Despite being one of Skopje’s, and North Macedonia’s, most popular tourism destinations, getting to Matka Canyon isn’t as straightforward as one would expect. While you can take public bus #60 from the main terminal, there’s no regularly updated info about timetables online.
Fortunately, the owner of my guest house provided me with a timetable that was valid as of 2021.
Bus #60 departs from Skopje’s bus terminal to Matka Canyon at 7:00, 8:45, 10:30 and 12:10.
I got there a bit before the 8:45 bus and it left right on time. You will need an electronic transport card to board buses in Skopje, but you’ll find a stand selling them right by where the public buses depart.
Note that there’s no need to go inside the bus terminal to board this bus. Instead, just head to the area under the railway tracks across the street. You’ll see many red buses gathered here along with signs indicating the bus numbers.
If you’re following the guide to hiking from Matka Canyon to Vodno Mountain above, you won’t have to worry about a return bus. But if you happen to be doing the hike in the opposite direction, getting from Matka Canyon to Skopje can be even more tricky.
Buses back to Skopje should leave every couple of hours, but try to ask your hotel manager for details before heading out. Also keep in mind that depending on traffic, return buses may not always depart at the normal bus stop. Furthermore, taxi drivers may try to take advantage of the confusion by convincing travelers that buses aren’t running at all!
While you might not face such difficulties, the thought of potentially having to deal with all that after a long hike is a major reason why I chose to start in Matka rather than Vodno.