Tales of the Balkans through Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina

Mar 14, 2025

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Tales of the Balkans through Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina

Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are two countries with rich histories, cultures, and natural beauty, shaped by their shared past as part of the former Yugoslavia. This study trip will take you through Serbia’s spiritual landscapes, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s historic towns, and along the peaceful Danube River, unravelling the stories of empires, wars, and resilience of the region.

Organised by The Siam Society under the leadership of Ms Kanitha Kasina-Ubol, Managing Director, this study trip will take place from Thursday, 4 to Tuesday, 16 September 2025. It’s a unique opportunity to explore the deep historical and cultural ties between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and the legacy of their time in Yugoslavia.

In Serbia, the journey begins in Belgrade. We will explore the Kalemegdan Fortress and the National Museum which reflect the country’s history within Yugoslavia. Hike through Fruška Gora, a national park known for its rolling hills, dense forests, and historic monasteries. Often called the “Jewel of Serbia,” Fruška Gora offers both tranquil walks and a deep connection to Serbia’s Orthodox Christian heritage. The tour continues along the Danube River to visit the Golubac Fortress and cruise through the picturesque gorge, passing historical landmarks like Trajan’s Plaque. It also includes exploring the remarkable Serbian monasteries in the central region.

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, we will explore Sarajevo and its blend of Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian influences, offering a fascinating contrast to the stories of war and resilience that have shaped the country’s modern identity. Discover the architectural beauty of Mostar, home to the iconic Stari Most bridge, and learn about its symbolic importance after the Bosnian War. The diverse landscapes of Bosnia, from rivers to mountains, will provide a glimpse into the country’s natural wonders and enduring spirit.

When

Thursday, 4 to Tuesday, 16 September 2025

Leader

with Ms Kanitha Kasina-Ubol

Managing Director of The Siam Society

Booking

See information below

Or contact Khun Thun

studytrips@thesiamsociety.org

 

The tentative programme will be as follows:

Day 1: Thursday, 4 September: Bangkok – Istanbul
20:00 Meet at Suvarnabhumi Airport and check in at the Turkish Airlines check-in counter.
22:45 Depart Bangkok for Istanbul by Turkish Airlines flight TK69
   
Day 2: Friday, 5 September: Istanbul – Belgrade – Novi Sad
05:15 Arrive at Istanbul International Airport, pass immigration control and transit for flight to Belgrade.
07:45 Depart Istanbul for Belgrade by Turkish Airlines flight TK1080
08:30 Arrive at Belgrade Airport, and proceed to Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina.
– Visit the old town, and see its historical buildings, Synagogue, Catholic Church and Orthodox Church.
Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: Cross the bridge over the Danube to visit the Petrovaradin Fortress
Evening: Dinner and overnight at Pupin Hotel, Novi Sad
   
Day 3: Saturday, 6 September: Novi Sad – Belgrade
– Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Check out of the hotel and proceed to the Fruška Gora National Park in Vojvodina region. Fruška Gora is a beautiful mountain embraced by the plains of Vojvodina and is the oldest national park in Serbia. Its hidden valleys were once the home of an astonishing number of 35 Serbian Orthodox monasteries, of which only 15 still stand today due to various conquests, wars and desolation.

We will do a monastery hike in this National Park for about 2-3 hours. En route, we will visit Sloboda Monument – Staro Hopovo Monastery and Novo Hopovo Monastery, and by bus we will also visit Krušedol Monastery.
Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: Continue to visit the town of Sremski Karlovci, a small baroque town famous for its beautiful architecture. The town has traditionally been known as the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Habsburg Monarchy. Wine and grapes from the nearby vineyard on the brow of the Fruška Gora Mountain are some of the highlights of this town.
– Visit Wine Cellars in the village
– Proceed to Belgrade
Evening: Dinner at a local restaurant
  Overnight at Courtyard by Marriott City Center, Belgrade
   
Day 4: Sunday, 7 September: Belgrade
– Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Visit the National Museum of Serbia, the country’s oldest and largest museum, home to an impressive collection of artefacts, including prehistoric relics, Roman sculptures, and paintings by European and Serbian masters.
– Visit Belgrade’s Old Town (Stari Grad). Walk through Knez Mihailova Street, the city’s lively pedestrian zone lined with elegant 19th-century architecture, boutiques, and cafés.
– Visit Kalemegdan Fortress, which overlooks the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, offering panoramic views and centuries of history.
Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: Visit the Temple of Saint Sava, one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches. Planned in 1895 on the site where the Ottomans burned Saint Sava’s remains, it honours the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Its massive iron dome, standing 82 metres tall and weighing 4,000 tons, took over 40 days to install and is topped with a gold-plated cross. The church features bell towers with 50 bells, rich interior frescoes, and the underground Church of Saint Lazar. It can hold 10,000 worshippers.
– Visit the Museum of Yugoslav History, where one can learn about Yugoslavia’s past through photographs, documents, and personal belongings of Tito. The visit also includes the House of Flowers, the final resting place of former Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito. This mausoleum is set in a peaceful garden within the museum compound.
Evening: Dinner at own arrangement
  Overnight at Courtyard by Marriott City Center, Belgrade
   
Day 5: Monday, 8 September: Belgrade – Kladovo
– Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Check out of the hotel and proceed to Golubac Fortress, a medieval stronghold perched on the banks of the Danube River. This 14th-century fortress, with its dramatic towers and strategic location at the entrance of the Iron Gates Gorge, has witnessed centuries of battles, and rulers from the Serbian to the Ottoman and Habsburg Empires. Stroll through its well-preserved walls and enjoy breathtaking views of the river.
– After that continue to visit Lepenski Vir, one of Europe’s most significant Mesolithic archaeological sites. This ancient settlement, dating back over 9,000 years, is famous for its distinctive trapezoidal houses and mysterious stone sculptures representing human-like figures.
Noon: Lunch at Kapetan Misa’s Hill. Enjoy a traditional Serbian lunch, with stunning views of the Danube.
Afternoon: Proceed to Tekija, embark on a scenic boat ride along the mighty Danube through the Iron Gates Gorge, one of Europe’s most stunning natural wonders, and see historical and archaeological treasures along the riverbanks such as Trajan’s Plaque (Tabula Traiana) – An ancient Roman inscription carved into the rock, commemorating Emperor Trajan’s construction of a road through the gorge in the 2nd century AD, Stone Statue of Decebalus Rex – Towering at 40 metres, this is the largest rock sculpture in Europe, depicting Decebalus, the last king of Dacia, who fiercely resisted Roman conquest.
– Proceed to Kladovo, a town on the Danube’s Serbian banks, and check in at the hotel.
Evening: Dinner and overnight at Aquastar Danube Hotel, Kladovo
   
Day 6: Tuesday, 9 September: Kladovo – Vrnjačka Banja
– Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Check out of the hotel and proceed to visit the central part of Serbia to visit 3 outstanding Serbia monasteries.
– Visit Manasija Monastery. This 15th-century monastery is an extraordinary creation of the Serbian medieval monastery. The impressive fortification was built with ramparts and towers, and its church frescoes are of the utmost artistic value in the Eastern Christian world in the early 15th century. Manasija Monastery has been included in UNESCO’s Tentative list of World Heritage Sites.
– Visit Ravanica Monastery. It was the endowment of Prince Lazar built during the period between 1375 and 1377, with its frescoes painted in the years preceding the Battle of Kosovo.
– Visit the 15th-century Kalenić Monastery. Admire its refined exterior decoration and some of the finest and delicate frescoes painted in medieval Serbia.
Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: Proceed to Vrnjačka Banja and check in at the hotel
Evening: Dinner and overnight at Slatina Hotel, Vrnjačka Banja
Day 7: Wednesday, 10 September: Vrnjačka Banja – Novi Pazar
– Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Check out of the hotel, and proceed to visit the Žiča Monastery (13th century), the first seat of the independent Serbian Archbishopric and the church where five Serbian kings were crowned.
– Visit the Studenica Monastery (World Heritage Site), founded in the 12th century and considered to be the crossing achievement of medieval culture and art in Serbia.
Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon:

 

 After that continue to the outskirts of Novi Pazar a vibrant oriental town to visit St. Peter’s Church. It is regarded as the oldest Serbian Orthodox church and is historically linked with Old Ras (9th century), the first Serbian capital and the Sopocani Monastery (World Heritage Site), the most eminent examples of the 13th-century European painting.
Evening: Dinner at a local restaurant
  Overnight at Emrovic Raj Hotel, Novi Pazar
   
Day 8: Thursday, 11 September: Novi Pazar – Višegrad – Sarajevo
– Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Check out of the hotel and cross the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina and visit the small eastern Bosnian town, Višegrad, this town became known to the world after Noble Prize winner (1962), Ivo Andrić published the novel The Bridge on the Drina and won the Nobel prize in 1962. The Bridge on the Drina River in this town is a grant of the Great Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and was built in the period from 1571 to 1577 by the famous Turkish architect Koca Mimar Sinan, named Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Bridge. The bridge became part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in June 2007.
– Enjoy a one-hour boat ride on the Drina River and walk around the bridge and Andrićgrad (the Andric town), a construction project located in Višegrad by film director Emir Kusturica. The town name is dedicated to Ivo Andrić novelist and Nobel Prize winner.
Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: Proceed to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina and check in at the hotel.
Evening: Dinner and overnight at Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Sarajevo
   
Day 9: Friday, 12 September: Sarajevo
– Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Check out of the hotel
– Walking tour around the Old City, see Latin Bridge, where the Austro-Hungarian Archduke was assassinated which initiated the First World War, then Brusa Bezistan– the roofed marketplace, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque built in 1530 during the Ottoman Empire, Gazi Husrev Bey’s Madresa, Morića Han (Inn) built in 1551, Tašlihan –the remaining parts of the largest Caravansary in Sarajevo, and Vijećnica – the Town Hall built in the Austro-Hungarian Period.
Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: Visit the Tunnel of Hope Museum. This Tunnel was the only way to go in and out of Sarajevo during its 1,425 days long of the Siege of Sarajevo.
Evening: Dinner at own arrangement
  Overnight at Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Sarajevo
   
Day 10: Saturday, 13 September: Sarajevo – Travnik – Jajce
– Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Check out of the hotel and proceed to visit Jajce. It was the residence of the Bosnian Kings and the capital of the Bosnian Kingdom during the 14th century.  The town was built on the confluence of two great rivers – the Pliva and the Vrbas. The most recognisable symbol of Jajce is its magnificent 17-metre-high waterfall in the very heart of the town, making Jajce one of the most unique towns in the world. Jajce was also the birthplace of Socialist Yugoslavia, where all peoples and nations sat together after the horror of WW2 and decided to live together in one country where all would be equal – a country that we know today as Tito’s Yugoslavia.
– Walking tour in Jajce. Visit the remarkable sites in town, such as Jajce Citadel (Fortress), the Mithraic Temple, Medvjed Kula, the Tower of St. Luke, the Catacombs – underground church, one of the World’s very few mosques named after a woman – Mosque of Esma Sultanija.
Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: Visit Pliva Lakes. Here were where wooden watermills were built during the Middle Ages. See how water power was used in old times in order to produce seeds and flour for bread. Due to the historical, architectural, and geological value of the Pliva lakes and watermills, both were declared to be “National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina” in 2009.
– After that continue to Travnik, located in the valley of the River Lašva.  From 1699 to 1850 it was the governor’s capital of the Bosnian Ottoman Empire. Visit the Old Town of Travnik, there are 28 protected cultural and historic buildings in this area. The most important of them are: the medieval fortress built in the 15th century; Jeni Mosque, which is the oldest building from the Ottoman period, also known as Sulejmanija or Šarena mosque, Jesuit Grammar School and Elči Ibrahim-Pasha madrasa, the Muslim school that still serves to students and the two clock towers built in 18th century.
Evening: Dinner at a local restaurant
  Overnight at Hotel Plivsko Jezero, Jajce
   
Day 11: Sunday, 14 September: Jajce – Mostar
– Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Check out of the hotel and proceed to visit Blagaj Tekke, a 16th-century Islamic Dervish house, located in Blagaj village inside the Mostar Basin, on the Buna River spring.
Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: Continue to visit the Walled Town of Počitelj, located on the left bank of the river Neretva.  The village is built in a natural karst amphitheatre along the Neretva River during the 16th to the 18th centuries. Architecturally, the stone-constructed parts of the town are a fortified complex, in which two stages of evolution are evident: medieval, and Ottoman.
– After that proceed to Mostar and check in at the hotel.
Evening: Dinner and overnight at Kriva Cuprija Hotel, Mostar.
   
Day 12: Monday, 15 September: Mostar – Sarajevo – Istanbul
– Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Walking tour in Mostar, visit Stari Most (Old Bridge) – The iconic 16th-century Ottoman bridge spanning the Neretva River, a UNESCO World Heritage site and symbol of Mostar, Old Bazaar (Bazar Kujundžiluk) – A charming cobbled street with traditional shops, handicrafts, and Ottoman-era buildings, Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque – A beautifully preserved mosque offering stunning panoramic views of the city from its minaret, Karađoz Bey Mosque – One of the most significant Ottoman mosques in Herzegovina, known for its elegant architecture, Biscevic House – A 17th-century Ottoman house showcasing traditional Bosnian lifestyle and interior design.
Noon: Lunch at own arrangement
Afternoon: Leisurely
15:30 Transfer to Sarajevo Airport
20:30 Depart Sarajevo for Istanbul by Turkish Airlines TK68
23:25 Arrive at Istanbul International Airport, transit for flight to Bangkok
   
Day 13: Tuesday, 16 September: Istanbul – Bangkok
01:40 Depart Istanbul for Bangkok by Turkish Airlines flight TK68
15:25 Arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport
   

The Siam Society reserves the right to change the programme as necessary.

 

Booking:

Contribution of THB 140,000 (THB 144,000 for non-member). Single room surcharge of THB 22,000. A deposit of THB 50,000 and a photocopy of the identification page on your passport must accompany the booking. Your reservation will be confirmed as soon as the deposit has been made. Payment in full will be required 60 days before the start of the trip (i.e. by Sunday, 6 July 2025). There is a 4% surcharge for credit/debit card payment to cover bank charges. Please pay by cash or cheque payable to “The Siam Society”. Transfer can also be made to The Siam Society travel account at TMBThanachart Bank (ttb), saving account no. 053-2-18000-7 or by scanning the QR code below. Once payment has been made, please fax or e-mail the deposit or transfer docket to us.

We kindly ask that you confirm your reservation by Sunday, 6 July 2025    

Inclusions:

  • The contribution includes accommodation (sharing twin room basis), meals as mentioned in the programme, sightseeing cars, entrance fees, gratuities and other costs incurred to make this trip possible.
  • Basic travel insurance which will only cover participants travelling from and back to Thailand.
  • Meals as mentioned in the programme.
  • All entrance fees.

Exclusions:

  • International tickets as mentioned in the programme (Bangkok – Belgrade / Sarajevo– Bangkok)
  • 3 meals that are excluded from the programme (dinner on day 4, 9 and lunch on day 12)
  • Visa fees (if any), personal expenses, personal food and beverage consumptions, etc.

Please note that the flight itinerary between Bangkok – Belgrade / Sarajevo – Bangkok as mentioned in the programme, only serves as a suggestion. Trip participants can travel with their preferred airline of choice throughout the above sequence of the itinerary.

Tourist Visa Policy:

Citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, European Union and European Economic Area countries, Japan, and Singapore can enter Serbia without a visa, provided their passport is valid for at least 90 days beyond their intended departure date.

Thai citizens are required to obtain a visa to enter both Serbia and Bosnia–Herzegovina. However, Thai citizens holding a valid visa or residence permit from a Schengen Area member state, the United States, or the United Kingdom are exempt from obtaining a Serbian and Bosnia–Herzegovina visa for stays up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

Cancellation charges:

76 days before the start of the trip (before Friday, 20 June): Deposit forfeited
75 – 61 days before the start of the trip (Saturday, 21 June to Saturday, 5 July): 50% of the tour cost
Less than 60 days or cancellation without notice (Sunday, 6 July onwards): No refund

*The cancellation charges will also depend on the date we pay the deposit to our travel agent. If we have to pay the deposit to the travel agent before the 60-day period prior to the start of the trip, our officer will send an email to inform every participant before we make the payment as only a partial amount of the deposit can be refunded after that point.

For further information and bookings, please contact Khun Thun at 02-661-6470-3 ext 205, or studytrips@thesiamsociety.org The Society’s office is open from 09:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Saturday.

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