Serbia & Kosovo

Serbia is an Eastern European country and the heartland of former Yugoslavia.

On the other hand, Kosovo is a partially recognized country that got its independence from Serbia in 2008.

In Serbia, they are Serbian Christian Orthodox, while in Kosovo, they are Albanian Muslims.

This big cultural difference is the reason for many years of conflict between the two countries or territories.

Unfortunately, I have never been to Serbia, but I traveled around Kosovo extensively.

Read my Kosovo travel guide to understand more.

need to know for traveling in Serbia & Kosovo

Quick facts

Capital: Belgrade in Serbia, Pristina in Kosovo

Population: Serbia has 6.7 million (107th), while Kosovo has 1.9 million (152nd).

Language: Serbian in Serbia, Albanian in Kosovo

Area: 88,499km² (111th largest country). Kosovo has 10,887km2

Visa

A free visa on arrival is available for both countries.

Getting in

Both Belgrade and Kosovo have international airports.

All land borders with neighboring countries are friendly and open, very easy to cross.

Travel Insurance

IATI Insurance is one of the very few that covers travel in Serbia

Best time to visit

Summer is the high season, but it can get hot and busy.

Spring and autumn should be the best time.

Winter can be cold, but it’s totally OK to visit if you only visit cities.

Money

The official currency is the Serbian Dinar.

1 USD = 100 RSD

In Kosovo, they use Euros (€)

Budget: starting at $40 a day for budget backpackers


Can you cross from Serbia to Kosovo and vice-versa?

According to Serbia, Kosovo is Serbia, so you can easily cross from Serbia into Kosovo and come back to Serbia afterwards.

However, if you entered Kosovo from Albania or North Macedonia for example, you wouldn’t be able to enter Serbia because according to Serbia, you’d have entered their country illegally.


Top experiences in Kosovo

Visiting the most low-key capital in Europe, Pristina

Years of war and conflict have left an impoverished country with little money to invest in monuments and make things pretty.

Understanding the Serbs by visiting a Serbian village

Serbs have been living in Kosovo for generations, and they are also part of the unfortunate recent history.

The Ottoman architecture

The Turks ruled over Kosovo for 500 years, leaving behind a very tangible cultural heritage, like in Prizren or Djakova

The barely visited region of Dragash

Here we had the best local experience in the entire Balkan Peninsula, people who would randomly invite us to their house to have tea, like in Pakistan.

tips for Kosovo

Accommodation

There’s a wide range of accommodation everywhere, which you can easily book online

Day trips

There are so many day trips, activities and excursions which you can do from either Prizren or Pristina

Transportation

The best way to move around is by car, but you can easily find transportation linking most towns and cities.


ALL MY ARTICLES ON KOSOVO