6 Beautiful Macedonia Hiking Trails (Best Moderate Hikes)

We took a week-long road trip to check out some Macedonia hiking trails around Ohrid, Bitola, Prilep, and Ljuboten. We followed winding mountain roads and found a mix of breathtaking 360-degree vistas and unkept trails overgrown with foliage. We also did a few short day hikes near Skopje.

Unfortunately, we had some haze in the sky around Ljuboten Peak that impeded our views of what is known to be a spectacular landscape of three other surrounding mountain peaks. But despite limited views, it was a worthwhile trek, with an abundance of wildflowers growing.

We were also disappointed with the lack of upkeep in some national parks. But overall, we’ve enjoyed hiking in Macedonia. The trails are rustic, relatively uncrowded, and offer stunning views.

So, if you want untouched, natural hiking trails, Macedonia is a hidden gem in the Balkans. We’ll review four of Macedonia’s beautiful moderate hiking areas and six hikes perfect for adventurers of all skill levels.

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We aim to provide accurate information for these moderate hiking routes in Macedonia. Please let us know if you notice any inaccuracies so we can correct them.

These seven hikes in four areas of Macedonia are easy to moderate trails for hikers with reasonable fitness levels. We rented a car to get to all of them except the ones around Skopje, where we used public transportation.

We generally hiked in early to mid-June, so it was hot in the late mornings and afternoons. Most trails are also exposed, so we recommend getting out early to beat the heat and bringing plenty of water if you’re there in the late spring or summer months.

For this reason, we also recommend planning your Macedonia hiking adventures in early spring or fall for better temperatures. Plus, we found some recommended trails overgrown with brush. By going in the seasons bookending summer, you might avoid this.

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The trails in Galicica National Park and around Skopje we recommend are well-used, so you don’t have to worry about bush-whacking. We did try to hike a lesser-used trail listed on the Pelister National Park website around the quaint village of Melovishte near Bitola, but we had to turn back because the trail was grossly overrun by brush.

Our favorite trails were the popular two-lake view hike to Magaro Peak in Galicica National Park just outside Ohrid and the main hiking route to the Treskave Monastery (Holy Mother of God) outside Prilep. Ljuboten Peak is also an excellent one-stop option where you can stay several nights and take time to explore the area at a slower pace.

This hike in Galicica National Park is about a 45-minute to one-hour drive from Ohrid up paved roads. It’s a popular hike, as we saw a tourist group, some couples, and solo hikers.

The starting point is marked on Google Maps (Lipova – VRV Magaro), and there are ample parking spots. We went early, so we didn’t have to pay entrance fees, and parking was also free.

This hike is pretty much a steady uphill from the start. We recommend going right at the first main intersection at the base of the ridge and doing a clockwise loop. This right section is steeper than the other side and much easier to go up instead of down. You can then continue on to the two-lakes viewpoint and Magaro Peak.

From there, you can go back down to complete the primary loop. This main trail is well-traveled and outlined in the Maps.me app.

We continued on the trail towards Albania, following the ridge to other viewpoints, and looked for the middle-loop trail. The views from there are spectacular.

However, it was difficult to ascertain the path about two-thirds of the way through the middle loop, as it did not have physical markers (flags and stones) like other parts of the trail. Another couple faced the same conundrum.

We had to blaze our own trail while following the dotted line in Maps.me. We eventually found the main trail down from Magaro Peak, with clearly painted white and red markers and a well-worn dirt path again.

You can also do a much longer loop, as indicated on Maps.me, but we were unsure how long it would take.

The 360-degree panorama views of Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa, and surrounding Macedonian and Albanian landscapes are stunning. We highly recommend this hike. The trail is exposed except for the first half hour up, so plan accordingly. We also found having a hiking pole helpful for going down rocky sections.

This is the most accessible high mountain peak in Macedonia for less seasoned hikers and families. In 2023, National Geographic gave it publicity because it is part of the new High Scardarus Trail, which also crosses Albania and Kosovo. You might want to look into that 20-day adventure if you’re a hardcore hiker.

We opted to split the hike to Ljuboen Peak into two parts. On day one, we parked beside the church at the top of the small village of Staro Selo and hiked for two hours or more to the mountain hut to spend the night.

We tackled the peak the next day—another two-hour-plus hike up—and then hiked back down to the hut to stay one more night. This made for a more manageable and relaxing two days of hiking.

We highly recommend staying in Mountain Hut Ljuboten for at least a night, if not longer. It was a nice overnight respite with excellent accommodations and food at a very reasonable price, and moreover, the scenery was beautiful.

We could have easily stayed longer. It’s a beautiful jumping-off point for other hikes in the area.

The mountain hut has been there since 1931, but it’s gone through extensive reservations. We stayed in a two-bed cabin with a bathroom (sink and toilet) and outlets to charge our devices. It was a comfortable setup, and the shared shower facilities were excellent. There was even hot water.

You can’t bring your own food to cook, and there’s no refrigerator to store food. However, we packed some fruit, granola bars, and trail mix. We were also provided a fantastic breakfast and had good lunch and dinner options.

If you do the Prilep hike in the summer, we highly recommend getting an early start for this Macedonia hike to avoid the hot midday sun. There are a few shaded areas with tree cover, but most of the trail is exposed.

We found free parking in Prilep, about ten minutes from the trail’s start. It’s clearly marked in Maps.me (Marko’s Road in Google Maps). Prilep is also accessible by intercity buses, and the trailhead is about a 25-minute walk from the bus station.

Due to the rising temperature that day, we decided to head to the monastery first and Marko’s Towers afterward. It took us about five hours to get to and from the monastery, with breaks and pictures in between.

The first valley view over the ridge after the main trail splits in two is breathtaking. It’s a beautiful panoramic of rural dwellings and parcels of land below, with striking mountain backdrops. Even just taking in these first views of the valley on the Treskavec trail is worth it.

On the way to the monastery, the hiking trail has a bit of up and down. In the summer, you’ll experience some bush-whacking through some low brush. You might want to wear pants because of that. My legs got scratched and were a bit itchy afterward.

Overall, it’s another pretty well-marked trail. But Maps.me is handy for confirming the trail along some parts that go over boulders.

There is one steep section up, after which there’s a roped section to traverse. However, the terrain is not dangerous or technical. Because of all the boulder sections, this probably isn’t an ideal hike to do after or during rainy weather.

There are two natural springs you can access. Unfortunately, the first was only a trickle. The second was a steady flow of water and a godsend! Tammy happily drenched herself in cold water to cool down. I had carried two liters of water in, but I happily topped up there on the way back.

The monastery was interesting, with its walls and ceiling covered in old frescoes. Unfortunately, the complex is under restoration, with scaffolding covering some sections.

The main church’s lights weren’t on, and the sole monk was preoccupied with other visitors. So, we got more ambient impressions. If anything, getting inside was a nice respite from the sun.

There were some breezes at the top of the mountain. There’s even a popular spot nearby from which paragliders can take off. You can drive out to the monastery, but one of the big draws of this hike is the scenic views hiking up there. The landscapes are pretty striking, with sweeping vistas and rocky formations.

Marko’s Towers (left at the primary marker) is a unique historical landmark. The outcrop with a cross at the top looks striking above the town of Prilep. It’s a very distinctive view from the north when driving to Prilep. You can tackle this before or after going to Treskavec Monastery.

The Marko’s Towers hike can be quickly done up and down in an hour and a half. But you can spend a lot of time soaking in the views and looking around. You can even sit in a gazebo for lunch or a snack. There are short trails connecting the old buildings in the complex. But, again, these were overgrown with grass.

You can combine these two hikes into a single day or tackle them separately. We did them on different days because I got a bit of heat stroke hiking back out from Trskavec Monastery. If anything, give yourself lots of time, pace yourself, and bring lots of water!

These are day hikes you can access by public transport from Skopje. But ensure you buy a transit card at the main bus terminal kiosk or a sales point in the city (blue markers). And top up with the proper amount for your trips. You can no longer pay for tickets on the bus.

You can also download the JSP app (iOS or Android) for bus stops and times. You may have to decipher some Cyrillic, but the stops are clearly marked. Click on “map of stops” for routes to and from your destination. When in doubt, you can catch buses from the main terminal, to be sure.

We took bus 25 from the stop across from Skopje Walks to Middle Vodno, where the cable car is. We then hiked up to Vodno in less than an hour. We went on a holiday weekend, so there were lots of people hiking up. We found out it’s a popular place for locals to go.

Then we spent some time exploring the ridge and a few other viewpoints, and we had a picnic lunch. We chose to take the inexpensive cable car down and bus 25 back. Note that the bus is free to go to and from Vodno on Sundays. Vodno’s cable car doesn’t run on Mondays.

For a second Skopje hike, we took bus 60 to beautiful Matka Canyon (a 30-minute drive west of Skopje). This bus is a bit less frequent but wasn’t crowded early in the morning. You can catch the 60 from the main bus terminal or at stops in the city. Again, use the JSP app for routes.

We did the more gradual hiking trail up to St. Nicholas Church and back. It starts at a pedestrian bridge at the beginning of Matka Canyon. We skipped the steep trail up and down to the canyon from the church and the boat ride across the water.

We later hiked alongside the bottom of the canyon on an easy trail for a fair way but decided to turn back as the foilage got a bit denser the further we went.

We took an hour-long boat ride down the canyon river to Vrelo Cave. (Note the second boat company in the canyon is the only one with access to Vrelo Cave.) This was a nice round-trip boat ride with beautiful views.

We read about problems getting a bus back to Skopje on weekends due to traffic and parked cars blocking the canyon entrance for buses. So, we hiked out of the canyon to Dolna Matka to catch a bus.

Unless you’re in a real bind, we recommend patience and waiting for the bus back to Skopje from the canyon. It was a long walk out, and the 60 bus passed us.

Another long walk we did was up to St. Panteleimon Monastery. There’s an interesting Byzantine-era church there with colorful medieval frescoes.

The way up to the monastery wasn’t the most enjoyable walk along the roads. Some hiking trails to St. Panteleimon Monastery are indicated on Maps.me. But they weren’t clearly marked or cleared.

As a possible add-on, we recommend taking bus 28 to St. Panteleimon and hiking to Vodno instead. Or, you can hike down to this monastery from Vodno and take the 28 bus back to the city center.

Another option is to hike between Vodno and Matka Canyon. We hope to do this when we return to Skopje. These two hikes and the monastery option can be combined to create a day hike. You can hit one or all three of these areas depending on how long you want the hike.

From the well-known Matka Canyon walk to the high trails of Ljuboten, Macedonia hiking offers pretty, accessible, and rustic connections with nature. This is only a tiny sample of hikes this little Balkan country provides. But if you want to tackle easy to moderate hikes in Macedonia, these four regions will provide unforgettable experiences.

So, lace up your boots, pack your gear, and get ready to discover the beauty of Macedonia’s great outdoors! Let us know if you have any questions to help you with your hiking plans in Macedonia.

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