledgeable about the region and it's history. The comment is taken from TripAdvisor review page connected to our service, to see the source follow this link.
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Lucija K
June 6, 2017
We took a private tour with Slobodan to Lepenski vir and the Iron Gate Gorge. Slobodan picked us up the morning of the tour with a private car. Slobodan was incredibly nice and knowledgable about the sites on the tour. We saw the Danube River in the best place to see it. We had lunch at Kapetn Misin Breg which has a beautiful view of the Danube and the Iron Gate. The food was all homemade and delicious. Then we visited Lepenski vir. The weather was nice and we had a wonderful day. I highly recommend for a day-long private tour. The comment is taken from TripAdvisor review page connected to our service, to see the source follow this link.
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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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