Little travelled compared to some of its neighbours yet no less of a joy to experience, North Macedonian tourism is bound to grow in the coming years. From the glistening beauty of Lake Ohrid to the bonkers monuments and attractions of Skopje, its worth a stop on any Balkan itinerary.
Please note that these are all my personal recommendations and are not sponsored in any way.
Getting There
By far the largest airport in the country is in its capital city, Skopje. This serves routes across Europe, including to London Luton Airport with Wizz Air. There are no destinations further afield than Turkey, though it is possible to connect to Skopje from further afield using Turkish Airlines via Istanbul. Lufthansa also have occasional flights from Frankfurt.
Ohrid International Airport may also be worth considering. This is served by seasonal flights from Manchester, operated by TUI.
Often, people will cross into the country by land from neighbouring countries such as Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia or Bulgaria. This is reasonably simple, with buses running between Tirana and Ohrid, Sofia and Skopje and Thessaloniki and Skopje to name a few.
Entry requirements for North Macedonia for UK citizens can be found on the FCDO website. At the time of writing, UK citizens could visit the country for up to three months without a visa. The same is true of US citizens.
Major Destinations
Major tourist destinations within North Macedonia include:
- Ohrid – an Ottoman-style city sat upon a glistening blue lake
- Skopje – the capital, recently remodelled with extraordinary monuments
- Pelister National Park – the area to go hiking in the country’s south
Getting Around
The best way to get around North Macedonia is by bus. Unlike in neighbouring Albania, these are scheduled services and will depart from bus stations, usually somewhere within town centres. BusTicket4.me allows these to be booked online in advance. Buses can also be booked in person at bus stations, which is always worth trying if you can’t find your chosen journey online.
There are some trains that run across the country. However, the bus will be much faster and the railway network is limited in comparison.
None of the usual big players in taxi apps operate in North Macedonia. Instead, you’ll need to install either Wizi or BeeRide.
North Macedonia was once the centre of a large empire. However, those days are long gone and the country is now tiny. This is to the extent where there are no internal flights and, if there were, they would be pointless.
Accommodation
The hostel circuit in North Macedonia is primative, with it only just emerging onto the backpacker circuit, so don’t expect much. Even so, this hostel in Ohrid is worth staying at. In general, expect to pay around £10-15 a night for a dormitory bed.
Hotels are similarly cheap, with rooms available for less than £50. Even Western chain hotels on Skopje likely won’t set you back more than £150.
Money
The currency in North Macedonia is the denar. This is not readily available internationally so you’ll be relying on ATMs within the country for withdrawals once you’re there. Generally speaking, you’ll also need the cash – cards are only very rarely accepted.
Most of these ATMs will charge hefty commission for a withdrawal. Either withdraw large amounts at a time to minimise this or look for Komercijalna Banka branches, as these do not charge commission.
Other Points
North Macedonian food is fairly similar to much of the Balkans. Expect delicious grilled meats with beans cooked in a clay pot and loads of shopska salad (made with tomatoes, cucumber and a salty grated cheese). Often, the best places to try this are in street food restaurants, such as the ones on this street in Ohrid.
With its seemingly endless monuments (erected remarkably recently and possibly pointlessly), Skopje is a city like no other. That said, its extremely difficult to make head or tail of why a fake galleon hotel is in the middle of the river, sandwiched between a replica Arc de Triomphe and vast monument to Alexander the Great. A walking tour helps to make sense of the city.
Into The Elsewhere 