North Macedonia Activity Holiday | 7 days – NEW for 2026!

Arrive on the late Wizz Air flight from London. You’ll be met at the airport and transferred (approx. 30 minutes) to your accommodation near Mount Vodno.

Day 2 – Matka Canyon: kayaking and hiking adventure

Not far from Skopje lies a dramatic limestone gorge just waiting to be explored. We start with a short hike up to St Nikola Šiševski monastery, where sublime views stretch out across the canyon. Making a steep descent to the river bank, our kayaks are waiting. We’ll take to the water for an easy three hour there-and-back paddle to Vrelo Cave, with time for swimming and a picnic lunch. The submerged depths of this cave are thought to be among the deepest in Europe. All kit is provided and the kayaking is beginner-friendly.

In the afternoon, we transfer to Galičnik village in the heart of Mavrovo National Park in time for a home-cooked dinner with our village hosts.

Protected since 1949, Mavrovo is North Macedonia’s largest national park, a vast landscape of forest, limestone peaks and high pastures bordering Albania and Kosovo. It’s home to lynx, wolves and brown bears.

Today you have a choice.

 Option 1: Hike to Medenica Peak (2,169m) The name Medenica comes from the Slavic word for bear, and while sightings are rare, this is bear country. The reward is big-sky walking and panoramic views across the Bistra massif. Hiking distance: 12.5km. Ascent: approz. 800m. Grade: moderate.

Option 2: Horse riding from Galičnik (supplement applies)
For reluctant hikers or anyone who simply prefers to explore on horseback, guided rides are available directly from the village. The hardy Balkan mountain horses here are sure-footed and well adapted to the terrain, offering a memorable way to experience the same landscapes at a gentler pace.

Whichever you choose, a packed lunch is included, followed by dinner at the guesthouse.

After a hearty breakfast, we leave Galičnik the adventure way, on foot, taking the old forest trail down to neighbouring Janče. In summer, there are wild strawberries and blueberries. From Janče, we drive souuth through Macedonia’s most scenic landscapes: along lakes Globocica and Spilje, through the Radika River canyon and stopping at Bigorski Monastery, famed for its extraordinary carved wooden iconostasis.

Continuing via Struga, with a chance to plunge into the river from its bridge, as locals do, we reach Lake Ohrid — often dubbed the “Macedonian Saint-Tropez”.

Lake Ohrid is renowned as Europe’s oldest and deepest lake (max depth 288m). It has an utterly unique ecosystem with 200 endemic species found nowhere else on earth and water that shines so blue in places it’s almost iridescent.

We’ll take a short guided walking tour of the UNESCO-protected old town to see its Byzantine churches, ancient theatre, 18th–19th century merchant houses and shops selling Ohrid pearls. Our accommodation for the next two nights awaits away from the touristy crowds, at a lakeside village nearby.

Today is yours to shape the way you wish. That may be simply relaxing at a quiet lake beach, but if you’re after more action, there are so many things to do:

Options include:

• SUP boarding
• A boat trip with swimming
• Paragliding
• Cooking class or wine tasting
• Visiting Sveti Neum monastery or the nearby Bay of Bones

Your guide will help arrange activities as desired. Lunch and dinner are not included today, giving you the freedom to explore at your own pace.

We leave Ohrid for higher climes today, stopping first at the lesser-known Lake Prespa, home to Europe’s largest Dalmatian pelican colony. A scenic drive through Galičica National Park brings us to the lake, where we take a boat to Golem Grad (“Snake Island”), a wild, uninhabited isle dotted with Roman ruins and early Christian basilicas. Picnic lunch and swimming included.

In the afternoon, we reach Dihovo village near Pelister National Park. Here, a local beekeeper shows us traditional honey-making and apitherapy. We don protective suits, taste honey straight from the hive, and finish with a hearty Macedonian dinner. Our accommodation for our final two nights is right here, in this blissfully untouched village in the foothills of the Baba mountains.

Pelister is one of Macedonia’s oldest protected areas. It’s shaped by ancient glaciers, with granite ridges, high meadows and the rare Molika pine — a five-needle pine species endemic to the Balkans.

We travel by 4×4 deep into the park, climbing towards the “Eyes of Pelister” — two glacial lakes sitting at around 2,200m above sea level, just begging for an icy dip in summer. From here, a short alpine hike (1–2km on uneven trails) leads us to views across the Baba Mountain range. We may even be treated to wildlife spottings such as chamois and eagles. Lunch today is at the mountain hut.

Enjoy a relaxed morning before transferring to Skopje for your evening flight.

En route, we can visit Heraclea Lyncestis, founded by Philip II of Macedon, where remarkably preserved Roman mosaics depict vivid scenes of wildlife.

On arrival in Skopje, join an optional guided walking tour for a small supplement or explore independently with our tips. Your guide will arrange your transfer to the airport.