Tara National Park Tours & Mokra Gora Trips

What You See on a Tara and Mokra Gora Tour

Routes differ, but most tours pick from the same set of stops. They sit fairly close to each other, so one day can cover several.

Tara National Park

The park covers a large part of Tara Mountain. It’s mostly dense forest, with meadows, small villages and steep cliffs over the Drina. It is one of the few places where the Serbian spruce (Pancic spruce) still grows in the wild, and brown bears live in the deeper forest. You won’t see a bear on a normal tour, but the park’s wildlife is part of why it’s protected.

Banjska Stena Viewpoint

This is the photo most people know. A short walk through the forest ends at a rock platform high above the Drina canyon and Perucac Lake. It’s the main stop on most Tara Mountain day trips.

The House on the Drina

A small wooden house built on a rock in the middle of the river, near Bajina Basta. It’s a quick stop, but many travelers come just for this photo.

Mokra Gora and the Sargan Eight

The Sargan Eight is a restored narrow-gauge railway. The track loops in a figure eight to climb the mountain, through tunnels and over bridges. The ride is slow and that’s the point: you sit in old wooden carriages and watch the valley from different heights. The train runs on a seasonal schedule, so it’s not part of every tour.

Drvengrad

Drvengrad (also called Kustendorf) is a wooden village on a hill in Mokra Gora. Film director Emir Kusturica built it for one of his films. Today it has a church, small streets named after artists and film people, a few cafes and a restaurant. Most tours stop here for a walk and lunch.

Types of Tours to Tara and Mokra Gora

Day Trips From Belgrade

The most common option. The drive is long, about 3.5 to 4 hours each way, so expect a full day that starts early and ends in the evening. In return you see the park, the viewpoint and Mokra Gora without having to sort out transport. If you want other options for one day out of the capital, look at the full list of day tours from Belgrade.

Private Tours

A private tour lets you set the pace, change the order of stops and skip what doesn’t interest you. That helps on a long day like this one. Families and small groups often go this way. You can find more options under private tours in Serbia.

Nature, Hiking and Outdoor Tours

Tara has marked trails, forest roads and lakes, so some tours spend more time outdoors and less time in the van. Walks to viewpoints are the most common. For longer walks in Tara and other mountains, see the hiking tours in Serbia, and for parks, forests and wildlife across the country, the nature tours in Serbia.

Multi-day Trips

Two or more days give you time for both Tara and Mokra Gora without rushing, and often a stop at Zlatibor, a mountain resort nearby. It’s the better choice if you don’t want to spend eight hours in a car in one day. See all multi-day tours in Serbia.

Tips for Planning Your Trip

When to Go

• Late spring to early autumn is the main season. The roads are clear, the forest is green, and the Sargan Eight runs.
• Autumn brings the forest colors and fewer people.
• Winter can be snowy and quiet. Some stops are harder to reach, and the train may not run, so check what a tour includes.

How to Choose a Tour

• Check if the Sargan Eight ride is included or only a stop at the station.
• Look at the total time. A day trip from Belgrade is long, and most of the travel is by road.
• See if lunch is included or if you pay for it yourself.
• Pick private if you have kids or want fewer stops and more time at each.

What to Bring

• Comfortable shoes with a good grip. The path to Banjska Stena is short but uneven.
• A warm layer. It’s cooler on the mountain than in Belgrade, even in summer.
• Cash for small cafes and souvenir stands.
• Your passport, if the route crosses into Bosnia.

Want to know more before you go? Read the guide to things to do in Tara National Park, then compare the tours below and check dates and availability.

Frequently Asked Questions