Our Favorite Cheap Things to Do in Skopje Macedonia

North Macedonia’s capital is just cool. Maybe you’re drawn to Skopje because it lays claim as Mother Teresa’s birthplace? Maybe you love old bazaars and cheap museums? We spent 5 days in Skopje and think this Balkan capital is an underrated capital city worth exploring. We’ve compiled our top cheap things to do in Skopje for you to take advantage of- enjoy!

cheap things to do in Skopje
crossing the iconic art bridge is one of our recommendations for cheap things to do in Skopje. The art bridge is a white marble bridge with large 4 ft copper statues of iconic Macedonian artists in between black iron lanterns

It might be partially due to the fact that we didn’t over-research and plan out this part of our trip, or it might be the fact that it was never really on our radar- but regardless, we were both pleasantly surprised by Skopje’s unique charm! So if you’re someone who loves delicious foods, history, unique architecture, and statues ( lots of statues), then you’ve come to the right place!

One of the reasons we loved Skopje is because it’s quite affordable and there is no shortage of cheap things to do in Skopje. Museum entrances hover around $2-$3USD and meals out cost us under $10 USD. We love an affordable city- especially in Europe ( it’s not too easy to come by such a great value.)

Things to Do in Skopje 

1)Experience awe at the Macedonia Square-THE central part of Skopje’s city center. Macedonia square anchors the center of the town with dominating statues ( more on that later), cobblestone pedestrian-only walk ways, shops, restaurants, live music, street vendors and more. You’ll walk through the square daily as it’s at the center of the main tourist attractions and there’s plenty of great people watching to be had so you certainly won’t be bored!

2) Explore the Mustafa Pasha Mosque– A working Mosque dating back to 1492! Located near the outskirts of the Old Bazaar, the mosque surprisingly was not significantly damaged during the earthquake.

3)Get lost at the Old Bazaar- Skopje’s Old Bazaar is a maze of cobbled shops and restaurants. Meandering the Old Bazaar will lead you to find delicious Turkish cafes, antique shops, galleries, and so much more. What we love about Skopje’s Old Bazaar is that locals are actually shopping there. While you can find a handful to kitschy tourist shops on the outskirts selling keychains and magnets, the majority of the Old Bazaar maintains its authentic charm from it’s founding over seven centuries ago.

the brown cobblestone streets of the old bazaar. There are brown stone buildings with awning shops on each side of the narrow street.

4)Stroll over the Art Bridge– Paralleling the famous stone bridge at the edge of Macedonia square you’ll find the iconic white marble Art Bridge. The bridge itself is framed by over 30 statues of famous Macedonian artists ( though few statues are actually labeled) and leads right to the columned façade of the Archeological Museum.

5)Check out the Museum of the City of Skopje: this is a tiny museum with a FREE entrance displaying a bit of Skopje’s history and North Macedonian culture. The museum is actually housed in the old train station which was somehow preserved during the 1963 earthquake. In fact, the clock on the front of the museum is ” frozen” in time to reflect the time of the earthquake.

6) Stare up at the Alexander the Great Statue in Skopje: Standing high at 22 meters, the statue of a ” man on a horse” caused an upset to one of Macedonia’s neighbors- Greece. While the construction of the statue may be a bit of a ” F -U “, it certainly can not be ignored ( there’s a bit of ongoing controversy over who “claims” Mr. Alexander if you’re unaware). Regardless of the origin story, this unmissable statue is surrounded by lights ( and water fountains) and sits conveniently across from supposed Alexander’s father figure ( Philip II of Macedon) who is posted high above a nearby piazza.

visiting Macedonia Square is one of our top recommendations for cheap things to do in skopje. the pedestrian only white floor square is centered by a 22 ft statue of alexender the great on a horse. crowds of people gather around the statue to take photos

7) Stop by the Memorial House of Mother Teresa: Mother Teresa was born in Skopje and there is now a small memorial house you can visit that’s dedicated to her life and work. It’s also FREE to visit ( catching a theme here?), but it’s only open until 3:00pm most days so make sure to head here earlier in the day.

8) Meander around Skopje Fortress– We highly recommend the uphill walk to the Skopje Fortress ( also known as the Kale Fortress). The fortress dates back to the 5th century is so well preserved. It’s FREE to enter the fortress grounds and you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the the city. The grassy area within the fortress also makes for a great sunset picnic spot too.

Skopje fortress is made of large grey stone blocks that build a 3 foot tall wall surrounding a large patch of overgrown grass.
skopje fortress is one of our top recommendations for cheap things to do in skopje

9) Visit the Museum of Macedonian Struggle– This is Pat’s favorite museum in Skopje ( he is a History buff so he’s slightly biased), but for an admission fee of a mere $2 (100 dener) you can’t go wrong. The museum is HUGE- three floors and multiple rooms to explore and highlight the struggle to develop a national state and Macedonia’s fight for liberation. All of the display cards are in English, though the chronology and sequence of the exhibition is a bit hard to follow, but the effort that goes into the displays and art work make it worth a visit when looking for cheap things to do in Skopje!

10) Enjoy artisan cafe culture– While you can find Turkish/Macedonian coffee at pretty much every bar/storefront for around $1- there are also several strong coffee shops featuring espresso brand drinks, pour overs, and the true travel coffee luxury- dairy free milk alternatives. We went to JOY coffee three times ( it has both pour over coffee and oat milk so win, win for me!), and also recommend Cafe Coffee Factory and The Dude Specialty Coffee.

11) Organize a DIY Macedonian Wine Tasting!– Macedonia produces about 90 million litters of wine annually with over 4,000 years of history in grape cultivation! While we are far from wine connoisseurs, we love trying new things. Inspired by our DIY winery tour in Chile, we decided to scheme up a budget-friendly Macedonian wine tasting. For just $6 USD we purchased THREE mini bottles of local wine AND Macedonian liquor ( Rakija).

I’m not going to pretend we sampled quality wine, but it served its purpose for us. Now if you’re looking for a bit of a more luxurious wine tasting experience, there are plenty of options. For around $40USD you can indulge in a small group tour of a family winery from Skopje. If you’re looking to splurge a bit ( around $100 pp), there’s also private wine tours

12) Indulge in Macedonian Food– Typically when we travel through ” Europe” ( i.e. Western Europe) we find ourselves limited to grocery shopping and cooking to stay within our budget. BUT in Skopje ( and truthfully what’s deemed as ” Eastern” Europe), we find so many more affordable restaurants that allow us to indulge in local cuisine more. While our vegetarian diets skew our appreciation a bit, we still really loved the cuisine we did sample as it reminded us a bit of neighboring Bulgarian cuisine.

We enjoyed Shopska salad ( cucumber, tomato, cheese sprinkled all together), Ajvar ( a slightly spicy red pepper spread), endless stuffed peppers, so much hot fresh bread, and Tavče gravče ( bean stew).

Right across from our Airbnb our host recommended trying out Restaurant Bratski Merak and we went three times! It’s NOT a touristy spot, but there is an English menu and the staff are very helpful for recommendations. Each time we sampled 3-5 (delicious) dishes and our bill was always less then $12 USD.

13) Explore the Holocaust Museum : The Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia is another valuable cultural experience when figuring out the top things to do in Skopje- it’s a well organized and interactive museum that outlines the unjust treatment and genocide of Jews in Macedonia.

14) Soak in a Rooftop View: On the 7th floor of Hotel Arka, you’ll find a relatively large outdoor terrace with panoramic views of the Old Bazaar. And while anything marketed as ” rooftop” if often up charged, this is far from the case! We ordered a coffee and a tea and each was under $2 USD!

15) Shop at the Bit Pazar– If you want to know where the locals actually go shopping it’s here. This very large covered marked is primarily produce and spices, but there’s also a large section of clothes, shoes, electronics- a bit of everything! It’s claimed as one of the oldest and largest markets in the Balkan area

So now that you know our top cheap things to do in Skopje, we hope you’re convinced to add this unique capital city to your Balkan itinerary!

Understanding Skopje

Skopje in our opinion hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves! Skopje is a city that is trying to reinvent itself.  Due to it’s geographical location between a valley, Skopje has been subject to several natural disasters including some serious earthquakes.  After the 6.1 magnitude earthquake in 1963, the majority of the city center was completely destroyed.  The city tells a story or starting over and over again.  

In 2014, Skopje underwent a controversial ” reconstruction” by the Macedonian government to increase tourism and reclaim part of Macedonian history.

Planning Your Trip to Skopje

How to get to Skopje? We arrived to Skopje from Sofia by bus. The bus from Sofia to Skopje is only four hours and very efficient and direct. The airport of Skopje is about a 30 minute drive outside of the city center and unfortunately there isn’t a great ( okay, there really isn’t a system) public transportation system between the city center and the Skopje airport.

You can take a taxi for 20-25 Euros or try to take a shuttle ( which you can conveniently pre-book). Just note that while the shuttle is the more affordable option, it only runs a few times a day so make sure to check the schedule before booking to make sure it aligns with your flight!

Where to go after Skopje?

If you’re looking to explore more of North Macedonia beyond the city ( as lovely as Skopje is, we know it’s just the tip of the ice burg…) then we suggest enjoying some peace and nature at Lake Ohrid. You can visit the Lake as a full day trip from Skopje, or base yourself for a few lake-side days!

If you’re looking to continue your travels, the airport of Skopje is just about 20 km from the city center and is a well-connected international airport. From Skopje airport, we scored a $20 flight to Naples!

If you’re looking for an overland option, we recommend taking the bus from Skopje to Sofia ( we did the opposite) to explore some of Europe’s oldest cities: Sofia and Plovdiv.

Is Skopje Worth Visiting?

Yes! We definitely believe Skopje is worth visiting. From the historic Old Town Bazaar, the well-preserved panoramic fortress, to the well-priced museums and unique architecture, there are plenty of cheap things to do in Skopje that warrant your time ( and money).

How Cheap is Skopje?

Skopje is very cheap, especially compared to other European capital cities! We paid $25 USD for a full apartment, $2 for museum entrances, $2 for cappuccinos, and under $5 pp, per meal for lunch and dinner out.

If you’re looking for affordable places to stay in Skopje, we always search with Agoda first as we tend to find the best deals from there!

How many days do you need in Skopje?

If you’re just covering the basic tourist sites, then 2-3 days in Skopje is alright. If you’re hoping to take a day trip or see more of the surrounding area, then 4-7 days is better. We tend to travel a bit ” slower” then most and thoroughly enjoyed our 5 days just in Skopje center. While we didn’t do a ” tourist” activity every day, we enjoyed the opportunity to take long runs along the Vardar river, explore coffee shops, people watch, and just relax.

What is Skopje famous for?

The reality is Skopje isn’t on a typical vacationers Europe travel list. If you’re headed to Skopje, you’re probably pretty well traveled and enjoy exploring unique and less-discovered places! If you’re looking for a place to eat well at an affordable price point, explore some interesting museums, indulge in Balkan culture, and soak in the ” kitsch” of the revamped city façade, then Skopje is for you!

Figuring out where to head after Skopje? Check out our neighboring Bulgaria recommendations:

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Welcome! We're Vic and Pat- 30 somethings that have accumulated 10+ years of international travel experience who finally have the guts to share their experiences. We focus on budget couple travel in unique locations that aren't necessarily on a "bucketlist." We don't believe in taking time for granted and we do believe in living our life on the move. Sometimes we have long weekends, sometimes we have a 2 week holiday, sometimes we travel and work remotely for 2+ months at a time. Regardless of what chapter of life we're in, we want to show you how to stretch your budget, maximize travel hacks, and create memorable experiences.