I hadn’t really heard of Skopje as a tourist destination before I visited and I was blown away the country – North Macedonia is one of the places I definitely want to go back to – for the food, the people and the scenery. It is also such a cheap destination – eating meals out for less than 5 euros at local restaurants and really cheap transport. North Macedonia’s charm both in the city and in its nature was amazing and I would highly recommend everyone go there.
(Side note on price: there is also a LOVELY bar in Skopje with beanbags that serves cocktails for about 2.50 euros. This will be mentioned more in my article on food and drink in North Macedonia.)
If you’re staying in North Macedonia, I would advise staying in a central location – we stayed in the Old Town and this was perfect for us. The bus stop is a walkable distance away from the centre however the centre is where most things are and where you’ll find most activities to do in the evening. We stayed at Hostel Inbox (great location) which had all you need as a backpacker, including very comfortable beds with more privacy than a usual dorm. The only thing I would mention about this hostel is that it in the basement so you are not able to dry any clothes here, and you probably want to be out in the sun or fresh air most of the day.
Day 1: Arrive, Explore and Old Bazaar
Our first day was mostly a travel day from Bulgaria to Skopje, and we stopped for ice-cream when we got cash out. This will be something you need to do when you arrive here, as cash is much more widely accepted than card. The currency here is denars. We mostly wandered around, exploring, – the Old Bazaar is a good place to start if you just want to experience some culture. What was lovely about Skopje was that it’s not necessarily a tourist destination and this means that you really feel immersed from the get go.
Evening Tip: Every night in Skopje, we went up to the fortress hill (quite close to the centre) to watch sunset, which is a really way to chill out, get out of the city for a little bit and just enjoy the beauty of a sunset. I would HIGHLY recommend doing this at least once.
Day 2: Matka Canyon
A must do. One of my favourite days of the entire trip. And still very cheap – you can get public buses there and back, and the canyon is free to enter, walk in and even do a bit of swimming in the river further down. You’ll need to get bus 60 from the main bus station (buy a card before you get on the bus). Make sure you have a bus timetable to get buses back, but be aware they don’t run exactly to time back from the canyon and may be 10-15 minutes late.
The canyon itself is amazing – lovely walks, stunning water and vendors selling ice-cream (less than 50p a scoop equivalent) near the entrance/exit. You can also hire kayaks for 2 people for 300 denars (30 minutes) or 500 denars (1 hour). This is the equivalent of around £4 or £6.50. We started off walking by the water (not taking any of the serious hiking trails, although this is definitely something you could do if you wanted) before having lunch by the water. We rented a kayak for a bit before heading towards the bus stop, a quick swim, and then getting back to Skopje.
In the evening, we got loads of local food to share by ordering a variety of plates at a local restaurant then went to the Rakia bar for some live music and local Rakia (spirit drink very common in the Balkans).
Day 3: Fortress, Museums and Markets
Day three started off with a strong breakfast of a mix of baklava from a local shop. We then went to Judaism Museum regarding the Holocaust in North Macedonia (100 denars pp entry) which was really interesting. Other museums you might like to visit are the archaeological museum, however this is more expensive. If you carry on wandering to the other side of the old town, there are lots of local markets which were lovely to wander around, with plenty of local spices you can buy quite cheaply.
Today was also the first day we went up to the fortress in the daytime, able to actually go in and look around which was lovely. Skopje was one of the highlights of the trip – and a place I would genuinely recommend to anyone due to the range of activities, amazing food and affordability. There will definitely be posts on the food here coming!
Interested in Balkan travel?
What to do in Sofia, Bulgaria
A Balkan Backpacking Route
And if you’re backpacking, have a read of my advice to first-time backpackers.
