Getting to Ohrid is easy by plane or bus. Once there, it is quite easy to get around the Old Town of Ohrid by foot. While the lake is located to the south east, the picturesque and charming Old Town starts from Samoil's Fortress on the hill and descends towards the southeast.

Compared to other modes of transport, getting in by air is the most convenient way to Ohrid. However, it is serviced by a limited number of airlines which fly only to some destinations.

Our Ohrid Transportation Guide below will tell you all you need to know about getting to and getting around Ohrid and Lake Ohrid. To help you see and experience the best that this beautiful region of Macedonia has to offer we have a number of Ohrid tours  available and quality Hotels in Ohrid. We also have some great general Republic of Macedonia travel information about getting to, from and around Macedonia.

Ohrid Transportation Guide

Getting to Ohrid

By Air

Although Ohrid has a small airport, this airport is the country's second international airport. This international airport is called St Paul the Apostle (IATA: OHD) and is 9 km from the city centre. The airport is open all year round but most airlines operate only in the summer months, so do check with your travel agent or airline for the latest information. Check the details on www.airports.com.mk

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By Bus

The bus is the ideal mode of transport if you want to reach Ohrid from Skopje. Be careful about the route that the bus takes as there are two routes. One is the direct route which takes you via Kicevo and the longer one takes you via Bitola. There are frequent buses from Skopje and Bitola. The time taken by bus from Skopje to Ohrid is about three hours.

The main bus stop is no longer in the centre of the town of Ohrid so make sure you do not use outdated maps. It is now located in a bigger area in the outskirts of the town. While you can walk to the bus station, you can also take a taxi for as less as 100 Denar to get to there.

From the main bus station in Ohrid you can take buses to reach cities and towns around Macedonia which include Skopje and Bitola. Buses heading towards Sveti Naum do not start at the bus station but from the road behind the ticketing offices. At the ticket offices you can get tickets to your destination. For places like Skopje, it is better to book your tickets in advance.

Buses leave everyday for Bitola quite frequently and this journey takes about 1.25 hours. There are privates vans driving to Struga every 15 minutes staring from 05.30 hours to 20.30 hours. You have to buy the ticket in the van.

There are three buses to Belgrade every day and the journey time is about 12 hours. To reach Albania, you need to catch a bus to the border crossing Sveti Naum 2 km away from the Sveti Naum Monastery. In the summer months, there are around six buses daily from Ohrid to Sveti Naum. In the winter months the number is reduced to three trips per day. The distance to Svet Naum is about 29 km. The bus then continues to travel on to the border post. From the Albanian customs it is a distance of 5 km to Pogradec. There are taxis waiting here and they are not very expensive.

Getting Around Ohrid

By Car

You can hire car, using Dea Tours agency. There is also opportunity for renting Motorbikes and bikes in DEA Tours agency and in several other places in the town.

By Water Taxi

If you want to see Lake Ohrid in its entirety hiring a water taxi would be the best bet. Water taxis take you almost anywhere along the lake shore. You will, however, need to negotiate the price. The price also depends on how far you want to go, if the captain of the taxi has to wait for you and whether it is a plain sightseeing tour. For instance, it will cost you 40-50 Euros if you want to go to St. Naum. If time is a constraint then you can even take a car to a place like St. Naum. To catch a water taxi, all you need to do is to take a stroll along the water front and quite certainly you will be offered a water taxi ride. You have to be sure that the details of the distance, place and fare, including the currency, are worked out clearly before you set off on your ride.

By Taxi

There are numerous taxi companies operating in the city, but the recommended one is Taxi Mercedes. Minimum fare is 30 Denars.

We also offer Hotels in Bitola and Hotels in Struja if you're interested in visiting the surrounding region of the Republic of Macedonia!