Full-day Nis and Serbian History Tour from Sofia
Sofia, Bulgaria
- 10 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Grab your passport and head over the border to Serbia on this full-day tour of Nis from Sofia. Learn about the turbulent history of former Yugoslavia as you visit the Nis concentration camp; visit city sights including the Roman ruins of Mediana, the Skull Tower, and the Nisava riverfront; and sample delicious Serbian cuisine with lunch (own expense) at a local grill house.
- Full-day Nis and Serbian history tour from Sofia
- Enjoy spectacular views of the Serbian countryside as you cross the Sicevo gorge
- See Nis landmarks such as the Roman ruins of Mediana and the Skull Tower
- Tuck into a traditional lunch (own expense) at a Serbian grill house
- Learn about the Nazi occupation of former Yugoslavia during a visit to the Nis concentration camp
- Great-value tour includes hotel pickup, entrance fees, and round-trip transport
- Small-group tour limited to 8 people ensures a personalized experience
What's Included
- Driver/guide in English
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Food and drinks
- Entrance fees (10 € per person) cash or card
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Serdika Meeting Point - V Travel Day Tours DeparturesSofia Center, bul. "Knyaginya Maria Luiza" 2, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
8:30 Departure from Serdika Meeeting Point (2, Maria Luiza boulevard across McDonalds on the main street). Please show up at least 10 minutes earlier and look for a V Travel branded vehicle (car, minivan, van, minibus).
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.8:30 am
Itinerary
1
Mediana
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Skull Tower
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Red Cross Nazi Concentration Camp
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Nis Fortress
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Balkan boarders are busy during July and August. To avoid delays, alternative routes might be taken, adding a few hours to the trip.
- Cash (10 € per person) or credit/debit card needed for entrance fees.
- On 07 January and 14 January the sites and the museums will not be open.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 91 reviews
Norman_N, Feb 2026
It was great. Just long enough and just enough information. The tour was a great overview of Serbia and Niš. Michael was a great guide who gave great information and kept us informed of what to expect along the tour.
Christopher_M, Jan 2026
Was chilly this time of year but we expected that & dressed warmly. The border crossings were not too bad - but I could see how this could be a hassle in busier times.
Gisele_L, Nov 2025
This was bad. Really bad. The idea is good, the itinerary is good, the place is good, the execution of the tour company was terrible. Started with them asking me to change from Sunday to Saturday, then again asking to change from Saturday to Sunday. I asked them to deal with Viator and change it, they refused. So I had to spend 1h with Viator telling me I can't make last minute changes, but they were the ones who made the change. This shows me they don't understand they are in the travel business and when people are on a holiday, they want to enjoy their free time, so they should deal with the bureaucracy, not me. OK, solved that. They said they would send me information the night before - they didn't. We arrived at 8am for the 8:30am tour. It was cold and raining, we only found cover across the street. We waited. 8:25, 8:27. I messaged them. 0 replies. 8:30, 8:31, nothing. 8:33 a black van stops. There is nothing saying V Travel like it is written in our guidelines, no one got out of the car to pick us up, nothing. My husband thought this couldn't be them, as that would be the worst tour company ever. I decided to go and check it out, they rolled down the window and it was our tour - a very bad tour. I discovered they picked everyone else on their hotels, we were the only ones they asked to wait in the cold and the rain, even our hotel being in the city center like the others. Also, why a black van with no logo would stop for 30s and consider this a tour meeting point, no idea. It gets worse. The Viator page says we can pay tickets by card 10 euros per person. We were on the tour, the guide said we had to pay cash 12 euros per person. We were counting on using card, not cash. Then the guide insinuated I was supposed to have paid before the tour - weird. Not what I signed up for. We entered the camp for WW II and the guide said we could take our time and look around - the itinerary said around 1h there. We were there for 30min, the guide comes asking if we were lost (how can I be lost? It is one building) and saying everyone else was already in the car. I don't understand the rush, but yes, they were in a hurry. In this rushed version of what they present on Viator, we got back 16:30, 2h before the planned return time, after all this annoying behavior. Choose another company.
Paul_B, Oct 2025
Our day trip to Nis, Serbia was a wonderful experience! The two-hour journey was comfortable, and our tour guide was extremely informative and helpful throughout the trip. We visited several fascinating sites, including the Mediana archaeological site, the historical Skull Tower, and the Nis Fortress. Each location offered a deep insight into the city’s rich history and culture. After exploring the landmarks, we enjoyed some free time in the city center, which was lively and full of great restaurants and souvenir shops. Overall, it was an educational and enjoyable trip—highly recommended for anyone visiting Serbia!
Guy_P, Jun 2025
Vwry punctual, engaging and knowledgeable Guide -Michael. This makes a huge difference.
Very doable day trip to visit Niṣ̌ and get a feel of Serbia. Visited enough places and some free time too.
Annie_L, May 2025
We had an excellent time on our tour to Nis. Our guide Georgi was very good, super knowledgeable and an excellent driver. Mediana, the Skull Tower, and the concentration camp were really interesting. A bit more time at the concentration camp would have been good as there was a lot of information to read. The tour was structured very well and the day did not feel long at all. Overall an excellent day trip
from Bulgaria.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you so much for the nice words, we hope more people will enjoy our tours this way! Happy travels!
Daniel_T, Apr 2025
Great tour! Wish there was more time in Nis. Make sure to buy drinks for the bus ride! Concentration camp is apparently a must but I would have spent more time in Nis over that.
Pulahinge_R, Apr 2025
It was nice day spent in Nis. The tour guide Mihail / Michael was helpful and knowledgeable. The border crossing was smooth. Overall a great experience.
Jenny_C, Mar 2025
This is a very interesting tour, with stops covering a huge amount of the local history in a relatively short time. This is a good time of year to go as the border crossings were very quiet. And we were only a small group of 3 so we traveled in a comfortable and air conditioned car rather than a van/minibus.
As always, the knowledge and flexibility of the guide makes the tour and Georgi was fantastic. Hugely knowledgeable on Balkan history, language, and politics so that we learnt a lot about historical and modern day Bulgaria and Serbia. He also fit in time for me to quickly find a geocache at one of the stops, fulfilling my own tradition when I go to a new country! And he took the time to drive us on smaller local roads in certain sections, rather than the quicker motorways, so that we could see more of the country and enjoy beautiful mountain views.
Emi_M, Dec 2024
I had a great time on this tour. Our driver/guide Ivan was great! He was punctual, organized, knowledgeable, kind and funny.
He shared a lot of cultural and historic insights of Serbia as well as some tips on having fun in Niš.
A lot of people here are saying the road trip is too long, but it didn’t bother me at all. I had a bad jet lag so I got much needed sleep in the van.
The border crossing was easy. On the way there, there was no car ahead of us so it took 5 minutes to exit Bulgaria and another 5 to enter Serbia.
I just wish our free time was a bit longer. We had 2 hours. But it would have been more enjoyable if we had 2.5 or 3 hours.
I didn’t know that in Niš, restaurants allow smoking inside and there is no “no -smoking” area. If you are sensitive to smoke and/or smell like me, it may be challenging. Fortunately the place I went to wasn’t too crowded so I was able to endure it (I guess it’s a part of learning different cultures too).
On our way back at the border, there were a few cars ahead of us but it still took no less than 20 minutes total.
We were back by 6pm.
Niš is a gem if you love learning history.
I highly recommend it.
Andrea_M, Nov 2024
Great guide and a nice small group. Very informative and not rushed so learnt a lot. The border was also quiet so we were lucky
David_D, Oct 2024
Amazing tour, my first time to serbie, a very beautiful town, with great food at very good prices, got some amazing pictures of Nish, going up to the fortress and walk along the walls and get some great pictures is a must do, michael our tour guide was very friendly, respectful and very knowledgeable of the area, would definitely recommend going in this tour.
Linda_W, Sep 2024
Amazing tour!
Stephan is very knowledgeable and pleasant!
The old Ruins were interesting to see. The drive there and back was beautiful. Highly recommend this trip.
Kamal_A, Sep 2024
It was nice trip with very cooperative guide we enjoyed nice group I have history trip with your company in italy many time
Garth_C, Aug 2024
This is a don't miss excursion. We visited the Red Cross Concentration Camp, the birthplace of Emperor Constantine, as well as Old Town. We rode in nine passenger van and had an amazing experience.
Alex_K, Aug 2024
Time spent at borders on both ways is way, way too long.
The actual time for sightseeing isn't enough at all. You will spend a lot of time inside the uncomfortable van.
Brenda_Y, Jul 2024
Interesting visit to usual sights such as a nazi concentration camp and skull tower. It was a small group of 5 people and the guide gave us sufficient time at each site.
raymondriggens, Jun 2024
Michael was a very good guide / driver. We were very lucky with the short time it took us at the border in each direction, around 20 mins. In the summer months they don’t have this tour as it can take 3 hours each direction. An interesting tour and well worth doing. Thanks Michael.
David_M, Jun 2024
Tour and sights were good and worth doing, however our guide insisted in playing the radio in the vehicle and even when speaking and giving us information which ment it was extremely difficult to hear him.
Even when asked to put the radio off it made no difference. So this did limit the enjoyment of the tour.
Zuzana_S, Apr 2024
This tour was excellent! Mainly thanks to our guide/driver Georgi, who made our tour very enjoyable. Even though it´s quite a long drive, it is still very worth it. Nis isn´t the big city full of attractions, but it is nice to see the smaller attractions it has to offer, it has certainly its charm and it is a nice way to spend the day outside of Sofia. Car ride is fine and safe in a comfortable vehicle. We also had smooth border crossings, maybe because it´s still a bit off season. I highly recommend this day trip from Sofia with V Tours Bulgaria.
EllenLilles_H, Apr 2024
It was a fantastic tour if you are interested in history. I Loved the stops we had, our guid was grat and the time I had in Nis to explore for my self was a good choice. Thank you for an amazing tour.
Bethany_H, Apr 2024
Overall, the guide did the best he could in the conditions at the border (2+ hours) . The Medina was great, with a lot of interesting history as well as the Skull Tower, but unfortunately we were denied entry into the concentration camp. Our guide tried to provide us with as much information as he could from the outside, but it was still disappointing. However, I enjoyed the 2 hours free time in Nis, especially seeing the views over the city. I would be hesitant to book this again, especially over a holiday weekend.
Alini_C, Mar 2024
Everything was perfection. The tour started on time, the minibus was clean and Gorge was an amazing driver and guide. He effortlessly navigated us through Nis and gave us plenty of free time for lunch and souvenirs. Gorge was also very knowledgeable about the culture, history and even geography of the Balkans so it was fun and a learning experience. He made sure we had enough rest stops and kept us entertained on the ride. I highly recommend this tour with Gorge, he’s one of the best guides I’ve encountered in over 53 countries.
Morgana_A, Mar 2024
Georgi was a great guide, very knowledgeable about the history and information about the places we visited. We had time to browse on our own too.
JoAnn_S, Mar 2024
Interesting day trip to Serbia, we would highly recommend it. I think that visiting Nis was the best part and it would have been nice to have had more time there or even an overnight stay. Very informative trip as well
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thanks! It has been just 10 years ago that we started this tour to the unexplored town of Nis! The road has improved a lot since then, so we hope to see more people on this tour!
Amine_I, Mar 2024
We had a great time with our guide Filip. He was very knowledgeable, friendly and ensured we felt at ease throughout the trip. I would recommend this tour to anybody interested in the complet history of the Balkans
melania_c, Mar 2024
We had an ok experience with this tour, a wait in the border, the point of places we went were very informative with so much history. It was a shock when we got to the border as the WC situation has still typical Turkish squat toilet and we have to pay to use it.
Karen_R, Mar 2024
Fantastic day to Nis, Serbia. First, the Roman mosaics at Mediana, then the Skull Tower, and after the Nazi concentration camp. Our guide, Stefan, was so knowledgeable of all the history. He was such easy company and a great driver, too. A day not to be missed.
Mira_D, Dec 2023
Had an amazing day in Niš, Serbia thanks to our knowledgeable guide Georgi. The ancient city of Mediana was really neat. I enjoyed the story behind the Battle of Čegar with the skull tower commemorating the first uprising against the Ottoman forces. The Red Cross work camp reminds us of a very difficult time in Europe. Niš is so pretty, very clean and Serbian lunch was absolutely delicious! We had no issues at border crossing thanks in part to it being the off-season with minimal traffic. I highly recommend this tour to round out your Bulgarian and Balkan experience.
Michele_W, Sep 2023
For a start going into Serbia then the visit to the roman town where Constantine the Great was born and the gruesome but fascinating Skull Tower. Nis itself is a most pleasant and interesting town in which to spend a couple of hours.
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