Day tour to Skopje, North Macedonia - Small Group

Sofia, Bulgaria

de la
EUR33.00EUR
Day tour to Skopje, North Macedonia - Small Group

Programul activitatii

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Old Bazaar, Skopje, Skopje Republic of North Macedonia

Our day tour to Skopje will start with pick up from your hotel/accommodation in Sofia at 08:00 am. After approximately 4 hours of drive, we will reach Skopje. During the long drive, you will learn the Bulgarian point of view regarding the history of the region. Then you will have two hours guided tour of the city made by a local Macedonian guide. You will have the chance to hear the stories about Yugoslavia and the modern way of life in the country from a native, which will make your experience much more fulfilled. In addition, you will compare the two historical interpretations and make your own conclusions. The highlights you will visit are the Old fortress, Sultan Murat Mosques, and the Old Bazaar, where we will have the chance to see Caravanserais (inns) from the Ottoman period when Skopje was one of the main trade centers on the Balkans.

Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Skopje Fortress Kale, Old Town, Skopje Republic of North Macedonia

Historical fortress located at the highest point in Skopje from where you will have the chance to admire the stunning view of the city.

Duration: 15 minutes

Pass By: Sultan Murad Mosque, Skopje Republic of North Macedonia

A mosque from the Ottoman-era, built during the 15th century. It is a masterpiece of the architectural achievements of the early Ottoman empire.

Stop At: The Stone Bridge, Skopje 1000 Republic of North Macedonia

We will cross the Vardar River by the Stone bridge, the only preserved bridge from the Middle ages and start our exploration of the new part of the city.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Macedonia Square, Centar, Skopje Republic of North Macedonia

We will visit the new neo-classical square Macedonia. There we will admire the biggest statue of Alexander the Great and his father Phillip II. You will stop and learn the history of the ancient Macedonians and the adventures of their rulers.


Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Memorial House of Mother Teresa, Macedonia Str. No.9, Skopje 1000 Republic of North Macedonia

We will continue to Mother Teresa memorial house. She is the most famous person born in Skopje. Her work and contribution to the world deserve huge respect. In the house museum, you will learn about her story and will track her life by the big photography collection. The walking part of the tour will finish at the Gate Macedonia (newly built triumphal arch).
After the walking tour, you will have 2 hours of free time during which you will have the chance to have a lunch and taste the traditional Macedonian cuisine. The tour will end with drop off at your hotel in Sofia

Duration: 20 minutes

Incluse

  • English-speaking Bulgarian guide
  • English-speaking local Macedonian guide
  • Pick-up and drop off
  • Air-conditioned vehicle

Neincluse

  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities

Informatii aditionale

  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Please bring your passport with you and check if you need a visa due to border crossing
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Infant seats available
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
  • We organize tours only for small groups (up to 8 persons) and we have the option for private tours.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking

Informatii despre voucher

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Punct de plecare

Traveler pickup is offered
We will pick you up from any point in Sofia

Ora de plecare

08:00 AM

Durata

12 hours

  • Nuno_V

    2023-01-16

    Quite a different experience visiting the capital of north macedonia. Different vibe and atmosphere.

  • Andrew C

    2023-01-10

    Loved every second of this. Even the border crossing was an experience, led by someone who joked about the existing tensions between the two nations - then to see the exchanges play out were hilarious. I also enjoyed the random stops at petrol stations en route - something you don't normally get to experience. Skopje itself is great and our guide was so friendly. The weather was appalling when we visited, so I'd guess it spoiled it somewhat, but you can really tell it's a hidden gem - especially as the guides from both countries are very passionate about their heritage. The two hours to explore are adequate, too.

  • Christina_M

    2023-01-01

    Friendly people, nice trip. The guides were really insightful. I would prefer to stay to Skopje for a little bit longer but it was still ok.

  • Krishna_V

    2022-12-28

    The trip was perfectly planned. 3 hour drive - 2 hour guided tour - 2 hour personal time - 3 hour drive back. Guided tour is designed to explain history and show prominent places in the city so you don't feel you are missing on something.

  • dermotflavin

    2022-12-07

    Tour guide was great and she was very knowledgeable of the city and gave some great recommendations. I would definitely visit Skopje again

  • Ghislaine_S

    2022-11-29

    We had a great time on our trip to Skopje this November. Our driver Rosen was great and very knowledgable on all things Bulgaria and Macedonia which made the 4 hour drive really interesting. We had the option to do a couple of pit stops throughout the journey too which was useful. Once in Skopje, we did a 90 minute walking tour where we saw all of the main sights. We finished in the Grand Bazaar, and after the tour had ended we got food from a recommended restaurant. In total, we had around 2 hours to explore by ourselves before meeting our driver back at the original drop-off point. All in all, this was a lovely day out from Sofia. Skopje is an up-and-coming city, and is definitely do-able in the time we had there. We didn't feel like we missed out on anything there, and were satisfied with the trip. Thanks Rosen and our tour guide for a great day out!

  • Fred_M

    2022-11-26

    How can I start? Yes, the drive is LONG, however we barely paid any attention to that. We engaged in several conversations about general Bulgarian and Macedonian history with our driver who absolutely dominates this and other topics about the region. Once we arrive in Skopje we were greeted by Lena, our tour guide for Skopje. The tour itself takes around 2 hrs in which you can see most of what central Skopje was to offer and after that you have 2 hours of free time. What to make out of Skopje is up to you. It is definitely something weird and interesting in its very unique way.

  • James_C

    2022-11-21

    Highley recommended tour, we were picked up at our hotel in centre of Sofia on time by our Driver ( Tour consisted of 6 of us plus driver) , Our driver was very knowledgeable & informative . When we got to Sofia our Driver Dan introduced us to our Guide for Skopje . We had a 90 minute tour then a couple of hours to explore on our own. Both Driver & Guide in Macedonia were excellent .

  • Ming_K

    2022-11-12

    Wonderful guide both on the way and on location. Very engaging guide even when driving, and please understand that it's an 8-hour drive (to and back), there will be times when there is silence, that's normal, can't expect him to be chatty the whole time. Guide in Skopje was very informative as well, very well informed about the history of the city which made me know more about this wonderful little capital of North Macedonia. Thank you! (:

  • George K

    2022-11-12

    The tour guide and driver from Sofia provided history of Bulgaria and the local tour guide in Skopje had a excellent knowledge of Skopje and Macedonia overall. I highly recommend this tour.

  • prabhulibra

    2022-11-03

    Good old ancient town. Half of the tour will be on old town. Good shopping place for leather and antique lovers. Bit long drive from sofia but its okay to visit / travel thro villages , country side of both Bulgaria and North macedonia. Different experience to go thro Borders on road. Our Guide from Bultrips is very good and supportive. Vehicle is also in good condition.

  • Gustavo_C

    2022-10-20

    The most memorable thing about this tour was the long drive through winding roads to get to a major highway and then straight to Skopje where there was little to see for the four hours we were there. The city is very new and sadly the gov't wants to make it look like an old European city with monuments and buildings built in a classical style but instead the city looks tacky and poorly planned with huge monuments and fountains placed only a few meters from each other and some not even working. The gov't could have built a capital with model architecture like Brazilia and that would have been more interesting to see. The old bazaar was just ok...not as big as the grand bazaar in Istanbul although our tour guide said it was the second largest in Europe after the one in Istanbul. I did not feel the urge to buy anything because most of what was being sold was cheap stuff and nothing really "Macedonian". Our guide was very nice and helpful. Her name was Vlado Veljanoski.

  • Deborah_L

    2022-10-13

    Skopje is an interesting city with crazy new monuments, and a pleasant old town with good food. It's worth a visit. Unfortunately, the tour was a huge letdown. The “guide” who drove us to Skopje barely spoke to us on the way, no information about the destination, no information about changing money. Literally just drove us. The local guide in Macedonia was not used to doing this tour and not normally an English-language guide. He was friendly and tried his best but was unprepared as far as info and struggled a little with the language. There was also no visit to the fortress, which is advertised in the itinerary. Felt it was a bit of a waste of money as far as tours go.

  • joshua2928

    2022-10-11

    A lovely day trip all around! Martin was a very attentive driver and made sure everyone had everything they needed at the start of the trip. He was friendly, patient, and kind throughout. Our Macedonian guide in Skopje was also super knowledgeable and friendly. I would highly recommend this experience! Skopje is wonderful!

  • Warda_O

    2022-10-09

    Both tour guides were fantastic! It was a great day trip! You learn so much history and see such beautiful sites. Definitely recommend!

  • WardaOsman

    2022-10-08

    This tour was amazing I couldn’t fault it. Both our Bulgarian and North Macedonian tour guides were great. Well planned and a perfect pace.

  • Danae_B

    2022-10-04

    Pros: Safe driver, really interesting location to sightsee Cons: Though he was professional and safe on the roads, our driver guide was basically silent during the hour 8 hour car ride, and the tour guide in Skopje was very nice but not the usual English guide, so something felt missing from the experience as advertised.

  • gregory_c

    2022-10-04

    Long old drive but definitely worth it. Again, its a long drive! So prepare yourself for that. Our driver was a knowelgable chap but drove it like he stole it! My ass has only just un puckered. The place is a real mix of cultures, Las Vegas meets the middle east. Shout out to Vlado for a great tour of the city.

  • raymountford

    2022-10-04

    Had an excellent day out, Vascas the driver/guide was an amazing guy who knew the history of the entire Balkan region and beyond. The trip is a 4 hr drive to get there and we had a 20 minute break on the way. Remember that North Macedonia is not in the EU so mobile roaming data should be turned off. On arrival was met by a local guide who showed us around for the next 2 hours it was very interesting, we then had 2 hours free time to explore on our own. There was an Irish pub that did a good lunch. We then met up with Vascas who had to drive us the 4 hours back to Sofia. All in all a great day out.

  • Richard_V

    2022-09-29

    Excellent trip with great driver (Vasco) and guide in Skopje. Quite a long journey but enjoyable and very nice scenery when driving through mountains. Lots to see in Skopje and are at nice restaurant recommended by guide. Highly recommended trip.

  • 58JAH

    2022-09-28

    A great trip but a long journey. Our driver Daniel was exceptional and knowledgeable. He was also very attentive and took care of everyone in the group. The drive to Skopje was about 4 hours and apart from the border guard on the Macedonia being a little obstructive, it was uneventful. I think Bulgaria beating Macedonia one nil at soccer the night before didn’t help our cause. Our guide in Skopje was again very informative and took time to make sure all our questions were answered. There was so many interesting events to be explored I can’t do the trip justice on here. The bottom line is this is a must do trip for anyone with a day to spare in Sofia. The 8 hours in a mini bus are well worth it for the 4 hours of culture in Skopje.

  • MarinaFollowsTheSun

    2022-09-25

    It's really hard to rate this trip. Skopje and Macedonia itself are really worth a visit and we really enjoyed our time there, but the trip was something else. Our pickup on Sep 14 was 30 min. late "due to traffic", but our guide arrived with wet hair, as if he had just gotten out of bed and showered. His car war cramped and filthy, with the trash from former guests still lying around. He was clearly annoyed, driving erraticly and constantly typing on his phone - while driving. He made some dangerous driving maneuvers and even once showed another driver the finger. If he hadn't music on way too loud, even after asking him to turn it down, he was trash talking Macedonia. Taking a group of tourists to Skopje and telling them what a terrible country Macedonia is, how they are insignificant and have stolen all their history from Bulgaria. Alexander the Great was way overrated, they have no language... I understand there are cultural and historical issues at play, but seriously man? Our guide in Skopje, Lena, was very nice, though the information she gave us wasn't all that historically accurate. Overall we enjoyed our trip, but the long drive in this cramped and dirty car with a grumpy driver just wasn't it.

  • 800katd

    2022-09-23

    What an amazing experience from our driver (who went above and beyond), to our tour guide, to the people who were on the tour and most of all the beautiful Macedonia! I highly recommend this tour so much so that I’m going to come back Specifically to spend more time in Macedonia.

  • adam_louttit

    2022-09-22

    Long travel time to Skopje (5 hours). The tour guide was knowledgeable but the city doesn’t have too much to look at - all recent rebuilt after an earthquake and designed in a 2014 project. Spent 4 hours there before having to drive back. It was a good trip but wish I had done research about the city before going because I wouldn’t have bothered.