Skopje day trip from Sofia: Old Bazaar and Mother Teresa's house

Trace centuries of empire in Skopje’s Old Bazaar where cultures collide and history lingers

A 12-hour day trip from Sofia to Skopje with a local English-speaking guide and air-conditioned minivan transport. You walk the Old Bazaar, one of the Balkans' largest marketplaces since the 12th century, cross the Stone Bridge to Macedonia Square, see the Philip of Macedon statue, and visit the Memorial House of Mother Teresa on the site where she was baptized. The guide leads you through the city's layered history: Thracian settlements, Roman and Byzantine rule, Ottoman occupation from 1392, and the 1963 earthquake that reshaped the modern capital.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Skopje Old Bazaar1h
2. Memorial House of Mother Teresa20m

Explore Skopje historical landmarks

• Visit Skopje Old Bazaar
• Walk across Stone Bridge
• See Philip of Macedon statue
• View Mothers of Macedonia fountain
• Tour Mother Teresa Memorial House
• Explore Museum of the City of Skopje

The experience

The day starts with pickup from Sofia and a drive into North Macedonia's capital. Your English-speaking guide meets you in Skopje and walks you into the Old Bazaar, a sprawl of narrow streets and trade stalls that has anchored the city's commerce since at least the 12th century. The bazaar sits on the eastern bank of the Vardar River, stretching from the Stone Bridge down to the Bit-Pazar, and it is dense enough that you can spend hours moving through it without seeing the same corner twice. The guide explains how the bazaar took its shape under Ottoman rule. The city was renamed Uskub when the Ottomans conquered it in 1392, and the marketplace became home to Ottomans, Bulgarians and Albanians living side by side.

From the bazaar you cross the Stone Bridge, a symbol of Skopje that appears on the city's coat of arms and flag. The bridge connects the Old Bazaar to Macedonia Square in the city center, where you'll see the 29-metre bronze statue of Philip of Macedon, the ancient warrior king. Nearby stands the Mothers of Macedonia fountain and statues. The guide then takes you to the Memorial House of Mother Teresa, built on Macedonia Street on the exact spot of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church where she was baptized in 1910. The house opened to 12,000 visitors in its first three weeks and sits just east of the Ristiḱ Palace. You also visit the Museum of the City of Skopje, housed in the old railway station that was partly destroyed in the catastrophic 1963 earthquake. The museum's permanent exhibitions trace Skopje from the first recorded settlements around 3000 BC to the present day.

Transport is by air-conditioned minivan throughout the day, and all entry fees and taxes are included in the price. The tour runs 12 hours total, so you leave Sofia early and return in the evening. Your driver speaks English and handles the route while the guide focuses on the history and the stops themselves. The itinerary suits travelers of any fitness level, though it is not recommended for pregnant travelers.

What’s included

• Local English-speaking guide in Skopje.
• English-speaking driver.
• air-conditioned minivan transport from Sofia.
• all entry fees and taxes to the Old Bazaar, Mother Teresa Memorial House, and the City Museum.

Options for this experience

2 options

Day tour to Skopje, North Macedonia, departing from SofiaGuide in English · 08:00

Skopje tour with pickup includedGuide in English · 08:00Pickup from your hotel is included: transfer to and from your hotel or accommodation in Sofia, English-speaking guide, parking fees and entrance fees

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 18

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by V Travel Ltd.

Is this one for you?Book the Sofia pickup option if you're staying in the city and want door-to-door service. Choose the Skopje tour option if you're already in North Macedonia and prefer to meet the guide there. Either way, the 12-hour format packs the major sites into a single day, so you see the bazaar, the bridge, the statues and the museums without splitting the trip across multiple visits.

Traveler reviews

4.62★★★★★★★★★★

53 verified traveler reviews

5 ★41

4 ★8

3 ★2

2 ★0

1 ★2

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Old Bazaar actually like when you walk through it?

The Old Bazaar is one of the oldest and largest marketplaces in the Balkans, with narrow streets and trade stalls stretching across the eastern bank of the Vardar River from the Stone Bridge to the Bit-Pazar. It has been Skopje's center for trade and commerce since at least the 12th century and took much of its current form under Ottoman rule, when the city was called Uskub.

Where was Mother Teresa from, and what is in the memorial house?

Mother Teresa was born in Skopje in 1910 and lived there until 1928. The Memorial House is built on Macedonia Street on the exact location of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church where she was baptized. The house honors the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and humanitarian in her hometown.

Does the tour include entry to the museums and sites?

Yes, all fees and taxes are included in the tour price, so entry to the Mother Teresa Memorial House, the City Museum and all other sites is covered. You do not pay separately at each stop.

What happened to Skopje in 1963?

A massive earthquake destroyed a large part of the city in 1963, leaving more than 100,000 people without homes. The old railway station, now the Museum of the City of Skopje, was partly destroyed in the quake and has been restored. The museum's exhibitions show how the city rebuilt itself after the disaster.