The ULTIMATE One Day In Lake Ohrid Itinerary – All You Need To Know

Stop 1 – Coffee the Roastery

?Roastery 
⏰ 8am – 11pm 

You’ll be kick-starting this one day in Lake Ohrid Itinerary with the best coffee in town. The best place for coffee in Lake Ohrid simply has to be the Roastery coffee shop. They have coffee from all over the world including beans from Ethiopia, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru and India. Which means you get to choose your favourite blend! They also serve up a small selection of delicious pastries. 

The Roastery is connected to a bar called Liquid. This bar is on the lake and has an incredible view looking out over the water and you are more than welcome to sit there if you are a customer of the Roastery. I highly recommend doing this as the view is stunning! 

Stop 2 – Breakfast at Restaurant Kajche

?Restaurant Kajche
⏰ 8am – 12am 

If you’re not full up from your coffee and pastries then I recommend heading over to Restaurant Kajche for a proper breakfast. This is another beautiful spot set on the water. 

If you’re really hungry I recommend the “Breakfast Kajche” which is a traditional Macedonian breakfast. 

Stop 3 – Church of St Sophia

Originally built in the 9th century, the Church of St Sophia is one of the most famous and important churches in North Macedonia as it is home to art and architecture from the Middle Ages. 

It costs around 180 Macedonian Denar to enter the church which is approximately €3. If you prefer not to pay to enter you are able to walk around the garden/grounds free of church and admire the church from the outside. 

Stop 4 – Lake Ohrid Boardwalk 

Right next to the Church of St Sophia is the Lake Ohrid Boardwalk where you’ll be able to take a leisurely stroll along the water, admire the views and watch the boats as they sail past. 

Along the boardwalk, you will also notice several small “beaches” such as Potpesh Beach where you will see lots of sun loungers laid out ready for you to use. If the weather is good I recommend chilling here for a bit at some point during your time in Lake Ohrid (maybe after you’ve seen all of the sites so you can relax). 

Stop 5 – Church of St John at Kaneo

From the boardwalk, you can walk up to the Church of St John at Kaneo which was built in the 13th century. This spot has to be one of the most spectacular views in Lake Ohrid, where you’ll be able to view the church with the shimmering lake in the background. 

To enter the church you will have to pay 180 Macedonian Denar (€3). I personally chose not to enter because the views outside were more than enough for me to appreciate. I would recommend spending some time here soaking up the picturesque scenes of the lake. 

This church is definitely one of the best things to see in Lake Ohrid so do not skip it.

The fortress is one of Lake Ohrid’s oldest sites. Whilst most of what you can see is from the 10th and 11th centuries, archaeologists have gathered some evidence to suggest that part of the site could date back even further to the 4th century. 

The fortress is named after Tsar Samuel who ruled over this region from 997 to 1014 AD.

To enter the fortress you will have to pay 180 Macedonian Denar (€3) and you will be able to walk the walls of the fortress and explore the towers. The best bit of course has to be the panoramic views of Ohrid that you are treated to as you walk around the fortress. 

The Ancient Theatre of Ohrid was constructed during the Hellenistic period, around 200 BCE. The theatre was mainly used for musical events and theatre performances until the Romans conquered the area and then it became a place for Gladiator battles and executions. 

To be completely honest I didn’t find this theatre too impressive to look at but once I understood more about its history and what took place here, I appreciated it a little more. 

Regardless of whether you love it or not, it is en route on your way back to town, so it is worth taking a quick look around. 

Stop 8 – Lunch at Restaurant Antico 

?Restaurant Antico
⏰ 9am – 12am 

Restaurant Antico is one of the best restaurants in Lake Ohrid for traditional North Macedonian food. Everything I ate here was truly delicious but I really recommend trying Ajvar which is a roasted red pepper dip, which makes the perfect starter dish. 

Whether you come here for Lunch or Dinner, make sure to try this place at some point during your time in Ohrid. 

Stop 9 – Choose An Activity 

There are lots of small museums, shops and other activities you can do in the town of Lake Ohrid, so depending on how much time you have and what you like to do you can decide to pick just one of these activities or do them all. 

Visit the National Workshop For Handmade Paper 

?Handmade Paper 
⏰ 10am – 4pm 

This workshop is 1 of only 7 in the world that makes paper using a traditional Chinese Method from the 2nd Century BC. Here you can see a live demonstration of how the paper is made, and also pick up some souvenirs of the handmade paper for yourself. 

Go Pearl Shopping 

One of Lake Ohrid’s little secrets is that it is actually a producer of some very unique pearls. The Ohrid pearl is different to regular pearls as it is created from ground shells and coated with a secret emulsion to give it a special shine. There are only 2 families who produce genuine Ohrid pearls: the Talevs and the Filevs, so make sure to visit only these stores when shopping for your pearls. 

Wine Tasting 

?Patche Wine Bar 
⏰ 9am – 11pm 

If you’re keen to try some traditional North Macedonian wines then I recommend heading to Patche Bar where you will be able to try a range of wines at very affordable prices. You’ll also be able to get a small-tasting platter of cheese, crackers and meats to accompany your wine. Patche Wine Bar is definitely one of the best places for wine in Lake Ohrid. 

Stop 10 – Sunset Lake Cruise 

One of the best things to do in Lake Ohrid on an evening is a sunset cruise across the lake. I recommend going with the Armada Boat Company for the best experience. The tour lasts around an hour and tickets cost 600 Macedonian Denar (€10) which includes a free drink. You can book your boat cruise here. 

At the end of your day of exploring it’s time to head for dinner. One of the best and most popular restaurants in Lake Ohrid is Kaneo Restaurant which is situated on the banks of the lake. Not only are the views incredible, but the drool-worthy menu will make it very hard to make a decision about what to have for your dinner! 

If you want to continue on your evening and head out for some drinks, then I recommend heading to the following bars: 

• Liquid  
• Su Hotel Rooftop Bar 
• Cuba Libre Beach Bar 

Looking for alternative things to do in Lake Ohrid, or do you have more time? Then I recommend the activities I have listed below. 

Lake Ohrid Walking Tour 

If you want to learn more about the history of Lake Ohrid and uncover some lesser-known gems then I recommend booking on this free walking tour. 

Sunbathing 

Sunbathing is another popular activity to do in Lake Ohrid (weather permitting). There are many “beaches” dotted along the lake but two of the best spots for sunbathing are Cuba Libre Beach Bar and  Potpesh Beach.

Paddleboarding 

If you want to get out on the water then I recommend going paddleboarding or kayaking with SUP Club Ohrid.  On the guided tour they will take you to hidden beaches and they even offer sunset party tours in the summer. 

Monastery and wine-tasting tour 

One of the most popular tours to do whilst in Lake Ohrid is this monastery and wine-tasting tour. The tour includes a visit to the St. Cosmas and Damian monastery, a tour of the winery cellar, a tasting of five different wines, two traditional brandies, and a platter of local cheeses and charcuterie.

Paragliding 

If you’re somewhat of an adrenaline junkie then you’ll be pleased to know that you can actually go paragliding over Lake Ohrid. You can book your paragliding tour here. 

Day trip to Bay of Bones

The Bay of Bones is a cool archaeological spot by Lake Ohrid. It’s famous for its reconstruction of a prehistoric village from around 1200-600 BC, where people lived in stilt houses right on the water.

To get here you will need to take a boat, and you will see lots of different boat trip offerings to the Bay of Bones down by the Port where you can book there and then. 

How To Get To Lake Ohrid 

There are two main ways to get to Lake Ohrid, by flight and bus, or just by bus if you are travelling overland from elsewhere in Europe. 

Flight 

To fly to Lake Ohrid, you have two options. You can either fly into Skopje Airport (North Macedonia’s capital city) or you can fly into Tirana (Albania’s capital city). 

From there you can take a bus to Lake Ohrid. The distance between Skopje and Ohrid and Tirana and Ohrid is roughly the same and both journeys will take you a little under 3 hours. 

I found that flights to Tirana tend to be much cheaper than flights to Skjope, so it’s definitely worth exploring both options when you are planning your trip. 

I booked my flights through Skyscanner and booked buses through FlixBus and GetbyBus.

Bus 

You can travel to Lake Ohrid by bus from the capital of Skjope or Tirana in Albania. If you are travelling from other parts of the Balkans then you will most likely have to do a layover in either Skjope or Tirana to catch the bus to Ohrid. 

I recommend checking out both the FlixBus and GetbyBus websites for the best bus route options available. 

Please note that if you are travelling by bus you may be charged a small bus station tax so make sure to have some cash on you (normally the bus stations will accept Euro if you don’t have local currency). 

Where To Stay In Lake Ohrid? 

When choosing a place to stay in Lake Ohrid it’s best to stay as close to the lake as possible. 

What I loved about Ohrid was how cost-effective it is to get your own apartment versus staying in a hotel, and some apartments have incredible views of the lake. 

I stayed at Cosmopolit Apartments and timed it very well as I managed to get it for just € 18 per night. There are lots of other beautiful apartments to choose from and I recommend taking a look here to see what best suits your needs. 

If you would prefer to stay in a hostel then I recommend staying at Robinson Sunset House or Blue Lake Hostel. 

Yes, one day in Lake Ohrid is more than enough. It is very small and you can see all of the best things to do in Lake Ohrid in just 24 hours. 

That being said, there are other places to visit close to Lake Ohrid, such as Prespa Lake and Galicica National Park, so if you would like to visit any of these spots then I would recommend booking a day or two extra.