The Ultimate Albania Itinerary: 1 Week, 2 Week, and 3 Week Options - Sofia Adventures (2024)

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If you’re planning a trip to Albania, it can be a bit of an overwhelming prospect. The country isn’t large, objectively speaking, but giant mountain ranges throughout the country and winding roads make certain trips that look short on the map look way longer in reality.

The fact that there’s really only one international airport right in the middle of the country means that some backtracking is almost always inevitable, unless you are able to fly out via another country.

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One Week in Albania Itinerary: 2 Ways to Spend It

If you only have one week in Albania, it can be a littlehard to create a good Albania itinerary without excessive backtracking.

I’ve created two itineraries, one focusing on NorthernAlbania and one focusing on Southern Albania, as they both offer extremelydifferent things.

For the first itinerary, if at all possible, I recommendstarting in Tirana, working your way down the coast, and ending in Saranda bythen taking the ferry to Corfu to get your flight out. However, if you haveflights in and out of Tirana (or Corfu as the case may be), this Albaniaitinerary will still be useful to you, you will just to have to add on someextra travel time.

For the second itinerary, it will be easy to just fly in and out of Tirana, but this is also a good itinerary to combine with onwards travel throughout the Balkans such as if you are going onwards to Montenegro, North Macedonia, or Kosovo.

A quick note: While this itinerary is possible with only public transportation – which is how I’ve traveled Albania for the 5+ weeks I’ve spent traveling it – a car will enable you to get even more off the beaten path and visit more remote and pristine beaches, gorgeous hidden hot springs, marvelous ruins, and more. But driving in Albania isn’t for the faint of heart, so it’s only for the experienced driver!

We haven’t been brave enough to drive around Albania… yet. But friends who have had said it’s the trip of a lifetime! Should you choose to rent, we suggest searching via Discover Cars. We’ve rented cars dozens of times in the Balkans through various search engines and have settled on Discover Cars as the best car rental search engine – it searches over 500 trusted rental companies to find the cheapest price for your rental! Compare prices for car rental in Slovenia here.

City & Summer Fun: 1 Week Albania Itinerary

If you’re traveling in summer and want to make the most of Albania’s beaches – while also getting to see a bit of city culture – this is the ideal Albania itinerary for you!

Day 1-2: Explore Tirana

Tirana is hands-down one of my favorite cities in theBalkans, full of incredible restaurants, cafés serving up perfect coffee forless than $1, funky museums, interesting open-air markets, and vibrant streetart.

Spend your first day in Tirana getting aquainted with thearea around Skanderbeg Square, visiting Bunkart 2 and/or the House of Leaves,checking out the socialist mural on the National History Museum, visiting thenewly renovated Pazar I Ri market area, and walking around the hipster neighborhoodof Blloku which used to be the center of Communist rule during Enver Hoxha’smurderous reign.

This is a great area to go out at night: I strongly recommend Colonial co*cktail Academy for inventive mixology, Radio Bar for chilled-out drinks in a funky vintage-inspired settling, Nouveau Vague for one of the most photogenic terraces in Tirana, and Kino for a lovely summer garden and fabulous mixed drinks.

For your next day in Tirana, get a little green in yourlife. I strongly recommend heading out to Bunkart 1, which is quite differentfrom Bunkart 2 and even more interesting as it used to be Enver Hoxha’s nuclear bunker and a lot of ithas been kept just as-is. As a bonus, it’s right next to the Dajti Express cable car, where you canzoom up to the heights of Mount Dajti and have a fabulous view over Tirana.

Afterwards, when you return to sea level, take a walk through the Grand Park of Tirana near Blloku with its gorgeous artificial lake and stop for drinks at one of the lakeside bars (I like Black Sheep). You can also check out the the Cloud installation (Reja) in front of the National Arts Gallery of Tirana, which is also worth a visit.

While there, don’t miss Piramida (the abandoned Pyramid ofTirana, built in homage to Enver Hoxha and since abandoned) and the Peace Bellinstallation which was made of melted-down bullets from the crazypost-communist years of the 1990s. You also should check out the “Postbllok –Checkpoint” installation near the Pyramid, which has a piece of the BerlinWall, a leftover bunker from the paranoia-days of Hoxha’s rule, as well as theiron supporting beams of a copper and pyrite mine from one of Albania’sforced labor camps.

After all that, be sure to check out some of Tirana’s fantastic restaurants – there’s something for everyone!

Day 3: Take a daytrip to Berat or Kruja

If I had to pick one or the other, I would opt for Berat asit’s one of my favorite places in Albania and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage sitewith good reason. It’s extremely impressive and really beautiful to walkaround, and its small size (and only two-hour minibus distance from Tirana)means that it’s quite easy to visit for just a day trip.

When in Berat, be sure to cross the bridges to get a sense for both sides of the town, as they are a bit different (one is protected by UNESCO and prevented to make any changes, and the other has been allowed to make some adaptations to be better suited for guesthouses and the like).

And of course, don’t miss the gorgeous Berat Castle up on the hill, thecrowning glory of any trip to Berat. Getting up can be a bit of an effort – it’snot the most well signposted so you can easily find yourself getting in theback way with some struggle, especially if it’s hot when you visit!

If you opt to visit Kruja, it’s most famous for itsexcellent castle remains – one of the best-preserved remains of a castle inAlbania. It’s also well-loved for its fabulous ethnographic museum, as well asthe National Museum Gjergj Kastrioti, a beloved 1400 military figure.

Day 4-5: Head to the coast (basing in Himara or Dhermi)

I love the Albanian Riviera so much, and if you’re visiting in the summer, you’ve got to have some beach days on your Albania itinerary. I have a detailed guide to the Albanian Riviera which you can reference if you want more explanation, but I’ll go into it a bit here as well.

Personally, I loved basing myself in the chill beachsidetown of Himara. The main city beach isn’t so phenomenal, but there’s a “secretbeach” you can hike to or hire a boat to take you to that is one of my favoritein all of Albania. It’s also quite close to several of my other favoriteAlbanian beaches, including Jale, Gjipje, and Porto Palermo.

Dhermi also makes another fantastic base, although I didn’tget a chance to experience it for myself on my Albanian Riviera trip a fewyears back. Dhermi is a little more posh whereas Himara is a little morelow-key, so it depends what the vibe you’re looking for it. Dhermi has Drymadesbeach, which is phenomenal, and it’s closer to the Karaburun peninsula whichhas some of the most untouched beaches in Albania.

Either make a great base so I suggest picking based on yourtravel style and what accommodations are available.

Day 6-7: End your trip in Saranda, exploring Butrint & Ksamil

Saranda is a fantastic base for further explorations in southern Albania, in addition to just being a great town to relax in as well. Saranda has some quite nice beaches once you get away from the ferry area which is a bit polluted, but the really beautiful beaches are down just a 15-minute drive from Saranda in Ksamil.

I’d spend a half-day exploring Butrint, a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site and one of the least-crowded Roman ruins you’ll ever come acrossin your life, before spending the afternoon in Ksamil Beach enjoying the sunand relaxing.

On your final day, you can either chill in Saranda, eatingdelicious seafood from waterfront restaurants, taking a brisk hike up to the Lëkurësicastle which has gorgeous views over the city, or returning to Ksamil for alovely day of relaxing.

Nature & Hiking Focus: 1 Week in Albania Itinerary

Day 1: ExploreTirana

It takes a while to really get into the mountains of Albania, so you’regoing to have to cut your city time close if you only have one week in Albaniaon your itinerary and you really want to do some epic hiking and natureescapes.

I’d roughly follow the outline I recommended above for Tirana but skip some parts of Day 2, particularly Bunkart 1 and Mount Dajti which will take the better half of a day.

If you walk strategically and get an early start in Tirana, you can cover the following: either Bunkart 2 or The House of Leaves, Skanderbeg Square, Pazar I Ri and the revitalized Kalajes I Tirane area as well as the pedestrian street of Toptani, visiting the Piramida complex, seeing Reja and the National Arts Gallery, and Postbllok – Checkpoint park area, followed by checking out Blloku by night for its fabulous restaurants and nightlife.

Day 2: Head north to Shkodra

Shkodra is one of my favorite cities in Albania – it’s quiet and calm in a way that is sorely missing in Tirana, mostly due to the fact that it’s one of the most bicycle-crazy cities in Albania.

It has a great pedestrian walkway with lots of wonderful coffee shops which is an easy place to while away half an afternoon. I recommend renting bikes and heading out to Rozafa Castle, where you can get phenomenal views over Lake Shkodra, and if you’re extra ambitious you can even bike to the shores of the lake and sunbathe there for a bit or even go for a dip.

You can also check out the phenomenal photography museumthere, the Marubi National Museum of Photography, the beautiful central mosque,and the old bazaar.

Day 3: Head to Lake Komani for the Valbona to Theth trek

The best thing about staying in Shkodra for a night before your hike is that you have the ability to leave the majority of your luggage behind. I stayed at Wanderers Hostel in Shkodra and they had secure luggage storage. This way you can just pack a smaller day pack for what you’ll need for your Valbona to Theth hike.

Start your day heading to Lake Komani, which is the gatewayto the Albanian Alps, and take the gorgeous ferry across the waters to Fierza,from which you can head onwards into the Alps. Here’s a guide to taking the Komaniferry.

You’ll end up making your way to Valbona by the end of theday, which is a fantastic place to rest up before your epic hike tomorrow orthe following day.

Day 4-6: EnjoyValbona & Theth

The hike from Valbona to Theth is one of the most popular inAlbania. I actually have wanted to do this hike for ages and have planned twotwice – only to have my first trip derailed by freak thunderstorms and flashfloods and my second attempt derailed by the first snowfall in early October…so, while I know from photos and friends’ experiences that this is a must-do inAlbania for hikers, I can’t personally speak to it.

Instead, I refer you to my friends Rohan and Max who know Albania super well and have done this hike and written about it in great detail – their Valbona to Theth guide is easily the best out there (as other guides have just copied it without adding anything of their own to it), so use that as your reference point.

Once you arrive in Theth, it’s worth spending some time exploring Theth National Park and making the hike out to the Theth blue eye, which is one of the most beautiful places in Northern Albania.

Day 7: Head backto Tirana

The journey back from Theth is a long one, so I recommend leavingthe better part of a day for it. You’ll need to go back to Shkodra via an incrediblybumpy road (which keeps hearing promises of repaving, yet no dice so far as of2019). From there, you’ll need to catch a bus back to Tirana.

At that point, you’ll probably only have an evening left, so check out the Tirana bar and restaurant scene and enjoy your last few meals and drinks in Albania!

Two Weeks in Albania Itinerary: Extension Ideas

If you have two weeks in Albania, now you’re open to plentymore options that will make your time spent there even more rewarding.Personally, I think that two weeks is a way better amount of time to spend inAlbania, but I understand people sometimes only have one week and that’s betterthan nothing.

With a two weeks in Albania itinerary, you’ll be able tocover the majority of the main sights, squeeze in both beach time and mountaintime, and even get to see all of Albania’s UNESCO sights.

To save time, this Albania itinerary has you arrive in Tirana, explore the North, then head south and catch a ferry out of Corfu. If you need to return to Tirana from Saranda by bus to catch a flight, factor that into your Albania itinerary.

I’m not going to re-write these entirely as it is mostly combining both of the one-week itineraries with a few extra which I’ll mark with a NOTE. Other than that, I’ll just lay it out and you can refer above to my suggestions.

Day 1-2: Tirana

Day 3-4: Berat

NOTE: Spend your extra day in Berat visiting the nearby Cobo winery, one of the best in Albania, or cooling off in the fabulous Bogove Waterfalls.

Day 5: Shkodra

Day 4-6: LakeKomani & arriving in Valbona

Day 7: Return to Tirana for a rest day before making your way down the coast

Day 8-11: AlbanianRiviera, using Himara or Dhermi as a base

Day 12-14: Saranda, Butrint, Ksamil, Blue Eye, Gjirokastra, etc.

NOTE: The Blue Eye is right on the way to Gjirokastra, so you can simply take a furgon from Saranda, get off at the Blue Eye and visit it for an hour or two, then wait back where you exited the bus to then go onwards to Gjirokastra, a “Stone City” and a UNESCO World Heritage Site about an hour and a half from Saranda. There, you’ll find a castle with a unique amphitheater as well as the ethnographic museum which was the birthplace of Enver Hoxha.

Three Weeks in Albania Itinerary: Even More Extension Ideas

If you have three weeks in Albania, now you can really startexploring and getting off the beaten path!

Follow the two week itinerary, but add one day in Tirana and use it for a day trip to Kruja Castle, which is a wonderful stop on your Albania Itinerary. From Berat, you can add a side trip to Korca and/or Pogradec to enjoy some time on the Albanian side of beautiful Lake Ohrid.

Here are a few other places you can add to your Albaniaitinerary, so you can mix and match it to suit how much time you have there:

• Rana e Hedhun sand dunes in Shengjin, near Lezheon your way to or from Shkodra.
• Karaburun peninsula and the Llogara Pass on yourtrip around the Albanian Riviera
• Elbasan between Tirana and Berat for anon-touristy Albanian city
• Durres to visit Apollonia, a UNESCO-tentativesight
• Permet, some beautiful hot springs in SouthernAlbania which make a great diversion from Gjirokastra

More Albania Resources

First, start by reading our post on planning a trip to Albania. It covers everything from visas to vaccinations to what to pack, so it’s a great jumping-off point for your travel plans.

If you’re curious about the currency used in Albania and how tipping works, we recommend our Balkan currency guide to learn all about the Albanian lek and tipping culture.

If you’re looking for even more places to add to your Albania itinerary, we have a bunch of ideas for you from us and other bloggers in this collaborative post about the 15 best places to visit in Albania!

We are working on all of our Tirana guides, but for now, we have posts on the best restaurants in Tirana and the best Instagram spots in Tirana.

We add new content almost daily! We recommend you bookmark our homepage, our Albania page, or our general Balkans page to refer to when planning your trip.

Finally, Don’t Forget Your Travel Insurance!

I’msure you’re aware thattravel insuranceis a great idea for Albania and for travel in general! This is especially true when you’re talking about hiking in remote areas where help is far away, or relaxing on the beach or traveling around cities where you can be a potential target for theft.

Stephanie and I have both been paying customers ofWorld Nomadsfor the last three years. We love the peace of mind it gives us in case of emergencies, accidents, illnesses, theft, or trip cancellation or disruption.

While Albania is perfectly safe to travel around, there’s always a risk inherent in everyday travel, so it’s better to play it safe.

Get a travel insurance quote for your trip here.