River
Drina River
Home to the famous Kućica na Drini, a small house perched on a rock in the middle of the river, and a popular put-in point for rafting and kayaking trips.
Founder, from Ruma, Serbia
The Drina is the great river of the western Balkans. It forms where the Tara and Piva meet at Šćepan Polje and flows north for 346 kilometres, much of it along the border between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, before joining the Sava.
Its most famous landmark is the house on the rock near Bajina Bašta, a tiny wooden cabin built on a boulder in the middle of the river in 1968 and one of the most photographed sights in Serbia. Upstream, the Drina runs through a deep canyon below Tara National Park and widens into the Perućac reservoir. Below the dam it's popular for rafting, kayaking and SUP, and every July the Drina Regatta sends thousands of boats floating downstream.
Further upstream in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the river passes Višegrad and the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, an Ottoman stone bridge with 11 arches finished in 1577. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 and is the bridge in Ivo Andrić's Nobel Prize-winning novel The Bridge on the Drina. Between Višegrad and Perućac, the Drina canyon cuts deep below the forested Tara plateau, best seen from the Banjska Stena viewpoint.
Bajina Bašta is the base, about three and a half hours from Belgrade, with guesthouses and riverside camps. Summer brings the warmest water, while the house on the rock looks most dramatic in spring high water. Combine it with hiking in Tara National Park, just above the river.
When to go
April through October for rafting and kayaking, with summer offering the warmest conditions.
Getting there
The river forms much of the border between Serbia and Bosnia, with put-in points near Bajina Bašta, roughly 3 hours from Belgrade.
Plan your visit
What it costs, how long to allow, and where to base yourself.
Free to visit; day trips from Belgrade from €129
Half to full day
Bajina Bašta
Belgrade, 3.5 hrs
Trips you can book here
Guided tours run by local operators. Open a trip to see the price, what’s included and how the day runs.
Where to stay for the Drina River: Bajina Bašta or Perućac
Base yourself in Bajina Bašta, the riverside town closest to the house on the rock, with hotels, guesthouses and riverside camps. Zepter Hotel Drina suits anyone who wants a central hotel with a sauna and restaurant. For quieter nights, Perućac sits upstream below the dam and the canyon of Tara National Park. Coming for the July Drina Regatta? Book well ahead.
Zepter Hotel Drina Bajina Bašta
Hotel
Price Range:
Mid-range
Central hotel with a sauna, gym and restaurant. The house on the rock and the river are close by.
In Bajina Bašta centre
Garni Hotel Vila Drina
Hotel
Price Range:
Budget
Small garni hotel with a traditional restaurant in quiet Perućac, the village below the dam and Tara's canyon.
In Perućac
Who it's for
Best for: A relaxed day on the water combined with hiking in Tara National Park above. The house on the rock is one of Serbia's defining images and costs nothing to see.
Skip it if: You want big rapids. Below the dam the Drina is gentle, so head upstream to the Tara in Montenegro for real whitewater.
Nearby places
Easy to combine on the same trip.
Drina River questions
Where does the Drina River start and end?
It forms at Šćepan Polje, on the border of Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the Tara and Piva rivers meet. From there it flows north for 346 kilometres, mostly along the border between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ends in the Sava.
Can I raft or kayak the Drina?
Yes. Below the Perućac dam near Bajina Bašta the river is calm and good for rafting, kayaking and SUP in summer, with rentals and short trips in town. For real whitewater, raft the Tara upstream in Montenegro instead.
What is the bridge on the Drina?
The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina: an Ottoman stone bridge with 11 arches, finished in 1577 and on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2007. It is the bridge in Ivo Andrić's Nobel Prize-winning novel The Bridge on the Drina, and an easy add-on by car to a trip to Bajina Bašta.
How much does it cost to visit the Drina?
Seeing the river and the house on the rock is free. Rafting, kayak and SUP rental near Bajina Bašta are charged by the hour or trip, and are inexpensive. Without a car, a small-group day trip from Belgrade covering the house, the canyon viewpoints and Tara National Park starts around €129.
What is the house on the rock?
A tiny wooden cabin built on a boulder mid-river in 1968, near Bajina Bašta, and one of the most photographed sights in Serbia. It looks most dramatic in spring high water.
Is the Drina worth visiting?
Yes, as part of a western Serbia trip. The house on the rock is genuinely striking, the canyon below Tara is beautiful, and the river is easy to get on by raft, kayak or SUP.
What is the Drina Regatta?
A July event that sends thousands of boats floating down the river in one of Serbia's biggest summer gatherings. Book accommodation well ahead if you want to be there.
Can I combine it with Tara National Park?
Yes, and most visitors do. Tara National Park sits directly above the river, so a morning on the water pairs naturally with the Banjska Stena viewpoint hike.
Ready to see the Drina?
Full day from Belgrade, max 7 guests: the house on the rock, the Drina canyon from Banjska Stena and 3 hours in Tara National Park.
