Eastern Serbia from Belgrade: Manasija Monastery, Resava Cave and Which Day Trip to Book
4 min read
For Eastern Serbia in one day, the most-reviewed choice is the Gems of Eastern Serbia Tour: €105 per person, 4.9 stars from 636 reviews, 10 hours. It adds a waterfall and a karst spring to the monastery and cave that the shorter trip below also covers.
What you are actually going to see
Both trips head into central Serbia for the same two main stops. Manasija is a monastery built in the early 15th century, surrounded by fortifications that the longer trip’s page says were built to protect it against the Ottomans. Resava is a cave that the same page describes as 80 million years old and discovered in 1962, with an 800-metre trail open to visitors. The shorter trip’s page adds that the monastery was founded by Despot Stefan Lazarević and has 11 towers.
The two trips side by side
| Tour | From, per person | Stars | Reviews | Length | Stops on the itinerary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gems of Eastern Serbia Tour | €105 | 4.9 | 636 | 10 hours | Manasija, Resava Cave, Veliki Buk waterfall, Krupaj spring, lunch stop |
| Manasija Monastery and Resava Cave Tour | €90 | 4.9 | 126 | 8 hours | Manasija, Resava Cave, lunch stop with a waterfall visit |
The 10-hour trip
The itinerary shows about two hours in the van to Manasija, 45 minutes there, 45 minutes in the cave, 30 minutes at the Veliki Buk waterfall, 20 minutes at Krupaj spring and a 1.5-hour lunch break, then about two hours back. The page lists hotel pickup and drop-off, an English-speaking guide, a driver, entry tickets to Manasija, Resava Cave and the waterfall, and a half-litre bottle of water. Lunch and personal expenses are listed as not included. The page says a shared tour needs at least four people; if that number is not reached you are offered another date, a refund, or a surcharge for a private tour. Transport is an air-conditioned car for one to three people or a minivan for four to seven.
The 8-hour trip
This one is about two hours to Manasija, an hour there, an hour in the cave and a 1.5-hour lunch break, then about two and a quarter hours back. The page lists Veliki Buk waterfall as a highlight and describes lunch beside it as optional and not included in the price. It lists hotel pickup, a guide, and entrance fees for the cave and the waterfall, and says a moderate level of fitness is expected. A shared tour needs at least three people. The page also says you may be asked to walk up to seven or eight minutes to a nearby pickup point, depending on traffic and where you stay.
Practical points from the pages
- The cave is cold. The longer trip’s page gives the cave temperature as 7 °C (45 °F) and asks for warm clothes and shoes. Bring a jacket even in summer.
- Dress for a place of worship. Both pages say the tour includes entering a monastery, so dress appropriately.
- Bring your passport or ID card if you book the 10-hour trip; its page asks for it.
- Lunch is on you on both trips. Ask your guide what the stop costs before you order.
Which one
Take the 10-hour trip if you want the fuller day with a waterfall and a spring, and a long day does not bother you; the itinerary puts more than half of the time in the van. Take the 8-hour trip if you want the monastery and the cave without the extra stops and an earlier return. If your main interest is medieval fortress architecture rather than caves, the Golubac Fortress and Iron Gate trip is the other long day in this direction. For a lighter day, read the Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci guide, or see all day trips from Belgrade.
