Kayaking is a great activity for summer and winter, being more popular during the summer. You can find tours for any levels without requiring prior experience. Kayaking in Belgrade is an affordable activity that allows you to explore places with a different view.
Belgrade has many spots where you can go kayaking. There are lakes, canals and backwaters that are worth visiting. Many of these places are on the Danube’s banks, close to the famous “splavs” area. Splav is a Serbian word for a floating restaurant or club. Near to the splavs is the Usce Park, where you can run or ride a bike if you want to combine kayaking with another activity.
This guide shows the most famous spots for kayaking and where you can find tours in order to explore Belgrade.
Stay with us and enjoy!!
Table of Contents
Veliko Ratno Ostrvo (Great War Island)
The uninhabited river island located at the confluence of the rivers Sava and Danube. Most of the island is covered with forest and there are not many species of mammals due to its isolation and frequent flooding.
The island has a circumference of 7km, the southern side faces the Kalamegdan fortress, which gives an incredible view to enjoy while kayaking. The main feature of the island is the canal of Veliki Galijaš.
Tours on the island usually make a loop, exploring all sides and also entering the Veliki Galjaš canal and the beach area called Lido, on the north side of the island.
Sunset Kayaking
This is a great option for a after-work kayaking activity. It’s close to the Great War Island and Kalamegdan. Tours usually start in the “splav” area where many restaurants are close to Danube. A common starting point is the Barakuda restaurant, where there is a kayak depot for rent nearby.
It’s an easy tour that goes between the fortress and the island, arriving at a small area of sand where people park their kayaks and watch the sunset. After that, the tour ends kayaking back to the start point.
Kayaking in Zemun (Amazon in Belgrade)
Another great option. I loved this one!! It starts in Zemun, near the area under the Mihajla Pupina bridge. From there, the tour usually follows along the canals towards Mamuta Island. The view from inside the canal is reminiscent of the Amazon due to many plants in the water and the trees around the canal.
One thing to keep in mind is the fact that during the summer the water level of the Danube decreases and is not possible to enter the canal. That’s why this tour usually is offered between March and the end of June.
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6 Bridges on Sava
This is an interesting tour that starts in Ada Ciganlja and crosses under 6 bridges accross the river Sava. Starting at the Ada bridge, passing by the New Railway, Old Railway, Gazela, Old Sava and ending the tour after the Brankov bridge.
Ada Ciganja is a very famous place in Belgrade, it’s very relaxing and you can do a many activities there. Cycling, running, wakeboarding, golf, etc. The list goes on and on. Most of the activities take place during the summer, but people still visit it during the winter.
It’s a great opportunity to explore a part of Ada and the side of Belgrade that hugs the Sava river to the fortress of Kalamegdan.
Belegiš to Belgrade
Belegis is a village located 40km from Belgrade, in the municipality of Stara Pazova. This downstream Danube river tour goes into the hearth of Belgrade at Usce Park.
Highlights of this tour are the sandy Danube cliffs, the Mihajla Pupina bridge and the old town of Zemun. It’s a good combination of exercise while seeing Belgrade and Zemun from a different perspective.
Where to find tours
Many agencies are offering the kayaking tours mentioned in this article, they also offer tours in cities other than Belgrade, the list below contains only agencies that we have tried and which we recommend because our experience with them was good. Please tell us in the comments about your kayaking experience in Belgrade with them or other agencies.
Kayaking Schools
If you want to go beyond tours and improve your kayaking skills or even get more serious in this sport, KayakCanoeAdventure is a kayak school that you can enroll in and start your journey. They have lessons for all ages, divided into several categories.
Conclusion
Kayaking in Belgrade is great and there are many opportunities to do it, exercise, and explore areas of the city from a different perspective. Besides tours and schools, there are a couple of Splavs that rent kayaks as well, AdventureHub is one of them. So you can enjoy the day with your friends and make breaks to kayak together!
Goodbye!! See you soon…
