This is a post about the best things to do in Ohrid.
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If you’ve already read my guides to Tirana and Kotor Bay, you’ll know that the road trip connecting them (Tirana to Ohrid to Bay of Kotor) is one of the best things I’ve done in Europe. And of the three stops, Ohrid was the one that surprised me most. (I’ve also driven from London to Liechtenstein and that was definitely a highlight too!)
I’d heard it was pretty but didn’t know much what to expect… A UNESCO World Heritage Site with a walled old town, Byzantine churches perched on clifftops, a lake so clear it looks photoshopped. I was there for a couple of days in May and it was nowhere near enough.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Ohrid, whether you’re coming from Tirana like I did, arriving from Skopje or just figuring out whether it’s worth the detour.
Quick Guide: Ohrid, North Macedonia
📍 Location: South-western North Macedonia, on the shore of Lake Ohrid
💱 Currency: Macedonian denar (MKD); card acceptance is variable, bring cash
🗣️ Language: Macedonian; English widely spoken in tourist areas
🌤️ Best time to visit: May-June or September for warm weather and fewer crowds
🚌 Getting there: Bus from Tirana (approx. 3–4 hours) or Skopje (approx. 3 hours)
🏨 Where to stay: [HOTEL_AFFILIATE_LINK]
🎟️ Top experiences: Old town, Lake Ohrid beaches, St. John at Kaneo church, Samuel’s Fortress
How to Get to Ohrid
Bus from Tirana to Ohrid
This is the route I took and it’s super easy! Several buses run daily between Tirana and Ohrid; the journey takes roughly three to four hours depending on the border crossing.
One tip I like passing on: if you’re taking an early morning bus, stay the night before nearby. I stayed at Hotel Bonsai and I can’t recommend it enough! It’s conveniently located close to where the Ohrid buses depart and the staff was super helpful and friendly. If you’ve read my Tirana travel guide, you’re familiar with this story…
Looking on Google Maps, it totally looked like we could walk there but the hotel staff kindly informed us that it wasn’t possible to walk all the way. And they were right! So we were advised to take the bus but had no cash and no cash machine nearby. The reception guy exchanged his own money with our Euro and let us keep our big suitcase there as we were staying there again when coming back from Ohrid! It made the early start so much less stressful than navigating across the city before dawn.
Besides, this is what we woke up to… (not to mention a great breakfast with perfect black coffee!)
You can book hotel Bonsai here.
About the minibus journey, just so you know and don’t get spooked: you give your passport to the driver in the beginning (for border crossing) and they’ll give it back to you towards the end of the journey.
Bus from Skopje to Ohrid
If you’re coming from Skopje, the bus takes around three hours and runs several times a day. It’s a straightforward and scenic route through the mountains — worth a window seat. Again, check Omio ([OMIO_AFFILIATE_LINK]) for schedules and booking.
Getting Around Ohrid
The old town is compact and almost entirely walkable. Most of what you’ll want to see like the churches, the fortress and the lakefront are within easy walking distance. For the beaches slightly further out, taxis are cheap and readily available.
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Things to Do in Ohrid
Walk the Old Town
You don’t really need a plan for Ohrid’s old town, just walk. Cobbled lanes wind between Ottoman-era houses, past Byzantine churches, down to the water and back up again. It’s small enough that you won’t get properly lost, but layered enough that you’ll keep finding things such as a Roman amphitheatre tucked behind a row of houses, a courtyard with a café you didn’t expect, a view over the lake that stops you mid-sentence.
Writing this post made me realise I still haven’t shared my photos and videos from Ohrid on TT, just this one below. Check out a bit of the view from the main promenade:
Church of St. John at Kaneo
This is Ohrid’s most photographed spot. It’s truly gorgeous! I tend to use more stock photo on the blog rather than mine because I think these are better (my photos of this church in particular are very overcast!) but have a look at the top. How gorgeous is that?!
The small medieval church sits on a clifftop right above the lake, with the water impossibly blue below it and the mountains in the background. It’s SO pretty! We sat on a bench overlooking the water and just stayed there for a little while admiring the view…
The walk down to the water from here is lovely too. There are small pebble beaches beneath the cliffs where you can swim.
Samuel’s Fortress
The fortress sits at the top of the old town and dates back to the tenth century. The climb up is STEEP but the views over the lake and the rooftops from the top are worth every step. Give yourself at least an hour up here.
The Roman Amphitheatre
Easy to miss if you’re not looking for it, Ohrid’s Roman amphitheatre is embedded in the hillside in the old town and still used for performances in summer. It’s free to walk past and look into and, if there’s an event on during your visit, it’s worth checking out.
That’s another spot where we just sat for a little while observing the city…it was starting to get really muggy, especially after so much uphill walking so we grabbed a couple of iced coffees at the cafe by the amphitheatre watching the influencers take their pics. (no shade! You do you. I’m actually regretting a bit these days that I’ve done so much travelling but have rarely had my own photo taken. Now I feel I need to go back to everywhere I’ve been just for that!)
Plaošnik and the Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon
Right near the fortress, this complex is built on the site of one of the oldest universities in Europe, founded in the ninth century by Saint Clement of Ohrid. The reconstructed basilica is striking, the mosaics are beautiful and the setting, on a promontory above the lake, is one of the best in the city.
Beaches in Ohrid
Lake Ohrid is one of Europe’s oldest and deepest lakes and the water is very clear! Visibility of several metres is normal. The beaches along the Ohrid waterfront range from small pebble coves in the old town to longer sandy and pebbly stretches a short distance along the shore.
City beach is the most central and the most accessible, right along the lake promenade. It gets busy in peak season but in May it was so calm.
For something quieter, the smaller coves below the Church of St. John at Kaneo are a lovely spot for a swim without the crowds. You’ll need to clamber down a rocky path to reach them.
If you have a bit more time or want a full beach day, the stretches further along the lake towards Struga offer more space and cleaner water away from the town centre. A taxi will get you there easily.
Where to Eat in Ohrid
Ohrid has a strong restaurant scene for a town its size, largely centred around the old town and the lakefront. The local speciality you absolutely have to try is Ohrid trout, a type of trout unique to Lake Ohrid, which is on the protected species list but is farmed sustainably and served throughout the town. It’s delicious and genuinely different from trout you’ll have elsewhere.
After exploring the old town a bit on our first morning, we headed to Restaurant Kajche, which kept coming up as one of the best spots for local food. It sits just past the old town on the way to the boardwalk and I had the famous Ohrid trout on the terrace right by the water as the sun came out. It was glorious! On the way back I had the most delicious Dubai chocolate ice cream at Nocciolino – Gelato & Focaccia!
I’m not gonna lie…we didn’t find super amazing food after that. We had a really good burger that was quite good but at a hotel restaurant (It was at Su Rooftop Restaurant if you’re keen!). But in terms of local food, the best spots are actually in the more touristy area on the way to the boardwalk. We stayed at the Unique Resort & Spa, on the other side of the main area. Around there, the food options weren’t that enticing.
One spot that comes up (I didn’t try!! But comes recommended) and is worth having on your radar is Damar, a family-run restaurant nestled against the mountainside with a breathtaking view over the city and Lake Ohrid. Reviewers rave about the honey glazed pork ribs, the fresh fish and the warm, genuinely hospitable service and apparently dinner often kicks off with a complimentary rakija from the house. I didn’t make it there on this trip, but it’s top of my list for next time.
Where to Stay in Ohrid
Ohrid has a good range of accommodation for all budgets, from family-run guesthouses and hostels in the old town to hotels along the lake.
Hotels in Ohrid
Staying in or near the old town puts you within walking distance of everything and means you get the lovely experience of the old town in the evenings once the day visitors have gone.
We stayed at Unique Resort & Spa which was at a good location and super friendly staff. The pool was closed when we were there, it was about to open a few days later.
You can search for availability on Booking.com and other good options at mid-range prices, particularly outside peak July and August. But we did enjoy Unique!
Hostels in Ohrid
Ohrid has a solid backpacker scene and several well-reviewed hostels in the old town. If you’re doing the Tirana–Ohrid–Kotor route as a budget trip, a hostel here makes a lot of sense. The town is social, the common areas tend to be lively and it’s a good place to meet other travellers doing the same circuit. Search options on Booking.com.
Camping in Ohrid
For those wanting to camp, there are several campsites around Lake Ohrid, mostly a short distance outside the town centre along the lake shore. They’re popular with a younger crowd in summer and tend to be well-equipped with facilities. If you’re travelling by car or motorbike it’s a particularly good option; you get a lakeside pitch at a fraction of the cost of a hotel.
Day Trips from Ohrid
I didn’t have time for any day trips on my visit as Ohrid was a quick 2-day trip from Tirana, but the area around is worth exploring if you have more than two days.
Monastery of Saint Naum is one of the most-recommended excursions. It’s a stunning Orthodox monastery about 30km south of Ohrid on the shore of the lake, right at the Albanian border. You can get there by boat along the lake, which is the nicest way to go. GetYourGuide has boat tours that combine the monastery with a wider lake trip.
Galicica National Park, which sits between Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa, is great for hiking and wildlife spotting and easily reachable from town.
Struga, just 15km away, is a small town at the mouth of the River Black Drin and worth a quick visit if you want to explore the wider Lake Ohrid area.
How Many Days in Ohrid?
Two days is the minimum and what I’d recommend for a first visit. Enough time to do the old town properly, get a swim in the lake and not feel rushed. If you want to do a day trip to Saint Naum or spend a proper day at the beach, add a third night.
Practical Tips for Visiting Ohrid
When to go: May and June are ideal; warm, not yet peak season, the lake is swimmable and the old town isn’t overwhelmed with visitors. September is equally good. July and August are busy and hot; still a great time to visit but book accommodation well in advance.
Cash: Bring Macedonian denar. While some places accept cards, plenty of smaller restaurants, cafés and shops are cash only. There are ATMs in the town centre.
Language: Macedonian is the official language but English is spoken widely in restaurants, hotels and tourist areas. A few words of Macedonian will go down well with locals.
FAQ
Absolutely. It’s one of the most underrated destinations in Europe. A UNESCO World Heritage old town, spectacular lake scenery, decent food and very affordable. It deserves far more attention than it gets.
Two days and one night is the minimum for a first visit. Three days lets you add a day trip or proper beach time. Any more than that is very pleasant but you’ll have covered the main sights by day three.
Ohrid is known for its well-preserved old town, its Byzantine churches (particularly the Church of St. John at Kaneo), Samuel’s Fortress and Lake Ohrid itself, one of Europe’s oldest lakes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also known for Ohrid trout, a fish unique to the lake.
North Macedonia is generally a safe country for travellers and Ohrid is a tourist town with a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere. Standard precautions apply; watch your belongings in busy areas and stay aware of your surroundings at night but it’s not a place where you’ll feel unsafe.
Yes and you absolutely should. The water is exceptionally clear and clean. There are swimmable beaches in and around the town, with the best water quality slightly away from the main city beach.
No, it’s one of the more affordable destinations in Europe. Food, accommodation and activities are all significantly cheaper than comparable destinations in Croatia or Greece.
By bus. The journey takes roughly three to four hours and buses run daily. Book in advance to secure your seat, especially in summer.
Also by bus, around three hours, with several departures daily.
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This was a post about the best things to do in Ohrid.
