I had no earthly idea what to do in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, when I first visited in June 2024. In fact, that’s most of the reason I booked a trip here. Truth be told, I’d never even heard of the place.
I had a gap to fill between two other trips and filled it with this 12-day Western Balkans tour. During that time, I spent a good few days in and around Skopje exploring all the best things to see and do and eat. And all so I could report them back to you! This post covers all that. Enjoy!
FYI: Skopje is pronounced like Scope-yeh.
Map of things to do in Skopje
This map contains all the things to do and see in Skopje I mention in this post (plus restaurants, hotels, etc.). To save this map: Click on the star ⭑ next to the map’s title to save in your Google Maps. To use this map: When you get here, open Google Maps on your phone, click “Saved” at the bottom, then click “Maps.”
Tips for visiting Skopje, North Macedonia
Here are the best tools and resources to help plan your trip so you’re sure to have an awesome time in Skopje:
Getting to Skopje
I personally visited Skopje as part of a larger tour of the region, but you could definitely visit on your own as well. I flew to Skopje direct from Frankfurt on Lufthansa, but there are plenty of Airlines and destinations that fly direct to Skopje. (Some others include Vienna/Austrian Airlines and Berlin/Wizz Air.)
You can travel to Skopje via train and Flixbus just as easily too (but do expect much longer travel times). Naturally, you can also drive here if you’ll already be in this part of the world. (Rent a car here if you need one.)
Once here, getting around is easy as most of what you’ll want to see is within walking distance of Skopje city center. For everything else, you can use taxis or book some great day tours from Viator or Get Your Guide. (I cover the best ones in this post.)
Where to stay in Skopje
Long story short, I didn’t have a great hotel experience in Skopje and would not recommend the place I stayed. For reference, I stayed at the Hotel London B&B which actually has excellent reviews somehow? Regardless, based on my personal nightmares there, I won’t recommend it to you.
Instead, here are a few other hotels I’d look into first:
- Skopje Marriott Hotel – Probably the best option around, also with excellent reviews and at least a recognizable brand
- Hotel Macedonia Square – Highly rated, also in the center of town
- Solun Hotel & SPA – Highly rated, beautifully decorated modern property
You can see more available Skopje hotels here.
Is 2 days in Skopje enough?
There’s a lot to do here, but not so much either. Most of the best things to do in Skopje involve mainly looking at stuff. That said, if you’d like to visit some of the museums too I’d say 2 full days would suffice. If you’d like to add in a day trip to Matka Canyon, consider adding another day.
It’s the Republic of North Macedonia (not “Macedonia”)
Macedonia and North Macedonia are two very different things and there’s a whole controversy around it. Simply put, “Macedonia” is a broader geographical region, and “North Macedonia” is an actual country, with Skopje as its capital.
So yeah, there was actually a 25-year dispute over this. From the time of the country’s independence in 1991 until 2019, what’s now North Macedonia and Greece (specifically, the Greek region of Macedonia) fought over the name. It was eventually resolved through negotiations and UN mediation, for the most part. Just be careful to not call this country “Macedonia” while you’re here. It’s a big deal.
You can read more about this naming dispute here.
What to do in Skopje
This list of what to do in Skopje, North Macedonia contains all the most worthwhile things to see and do here plus some of the best tours and more.
1. Eat the food
Probably my favorite thing about North Macedonia as a whole is the food. The cuisine here is a combination of Mediterranean, Balkan, and Ottoman influences with some of the most flavorful and delicious dishes you can find. (I ate so well in the Balkans.) In Skopje, I had some great meals at:
- Pelister (at the Pelister Hotel)
- Bistro London (the restaurant located at my hotel where I had breakfast each morning and dinner on two nights because it was so good)
Beyond the proper restaurants, there are tons of quick food stands and other cafés and eateries in the Old Bazaar. (Plus some amazing baklava.)
2. Take a Skopje food tour
One fantastic way to experience some of Skopje’s best cuisine is to take a food tour around the city. A couple of popular options include:
- Skopje Street Food and Drinks, The Local Way
- Skopje: Old town walking tour & Food tasting
- Six course dinner & Macedonian wine pairing in the Skopje center – This is actually an unbelievable offer and is rated accordingly!
3. Hang out in Macedonia Square
If you stay at any of the hotels I just mentioned, you’ll already be in Macedonia Square – the center of Skopje. There are lots of great restaurants and cafés here and it makes for a great central meeting spot. The centerpiece is a giant (and I mean giant) statue of Alexander the Great atop a fountain.
4. Walk over the Stone Bridge
Separating Macedonia Square (in the new part of town) and the Old Bazaar (in the old town) is the Stone Bridge. Besides being just a bridge to get across the river, it’s actually seen as a symbol of Skopje and is even featured in the city’s coat of arms.
The bridge as it appears today was built back in the late 1400s (on top of the foundations of another bridge built by the Romans). It’s pedestrian-only and pretty wide, and there’s usually some kids kicking a soccer ball around and some street musicians on it.
5. Take a walking tour of the city
One great way to get oriented in a new city is to start off with a fun and informative walking tour. Something like this guided Skopje walking tour will show and tell you all you need to know about Skopje. There are even super-affordable private options if you’d like to see Skopje with just your group.
6. Check out Skopje Fortress
Officially known as Kale Fortress (hilarious), this structure dates back to (they believe) the 10th century. Obviously, it’s mostly ruins today but still a cool place to check out. Plus, you’ll get some fabulous views of Skopje from here.
Kale Fortress is free to visit and easy enough to walk to from the city center (aka Macedonia Square). But it’s extremely overgrown and crumbly so be sure to wear some decent shoes.
7. Visit the Mother Teresa Memorial House
A fun fact about Skopje is that this is where Mother Teresa was born and baptized. She lived here until she was 24 years old (1934) when her family moved to Albania. The house she grew up in no longer stands (though there’s a memorial plaque in its place). However, not too far away is now the Mother Teresa Memorial House.
This super weird building opened in 2009 and stands in the former location of the church where she was baptized. It’s equal parts memorial and museum and all dedicated to her life and work. Part of it is a recreation of the house where she was born and even contains some of her preserved relics.
Visiting is free and it will only take you about 30 minutes to see it all. Check out how this place made it onto the list of my worst travel moments of 2024 here.
Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, so North Macedonia claims her. But she was actually Albanian, so Albania claims her too.
8. Check out ALL THE STATUES
Y’all, to say Skopje loves its statues is the understatement of the year. (You’ll see what I mean when you get here.) It’s just… statues everywhere. All shapes, sizes, and themes. EVERYWHERE. So many statues.
Apparently, in 2008, the city of Skopje invested something like €500 million in a project to reinvigorate the city. And for whatever reason, they believed a shitload of ridiculous statues would do it. The Skopje 2014 project added another 40 grand monuments to the city.
The giant statue of Alexander the Great in Macedonia Square is definitely the largest one, and from there it just gets wilder. They’re on the bridges, on the sidewalks, just everywhere. There’s no way you could “collect them all,” but I’m certain you’ll be able to pick a few favorites. Walk across the Art Bridge and you’ll be able to check off 29 of them! And don’t miss the massive Porta Macedonia arch.
9. Hang out in the Old Bazaar
Across the river from the center, you’ll find yourself in Skopje’s Old Bazaar / Skopje Old Town. This is the Turkish part of Skopje and has been a merchant quarter since the 1100s. This area is full of beautiful mosques, lots of delicious eateries, ancient architecture, shops, and a lively, colorful atmosphere.
It’s fun to simply walk around here and check out the whole scene. It’s even more fun to grab some local baklava, Turkish delight, or other tasty treats. Listen to the street performers, pick up some souvenirs, whatever.
10. Enjoy drinks and views at a rooftop bar
My favorite rooftop bar in Skopje is at the Hotel Arka in the Old Bazaar. It offers great views itself and even has a higher viewing platform you can climb up to. The service is great and it’s just such a fun and beautiful place to chill (and listen to the dueling call-to-prayers).
11. Take the cable car to the Millennium Cross
The Millennium Cross is an absolutely massive steel cross on top of Vodno Mountain high above Skopje. In fact, at 217 feet tall, it’s one of the tallest crosses in the world. You’ll be able to see it from the city center and Macedonia Square too, especially at night when it’s lit up.
To get here, you’ll need to take the local bus to the Sredno Vodno stop. From here, you can take the cable car to the top. If using the confusing local bus system sounds daunting, you can simply book a trip to the cross here with Get Your Guide and let someone else handle it for you.
12. Visit a museum
Skopje has tons of quality museums you can visit while you’re here (like if the weather is bad especially) though they’re not entirely uplifting. Here are a few to add to your itinerary:
- Museum of the City of Skopje – Located in an old train station
- Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Independence – Includes the original 1991 Declaration of Independence
- Archaeological Museum of the Republic of North Macedonia – Tons of artifacts from the region’s ancient times
- Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia – Dedicated to the 7,148 Jews from North Macedonia killed in the Holocaust
13. Take a day trip from Skopje
One of the best things to do in Skopje is actually to leave it. That’s because Skopje actually makes a great base from which to explore lots of other great places. I took several day trips from Skopje during my time here and would highly recommend them all. Starting with…
14. Day trip to Matka Canyon
The most popular day trip from Skopje is to Matka Canyon, a gorgeous natural canyon that’s just over a half-hour drive from the city center. While here, you can take boat trips up and down the canyon, explore some caves, or just have a drink at a café next to the water.
There’s also Saint Andrew’s Monastery where you can go inside the Byzantine style church from the 1300s. (I find the Byzantine church’s in this part of the world to be so interesting!) All-in-all, Matka Canyon makes for a perfect day trip. Take a look at these tour options:
- Skopje: Matka Canyon Sightseeing Tour – Includes a boat ride, guided walk around the area, visit to the church, and more.
- Skopje: Matka Canyon, Millennium Cross and Etno Village Tour – Includes trips to the Millennium Cross and some cool photo stops as well.
- From Skopje: Matka Canyon, Painted Mosque & Arabati Baba Tekke
See all Matka Canyon day trips here on Viator and Get Your Guide.
15. Day trip to Kosovo
Another great day trip from Skopje is to Kosovo. They have some great tour options available that can take you from Skopje to both Pristina (the capital city) and beautiful Prizren, Kosovo.
My time in Kosovo was so eye-opening. Besides being such a beautiful and welcoming place, the food was unforgettably amazing too. Choose from these tour options and add a new country you maybe never would’ve considered to your itinerary:
- From Skopje: Kosovo in a Day to Pristina & Prizren
- Day Tour from Skopje to Pristina and Prizren, Kosovo & Kukes Albania
- From Skopje: Kosovo in a Day – Prishtina, Monastery & Bears – Something a little different with a visit to the Pristina Bear Sanctuary
See all Kosovo day trips here on Viator and Get Your Guide.
16. Day trip to Lake Ohrid
Admittedly, I actually spent a few days at Lake Ohrid, but you can just as easily take a beautiful day trip here and back too. While here, you can boat around the lake and visit some of the most picturesque spots in the Balkans. It’ll be a long day, but definitely a good one. Check out these day trip options:
- Day tour from Skopje to Ohrid via Bigorski Monastery – A brand new tour that sounds awesome
- Ohrid UNESCO Heritage: Full-Day Guided Tour from Skopje – The most popular tour
- One day tour to Ohrid and Ohrid lake from Skopje
See all Lake Ohrid tours here on Viator and Get Your Guide.
More info for your visit to Skopje
Like this post? Have more questions about what to do in Skopje? Let me know in the comments below. Have a great trip!
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