Understanding Zemun's Layout
Zemun is a municipality of the city of Belgrade, Serbia, and it was a separate town until it was absorbed into Belgrade in 1934. It lies on the right bank of the Danube, upstream from downtown Belgrade and north of the Sava. The development of New Belgrade in the late 20th century expanded the continuous urban area of Belgrade and merged it with Zemun, so today the two feel like one city even though Zemun keeps its own historic character.
For a visitor, the most important thing to understand is that "Zemun" means two different things. It is both a historic riverside neighbourhood and a large municipality. Apart from Zemun proper, the municipality includes the suburbs of Batajnica, Ugrinovci, Zemun Polje and Nova Galenika to the northwest. If you are coming for the old town, the promenade and Gardoš, you want the central historic core, not the outer suburbs. When entering a destination into a map or telling a taxi driver, be precise: Zemun Market is Zemunska pijaca or Masarikov Trg; the historic centre is Glavna, Magistratski Trg or Avijatičarski Trg; City Park is Gradski park near Avijatičarski Trg; Gardoš Tower is Kula Gardoš; the Nikolajevska Church is Nikolajevska crkva; and the riverside promenade is Kej Oslobođenja. Zemun railway station, Zemun Polje and the outer neighbourhoods sit within the municipality but are far from the old centre.
How Tourists Get Around
Zemun is part of Belgrade's integrated public transport system, which covers buses, trams, trolleybuses and the BG Voz urban rail. In practice, visitors move around Zemun on foot within the historic core and use buses for the longer hops between Zemun and central Belgrade or New Belgrade. Trams and trolleybuses serve Belgrade more broadly but are not the natural choice for reaching the Zemun old town. Taxis and ride-hailing apps fill the gaps for luggage, groups, bad weather, limited mobility, late travel or precise addresses.
One important practical point: according to the Tourism Organisation of Belgrade, Belgrade city public transport has been free since 1 January 2025, so no ticket is required at present. Because this is a recent change, it is worth verifying before you travel in case the arrangement has altered.
Rail, Metro and Tram Network
Belgrade does not have a metro system, so there is no underground to rely on. The rail option within the city is BG Voz, the urban rail service. It can be useful from certain points, such as Prokop/Beograd Centar, but there is a significant catch for Zemun: Zemun railway station is not near the historic centre, the market, Gardoš or the central quay. If you are heading for the old town, BG Voz will usually leave you with a further journey, so compare the full door-to-door trip before committing to it.
Trams form part of the wider Belgrade network and are covered by the same free-travel arrangement, but they are not the primary way visitors reach central Zemun. For the historic core, buses and walking do the heavy lifting.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Buses are the workhorse of getting to and around Zemun. The primary routes from central Belgrade are buses 15 and 84, which connect Zeleni Venac, a central Belgrade interchange, with central Zemun. Both continue beyond the visitor area, so alight in central Zemun rather than riding to the terminus.
- Bus 15 runs between Zemun/Novi Grad/ and Zeleni Venac, crossing Branko's Bridge and passing via Bulevar Nikole Tesle, Karađorđev Trg, Karađorđeva and Avijatičarski Trg. It is useful for City Park, the Kontumac chapels, Avijatičarski Trg and the southern part of the historic centre.
- Bus 84 runs from Zeleni Venac to Nova Galenika, crossing Branko's Bridge and Bulevar Nikole Tesle, then continuing via Glavna, Trg Branka Radičevića and toward northern Zemun. It is useful for Glavna Street, Zemun Market and the lower approach to Gardoš.
If you are starting from Republic Square, Knez Mihailova or Terazije, walk downhill to Zeleni Venac and pick up bus 15 or 84 there. Zeleni Venac is a multi-platform interchange, so check both the platform and the direction before boarding.
From other parts of the city, the best approach varies. From Dorćol there is no direct pedestrian river crossing to Zemun, so a taxi is often simplest, or you can connect via Zeleni Venac. From New Belgrade, use a direct bus, taxi or bicycle rather than returning to the old centre to catch a Zeleni Venac bus. Note that lines 704, 706 and 707 were moved from Zeleni Venac to New Belgrade's Block 20 in February 2025, so they are not recommended as primary first-time routes.
Fares across buses, trams, trolleybuses and BG Voz are currently free under the arrangement described above, meaning no ticket purchase is needed. Confirm this locally on arrival, since free-transit policies can change.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are a sensible choice for groups, travellers with luggage, bad weather, limited mobility, late-night travel or when you have a precise address to reach. Licensed dispatch services and apps such as Yandex and Pink Taxi are recommended. Avoid unmarked vehicles. There is no single fixed fare: the price depends on your origin, the route taken, traffic conditions and the applicable tariff, so treat any quoted price as variable rather than standard.
Taxis are also useful for Gardoš. A bus can reduce how much of the approach you do on foot, but the climb up the hill remains, and a taxi can get you closer to the top.
Walkability
The historic core of Zemun is well suited to walking. The centre is made up of neighbourhoods such as Donji Grad, Gardoš, Ćukovac and Gornji Grad, and the sights visitors come for — Glavna Street, the market, the churches, the squares and the Danube promenade — cluster closely enough to explore on foot. The main caveat is terrain: Gardoš sits on a hill, so even if you take a bus or taxi part of the way, expect an ascent on foot to reach the tower and the surrounding streets. Comfortable shoes are worthwhile.
Walking is also how you connect the pieces of a visit once you have arrived by bus: alight in central Zemun, then cover the old town, the quay and the market on foot rather than trying to hop between them by vehicle.
Getting from the Airport into the City
The reference material for this guide does not describe airport transfers, so no specific airport bus, train or shuttle details can be given here. What can be said with confidence is that taxis and ride-hailing apps are the recommended option for travellers with luggage or those heading to a precise address, and that licensed dispatch or app-based services should be used rather than unmarked vehicles. Because fares vary with origin, route, traffic and tariff, expect the price to depend on conditions rather than being fixed. Once in the city, the bus network centred on Zeleni Venac connects onward to Zemun via routes 15 and 84.
Practical Tips for Visitors
- Be specific with destinations: use Zemunska pijaca or Masarikov Trg for the market, Glavna or Magistratski Trg for the historic centre, Kula Gardoš for the tower, and Kej Oslobođenja for the promenade.
- Remember that Zemun railway station and outer neighbourhoods like Zemun Polje are in the municipality but far from the old centre.
- Ride buses 15 or 84 from Zeleni Venac, and get off in central Zemun rather than at the terminus.
- Check the platform and direction at Zeleni Venac, which is a multi-platform interchange.
- Public transport is currently free, but verify this before and during your trip.
- Use licensed taxis or apps such as Yandex and Pink Taxi, and avoid unmarked cars.
- Plan for the hill at Gardoš even if you take transport part of the way.