The present research reports on a successful strategy of titanium dioxide modification with carbon and zirconium, for enhanced photo catalytic activity under UV-vis irradiation. Carbon and/or zirconium modified TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized via sol-gel hydrothermal method. It was found that both elements positively influence important parameters for the photocatalytic activity improvement, such as crystallite size, diameter of agglomerates and surface area, summing their effects in case of co-doped sample. Moreover, carbon modification shifts the absorption edge toward larger wavelength and decreases band gap energy in opposite to zirconium, which induces blue shift and increases the band gap energy. Thus, modification with two elements at a time narrows the band gap energy of co-doped sample maintaining its high oxidation potential, which along with increased absorption of visible light leads to enhancement in visible and ultraviolet light driven photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue. It was found that Zr,C-TiO2 sample is more efficient photocatalyst for both visible and ultraviolet light driven processes than either of the pure or single element modified TiO2. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.