Day trips from Ohrid

Each of the four day trips from Ohrid asks for a different decision. Sveti Naum asks which transport to take and when to come back, Struga asks why you would go, Galičica asks how to get there without a car, and Bitola asks whether it is worth a whole day. The answers are short. Take the boat one way and the minibus the other, go to Struga for the river, drive or join a tour for the mountain, and give Bitola a day of its own rather than squeezing it between two other plans.

The monastery stands 29 km south of Ohrid, close to the Albanian border, and Saint Naum founded it in 905. The springs of the Black Drim rise beside the walls and feed the lake, which is the reason to come as much as the church itself, and peacocks live on the grounds. Entry to the monastery and the boat through the springs are paid separately from any transport ticket.

The boat leaves Ohrid's main harbour at 10.15 and calls at the Bay of Bones on the way. The museum there, in the village of Peštani about 16 km south of Ohrid, rebuilds a settlement on stilts from the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age and is shut on Mondays. Hours: 1 May–30 Sep 9–16.30; 1 Oct–30 Apr 9–15.30. The operator, Armada, runs the only return sailing at 15.15, which brings you back to Ohrid at about 17.00. A return ticket costs €20, online sales run from May to September, and tickets cannot be refunded. The verdict follows from that timetable. Sail out, then come back by minibus, because the fixed 15.15 return cuts a swim and a long lunch short and leaves you no way of staying later. Journey times: 1 h 20 by boat, about 1 h by minibus

The minibus runs several times a day for €1.50–2.45 one way. A taxi covers the 29 km by meter in about 40 minutes, which suits two or three people who want to leave at their own hour. The road, R-1301, was rebuilt over 24.3 km and reopened on 13 June 2025.

The Albanian border at Sveti Naum

The border lies 1.2 km from the monastery, and nothing scheduled crosses it, neither a bus nor a boat. On foot the first Albanian village, Tushemisht, is about 45 minutes away, and Pogradec, on the far side of the lake, is 9 to 10 km off. Drivers need a Green Card that lists Albania. A walk to Tushemisht for lunch and back is realistic, and anything more ambitious than that needs a car.

Struga lies about 15 km from Ohrid, and minibuses leave every 20 to 40 minutes for €1.60 one way. The ride takes 20–30 min. The Black Drim leaves the lake here, as the only outflow of Lake Ohrid, and it runs straight through the centre of town, so a walk beside the water is the whole programme.

Walk beside the river, eat, and come back. The town has 15,009 residents (2021 census) and works as a cheaper base than Ohrid for anyone who prefers a quieter evening. Every August it hosts the Struga Poetry Evenings, which is the best reason to be there in that month.

Galičica has been a national park since 1958. Road P-504 climbs over the pass and opens a view of both Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa, so the two lakes sit side by side in one frame. The summit of Magaro reaches 2,254 metres.

No bus goes up, so you need a car or a tour. The pass is closed in winter, and last season it stayed shut from 21 November to 31 March. If your visit falls in that window, spend the half day in Struga instead, because the mountain will not open for you.

Bitola is about 68 to 70 km from Ohrid, and the bus takes 1 h 30–2 h for €6.80 one way, on the Galeb and Transkop lines, and the return ticket is €10.90. Add the way back and the day is gone, so leave on one of the early buses.

The city has 69,287 residents (2021 census) and is known as the City of Consuls. Walk Širok Sokak first, then head for Heraclea Lyncestis, which lies 2 km south of the centre and was founded by Philip II in the mid-4th century BC. Give Bitola a fourth day rather than a gap in the third.

Prices are return, per person; Sveti Naum is the boat fare, and the minibus is far cheaper; admissions and the rowing boat through the springs are extra.

3 daysThe three-day itinerary puts the boat to Sveti Naum on the second day and leaves the third for Galičica or Struga.Ohrid in 3 days →

Getting aroundTimetables for the minibus, the bus to Bitola and the taxi are collected on the page about getting around.Getting around Ohrid →

BudgetWhat a day at Sveti Naum adds up to, with entries and the boat, is worked out on the budget page.What Ohrid costs →

When to goThe page about when to go explains when the boat sells tickets and when the Galičica pass closes.The best time to visit Ohrid →

Where to stayStaying in Struga, a short minibus ride away, is weighed against the old town on the page about where to stay.Where to stay in Ohrid →

FoodBefore a long boat day, the food page covers burek and baklava, the easiest things to carry on board.What to eat in Ohrid →

BeachesSand at Sveti Naum and the other beaches along the lake are compared on the page about beaches.Beaches in Ohrid →

MistakesThe page on mistakes covers the boat that does not wait and the border that cannot be crossed on a bus.Mistakes everyone makes in Ohrid →