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Skopje and Matka Canyon: Northern Macedonia Highlights
4.6
35 Ratings
Skopje
Explore Skopje’s rich history and unwind in Matka Canyon’s natural beauty on a captivating day trip from Sofia.
Explore Skopje’s rich history and unwind in Matka Canyon’s natural beauty on a captivating day trip from Sofia.
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
Skopje - Begin your day with a morning pick-up from your centrally located hotel in Sofia. Enjoy a picturesque four-hour drive to Skopje, where your Bulgarian guide will share captivating stories and historical insights about the Balkans, enhancing your appreciation for the region.
Upon reaching Skopje, a local city guide will take you on a…
-
Skopje - Begin your day with a morning pick-up from your centrally located hotel in Sofia. Enjoy a picturesque four-hour drive to Skopje, where your Bulgarian guide will share captivating stories and historical insights about the Balkans, enhancing your appreciation for the region.
Upon reaching Skopje, a local city guide will take you on a 90-minute walking tour, offering personal insights and extensive knowledge of this unique capital. Discover the charming Old Bazaar, rich with Ottoman architecture and vibrant local culture, then proceed to the Skopje Fortress for panoramic city views. Cross the historic Stone Bridge into the city’s heart, where Alexander the Great Square presents a striking blend of past and present. The tour concludes with a visit to the Memorial House of Mother Teresa, celebrating Skopje’s most esteemed figure.
This will be a full and dynamic day with no free time in Skopje, so be ready for an engaging and memorable journey. -
Matka Canyon - Unfortunately, the schedule does not allow for free time for lunch in Skopje. It is advisable to grab some fast food during the walking tour or bring sandwiches with you, which can be purchased from a petrol station before reaching the city.
After the walking tour, your local guide will drive you to Matka Canyon, where you will have about an hour and a half to admire the natural beauty. Enjoy a boat trip through the canyon, passing by what is likely the deepest underwater cave in the world. At 16:00, you will regroup and depart back to Sofia.
During the drive, you will have the opportunity to share your impressions and ask any questions you may have.
What's Included
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- English-speaking professional Macedonian guide
- English-speaking professional Bulgarian guide/driver
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- English-speaking professional Macedonian guide
- English-speaking professional Bulgarian guide/driver
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Gratitude to the guides
- Lunch
- Gratitude to the guides
Additional Information
This day trip offers the opportunity to explore two of Northern Macedonia’s most significant locations: the capital city, Skopje, and the stunning natural wonder, Matka Canyon. While wandering through the historic section of Skopje, visitors will delve into the past and gain insight into the modern interpretation of Macedonian history. The journey…
This day trip offers the opportunity to explore two of Northern Macedonia’s most significant locations: the capital city, Skopje, and the stunning natural wonder, Matka Canyon. While wandering through the historic section of Skopje, visitors will delve into the past and gain insight into the modern interpretation of Macedonian history. The journey continues through the newly developed areas of the city, revitalized during the “Skopje 2014” project. Finally, the tour concludes with a relaxing retreat into the serene beauty of Matka Canyon, providing a peaceful escape from the historical exploration.
Location
Skopje
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(35 Ratings)
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Carl_h
Nov 9, 2025
Nice and friendly guides,... - Nice and friendly guides, the trip was as planned and everything and everyone was in time. Professional company
Review provided by Viator
Vivian_o
Oct 20, 2025
The drive to and from... - The drive to and from Skopje was around 3 hours each way. Since we are leaving one country and entering another , we have to go through passport control both directions. As soon as we arrived, we were transferred to our Macedonian guide. Matka Canyon was first on the agenda. The canyon was so beautiful. It was not crowded and the weather was perfect. We opted for a 30 min instead of 1 hour boat ride so we can have enough time to visit the city. Skopje is a beautiful place with lots of statues, open spaces, restaurants and shopping areas. Our guides, both in Bulgaria and North Macedonia, provided us with historical and current information of their respective countries. This was a day well spent. Just make sure to pack some snacks to eat on the road as there won’t be any time for a sit down lunch. This was not a problem for us as we were prepared. We enjoyed our sightseeing and so glad to visit both nature and city in one trip.
Review provided by Viator
Z335wjsandrar
Jul 14, 2025
Very great trip - Very nice trip, the hotel pickup worked smoothly, the 3h drive was very entertaining, there were also stops. In Skopje I was picked up by another guide and taken to Matka Canyon. I chased away a 1 hour boat trip including a visit to a cave. Afterwards I was driven back to Skopje in the city centre, where a tour guide waited for me and took me on a guided city tour. After some free time I met our driver at the agreed meeting point. Everything very well organized.
Only point deduction due to the driver's fast driving style.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trelares
Aug 6, 2024
Really nice.day trip and... - Really nice.day trip and our driver was fantastic!!! Very good driver perfect personality. Scopia looks really nice and Matka Canyon fantastic!
Review provided by Viator
Go03699147635
May 28, 2024
Fantastic experience - I recommend this very interesting excursion with exciting and passionate guides! It is possible to only visit Skopje but the visit to the Mayka canyon is worth the detour. I highly recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephanie_s
Oct 10, 2025
Great taste - set expectations because it is truly a taste - What a great way to get a taste of North Macedonia. If I were to do it again I probably would forgo the lake. While it was nice to experience what locals do on their time off/outings with family- I would have preferred to spend more time learning about and exploring the city. The city is an interesting mix of cultures and operates almost like two different cities. There is a lot to learn about the place and the people. The local guide was matter of fact about the life there and I appreciated her honesty that was without judgment. She was great! The driver stopped as needed and took good care of us.
Just be prepared because it will feel rushed. Buy the magnet or other souvenirs when you see them because you will lokely not have an opportunity to buy later. But, if your expectations are established properly, you will enjoy the taste.
Try to grab something to eat from the city (unless you bring something or buy something at one of the stops - limited variety). The food at the restaurant at the lake is expensive and does not offer a huge variety (and you have to eat it in the van unless you the boat ride).
Review provided by Viator
Hermann_k
Sep 24, 2025
a day in Northern Makedonia - It is a long drive from Sofia to Skopje and back (4 hours each direktion). Theodor was an excellence driver and told us a lot about the North- Makedonian country.
Our guide in Skopje was not very empathic. He hurried up and we had minimal time for the single sightseeing views. The Matka river was impressing, but there was a 1,5km walk in each direction from the car to the boat. This part of the day lasts nearly 2 hours and so it is not enough time for sightseeing in the city. In summary it was very interesting and worth a journey.
Review provided by Viator
David_t
Oct 27, 2024
Very interesting and... - Very interesting and unique place to visit, only disadvantage is limited time after grossing boarder and meeting the local tour guide. we have so much to visit and boat ride, we did not really complete the tour is time up to meet our Sofia drive.
Review provided by Viator
95erican
Jul 3, 2024
Great experience! - Although the ride there took a bit long in a small bus, it was compensated by the interesting stories of the nice guides who also drove. In Skopje, we were accompanied by a Macedonian guide who took us to the canyons. He really did his best to make us feel as comfortable as possible. Nothing was too crazy or too much to ensure a great experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q7834ngsarahm
Jul 7, 2025
A great place to visit - I do recommend visiting Skopje and especially the beautiful Matka canyon, but the tour was very rushed and we only had 45 mins in Skopje itself despite it having been advertised as longer. In fact, visiting Matka proved to be a tour within a tour and my daughter.and I were the only ones to go to Matka with our guide. Both guides were great though, and Macedonia is a wonderful country which I would like to visit for longer. But the overall schedule of this trip needs to be improved.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
