North Macedonia travel advice
Culture & history tips
Rosanna Neophytou from our supplier, Tucan Travel:
“North Macedonia is a fantastic country to visit because of how diverse it is. There is a real mix of architectural beauty that features different cultural elements with Mediterranean, Turkish, Slavic and Albanian influences. The capital of Skopje has a mix of historic sites such as the 6th century Kale Fortress as well as many restaurants, bars and art galleries to explore. Anyone visiting North Macedonia should definitely visit Matka Canyon and Lake Ohrid too.”
“North Macedonia is a fantastic country to visit because of how diverse it is. There is a real mix of architectural beauty that features different cultural elements with Mediterranean, Turkish, Slavic and Albanian influences. The capital of Skopje has a mix of historic sites such as the 6th century Kale Fortress as well as many restaurants, bars and art galleries to explore. Anyone visiting North Macedonia should definitely visit Matka Canyon and Lake Ohrid too.”
Our North Macedonia Vacations
Ancient Macedonia tour
Explore eastern Bulgaria, northern Greece and Macedonia.
From
US $2100 to US $2150
15 days
ex flights
Macedonia vacation, self guided hiking
Explore the rural and remote National parks of Macedonia
From
US $939
8 days
ex flights
Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia vacation
Escape the crowds and explore hidden Europe
From
£1950
16 days
ex flights
Kosovo, Albania & Macedonia vacation
Travel through the valleys, towns and mountainscapes
From
US $2550 to US $2720
15 days
ex flights
North Macedonia photography vacation
The land of the sun and friendly people
From
€2150
7 days
ex flights
Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia vacation
See 3 countries on this 10 day tour
From
€1460 to €1944
10 days
ex flights
Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo tour in the Balkans
Macedonia tour, with side trips to Bulgaria and Kosovo
From
US $2579 to US $2649
10 days
ex flights
Republic of North Macedonia walking vacation, small group
Walking trip with monasteries, ancient lakes and wineries
From
£1225
8 days
ex flights
Dubrovnik to Athens tour
Join us on a whirlwind adventure through the Balkans
From
US $2930 to US $3165
15 days
ex flights
Western Balkans small group vacation
Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Croatia and Montenegro
From
€1455 to €1615
12 days
ex flights
Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia tour
National parks, historic cities and rural traditions
From
£1875
17 days
ex flights
Balkans cyling vacation
Some of the most unexplored routes in the Balkans
From
US $3599 to US $3679
15 days
ex flights
Cycling vacation in Macedonia & Northern Albania
Exciting cycling that equally challenges and rewards
From
US $1949 to US $1999
8 days
ex flights
Getting off the beaten track
Mark Huggins from our supplier, Undiscovered Destinations:“North Macedonia is quite small and landlocked but has lots to interest travelers wanting to experience a different side of Europe. Don’t miss Lake Ohrid, Sveti Naum Monastery, Mavrovo National Park, the old Ottoman bazaar in Skopje. And Gadime Cave discovered in the 1960s – full of crystallised stalactites and stalagmites. You can also combine North Macedonia with little visited Albania and Kosovo for an extensive, off the beaten track adventure.”
Drinking water
Goran Janevski has been working in partnership with our North Macedonia small group tour experts, Explore, for more than 20 years: “Drinking water is available all over North Macedonia; the spring water in the mountains is unbelievably fresh and pure. We always encourage our travelers to bring their own reusable drinking bottles. We have very few alternatives to plastic and so there aren’t always opportunities to offer guests anything other than plastic water bottles if they don’t bring their own.”Health & safety in Macedonia
HEALTH
SAFETY
Our top North Macedonia Vacation
Ancient Macedonia tour
Explore eastern Bulgaria, northern Greece and Macedonia.
From
US $2100 to US $2150
15 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2022: 1 May, 8 May, 5 Jun, 24 Jul, 4 Sep, 11 Sep, 18 Sep, 25 Sep
2023: 30 Apr, 7 May, 4 Jun, 23 Jul, 3 Sep, 10 Sep, 17 Sep, 24 Sep
2022: 1 May, 8 May, 5 Jun, 24 Jul, 4 Sep, 11 Sep, 18 Sep, 25 Sep
2023: 30 Apr, 7 May, 4 Jun, 23 Jul, 3 Sep, 10 Sep, 17 Sep, 24 Sep
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about North Macedonia or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Tips from our travelers in North Macedonia
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do – and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful North Macedonia travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful North Macedonia travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
I was impressed by the quality of the local wines, which were very good. Food was fine and there were lots of salads. Take a cork screw and a bottle stopper. ![]()
- William Francis
“The variation between the coast and the mountains was amazing and we enjoyed the trip immensely. The standout highlights, and there were many, were Skopje, Budva, Kotor, Biogradska Gora National Park, Ohrid, Prizren, Blue Eye National Park, and Gjirokastra. Understand the driving was long some days, but to see what we saw we knew we would have long days in the vehicle. Do have a go and attempt to communicate with shop keepers, in particular in bazaars and "old Towns', the locals seemed to enjoy the patter and it is terrific to witness their smiles as they welcome your attempts.” - Michael Cain on a tour of Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia
"Our leader Saimir Maja was excellent and made the most of every location. He was very aware of pollution and took us to local restaurants and markets and encouraged us to use tap or well water where available. The most memorable moment for me was the boat trip and swim in lake Ohrid." - Hava Feary visited North Macedonia on a western Balkans tour
"Our leader Saimir Maja was excellent and made the most of every location. He was very aware of pollution and took us to local restaurants and markets and encouraged us to use tap or well water where available. The most memorable moment for me was the boat trip and swim in lake Ohrid." - Hava Feary visited North Macedonia on a western Balkans tour
The standout highlights, and there were many, were Skopje, Budva, Kotor, Biogradska Gora National Park, Ohrid, Prizren, Blue Eye National Park, and Gjirokastra![]()
- Michael Cain
“I was impressed by the quality of the local wines, which were very good. Food was fine and there were lots of salads. Take a cork screw and a bottle stopper. Ask lots of questions, it shows an interest and is appreciated by the locals. People were very friendly and pleased to see us, sometimes it was difficult to believe that they had been abandoned by Europe for 600 years. At least now I know a little about this forgotten part of Europe and its peoples.” - William Francis on a tour of Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia
"I believe our trip did benefit local people as our tour guide intentionally chose small vendors for our meals and day trips. Most of the time, this meant an exceptional experience, including some fantastic restaurants that we never would have found ourselves." - Reid Kincaid visited North Macedonia on a Balkans explorer tour
"Seeing all these places I had been reading about! I can't pick one memory. Make sure you have Euros with you. Many places will accept Euros, if you run out of local currency." - Sara Detmer visited North Macedonia on a Balkans explorer tour
"I believe our trip did benefit local people as our tour guide intentionally chose small vendors for our meals and day trips. Most of the time, this meant an exceptional experience, including some fantastic restaurants that we never would have found ourselves." - Reid Kincaid visited North Macedonia on a Balkans explorer tour
"Seeing all these places I had been reading about! I can't pick one memory. Make sure you have Euros with you. Many places will accept Euros, if you run out of local currency." - Sara Detmer visited North Macedonia on a Balkans explorer tour
More about North Macedonia
The best time to visit North Macedonia may well depend on whether you're looking for lakes or mountains with scorching summer temperatures often cooling the higher up you hike.
Find out more about the country and its people as you peruse our North Macedonia travel guide and piece together the former fragments of Yugoslavia that are featured within our interactive North Macedonia map & highlights section.
North Macedonia occupies one third of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia, the remainder can be found to the south, in Greece.
Make the most of North Macedonia by exploring in out of the way areas and enjoying home cooked meals with welcoming local people.
Tours of Ancient Macedonia uncover one of the world’s great civilisations, the lost empire of Alexander the Great, through visits to historic sites in Greece, Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia.
Ironically, given the name, Lake Ohrid is in fact one of the most beautiful and serene parts of North Macedonia.
Poverty, pollution and plastic are problems in North Macedonia.
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