Q: When to Visit North Macedonia?

The best time to visit North Macedonia is between May to September when the weather is nice and warm, great for exploring all the beautiful sights around the country, and since North Macedonia doesn't get as many tourists as other countries in Europe, you don't have to worry about the crowds when you travel here during the peak season as you do in other places in Europe. The price also doesn't get jacked up as much during this period unlike other places in Europe so if you want to maximize your chance of getting a nice clear day, perfect for outdoor activities, I highly recommend you stick to the recommended period.

Q: How to Get to North Macedonia?

From the US , the most direct way is to fly into Skopje, the capital city of North Macedonia via Turkish Airlines, leaving from big cities like New York, which should take around 13 hours including the transiting time in Istanbul or travel to neighboring countries like Bulgaria, Greece, and Albania, as part of a bigger Balkans trip and catch the bus from there. From Europe , there are several flights from countries like Germany and the Netherlands that offer direct routes to Skopje via low-cost airlines like WizzAir or you can get a transit flight anywhere in Europe and transit through these cities. From Asia , you can also fly with European or Middle Eastern airlines like Austrian and Turkish Airlines from any big cities in the region and it should take you about 15 - 20 hours including transit time before you arrive in Skopje. To find a cheap flight to North Macedonia, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.

Q: How to Get Around North Macedonia?

By Buses: Buses are the cheapest way to get around North Macedonia. There are several buses running between big cities like Skopje and Lake Ohrid as well as to and from other neighboring countries like Bulgaria and Albania in case you are visiting North Macedonia as part of a bigger trip in the Balkans. For this itinerary, we will be relying mostly on buses. If you are coming from neighboring countries like Albania to North Macedonia or vice versa, you can rely on Flixbus . For buses within North Macedonia, you can book the bus ticket online here . By Tours: For more remote places, you might want to rely on tours to travel to places like Matka Canyon which we will be visiting as a day trip from Skopje. There are plenty of other day trips you can make in North Macedonia, so be sure to check available tours here . By Rental Cars: You can also rent a car straight from Skopje Airport and drive around North Macedonia but for this itinerary, you won't need it. If you insist, hit the link below to rent a car in North Macedonia: Rent a Car in North Macedonia

Question 1

When to Visit North Macedonia?

Accepted Answer

The best time to visit North Macedonia is between May to September when the weather is nice and warm, great for exploring all the beautiful sights around the country, and since North Macedonia doesn't get as many tourists as other countries in Europe, you don't have to worry about the crowds when you travel here during the peak season as you do in other places in Europe.

The price also doesn't get jacked up as much during this period unlike other places in Europe so if you want to maximize your chance of getting a nice clear day, perfect for outdoor activities, I highly recommend you stick to the recommended period.

Question 2

How to Get to North Macedonia?

Accepted Answer

From the US, the most direct way is to fly into Skopje, the capital city of North Macedonia via Turkish Airlines, leaving from big cities like New York, which should take around 13 hours including the transiting time in Istanbul or travel to neighboring countries like Bulgaria, Greece, and Albania, as part of a bigger Balkans trip and catch the bus from there.

From Europe, there are several flights from countries like Germany and the Netherlands that offer direct routes to Skopje via low-cost airlines like WizzAir or you can get a transit flight anywhere in Europe and transit through these cities.

From Asia, you can also fly with European or Middle Eastern airlines like Austrian and Turkish Airlines from any big cities in the region and it should take you about 15 - 20 hours including transit time before you arrive in Skopje.

To find a cheap flight to North Macedonia, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.

Question 3

How to Get Around North Macedonia?

Accepted Answer

By Buses: Buses are the cheapest way to get around North Macedonia. There are several buses running between big cities like Skopje and Lake Ohrid as well as to and from other neighboring countries like Bulgaria and Albania in case you are visiting North Macedonia as part of a bigger trip in the Balkans.

For this itinerary, we will be relying mostly on buses. If you are coming from neighboring countries like Albania to North Macedonia or vice versa, you can rely on Flixbus. For buses within North Macedonia, you can book the bus ticket online here.

By Tours: For more remote places, you might want to rely on tours to travel to places like Matka Canyon which we will be visiting as a day trip from Skopje. There are plenty of other day trips you can make in North Macedonia, so be sure to check available tours here.

By Rental Cars: You can also rent a car straight from Skopje Airport and drive around North Macedonia but for this itinerary, you won't need it. If you insist, hit the link below to rent a car in North Macedonia:

Rent a Car in North Macedonia

Question 4

How Much Money Do I Need for 5 days in North Macedonia?

Accepted Answer

From this 5 days itinerary, we can calculate approximately how much money you will be spending here as follows:

Accommodation: For 5 nights in North Macedonia, you can expect to pay around 45 EUR for accommodation considering you are staying in budget guesthouses or hostels.

Food: For 5 days, 3 meals a day in North Macedonia, you can expect to pay around 60 EUR for food considering you eat out every day. It will be significantly cheaper if you buy your own groceries and cook yourself instead.

Transportation: For this itinerary, you can expect to pay around 16 EUR for bus travel between Skopje and Lake Ohrid. Double this if you plan to go back to Skopje at the end of the itinerary to fly back home.

Activities: Depending on how much you want to do in North Macedonia, you can expect to pay approximately 45 EUR for a day trip to Matka Canyon as well as entrance fees to tourist attractions around the country.

Total Budget for 5 days in North Macedonia: 166 EUR

Question 5

Is it Safe in North Macedonia?

Accepted Answer

It is very safe in North Macedonia. I spent about a few days traveling around the country independently and I didn't experience anything out of the ordinary. People are quite friendly here and since the country doesn't get many tourists.

That said, there might be taxi drivers that might want to overcharge you hanging around Skopje Bus Station so be sure to avoid them. You can easily walk from the bus station to the city center in less than 30 minutes so no need to deal with these taxis.

Also, it is always a good idea to exercise precautions by not leaving your belongings unattended, especially when in crowded places, and ALWAYS keep an eye out for your belongings at all times. Keep your hands in your pockets when entering or exiting crowded places to secure your phone and wallet. Other than that, you should be perfectly fine traveling around North Macedonia independently.

Question 6

Which tourist SIM card is best for North Macedonia?

Accepted Answer

There are 2 major carriers in North Macedonia, Telekom, and A1, that offer prepaid sim cards tourists can buy while they are traveling in North Macedonia. That said, if you are looking for a more convenient way, I highly recommend you look into getting esims instead which is something that you can buy prior to your arrival in Bosnia.

If you have a smartphone that supports esims, I highly recommend you take a look at these esims. They have a variety of data packages, price points, and durations for you to choose from.

The setup is fast and instant and you can buy it prior to your trip so you don't have to scramble your way to get one at the airport after a long flight. The data speed is also equivalent to what you get with a local sim card with 4G speed across the entire country.

Note: The regional Eurolink esim that you can use in multiple countries in Europe doesn't work in North Macedonia as the country isn't included in the package, so you will have to buy one separately.

Be sure to do that before you arrive in the country as it requires Internet and you will not have it once you arrive in North Macedonia until you get access to your hotel's WIFI.

For more information on esims in North Macedonia, click here: Check North Macedonia's Available eSim.

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