Belgrade in 48 hours — by public transport

Day one covers the core of old Belgrade, mostly on foot between points, with transport at the start and end:

• Morning: Kalemegdan Fortress and the Victor monument — the confluence view. Walk back via Knez Mihailova.
• Noon: Skadarlija — the bohemian street for lunch; 5 minutes on foot from Republic Square.
• Afternoon: St. Sava Temple in Vračar — the largest Orthodox church in the Balkans; trolleybus lines from the centre or a walk up Beogradska.
• Evening: back to the centre for dinner; an evening stroll on Kalemegdan is a different story from the morning one.

Day two crosses the Sava and Danube — two completely different atmospheres:

• Morning: Zemun and Gardoš — an old Austro-Hungarian town within Belgrade; the tower and the quay. Buses from the centre across Branko’s bridge.
• Lunch: fish restaurants on the Zemun quay.
• Afternoon: Ada Ciganlija — Belgrade’s “sea”; swimming in summer, walks and sport off-season.
• Evening: sunset at Ada or back to the centre.

• All city transport is free — no tickets, just board.
• Use the journey planner for every leg: enter where you are and where you are going.
• Avoid rush hour (7–9 and 16–19 h) for longer rides — or switch those legs to BG Voz where it makes sense.
• Every landmark in our guide has a “how to reach” section with the nearest stops.

On Saturdays and Sundays lines run weekend timetables — departures are sparser than on weekdays, so allow slightly longer waits between sights. The good news: with no tickets or validation, transfers cost nothing — freely combine short hops instead of one long ride.

In the centre, walking is often fastest: Knez Mihailova, Kalemegdan, Skadarlija and Republic Square are minutes apart on foot; you realistically need transport for Vračar (the Temple), Zemun and Ada.

The condensed version: Kalemegdan and Knez Mihailova on foot in the morning, tram or trolleybus to the Temple of Saint Sava at midday, bus to Zemun for sunset at Gardoš, Skadarlija in the evening. All covered by regular free lines.

Build your return plan in advance in the planner — enter where you are and where you stay, and you will know exactly which line takes you back and until when it runs.