What Ohrid costs

Ohrid is cheap until the boat leaves the harbour. Beds, burek and the old town cost little, and the one outing that bends the budget is the day on the water to Sveti Naum. The table below lists the everyday prices, and the sections after it show where the bill climbs and where it can be pulled back down.

Everything per person, in euros. The day is the same basket across the site: a bed, two meals, city transport and admissions.

Where the bill breaks

The boat to Sveti Naum is the line that breaks the bill: €20 return per person, sold online from May to September, with tickets that cannot be refunded. On top come the museum at the Bay of Bones (€2.43) and the entry to the monastery, while the rowing boat through the springs is paid on the spot. Each item looks small, but together they make this the one day in town that is remembered for its bill.

The smaller items follow the season. Arriving costs the first money: the bus from Skopje is €15.40–15.90, and the airport taxi, with no airport bus to compete with it, is €9–12. A taxi to Sveti Naum, 29 km on the meter, costs several times the minibus fare, which is why the minibus exists. Parking in town is far dearer in summer than in winter, and from late June to August rooms by the water cost roughly twice as much. The Ohrid Summer Festival is the one splurge worth planning for, with tickets at €10–16.

Day tripsThe day trips page prices every outing from the lake, from the boat to the minibus to Struga.Day trips from Ohrid →

Where to save

Start the day with burek, €1.15–1.95, from any bakery, because it is the best breakfast in town and the cheapest. Eating out costs €6.50–13 (main course, ordinary restaurant), so one sit-down meal a day is plenty for a modest budget, and the city bus is about €1 (60–70 MKD) if your feet give out on the cobbles. Most of what makes Ohrid worth the trip costs nothing. The ancient theatre and the church at Kaneo can be seen from outside without a ticket, the wooden walkway along the lake is free, and so are the beaches, where only the sunbed, the drink and the parking are paid. The fortress is the one sight that charges, €2.43, and it takes cash.

For the trips, take the minibus. To Sveti Naum it costs €1.50–2.45 one way, and Struga and Bitola are also cheaper by minibus and bus than by taxi. A sensible compromise is the boat out and the minibus back, which frees you from the 3.15 pm return. Dorm beds start at €8–15 (dorm bed), and May, June and September are cheaper and still warm enough to swim. Struga, 15 km away, makes a cheaper base if the old town is full.

FoodThe food page shows where a main course costs what, from the courtyard of Antiko to the terraces at Kaneo.What to eat in Ohrid →

Where to stayPrices for hostels, rooms and hotels sit on the accommodation page, sorted by neighbourhood.Where to stay in Ohrid →

3 daysThe three-day itinerary shows which of these expenses you actually meet in what order.Ohrid in 3 days →

Getting aroundFares for the bus, the airport taxi and the minibuses are gathered on the page about getting around.Getting around Ohrid →

When to goThe season decides the room price more than anything, and the when-to-go page lays out the months.The best time to visit Ohrid →

BeachesThe beaches page tells you which ones are free to walk to and which ones need a car or a bus.Beaches in Ohrid →

MistakesThe mistakes page lists the costly slips, from a Monday visit to a boat with no way back.Mistakes everyone makes in Ohrid →