Sections of this article:
Arrival in Skopje:
We landed at Skopje Airport in the early evening after taking a flight from Vienna. There is an ATM in the airport (not the best rate!) that we used to get some Macedonian Denars to get into the city. We then hopped on a shuttle bus for around 200 MKD (around £2.75) outside the airport, which brought us to the city centre in around 30 minutes.
We stayed at “Queen’s Hotel – Zebra Centre” for £26.55pp per night. The hotel staff were extremely welcoming, and the hotel itself was lovely. They gave us some fantastic food recommendations around the city, including “Daily Food and Wine” – which was very affordable (they had some cracking скопско beer!) and just next to our hotel. We travelled around the city predominantly by foot so did not have much experience with the public transport system.
What to do in Skopje:
. Old Bazaar
. Macedonia Square
. The Stone Bridge
. Skopje Fortress
Skopje is a beautiful and historic city which we thoroughly enjoyed exploring. The prices were very reasonable (especially for the beers!), and we felt safe at all times.
Taking the bus from Skopje to Ohrid:
The bus tickets to Ohrid must be purchased at the Skopje Central Bus Terminal. The minivans running the route are similar to those in Central Asia and parts of Eastern Europe.
We had a mishap at the bus station as the lady behind the counter did not speak any English but seemed insistent on processing our transactions separately (there were only two of us). After paying, we went to the waiting area (where your tickets were checked) and sat down. As we tried to board the minivan to Ohrid, we found we had been sold tickets for separate times, with my bus leaving one hour after Henry’s!! I attempted to plead with the bus driver to let me on board and describe the situation, but he had some trouble understanding. It turns out he spoke some German, so I used the very few words I recollected from GCSE to say “My friend has a ticket for this bus”. I waited around 10 minutes with the driver before he simply said “OK” and ushered me on board! It turns out someone hadn’t turned up, and there was now one free seat available! The minibus was extremely uncomfortable, and I had to sit with my 60L backpack in the narrow aisle. I’m usually all for some rougher journeys and experiences but I will remember this drive as being one of the most uncomfortable I have ever taken! It probably didn’t help that the gentleman next to me was rather large…
The journey lasts around 3 hours and costs us approximately £12 each way. When you arrive in Ohrid, the minivan stops at the “Bus Station Ohrid”, around a 30-minute walk into town and the waterfront. The walk was easy enough, and we enjoyed getting our bearings a little.
We only planned to stay in Ohrid for one night, so opted to purchase our bus tickets back to Skopje for the following day for peace of mind. The process was super straightforward and cost approximately the same as the original journey.
We stayed at the “City Palace Hotel”, which cost us £28.73pp per night. Again, the hotel staff were friendly, and the hotel was very comfortable. The hotel was on the waterfront, and we had a stunning view of the lake from our room.
Location of Ohrid Bus Station:
What to do in Ohrid:
. Walk along the edge of Lake Ohrid – making sure to stroll along the boardwalk
. Climb up to Plaoshnik UNESCO World Heritage Site and see the Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon
. Church of Saint John the Theologian
. Wander through the Old Bazaar
. Ancient Macedonian Theatre of Ohrid
The weather was pretty hit and miss during our visit to North Macedonia (despite being late August), and we were repeatedly soaked by the rain showers that sporadically arrived every hour or so. However, in true British fashion, we did not let this interrupt our adventures in the slightest – and we thoroughly enjoyed walking around the hills by Plaoshnik and the town itself.
Taking the bus from Ohrid to Skopje:
The bus back to Skopje the following day was far more comfortable, as we had a large coach with air conditioning and comfy seats. Services between Ohrid and Skopje seem to run extremely regularly (starting around 07:00, with the last service leaving around 20:00), and the journey was very simple. We always plan to arrive at the bus stations around 30 minutes early for convenience and in case of any issues.
Taking the bus from Skopje to Pristina:
To enter Kosovo, we purchased bus tickets from Skopje to Pristina at the bus terminal for around 8 euros the day before we wanted to travel. The price appeared to vary depending on the company and time of travel. The lady spoke no English, but we managed to communicate fine using a mix of amusing hand gestures and our phones!
We entered Kosovo through the Elez Han border crossing via the minibus we took from Skopje bus station to Pristina.
The border staff spoke good English and were extremely friendly; they even had to be reminded to stamp our passports because they were so keen on chatting with us!
The drive from Skopje to Pristina takes just under 2 hours on the minibus, and in my opinion, it is perhaps one of the most scenic in Europe, with rolling mountains and winding valleys on all sides – it was absolutely breathtaking!
Click here to read more about my continued adventure through Kosovo.
Where to buy a North Macedonian flag patch:
I love collecting things. I decided a long time ago that I would attempt to collect a sew-on patch from each new country to put on the bags that I travel with.
I found my North Macedonian flag sew-on patch in the Old Bazaar Street in Ohrid! I opted for the older design, which came with a pin included. The flag patch cost around £3.
