From Skopje: Matka Canyon, Painted Mosque&Arabati Baba Tekke





Description
A day that takes you from the stunning serenity of Matka Canyon to the vibrant heritage of Tetovo. Explore the mesmerizing Painted Mosque and find peace in the centuries-old Arabati Baba Tekke. Step away from the city's hustle and enjoy a full-day escape into nature, history, and culture. Begin your journey at Matka Canyon—home to rare wildlife, dramatic cliffs, and crystal-clear waters. Glide across the lake by kayak, take a boat ride to Vrelo Cave, or simply relax with a meal on a terrace overlooking the canyon. Continue to Tetovo, a city nestled beneath the Shara Mountain. Discover the beautifully adorned Painted Mosque, a true Ottoman gem, and feel the calm at Arabati Baba Tekke, a tranquil Dervish monastery. A perfect mix of beauty, tradition, and discovery awaits!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Due in large part to its proximity to Skopje, Matka Canyon is a popular destination for citizens and tourists. The canyon is one of Macedonia's foremost areas for alpine hiking. The climbing season begins around Easter and ends in November. Kayaking on the Treska River is a popular activity, as are fishing, hunting, and swimming
The Painted Mosque (Šarena Džamija) in Tetovo is a stunning 15th-century mosque known for its vibrant, hand-painted exterior and richly decorated interior. Unlike traditional Ottoman mosques, it features intricate floral and geometric patterns, making it one of the most unique mosques in the Balkans. Situated by the Pena River, it offers a blend of Islamic and Baroque artistic influences, creating a mesmerizing cultural landmark.
The Arabati Baba Tekke in Tetovo is a 16th-century Bektashi Sufi shrine, offering a peaceful retreat with its courtyards, fountains, and traditional Ottoman architecture. Once a spiritual center for the Bektashi Order, it remains an important cultural and religious site, reflecting the rich Sufi heritage of the Balkans.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Departure point Your hotel or any location of your preference in Skopje Departure time Daily at your preference (suggested between 08:00am-10:00am)
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(63)
An excellent tour with a lot of variety. The guide Damir was very engaging and well informed. He allowed for a good amount of time at the sights and was flexible throughout. He also pointed me to the best dishes to try in a traditional lunch. Very pleased overall.
We joined their tour today, and it was an absolute disappointment. At every single stop, they made us pay extra entrance fees, even though the tour wasn’t cheap to begin with. The guide was completely uninterested, offered no useful information, and just dropped us off at each location. It felt more like we were paying for a taxi ride than an organized tour. I strongly don’t recommend this company – save your money and plan the trip yourself; you’ll have a much better time.
It was amazing, the guides are super nice (The lady guide) has so much knowledge. Highly recommended for people spending couple of days here
What a lovely day! Beautiful scenery and amazing guides - so knowledgeable, friendly and helpful! 10/10 recommend Skopje daily tours!
I recommend this tour. We really enjoyed all the places we went to, but it is important to take the boat trip. The scenario is so nice. A big thank you to the guide Olivia, she explained so well to us.
Very nice and very interesting trip with Helena today ! A lot of explanations about history and the places we visited. Very kind big smile ! Plus, refreshing for a very hot day !
Thanks for taking our Tour! We're glad to hear that you had a great time and hope to welcome you again in the future :)
We went to Matka Canyon, and also visited the Mosque and it was truly breathtaking! We were a family of six including two kids and two grandmothers so the age spectrum was wide and we all truly enjoyed our time with our tour guide Smiley. He was knowledge, very considerate of our elderly mothers and managed to keep our kids entertained. We weren’t rushed and truly were able to enjoy our experience. We enjoyed our time so much that we booked a second tour with Smiley from Skopje to Lake Ohrid and once again had a fabulous time. His recommendations of where to have lunch were superb! If you get a chance to go on a tour this is a great one and hopefully you will have half the fun that we did. Thank you so much Smiley for an amazing time and for making each family member feel seen and special! Catherine & Mario
Great tour, great guide. We felt comfortable and had a great day with many beautiful impressions! Matka must have been seen. Olivia was a very charming and cheerful travel companion!
Thanks for taking our Matka Canyon, Painted Mosque & Arabati Baba Tekke Tour! We're glad you had a great time and hope to welcome you again soon :)
Our tour guide was Smile. We really appreciate his effort. The weather was not good in our tour day. However he planned the day according to the weather, so we had no problem. He explained everything well and he introduced Macedonian culture to us. Everything was good but I strongly suggest to see the mosque. You will have both nature and culture day :)
Thanks for joining our Matka Canyon, Painted Mosque&Arabati Baba Tekke Tour! We're glad to hear that you had a great time and hope to welcome you again in the future :)
It was GREAT!! Toni was my guide during this half day and it's been a really long time since I had a guide as well. It explains in a clear and simple way the history of the sites we visited (also talking about the history of North Macedonia and the Balkans in general) and we are not bored for a second! on the other hand I thank the agency that I contacted the same day to find me a place for the same afternoon and I had an almost immediate response (while I contacted them before 7am!) In short, I will not hesitate to call on this agency the next time I visit the Balkans (because the agency organizes tours on demand throughout the Balkans).
Thanks for taking our tour! We're glad to hear that you had a great time and hope to welcome you again in the future :)



