Ohrid UNESCO Heritage: Full-Day Guided Tour from Skopje
Description
Discover the charm of Ohrid on a full-day group tour departing from Skopje. This experience combines a guided walking tour with visits to some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, including the oldest lake in Europe (yes that's right!), Lake Ohrid, the Ancient Theatre, Samoil’s Fortress, and the Church of St. John at Kaneo. As part of the tour, you’ll visit the Ohrid Ancient Theatre, one of the oldest in the region, before heading up to Samoil’s Fortress for panoramic views over the city and lake. The route continues to the Church of St. John at Kaneo, perched dramatically above the water and famous for its picture-perfect setting. During the warmer months, you’ll have the option to swim in the lake or join a boat trip (additional fee). There will also be free time to grab lunch at a local restaurant. After a full day of exploring, the tour concludes with a comfortable return journey to Skopje.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Macedonia's side of Lake Ohrid was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979, with the site being extended to also include the cultural and historic area of Ohrid in 1980. In 2010, NASA named one of Titan's lakes after it. In 2014, the Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Reserve between Albania and North Macedonia was added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Albania’s side of Lake Ohrid was also designated UNESCO world heritage status in 2019
Visiting the ancient theatre of Ohrid.
Ohrid Fortress know as ,,Samuilova tvrdina'', was build from Philip the 2 of Macedon. During the late 900s, Macedonian King Samuil restored the fortress by rebuilding it into a medieval style stronghold which still stands as is today.
Saint John at Kaneo is a Macedonian Orthodox church situated on the cliff over Kaneo Beach overlooking Lake Ohrid in the city of Ohrid, North Macedonia. The church is dedicated to John of Patmos, the writer of Revelation, who has been by some considered to be the same person as John the Apostle. The construction date of the church remains unknown but documents detailing the church property suggest that it was built before the year 1447. Archaeologists believe that the church was constructed some time before the rise of the Ottoman Empire very likely in the 13th century. Restoration work in 1964 led to the discovery of frescoes in its dome.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(54)
A beautiful and varied day to Lake Ohrid! Our guide Bona made a party of it. She bought cake that her mother had made and she told a lot about the history and all the sights in good English. She took good care of my 88-year-old mother who occasionally wanted to sit. The lake and fortress, churches is beautiful! Boating is also recommended!
A great way to see Ohrid if you only have one day available. Bona, our guide, was very flexible and shared a lot of knowledge about both Ohrid and the history of North-Macedonia. We even got home made breakfast in the morning and a drinkable suprise at the end. A nice balance between guided history and free time. The driver was safe and cautious. All in all a beautiful city and a trip I would recomend to do.
Unfortunately, GetYourGuide has a maximum number of characters for reviews. That's why I'm placing it here. Wow wow wow! Not only did I find this the most wonderful tour I have ever had, but also the most fun. Stef (Stefani) has given us a lot of information about Ohrid. Her passion radiated from it. She also went to great lengths to connect with everyone. For example, there was a Turkish man who did not speak English, while the tour was English. She sometimes said some Turkish words and communicated with gestures to also make sure he had a good time. She did this for everyone! But I found it remarkable that she went to extra lengths for him. I got along very well with another girl who joined the tour. We sat down together at Stef's front seat. Outside the information about the tour we had nice conversations in the van. I laughed a lot. The bus itself was equipped with excellent air conditioning. I wasn't a moment too hot. Even with the air conditioning, Stef did her best to keep it at the right temperature. On the way to Ohrid we had a break in which we could have breakfast. There we had eaten a delicious Macedonian specialty, which was very tasty! We started at the old theater, then we visited the fort. Then the church and we had been on a luxury boat. This boat had very soft pillows. We enjoyed the view and took pictures of each other. Stef clearly indicated when we were going to do something, so everyone knew what to expect. She gave everyone the option to do everything or just a few things. She put the choice all the way to us without judging. In addition, she thought along with when we had to drink, go to the bathroom or buy souvenirs. On the road were quite a few people driving dangerously. Stef made sure she kept her distance and that we felt safe. Before this tour started, I looked up to the long duration of the tour (11.5 hours). But because of the rest time we had received in between and being on the bus, this was a perfect balance! I loved this to end my holiday with. Moreover, we were very lucky with the weather in Ohrid. It was sunny but not too hot and not too cold. If you are going to Macedonia: this tour (specifically from this company!) is a must!!
It’s a great introduction to Ohrid for those short of time. Just know that it’s going to be a lot of driving (six hours return) you will have coffee and toilet breaks in the middle. Our mini van was full . I was lucky to have the single seat with plenty of leg room but I can imagine how uncomfortable that must have been for others. Bona is a good guide and she is enthusiastic about sharing with us the great history of her country. We saw and walked through the majority of the main sights but you will always have that feeling of being rushed but it’s understandable unless you don’t really want to see them, in that case she gave us choices too. In the first part of the long drive (1 and half hour) the driver was talking to the guide so much and quite loudly. It was in their language. I am not against him talking, at least I hope at least he’s not sleeping or texting but he could have toned down his voice. He never paused, I was wondering if his mouth gets ever dry from the chatting. It was becoming irritating especially for the couple who were immediately behind him.
Excellent day out with lots of interesting stuff to see
I give this tour my highest and warmest recommendations. Ohrid was absolutely magical—truly a hidden gem of the Balkans. Our guide, Bojana (or 'Bona' as she's called), was incredible. Having traveled quite a bit, I can easily say she’s in the top three guides I’ve ever had. She took care of us from start to finish and made sure everyone in the group felt seen. Definitely the highlight of my trip!
Beautiful experience. Our guide (she was in training) was so very kind and helpful. The lake itself was gorgeous, of course, and the information was nice to know. I had a great time!
Nice city and very good guidance from Bojana. Only i would recommend to do a smaller groups than 40.
An Ohrid tour was a great experience. It''s a beautiful place with nature, views, and atmosphere. We loved the tour and discovered Newbies. The paper museum was stunning. Our guide was also very knowledgeable and attentive. The schedule was well planned and organized. Recommendation! 🙏🏻 The Ohrid tour was an amazing experience. The nature, views, and atmosphere were great. We really liked the tour and discovered new things. The paper museum was magnificent. Our guide was knowledgeable, attentive. The program was well organized and smooth. Highly recommended! 🙏🏻
Great balance of history and fun. Our guide Bona was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Lake Ohrid is beautiful and this tour hit all the spots. Highly recommend!
