The short answer
Skopje International Airport has the IATA code SKP. Wikivoyage puts it about 20 km southeast of the city, on the main highway. From there you take the airport bus or a taxi into Skopje, and treat Matka Canyon as a separate trip from the city.
A note on our sources. We read the airport’s official home page on 25 October 2026. It gave no code, distance, bus or taxi details, and we did not find those on any official page. The figures below come from Wikipedia, Wikivoyage and a transfer guide. They are secondary and undated, so check fares and times before you travel.
Flights from the UK
Wikipedia lists Wizz Air to London Luton as the only UK route. The official site did not confirm that. Schedules change, so check which airlines fly before you book. Wikipedia says the airport is run by TAV Airports under a 20-year concession signed in 2008.
The airport bus
Wikivoyage describes an airport bus that takes 25 minutes and costs 199 denars. It says the bus leaves about 15 to 30 minutes after flights land. You buy the ticket at the airport counter or online, by cash or card. For the return, you buy at the airport bus office in the city bus station. Wikivoyage’s fare is undated.
The transfer guide on our getting there page names the Vardar Express and says it takes about 30 to 40 minutes, to a stop near the main square. It publishes no fare.
So the two sources disagree on timing: 25 minutes against 30 to 40. They may be timing different stops, or one may be out of date. Allow 40 minutes to be safe.
Taxis
Wikivoyage says a taxi to the centre costs roughly EUR 15 to 25. It reports a EUR 25 standard fare on the airport board in 2022, and a pre-booked transfer at EUR 28 a car to the centre. We found no official fare table.
The transfer guide gives 25 to 35 minutes by taxi and says official airport taxis should use the meter. Insist on it, or agree a price before you leave. If you have booked a transfer, the driver should give you a price in advance, so confirm it in writing.
Wikivoyage’s separate figure for city taxis is that a ride “should normally not cost more than 300 denar”. That is for city trips, not the airport run. Wikivoyage also names the Wizi app, which pays by card.
Money on arrival
Denars are useful for the bus, and our money and currency page covers cards, ATMs and fees. Wikivoyage mentions ATMs and an exchange office near the bus station in the city. Wikivoyage says not to change money on the street.
Onward to Matka Canyon
None of the sources we checked describes a direct public bus from the airport to the canyon. The transfer guide expects a metered taxi straight to Matka to cost more than a city fare, but gives no figure and no time. The simplest plan is to go to your accommodation first and make Matka a separate morning. Our getting there page has the bus 60, taxi and car options, and where to stay in Skopje covers the bases.
If you land late or in winter, note that GOV.UK says thick fog is possible in Skopje and the surrounding areas from November to February. It is in the air travel section of the safety advice.
Ohrid airport
Wikipedia says Ohrid airport (St. Paul the Apostle) is about 170 km southwest of Skopje. It is the other airport in the country, but it is not a sensible way into Skopje or Matka.
Before you fly
Read the entry requirements page. It covers passport validity and the rule to register with the local police within 48 hours of arrival.
