Getting around Ohrid

Ohrid asks for a plan more than a vehicle. There is one bus line that matters, the road from Skopje, one airport without any bus at all, and one boat that leaves at a fixed hour. Inside the old town you walk. Beyond it a handful of minibuses, a taxi meter and a rented car decide how far a day reaches. This page goes from the arrival to the beaches in the order you will meet them.

Getting to Ohrid

Most people arrive by bus from Skopje, and the schedule is generous: nine direct departures a day between 6.30 am and 7.30 pm, at €15.40–15.90 and 3 h 20. You buy the ticket at the counter and pay in denars. The station sits outside the old town, so expect a short taxi ride to the promenade, the Kej, unless your room is on the main road.

Skopje airport has no direct bus to Ohrid, so a flight there means a transfer into the city first. Driving the same road takes two and a half to three hours. The bus has one advantage, which is that nobody has to find parking at the other end. Two slower services run via Bitola, and they make sense only if you want to stop there.

GuideSkopje has its own guide, with the bazaar, the fortress and Matka:Skopje →

From Ohrid airport

The airport, code OHD, lies 9 km from the town and works seasonally, which is why Skopje stays the year-round gateway. No bus serves it. A taxi covers the distance in 15 to 25 minutes, at €9–12. The city taxi tariff has applied since 6 May 2026. Agree on the meter or a price before your luggage goes into the boot. In high summer the free cars thin out when a flight lands.

The old town and the Kej are small enough for your feet, and the only reason to ride is the climb. A city bus ride is about €1 (60–70 MKD), and taxis run on the meter, with a higher night rate. The best short hop is not on land: a small boat taxi leaves the harbour for the pier below Kaneo, and it saves the stairs on a hot afternoon for a modest fee.

If you came by car, the parking sign is what you will notice. In town it costs far more in summer than in winter, so park once at the edge and leave the car there. The old streets are steep, cobbled and narrow. A bag with wheels turns into a small ordeal. Walk to the sights in the order that climbs, and ride only to come back down.

To the beaches, Sveti Naum, Struga and Bitola

Beyond the town the minibuses do the work, and the table puts the fares in one place. The boat to Sveti Naum is a separate day with its own timetable, described on the day trips page, and Galičica has no public bus at all.

All prices are one way; pay in denars at the counter and on board.

By car

Traffic keeps to the right and headlights stay on at all hours. The motorway charges by section at toll stations and has no vignette. Keep some cash in denars. The road to Sveti Naum, the R-1301, was rebuilt and reopened on 13 June 2025, which makes it the easy way south, while the pass over Galičica on P-504 shuts in winter. A Green Card is compulsory, and if you plan to cross into Albania it has to name that country.

Day tripsEach outing from the lake, with its fare and its timing, is laid out on the day trips page.Day trips from Ohrid →

3 daysThe three-day itinerary puts the boat, the walks and the minibuses into a working order.Ohrid in 3 days →

Where to stayWhere you sleep decides how much of this you need, and the accommodation page compares the areas.Where to stay in Ohrid →

BudgetThe budget page adds up what these fares do to a week.What Ohrid costs →

When to goWinter shortens the timetables, and the when-to-go page shows by how much.The best time to visit Ohrid →

FoodBetween two transfers the food page tells you where to sit down.What to eat in Ohrid →

BeachesThe beaches page ranks the shores by how easy they are to reach.Beaches in Ohrid →

MistakesThe mistakes page collects the transport slips, from the missed boat to the unagreed taxi.Mistakes everyone makes in Ohrid →