Kosovo Day Trip from Skopje, North Macedonia

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How to Take a Day Trip to Kosovo from Skopje, North Macedonia

Are you wondering how to take a day trip to Kosovo from Skopje, North Macedonia? You’re in the right place! This guide contains everything you need to know about visiting Kosovo on a day trip.

Both Kosovo and North Macedonia are fairly off the beaten path when it comes to European destinations. These two neighboring countries are both landlocked and located in the Balkan region of Europe.

And both of them are actually quite new as countries, which is interesting. North Macedonia became independent from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, while Kosovo only became independent from Serbia in 2008. This makes Kosovo the second-youngest country in the world (after South Sudan.)

Kosovo’s statehood is complicated, because although the majority of countries around the world (110+ countries) recognize its independence, there are a number of countries that do not. Critically, the Serbian government still views Kosovo as being part of Serbia and refuses to acknowledge its independence.

This causes a lot of tensions and also logistical concerns for traveling in the Balkans — if you enter Kosovo from a country like North Macedonia, you cannot then cross the border into Serbia, because Serbia will view it as an illegal entry. If you want to visit Serbia after Kosovo, you need to make sure you enter and exit Kosovo through a different country. (Such as entering and exiting via North Macedonia.)

North Macedonia’s capital Skopje makes a great base for visiting Kosovo on a day trip, which is what I did on my recent visit. Skopje is very close to the border with Kosovo. Skopje is much better connected to the rest of Europe when it comes to flights, while Kosovo’s capital Pristina has limited options.

Therefore, many travelers choose to visit Kosovo from Skopje. And with Skopje being just half an hour from the border with Kosovo, it makes visiting this country very easy on a day trip.

This guide will share everything you need to know about planning your day trip to Kosovo.

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Best Day Trips to Kosovo from Skopje:

Why Visit Kosovo and What Is It Like?

I’ve always been fascinated by Kosovo, wondering what it was like in one of the newest countries in the world. It’s a European destination that few people travel to, which made me even more intrigued.

If you’re looking for a unique and off-the-beaten-path travel experience in Europe, it’s definitely worth visiting Kosovo. This country feels so different from the rest of Europe and even from some of its Balkan neighbors. It’s very much still a developing country, and one that is forming its national identity.

Many people hear Kosovo and think only of the devastating war here in the 1990s that occurred when the Serbs tried to force the ethnic Albanians out of Kosovo. This conflict only ended after military intervention from NATO, and especially the United States, which eventually resulted in the peace accord of 1999.

Because of this, the US is highly respected in Kosovo — in Pristina, there’s even a giant statue of Bill Clinton, who’s viewed as a hero for intervening against the Serbs. As an American, it was very interesting to see American flags on pretty much every corner in Pristina and to learn about this part of history.

But Kosovo is so much more than its war-torn history. It’s a fascinating country that offers a mixture of modern and old. The quirky capital Pristina is a must-visit, but I’ve also heard that the historic town of Prizren is lovely. Sadly, with my limited time in Kosovo, I didn’t get to visit Prizren this time.

Unlike some of its highly Orthodox Christian neighbors, Kosovo is more than 95% Muslim. But you would never know it aside from seeing a few mosques, because people here are very secular. The official language of Kosovo is Albanian, since most people living here are ethnically Albanian.

Newborn Monument Pristina — Newborn Monument in Pristina

How to Get to Kosovo from Skopje

There are several ways you can visit Kosovo from Skopje. Here’s a quick overview of each option…

By Bus

If you want to visit Kosovo independently on a day trip from Skopje, you can take the bus. There are frequent departures each day from Skopje to Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, and it takes around two hours. (Note that it can take a while at the border crossing depending on how busy it is that day.)

This is a cost-effective option at €8 each way, but it limits you in where you can go. The only direct buses are to Pristina, the capital, so this is realistically the only destination you can visit on your day trip.

Renting a Car

You could also rent a car and drive to Kosovo. But honestly, I would not recommend this. I’ve rented cars in the Balkans before, specifically in Croatia and Montenegro, but driving in those countries is a whole different story from driving in North Macedonia and Kosovo. I found the drivers here to be pretty crazy.

Driving can be a free-for-all, especially in urban areas. I wouldn’t rent a car unless you’re a very confident driver. However, it does give you the most flexibility in where you can go on your day trip.

Guided Tour

The final option (which is what I chose) is a guided tour. I knew I didn’t want to be limited to just visiting Pristina, which is why I didn’t opt for the bus. I wanted to see other places in the country too.

There are a couple of options for tours to Kosovo from Skopje. The one that I took included a visit to the capital Pristina, a bear sanctuary, and the Gracanica Monastery. Here’s the exact tour that I booked.

Another option is this tour, which includes a visit to Pristina as well as the historic town of Prizren. I had a hard time deciding between these two tours, because I’d heard great things about Prizren. But I ended up really enjoying my tour, and it was slightly cheaper. You really can’t go wrong with either one.

Bear in Kosovo — A bear at the Pristina Bear Sanctuary

My Kosovo Day Trip Experience

My tour started in the morning with a convenient meeting point in the center of Skopje.

I was lucky that on the day of my tour, there were only three other travelers in my group. We were all around the same age and got along well, which made the day more fun. And we also had a very high-energy Macedonian guide in her early twenties who made the tour very memorable.

We started off driving to the border of Kosovo, about half an hour from Skopje. The border crossing was very fast, because it was a weekday morning in April. But it can take longer on weekends and holidays.

Our first stop after another hour of driving in Kosovo was Gracanica Monastery, a lovely Orthodox monastery that dates back to the 12th century. Next, we headed to the Pristina Bear Sanctuary. The bears here were rescued from captivity and now have plenty of room to roam in beautiful natural surroundings.

After that, we took a break for lunch at Etno House, a cool restaurant where we were able to try local food. (I had tavce gravce, a dish of baked beans and onions that is vegetarian and served with homemade bread.)

And then it was time for Pristina, where we had a guided tour of the city, followed by about an hour of free time. I was really excited to visit Pristina, mainly for the funky architecture of the National Library of Kosovo, which I saw a photo of years ago and had been intrigued by ever since.

The crazy architecture of the library did not disappoint. I then spent some of my free time heading up to the bell tower of the Mother Teresa Cathedral, which offered great views of the city for €2.

Finally, it was time for the 1.5-hour drive back to Skopje. Overall, I would recommend this tour, although as I mentioned, I had a hard time choosing between this one and the one that went to Prizren.

Here is where you can book the same day trip I did to Kosovo.

The bizarre architecture of the National Library of Kosovo

Is One Day Enough for Kosovo?

Is one day enough for Kosovo or should you stay for longer? Honestly, I wish I could have spent at least two days in Kosovo. A day trip is a nice introduction to the country, but you will only scratch the surface.

Logistically, it made more sense for me to just take a day trip to Kosovo and then return to Skopje, because the onward travel connections are much better from Skopje. Hotels in Skopje are also cheaper.

But having just one day in the country left me wanting to see more, like the historic town of Prizren.

But if you’re limited on time and would prefer to stay in Skopje, a day trip is still a good option. You won’t have to spend all day in transit either. Since Skopje is just 1.5 hours from Pristina (and the Kosovo border is only about half an hour from Skopje), you will be able to spend more time actually visiting the country.