Matka Canyon in Macedonia in 1 Day
Matka Canyon is the ideal day trip from Skopje for anyone who loves nature, cool rocks and hiking. It’s hard to believe that this incredible canyon is just 15km away from the busy urban streets of Macedonia’s capital city.
Ready to escape the city for an afternoon of hiking, Luke and I excitedly ran out to catch a bus from Skopje to Matka Canyon. We spent a little while peering at signs on bus tops to see if we could find bus 60. Eventually we asked at the bus station, followed some unclear directions, looked at a few more bus stops, and finally found the right bus.
There were a lot of stops as we made our way out of the city. Locals getting on and off, stopping at shopping malls and driving through a small towns, until we finally reached the edge of the Matka Canyon. We jumped off and started our way up the path for an afternoon hike through the canyon.
Hiking in Matka Canyon
Covering 5000 hectares, Matka Canyon is nothing short of huge and you can hike through it for hours and hours. We took a straightforward path that goes right through. The path through the canyon is quite narrow, but nothing too dramatic. Not that it stopped Luke from panicking that I would fall off the edge – which despite being clumsy-footed, isn’t something I’ve ever come near to.
In the winter, hiking through Matka Canyon is really the only activity. However, in the summer, you can go kayaking on the lake and explore further afield. There are several historic churches and monasteries around Matka Canyon which can be accessed from various other hiking trails if you have more time.
As we followed the winding path round corners and through crevices through Matka Canyon, the sun shone on our faces, keeping us warm in the cold winter air.
Where to Eat in Matka Canyon
Right at the beginning of the trail through Matka Canyon is Restaurant Canyon Matka, where we stopped for a light lunch. It was a little more expensive than the usual kind of place that we would sit down to eat, but we hadn’t planned too far ahead that day and the traditional Macedonian food was really good. I’d go as far as to say that the ajvar (a relish made from red peppers) was the best we had in Macedonia!
How to Get to Matka Canyon from Skopje
You can take bus 60 to Matka Canyon from Skopje’s main bus station. It took us a little while to locate the right bus stop, which is just outside of the main bus station building, next to the petrol station. There’s a row of numbered signs (not in numerical order) and number 60 is about half way up the row. You can buy tickets, which cost 75 denar each way, on-board the bus. The bus takes 45-60 minutes depending on traffic and stops.
Matka Canyon was just one tiny part of our slow travel route around Macedonia. If you’re travelling in Macedonia, don’t miss this beautiful canyon.
Katie Featherstone
Oh wow, how have I never heard of (or seen photos of!!!) this place before? I’m so jealous of your time in Macedonia Charlie! Hopefully Dan and I will get over there this Summer. :)
kami
I’m planning to go there when I’m in Macedonia again in May. I did some googling around and couldn’t really find the info how to get there with public transport from Skopje so thank you for the info, I’ll definitely need it!
Charlie on Travel
Absolutely! Do give me a shout/Tweet if there’s anything I might be able to help with – because I know first hand how scare the info online can be!
Anne
I’m heading there next week. Do you know how long the bus takes?
Jacinta
Great info, was there anywhere to camp there overnight?
Charlie Marchant
Hi Jacinta, I’m sure that there is but unfortunately I don’t know any campsites.
Vix
Heading there a year to the date that you did! It’s my birthday and I can’t think of a better place to head.
Did you visit the 627 year old church? I read it was near the cafe. Do the trails loop, ad their maps etc? We leave in a few days and I’m so excited. :)
Hongli
Hi Charlie, I’m female, going there solo using public transport, do you think hiking through the canyon alone is safe? is there other people there when you were hiking? Hope to hear from you. :)
Charlie Marchant
Hi Hongli. Yes, I think it would be safe to go on your own to the canyon. There were lots of people – particularly couples – walking through the canyon when we were there. I would recommend not leaving it too late to catch the bus back from the canyon though, as it can get dark quite quicky when the sun sets :) Hope that helps!
Nicole
Do you remember how long the hike was through the canyon? I will be in Skopje later this month and this might be a good day trip for me.
Charlie Marchant
You can hike for as long as you like. We only hiked for about 1.5 hours in and then turned back as sun was starting to set. Not sure how long the canyon goes on for I’m afraid!
Vix
If you’re an early riser and can put in the miles there is actually a route from Matka all the way back to the Cross. We missed 2 buses from Skopje to Matka because of the confusion of actually getting these buses but we read it was do able in a day if you didn’t stay in the valley of Matka. I also read that in the warm months you can ‘wild’camp, so it depends on your capabilities, etc.
Nina
It looks so dreamy! I am so thrilled to hear that it’s also nice there during the winter. Your post was super helfpul, thank you! :)