Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, is one of the funkiest cities in Europe. Chances are if you’re traveling this area of the Balkans, you’ll be passing through Skopje. One of my favorite things that I did in Skopje was doing a daytrip to Matka Canyon! This is easy to do with public transportation, and definitely one place you should see in North Macedonia. Here’s how to do a daytrip to Matka Canyon from Skopje!

Getting to Matka Canyon

You can get a city bus from the bus station in Skopje that will drop you off at Matka Canyon. It costs 35 denari (MKD) each way (~£0.50 or $0.65). You will need to buy a Skopje public transport card and put money on (denominations of 100s). The bus to Matka Canyon is number N60. There is a bus that leaves at 10:30, and it takes about 55 minutes to get to the canyon. If you go on a weekend in summer, it will most likely be packed with locals.

From where you get off the bus, it’s another 20 minutes to walk to the actual canyon. After another 20 minutes, you’ll be at the main part of Matka Canyon. This is where the restaurant/hotel is! There is no entrance fee for the canyon, only costs for activities while you’re there.

What to Do at Matka Canyon

There are so many amazing things to do in Matka Canyon! You can rent a kayak and go out on the water. You can also go on a boat trip to see the cave—this takes about 2 hours total. Prices vary but in general it’s not too expensive. The boat trip is 400 denari. A single kayak for 30 minutes is 150 denari, or 60 minutes for 300 denari. A double kayak for 30 minutes is 250 denari, or for 60 minutes it’s 500 denari.

There are also lots of options for hiking around Matka Canyon! There is a 4km hike up in the mountains to visit multiple monasteries that are on the trail. This is meant to be very steep, so I’d strongly recommend hiking boots (as well as lots of water). You can also hike out to the cave, which will take about 2 hours one way. The path for this is the gorgeous cliff walk around the canyon. Every bend of the path seems to bring another beautiful view of the mountains and the water!

As I wasn’t bothered about kayaking or a boat trip, or doing a big hike, I spent a few hours walking out along the cliff path and back. We decided to just walk until we felt like turning around.

As there’s a restaurant and hotel at Matka Canyon, you can also just head there and chill out. It’s all mainly outdoor areas, some are reserved just for drinks. We ate at the restaurant here and got two enormous salads, which were delicious. If it’s a nice day, you might even luck out and see some of the guys jumping off the cliff here! If you need a toilet, the restaurant has (free) toilets. They are squat toilets though, so you’ve been warned!

We also walked back to the entrance of the canyon (closer to where we got off the bus), and went swimming in the river. It was very cold! But it was so much fun to hang out and chill, and watch guys diving off the bridge. It was just a bunch of locals hanging out, and was a really nice way to relax.

Getting Back to Skopje From Matka Canyon

If it’s a busy day at the canyon (ie. a weekend when all the locals go), the bus won’t be able to pick you up where it dropped you off. There will be too many parked cars and the bus won’t have space to turn around. You’ll need to walk for probably 20 minutes to where the bus can pick you up. Otherwise, the bus will pick you up where it dropped you off—I’m not sure how frequent it is, but I think it’s about once an hour.

Because of how complicated this was with buses and parking, we ended up getting a taxi back to Skopje. It cost 500 denari (after some haggling) (approx £7.35 // $9.05) and took just 20 minutes. There are loads of taxis around so if you’re traveling with someone else or in a group, it will most likely be easy enough to just take a taxi!

What to Bring For a Daytrip to Matka Canyon

There are lots of places to buy food and water/drinks on the walk from where the bus drops you off to the canyon. But at the main part of the canyon, it’s really just the restaurant/hotel. So I’d suggest bring water and snacks with you, as well as cash if you want to buy anything on the walk there. You’ll also need cash for kayaking or a boat ride.

If you’re planning on going swimming, obviously bring a swimsuit! It’ll probably be easiest to wear a swimsuit under your clothes, since the only actual private places to change are the toilets at the restaurant. Bring your own towel, flip-flops, and sunscreen too.

I’d also recommend bringing a dry bag if you’re kayaking. I don’t own a dry bag (something that needs sorting!) but the people in the kayaks had their backpacks with them. Just in case, I’d recommend putting everything in a dry bag while you’re on a kayak trip.

Planning Your Trip

I stayed in Skopje at Shanti Hostel, and did a daytrip to Matka Canyon from there. You can search for hostels in Skopje here, and hotels in Skopje here! You can also sign up to and search accommodation on Airbnb here. I flew into Skopje Airport on this trip. I always use Skyscanner to find the best deals on flights! Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. Looking for a tour? Here are a few you could join!

Matka Canyon is a beautiful place. It is also very easy to visit as a daytrip from Skopje! Skopje is definitely weird but deserving of a few days on any trip to this part of the Balkans. I hope this helps in planning a daytrip to Matka Canyon from Skopje!

Have you visited Matka Canyon or another daytrip from Skopje? What was your experience like?

You might like my other posts from North Macedonia:

What To Do In Skopje, North Macedonia’s Funky Capital

A Guide To Exploring Lake Ohrid In North Macedonia

Hostel Review: Shanti Hostel, Skopje

How Much Does it Cost to Travel the Balkans For 2.5 Weeks?

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