North Macedonia photography tour focuses on the best the country has to offer, beautiful landscapes, traditional life in the countryside, old historic cities and monasteries. This is a unique mix of travel and landscape photography where we will have opportunities to photograph people working on fields, experience home cooked meals prepared from organic, locally sourced ingredients and sample some of the best Macedonian wines and brandies.
Late summer is our choice of season, mainly for opportunities to photograph life in the countryside and people working on fields. This is also a season of reliable weather and we can enjoy warm sun in the mountains. Lake Ohrid is wonderful in this season. Most of summer tourists are gone and it is still warm to enjoy sitting outside listening to traditional song while photographing sunset.
North Macedonia photography tour is a small group trip which allows us to be flexible and to allow everyone to get their shots – without hurry and with individual approach of the photo leader and local guide.
WORKSHOP INFO
Dates | Sept 6 – 12, 2025 – Available Sept 12 – 14, 2025 – Extension – see below |
Duration | 7 days / 6 nights |
Group size | 3 – 8 guests |
Price | €2750 |
Single Supplement | €300 |
Pro | Luka Esenko |
Arrival | Skopje Airport |
Departure | Skopje Airport |
DIFFICULTY
This workshop involves moderate walking on hiking trails. There may be a limited amount of uphill walking. Sturdy hiking boots are advised.
North Macedonia Photography Tour ITINERARY
Arrive at North Macedonia
Arrive in Skopje and transfer to Demir Kapija. Check in at Popova Kula winery. The adventure starts with an afternoon shoot to capture ‘golden light’ over the vineyards. Evening get-together for a welcome dinner with wine tasting and to discuss plans for the tour.
Lake Dojran and Strumica plains
After sunrise shoot and a breakfast, we drive to Lake Dojran where fishing boats and fishermen’s huts stand on stilts above the surface of the water. The method of fishing here is very old and performed with the help of the cormorants, gulls, pelicans and other birds that fly above the lake, directing the fish into the baskets where they are gathered in enormous quantities. In the afternoon we are in the village of Gabrovo, a traditional Macedonian village of the eastern part of the country. Our hosts will take us around the area, well known of peppers production. We will pick up fruits and vegetables and start cooking together with the hosts. If time allows we will stop at Koleshino waterfall on our way back to Popova Kula.
Bitola town and Dihovo village
We leave the wine region and drive to Bitola where we stop for a coffee break in one of the city’s many cafes. We explore the stalls of the Old Bazaar or choose to take a guided tour of the ancient town and archaeological site of Heraclea Lyncestis, located on the outskirts of Bitola. In the late afternoon we are in Dihovo, another little village sitting in the foothills of Mountain Baba and National Park Pelister. A visit to a local beekeeper where we learn about traditional beekeeping. We enjoy a honey, extracted straight from the comb and later, a home-cooked meal and drinks in a traditional villa. All of the ingredients are organic and come from the family’s private gardens.
Pelister national park
Pelister national park features beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers and pristine forest. The highest peak is 2.601 meter above sea level. With off road vehicles we explore the park and our journey leads us through the villages of Trnovo and Magarevo to the glacier lakes on top of the mountain. Here you have an opportunity to tour the beautiful scenery and landscape, to breathe clean air and drink pure spring water. Arrival back in Dihovo and home cooked dinner.
Kuratica village and Lake Ohrid
This morning we head to Kuratica village. Locals welcome us with traditional Macedonian cuisine, with homemade wine and traditional rakia. The village is a great place to meet and photograph local people in a traditional setting. We are able to join bread making in traditional oven or help with roasting red peppers. Later in the afternoon we drive to Ohrid, Europe’s oldest lake. We will explore some of many ancient sites in the old part of the town, finishing at St. John of Kaneo church, which sits on a rocky outcrop overlooking the lake, one of the most popular in Macedonia. A perfect place for sundown photo shoot. Back in the center by small boats and dinner.
Lake Ohrid to Skopje
Leaving Ohrid, we head to Macedonia’s capital Skopje. On our way we make interesting stops for photography including Orthodox monastery St John Bigorski and the painted mosque in Tetovo town. In Skopje, we start exploring the Old Turkish Bazaar. We walk to the modern center of Skopje, across the Stone Bridge, the land mark of the city, In the very center we stop in front of the monument and fountain of Alexander the Great. The next stop will be the memorial house of Mother Teresa. She was born in Skopje in 1910. Tonight we have a farewell dinner in a national restaurant.
Departure from North Macedonia
Breakfast and transfer to the International airport of Skopje
Included
Accommodation (6 nights) double/twin rooms sharing (singles available upon request), all meals and drinks, airport transfers and all transportation during the tour, photography tuition, a local guide, entrance fees and all local taxes.
OPTIONAL EXTENSION
Join a two night extension to Serbia where we photograph red pepper harvest season. We will be staying near Niš and visit the world capital of red peppers, a small village that is famous for best paprika in the world! We will have access to the daily life of villagers harvesting red peppers, roasting them and drying them on their houses. We will have a lunch with local family and experience warm hospitality of this part of the world.